Elixir 16052 Strings Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
Elixir 16052 Strings Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings w NANOWEB Coating, Light (.012-.053)
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tone | Warm, Robust and ‘Played-in’ | Rich & Full | Bright & Focused |
| Feel | Slick & Fast | Smooth | Smooth |
| Wrap Wire | 80/20 Bronze | Phosphor Bronze | 80/20 Bronze |
| Coating | Original POLYWEB | Ultra-thin NANOWEB | Ultra-thin NANOWEB |
| Plain Steel Strings | Anti-Rust Plated | Anti-Rust Plated | Anti-Rust Plated |
| Tone Life | Longest-lasting | Longest-lasting | Longest-lasting |
| Weight: | 22.7 g |
| Size: | Light (12-53) |
| Dimensions: | 1.52 x 10.41 x 11.94 cm; 22.68 Grams |
| Model: | 16052 |
| Colour: | 92/8 Phosphor Bronze |
| Manufacture: | Elixir Strings |
| Dimensions: | 1.52 x 10.41 x 11.94 cm; 22.68 Grams |
| Origin: | USA |
| Size: | Light (12-53) |
I bought a “Taylor electro acoustic” and it sounded great plugged in but a bit “tinny” when unplugged. So a fellow guitar player recommended these strings to beef up the acoustic sound. It has helped alot. Will buy agai
I bought this set to use new at special gig, but the G string snapped just after the first half, so not very pleased. See picture. The strings sounded great when they were ‘whole’ though!
I’ve had strings that sound better and play more easily but last about as long as a chocolate eclair Susan Boyle’s fridge.
These sound good and play well enough – as far as bending 11’s while soloing goes, and they keep those qualities gig after gig including home rehearsal hours in between.
My hands sweat like Rolf Harris in toys r us and I’m pretty hard hitting but these are up to it.
I occasionally drift to try out other brands from time to time but always come back to Elixirs.
The extra upfront cost pays for itself.
Elixir nanoweb strings have a bright tone which is retained for longer because of the nanoweb coating which decreases string noise and resists corrosion. All guitar strings will eventually lose some sound quality. I find these strings last about three times as long as cheaper string brands without the coating.
better the buy the 3 pack as it is cheaper per pack
strings are very good, kinda soft, intonation of the guitar is the best with a brand new set of string
unfortunately playing like 4 hours a day and in 2 weeks the string is getting harder, loosing its soft touch, loosing the harmonics it can create, getting discolored and frayed where you are picking it, so it can last 3 weeks and its not nice anymore, but what i found that at that point you can start you experiment with the NS tri action capo at the 4th fret and it sounds still nice on the higher registers, most players are using the strings in the first 5 frets, and after 3 weeks the strings are tired there but still lively up from there, replacing the strings every 2 weeks is pricey, that like 24 sets a year, like 340eur per year, so im trying to use the strings for 2 months
After buying my partner an acoustic guitar for christmas, the strings it came with were quite poor quality, to the point that we could not even tune it without them breaking. These are excellent replacements, very nice feel and are going strong after numerous re-tunes. Highly recommended.
Strings were very easy to put on had no problems there. The sound quality is incredible, I usually buy the cheaper option however I will never make that mistake again, picking sounds great has a really deep and open tone to the guitar and feels easy on the fingertips to slide up and down the fret board. For that rich acoustic sound, these are the perfect strings and I will rebuy these when that time comes no hesitation! 10/10
Was thinking of sending the guitar back-seriously!
So i changed to a set of these 12-53 lights and Eureka- what a difference!
Full, rich tone and no squeaking. Makes the guitar sound the way it was intended-awesome.
As others have said they seem expensive, but they generally last 6-8 months so overall deliver value for money.
I won’t buy any other acoustic strings from now on.
The Medium strings sound absolutely wonderful on my 2008 Martin D-28, they are a delight to play, they install well, maintain tuning, last for ages and sound sublime. Personally I prefer Nanowebs over Polywebs.
They ARE expensive, but when you consider how long they last and how WELL they last, you quickly realise what great value they are. Previous installations have lasted up to a year on my dreadnought so compared with uncoated strings thus are excellent value.
I have heard them criticised for being too ‘slippery’, an opinion I don’t subscribe to as they feel appropriate and normal to me, it also reduces squeaking. I suppose it’s a similar concept to people who don’t like varifocal glasses – for me, they’re great and for others, they heartily disagree.
I shall be replacing the set I strung last night with another set – I like having a set available but must say that I’ve never had an Elixir string break or fail as I string my Martin 000-28 with Light gauge. When I had my Martin D12-28 I used the Ultra Lights on that – never a break. I’ve used them for well over 10 years.
All in all, you get what you pay for. If you have an open mind and want quality sound with longevity, you could do FAR worse than give Elixirs a shot . . .
