D'Addario XL Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings

Your strings matter. D'Addario's XL Nickel Wound electric guitar strings are engineered to serve as the critical link between you and your guitar. Our most popular electric guitar strings, XL's are precision wound with highly magnetic nickel-plated steel to exacting specifications, resulting in strings with long lasting, distinctive bright tone, and excellent intonation. Ideal for the widest variety of guitars and musical styles, XL's are the choice of countless professionals around the world.

Anatomy of a D'Addario XL Electric Guitar String

Three components of a D'Addario guitar string work together to create your desired tone: Hex-core, outer wrap wire, and ball-end.

It all starts with the core. D'Addario pioneered the use of the Hex Core, and as the name suggests, it is a six-sided high carbon steel core-wire. Each side "bites" into the wire used for the outer winding, creating a tight and consistent bond that keeps the string in tune from end to end. The final component is a D'Addario exclusive: color-coded ball-ends that secure the string in place at the guitar's bridge, allowing for easy string identification and a major reduction in wasteful packaging.

Alloys 101 — Your Tone Pallet

String alloys have a dramatic impact on your tone, feel and string life. D'Addario's diverse selection of electric string alloys include:

Nickel-plated Steel— Seeking the perfect balance of dynamic magnetism and smooth, comfortable feel? Look no further than D'Addario's XL Nickel Wound series. Renowned for their distinctive, bright tone, XL's are the industry standard for many genres and playing styles.

Steel— Looking for the brightest and most corrosion resistant string? D'Addario's unique ProSteels alloy is your ticket. ProSteels are preferred by many rock, metal, country and jazz players for their super-bright, crunchy tone and highly textured feel.

Pure Nickel— Craving the warm tone of the 1950's and 60's? D'Addario's Pure Nickel series is the answer. Containing lower magnetic properties than Nickel-plated Steel strings, Pure Nickel is the alloy preferred by many vintage enthusiasts.

Choose your Wrap Wire

Round Wound— The most popular and universal construction, Round Wound strings deliver the traditional textured feel most players are familiar and comfortable with. XL Nickel Wounds, ProSteels, and EXP Coated are all Round Wound strings.

Flat Wound— Offering a damped, mellow tone often preferred for jazz and twang, D'Addario Chromes utilize a flattened stainless steel "ribbon" wire polished to an ultra-smooth feel. A complex series of under windings ensures a set that holds up and stays in tune over the long run.

Half Round - Delivering a smooth feel similar to flat wounds, D'Addario Half Rounds maintain the flexibility and tension of a round wound string. We start with a finished round wound string then carefully remove the tops of the windings through our unique center-less grinding technique. Great for reduced finger noise and slide guitar.

The D'Addario Difference

It all starts with our exclusively engineered and built string winding machines. There is literally nothing like a D'Addario string machine. The combination of the most advanced computer-controlled winding technology and stringent incoming wire inspection delivers unmatched consistency, string after string, set after set. Our passion for and commitment to environmentally responsible packaging and raw materials fuels our continued innovation. Last but not least, every D'Addario string is made in the U.S.A., ensuring the highest quality and performance.

Check out D'Addario XL's today and start getting the most out of your guitar.