EXL148 : Good for drop-B

7 years ago

I bought these as there is no 'balanced tension' set available in this guage area. As they are 'optimised' for c-standard tuning I figured I would be in the right ballpark. In recent times I have been drawn to higher tension sets than before, so by using these for drop-b I am actually using them at a higher tension than the 'optimised' C tuning (C#, except the sixth string dropped to B). Unusually for my taste there is a tension mismatch, but I am enjoying the set.

Across the board I am very happy with them, although I may end up swapping the 60 string for something thicker next time around, to ensure less of a tension difference at the low end. As it stands the dropped B is closer in tension to the treble strings than to the other two bass strings. Something like a 70 would work mathematically. (No stars lost, as a matter of preference, not a an issue with the string set)

As usual with D'addario they sound fantastic and are quite long lived. If you are a sweaty player (I am not) or gig a lot (I don't with this guitar) maybe spring for the NYXL set.

Image Daddario EXL148

Technical Data

  • Manufactured by Daddario
  • Released in 2010
  • Average price : $10
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