I got a set of these after buying a new Guitar that already had them on. I’ve been playing the new guitar for months and they’re still as new so I got these for one of my older guitars and a set of the D’addario nanoweb strings to compare which I put on a 3rd guitar. All along I had only been using Martin strings. These Elixir strings are quite simply my favourite strings that I’ve ever used. So bright and crisp, the sustain and clarity are phenomenal, they hold in tune so well. They’re so smooth to play and if they last as long as the set that came on the new guitar they’ll save me a lot of time changing. Best strings ever, I’ll only be buying these moving forward, you won’t be disappointed!!
I used to use D’Addario strings, originally the uncoated type and then the coated EXP line. The Elixirs are superior in every way though – brighter and fuller sounding, and so much longer lasting. My sweaty hands will kill an uncoated set within hours but I get at least 6 months out of a set of Elixirs. I also love the smoother feel. Some complain about the coating wearing off where you strum, but I’ve never found it causes a problem with feel or longevity – I do use GHS Fast Fret which helps squeeze maximum life out of the strings. These will be my default from now on.
I’ve been playing acoustic guitar for 20+ years and have tried most strings, nothing tops elixir for my needs, they justify the price point and make up for it in longevity. I’ve tried all the other brands of coated strings and none last as long, feel as smooth, or sound as good to me.
Avoid cheap deals on ebay as I’ve been stung a few times with fakes (some initially quite convincing). It’s even happened to me once on here through the marketplace, be warned.
Bottom line, if you are a regular player but not a professional who wants to change strings weekly these are one hundred percent worth it, I’ve personally used the phosphor bronze lights for years now, they last months of regular play.
Since swapping to Elixir Nanoweb strings I’ve been consistently impressed by how long these strings last, especially in their tone. I seem to be swapping them out somewhere between 15 and 18 months but I’m not really sure why – they’d be fine for longer. Also order and delivery has been prompt and trouble free in the main, though when I removed the outer packaging from this most recent set I discovered that the product package had already been opened.. All the strings were there, in their original sleeves and undamaged, so I wasn’t too concerned but I’d be interested to know why. That’s the only reason that this review wasn’t five stars.
I’ve been using Elixir since they were released, I’ll typically get a few months of daily use from a set before I feel they need changing. Often the top E will snap – from tuning up and down – well before the set is worn out.
That’s fab and enough reason to use them, but a major plus is the slickness of the coating. It makes sliding and picking a joy, rather than a noisy battle against wound bronze. Nobody likes a super squeaky guitar!
I’m not a fan of restringing my guitars, so Elixir are an easy way of making them sound like they have new strings all the time. They sound great, they feel great, they stay great. They’re great!
Excellent strings. Silky smooth to play – which is a little weird at first, but once you’re used to not having that resistance when you move across the fret, going back to “normal” strings just feels a little “cheap” in comparison.
They have a similar tone to the D’Addario’s when the D’Addario’s are fresh on, but retain that tone for (seemingly) forever. I’ve had them on the guitar for a couple of months now and they still sound and play great whence by now I would have easily put another set of D’Addario on.
They’re not cheap, by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m going to see if I can find a 3-pack or something online now that I know how great they are – I only bought this one set to try out.
Definitely worth the extra cost, all the same.
Taylor recommend these (13 gauge) strings for the mini GS.
I am fairly new to playing guitar (beginner to intermediate).
Even though I have hard calloused finger tips, I do tend to struggle with 13s but then again it could be where I lack strength in my hands to press down hard?
NOTE: I tried 11 gauge (same make etc) but it caused the mini GS to lose much richness in the tones and I couldn’t live with it, so I put the 13s back on.
I do find they sound a bit scratchy when finger picking, like a metallic bright sound, which I’m not over keen on (Perhaps it’s the way I play or the strings on this particular guitar?)
I would like to try out some D’Addario strings in various gauges (11, 12 & 13) because the reviews I read, seem to appeal more to my taste of tones. I like a fuller, deeper, more rounded sound as opposed to sharp bright tones (Actually I’m still discovering tones and my tastes)
As a fingerstyle guitar player of forty years vintage I’ve tried just about every make of strings on the market and settled on Martin’s SP series several years ago as best for my style of playing and overall sound. I have a small collection of Martin and Gibson flat tops built up over the years and play folk clubs, acoustic nights etc on a regular basis. A couple of years ago I invested in a Taylor 814ce as I needed an electro-acoustic for a series of concerts in larger venues. It came fitted with a set of Elixir “12s” Light Gauge. Now I usually get through a set of strings in about a month of regular playing. Don’t break them, they just go dull and the intonation at the top end starts to go. After three months of almost daily playing the Elixir strings still sounded bright and clean. I then bought a set of “11s” Custom Light and fitted them to my Martin J40. Six months later they still sound good!
They’re expensive at 12 a pop [14 in some guitar stores] but are worth every penny. They will genuinely last 3 times longer than any other string I’ve ever tried.