Coated vs Non-Coated Strings: Why Are Players So Divided?

In this episode of Alvarez TV, we dive headfirst into one of the most hotly debated topics in the acoustic world: coated vs non-coated strings. Ask almost any guitarist and they’ll have an opinion — sometimes a pretty fierce one. Non-coated strings are said to have the “pure” tone and natural feel. But coated strings have come a long way. Technology’s moved on, materials have improved, and honestly… we think our premium guitars sound better strung with D’Addario XS coated strings than with traditional EJ16s. Why does that upset people so much? Why are opinions around this so strong? We explore where the passion comes from, share a bit of the backstory on how coated strings came to be, and do some direct side-by-side strumming and fingerstyle examples so you can judge for yourself. Got thoughts? Drop them in the comments. Do coated strings ruin the purity, or are they the best thing to happen to acoustic tone? We want to hear it. Thanks for watching Alvarez TV. Please like & subscribe if you’re enjoying the channel. 0:00 Introduction 0:18 To Coat or Not To Coat Jam 2:08 What Are We Doing Today, mate? 3:29 How Coated Strings Changed Everything 6:52 Why We Now Use D’Addario XS 8:50 About the Audio Test 9:41 Wrap Up and Final Thoughts 10:34 Strumming Shootout: XS vs EJ16 11:30 Fingerstyle Shootout: XS vs EJ16 12:15 End Credits & Thanks #alvarezguitars #acousticguitar #acoustic #daddarioxs #stringgauge