Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
Light .012-.053
80/20's brightness without 80/20's two-week lifespan
$15 - $30
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The short version
This is the set that makes the strongest case for coating anything. Uncoated 80/20 bronze is the brightest acoustic alloy and also the fastest to die, because the zinc in it oxidises quickly - so the alloy that sounds best new is the one you hear at its best for the shortest time. Sealing it fixes precisely that. Elixir is a division of W. L. Gore, the company behind Gore-Tex, and the coating is genuinely the product: it seals the whole string, including the gaps between the windings where skin oil and dead skin normally collect. That debris, not corrosion of the metal, is what kills most strings.
How we rate it
Scores are Fretline editorial ratings on a 1-10 scale. They are our own assessment and are not supplied or endorsed by Amazon or by any manufacturer.
- Brightness
- 9.0
- Sustain
- 7.0
- Durability
- 10.0
- Feel
- 8.0
- Tuning stability
- 8.0
- Value
- 7.0
Specifications
| Brand | Elixir |
|---|---|
| Model | NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze AcousticLight .012-.053 |
| Category | Strings |
| What it is | |
| Strings in the set | 6 |
| Materials | |
| Alloy | 80/20 bronze |
| Winding | Roundwound |
| Coating | NANOWEB, an ultra-thin coating over the entire string |
| Measurements | |
| Gauges | .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053 |
| In the box | |
| Sets included | 1 |
9 verified fields, taken from the manufacturer first and the Amazon listing second. Fields the manufacturer does not publish are omitted rather than estimated.
What it gets right
- The brightest acoustic alloy, kept bright for far longer than uncoated 80/20
- The strongest value case of any coated set, because 80/20 dies fastest uncoated
- Reduced finger squeak, useful when recording
- Standard light gauge, so no setup change on a full-size guitar
Where it gives ground
- Can be too bright on a guitar that is already sharp-sounding
- Roughly twice the price of uncoated 80/20
- Slightly less immediate glassiness than a fresh uncoated set
Who it is for
What owners report
Patterns drawn from published owner reviews. Summarised, never quoted.
What comes up most
- Owners describe getting weeks of the bright sound they previously got for days
- Frequently chosen for dark-sounding mahogany guitars to open them up
Frequent complaints
- Price is the main complaint
- Some find them harsh on an already-bright instrument
Recognised strengths
- The longevity claim holds up across a very large number of owner reports
Recognised weaknesses
- Brightness is a matter of taste, and this set commits hard to it
The verdict
If you like the glassy, forward sound of 80/20 and have been put off by how briefly it lasts, this is the obvious answer and the value case is stronger here than on the phosphor bronze version, because the uncoated alternative dies so much faster. On a bright guitar it can still be too much: if your dreadnought already sounds sharp, the phosphor bronze NANOWEB is the better pick. Same price premium, same slight loss of day-one sparkle, same very long life.
We do not publish prices, because Amazon prices change constantly and a stale figure helps nobody. Follow the link for the current price and availability.
Sources
Compared with
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs Belfort Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs D'Addario EJ11 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs D'Addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs D'Addario Pro-Arte Nylon Classical
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs D'Addario EJ27N Student Nylon Classical
- Elixir NANOWEB 80/20 Bronze Acoustic vs D'Addario XS Phosphor Bronze Coated Acoustic
Other strings
Belfort · Strings
Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Light
Cheap phosphor bronze from a brand with no published specification
D'Addario · Strings
EJ11 80/20 Bronze Acoustic
Light, .012-.053
The bright, brash acoustic string the whole category was built on
D'Addario · Strings
EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic
Light .012-.053, three sets
The default acoustic string, and the one to buy if you are not sure
D'Addario · Strings
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound Electric
Regular Light .010-.046, three sets
The electric string most guitars leave the factory wearing
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