Elixir Nanoweb vs D'Addario XS Coated Electric Strings: Which One Should You Buy?
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Neither is a clear upgrade over the other. D'Addario XS Coated XSE1046 and Elixir Nanoweb 12052 are the two flagship coated electric sets at .010 to .046. XS uses a thinner film over D'Addario's NYXL-grade NY Steel core, reading brighter with tighter tuning stability. Nanoweb uses a thicker, longer-proven fluoropolymer coating with a warmer, more compressed tone. Pick XS for tuning stability and near-uncoated feel; pick Nanoweb for the deepest coated-string track record.
The short answer
Both of these are answers to the same question: what if a coated string didn't feel or sound like a coated string? Elixir got there first, in 1997, with a fluoropolymer film that's been the coated-electric default ever since. D'Addario's XS line is the newer challenger, built on the same NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain-steel construction that makes NYXL D'Addario's stability flagship, with a thinner film layered on top.
Neither wins outright. XS reads brighter and holds pitch tighter under hard bending, closer to playing an uncoated NYXL set. Nanoweb reads warmer and slightly more compressed, with the longer market track record. Pick XS if tuning stability and a near-uncoated feel matter most to you. Pick Nanoweb if you want the coated string format working guitarists have trusted the longest.
| Nanoweb 12052 | XS Coated XSE1046 | What it means for you | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrap wire | Nickel-plated steel + Nanoweb coating | Reformulated nickel-plated steel + XS coating | Both start from a nickel-plated steel wrap |
| Core wire | Hex steel | NY Steel hex core | XS shares NYXL's stability-focused core |
| Coating thickness | Thicker of the two, full-string coverage | Thinner film, full-string coverage | Nanoweb feels more coated; XS feels closer to uncoated |
| Tuning stability claim | Standard | About 131% better than a standard nickel-wound set | XS inherits NYXL's Fusion Twist stability edge |
| Tone character | Warmer, slightly compressed | Bright, increased output and sustain per D'Addario | Pick by ear, not spec sheet |
| On the market since | 1997 (first coated string) | 2020s XS line launch | Nanoweb has the longer track record |
| Gauge | .010-.046 | .010-.046 | Direct gauge match |
| Price tier | $$ | $$ | Comparable premium-coated pricing |
Sources for the coating claims: Elixir's own Nanoweb product page and D'Addario's own XSE1046 product page, both fetched directly for this comparison.
XS Nickel Coated XSE1046 (.010–.046)
Why this one: The tuning-stability pick in this comparison, built on the same NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain steels as NYXL.
What the two coatings actually do
Every coated string is solving the same problem: sweat, skin oil, and dust work into the gaps between the wrap wire's windings and dull the tone within weeks. A coating seals the wire against that buildup. Where Nanoweb and XS diverge is thickness and what's underneath.
Elixir's own product page for Nanoweb describes the string as protecting the whole string, "not only the outer string surface but also the gaps between the windings where dirt, sweat and gunk build up killing your tone," with Anti-Rust Plating on the plain steels. Elixir's copy credits the coating with letting players "retain their out-of-the-box tone longer than any other brand's strings," a claim from Elixir's own marketing rather than an independent test.
D'Addario's XS is the newer entrant, built to compete on the same NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain-steel process that makes NYXL1046 the brand's tuning-stability flagship. Per D'Addario's own product page, the combination delivers "unmatched tuning stability" and staying in tune "131% better than standard electric strings," with an "ultra-thin film coating on every wound string and unique polymer treatment on the plain steels" layered on top for life extension. D'Addario's copy calls XS "the most innovative string ever created," a claim worth taking as marketing enthusiasm rather than a verified fact.
How they feel and sound different
Coating thickness is the difference players notice first. Guitar Strive's Liam Whelan, who's played extended stretches on both lines, reports that "Elixir's coating feels much thicker and more noticeable than D'Addario's," which he credits with making slides and rapid legato runs feel especially smooth, at the cost of a slicker, more lubricated feel some players don't love. D'Addario's XS coating, by contrast, reads "much, much thinner," closer to a typical uncoated roundwound string under the fingers.
Tone tells a similar story. In that same reviewer's side-by-side test of the Medium-gauge electric sets, both strings read bright and aggressive fresh out of the pack, with Nanoweb the brighter and more aggressive of the two. He found the D'Addario set offered "a more balanced sound" for thick rock tones through a Marshall amp, and ultimately preferred it for that reason, though he's clear this is a personal preference, not a universal verdict. Take any single reviewer's tonal preference as one data point, not gospel, and where possible, try both before committing to a gig-week supply.
Which should you buy
Reach for D'Addario XS Coated when
- You already like NYXL
- Same NY Steel core and Fusion Twist plain steels, so XS feels like NYXL with extra life added, not a different string.
- You bend and dive-bomb a lot
- The tighter tuning stability that makes NYXL a metal and hard-rock favorite carries over to XS.
- You dislike the slick feel of coated strings
- The thinner film reads closer to an uncoated roundwound set than Nanoweb does.
Reach for Elixir Nanoweb when
- You want the deepest track record
- Nanoweb has been the coated-electric standard since 1997; more players have logged more hours on it than any coating that came after.
- You want maximum smoothness for slides and legato
- The thicker coating that some players find too slick is the same trait that makes fast position shifts and slides feel effortless.
- You run a naturally bright rig
- Nanoweb's slightly warmer, more compressed voice can round off a rig that already runs hot without touching your EQ.
Nanoweb Light (.010–.046)
Why this one: The tone-life pedigree pick in this comparison, the coated-electric format Elixir has refined since 1997.
Both share one competitor worth a mention: Ernie Ball Paradigm uses its own Everlast nano-treatment, a coating closer in feel to uncoated than either Nanoweb or XS. If you've tried both strings here and still want a third data point, Paradigm is the next one to try. For the full breakdown of why coated strings exist at all, see our coated vs uncoated electric strings comparison.
Bottom line
If you're already sold on NYXL's tuning stability and just want more life out of it, buy D'Addario XS Coated XSE1046. If you want the coated string with the longest track record and don't mind a touch more slickness under your fingers, buy Elixir Nanoweb 12052. Keep the gauge matched at .010 to .046 either way, so the coating is the only variable you're actually testing.
Related
Related