D'Addario NYXL vs XL Nickel (EXL110): which nickel-wound set should you buy?
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
D'Addario's two main nickel-wound electric lines use the same gauges and the same nickel-plated steel wrap, so the choice comes down to the wire underneath. XL Nickel, the EXL110 workhorse made since 1974, is the cheaper daily set. NYXL, launched in 2014, swaps in a reformulated NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain strings that D'Addario rates at about 131% greater tuning stability and roughly 40% more break strength. Buy XL Nickel to save money, NYXL when tuning stability and output matter.
The short answer
Both of D'Addario's flagship electric lines are nickel-plated steel strings on a steel core, in the same gauges. So this is not a tone-versus-tone shootout. It is a question of whether the upgraded core wire is worth the price.
XL Nickel, the line built around the EXL110, has been D'Addario's workhorse since 1974. NYXL, the line built around the NYXL1046, launched in 2014 with a reformulated core and measurably better tuning stability. Buy XL Nickel to save money on a daily set. Buy NYXL when stability, output, and break resistance matter, which usually means gigging, recording, hard bending, or tuning down.
Same wrap, different core
The part you touch is the same on both lines: nickel-plated steel wrap wire, the alloy that gives a balanced, slightly bright electric tone. What changed with NYXL is underneath.
NYXL is built on what D'Addario calls NY Steel, a reformulated high-carbon core wire drawn at the company's Farmingdale, New York facility. Per D'Addario, that core makes the strings about 40% stronger, so a string bent two whole steps still sits at less than 75% of its breaking point. The plain strings add a Fusion Twist, twisted at the ball end for break resistance. XL Nickel keeps the standard steel core D'Addario has used for decades. The wrap is the same; the spine is not.
That core change is what produces NYXL's headline number, about 131% greater tuning stability than standard XL strings, and a wrap voicing D'Addario says accentuates the 1 to 3.5 kHz range for more presence and crunch.
| D'Addario NYXL | D'Addario XL Nickel (EXL110) | How big is the difference? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the line since | 2014 | 1974 | NYXL is the modern flagship, XL the classic |
| Core wire | NY Steel hex (reformulated, ~40% stronger) | Standard hex steel | The whole point of NYXL |
| Plain strings | Fusion Twist | Standard plain steel | Break resistance at the ball end |
| Wrap wire | Nickel-plated steel | Nickel-plated steel | Identical |
| Tuning stability | ~131% greater than XL (D'Addario lab) | Standard | Large, and the reason most players switch |
| Voice | More present, accentuated 1 to 3.5 kHz | Flatter, neutral reference | Subtle but real |
| Price tier | $$ | $ | NYXL runs about 1.5x |
The price math
Because the two lines share gauges, the decision is unusually clean: same feel, same fit, same wrap, with NYXL adding stability and output for roughly a 1.5x price step. There is no tone you give up by choosing NYXL, only money you spend.
So run it against your use. A casual player who changes strings every month or two is paying for stability they may never stress. A gigging or recording player who bends hard, tunes down, or cannot afford a string drifting flat mid-take gets real value from the NY Steel core. The honest line: the harder you push the strings, the more NYXL earns the premium. The lighter your use, the more XL Nickel is all the string you need.
Which should you buy
- Daily player on a budget
- XL Nickel (EXL110). The canonical set, cheap and consistent.
- Gigging or recording
- NYXL. Tuning stability you can count on under pressure.
- Bend hard or tune down
- NYXL. The NY Steel core holds pitch and resists breakage.
- Want more cut in a mix
- NYXL. The accentuated 1 to 3.5 kHz adds presence.
- Just learning
- XL Nickel first. Learn your hands, then decide on the upgrade.
The modern flagship. NYXL is the set to buy when tuning stability and output are worth the price step, and it is the same gauge as the workhorse, so switching is a pure upgrade.
NYXL1046 Nickel Wound (.010–.046)
Why this one: The flagship .010 set. NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain strings for about 131% greater tuning stability and stronger bends, with a touch more cut. The set to buy when stability and output matter more than saving a few dollars.
The workhorse. EXL110 is the cheaper, neutral daily set that most working guitarists have defaulted to for decades.
EXL110 XL Nickel Wound (.010–.046)
Why this one: The standard since 1974. Consistent, neutral, available everywhere, and the cheapest honest .010 to .046 nickel set. The baseline every other electric string is measured against, and all the string a casual player needs.
Want the heavier gauge in the flagship line? The NYXL1149 Medium (.011 to .049) brings the same NY Steel core with about 14% more tension, covered in full on our NYXL1149 page.
Related
- The lighter-vs-heavier question inside the NYXL line: NYXL1046 (.010) vs NYXL1149 (.011).
- The other big axis of string choice: coated vs uncoated electric strings.
- The Ernie Ball side of the same decision: Cobalt vs nickel Slinky.