Instrument strings go dead or wear out because of two reasons. The first reason is corrosion. The metal surface of the string becomes corroded over time. The second reason is contamination. The spaces between the windings on the string becomes contaminated with the sweat and grime from the musician's fingers. Elixir strings have a special coating that prevents corrosion, contamination and rust. The coating covers the whole string and not just the wire.
The special coatings prolong the lifespan of strings. They keep their tone three to five times longer than normal strings, which means they can be changed less frequently. Elixir strings are available with two types of coatings; the original poly web coating and ultrathin nano web coating. The former provides balanced and smooth tone. The latter has the brighter tone and feel of a regular string but the coating still protects the string.
Elixir strings are made for a large variety of string instruments, including acoustic and electric guitar, acoustic and electric bass, mandolin and banjo. The special coatings on the strings makes it unnecessary to use a string cleaner or lubricant on the strings.
Elixir strings are used by players in every genre of popular music. The Elixir website lists musicians in rock, Americana, country, bluegrass, jazz, blues and worship music that use Elixir Strings, like John Paul Jones, the bass player from Led Zepplin, who endorses Elixir strings. "I don't have to change them all the time and they still sound fantastic," he says.