Ernie ball vs daddario bass strings

When searching for guitar or bass strings, the two most common brands you’ll likely come across are Ernie Ball and D’Addario. Both are extremely popular and reputable string brands, so deciding which one to go with can be tricky.

For many decades, both Ernie Ball and D’Addario have been the leading makers of guitar and bass strings. Despite their similar levels of popularity, their strings have many differences.

After reading this detailed guide, you’ll hopefully be able to decide whether Ernie Ball or D’Addario (or perhaps something else entirely!) is the best choice for you.

If you're short on time, these are the key differences between Ernie Ball and D'Addario strings:

Ernie Ball and D'Addario strings are equally popular and cost almost the same. D'Addario's basic EXL strings last longer than Ernie Ball Slinkys, and produce a slightly warmer tone than Ernie Ball strings, which sound brighter out of the box. Ernie Ball strings tend to feel slicker and smoother, and offer better tuning retention.

Table of Contents

• Ernie Ball - History & Overview
• D'Addario - History & Overview
• Cost
• Shared Qualities
• Durability
• Tone & Sonic Qualities
  • Pickups
  • New-String Freshness
• Other Noteworthy Differences
  • Tuning Retention
  • Styles & Preferences

Ernie Ball - History & Overview

Recommended Ernie Ball Strings

Formed in the early 1960s, Ernie Ball was the brainchild of a keen musician and entrepreneur of the same name. He noticed that many guitar players of that time (especially beginners) were struggling with the medium gauge strings popular at that time.

They had issues with fretting owing to the thick gauge of strings which also lacked slickness. This led him to get in touch with Fender with the suggestion of producing lighter gauge strings.

Like many success stories, Ernie Ball faced initial rejection. He eventually partnered with a different string maker and started selling custom-gauge strings at his store near Hollywood, CA. These slicker, smoother strings started selling well, and thus, the Ernie Ball brand was established.

Ernie Ball’s success grew exponentially after the launch of the Slinky strings. It has gone on the become one of the most popular guitar strings in the world. Popularized by the likes of Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, they have been used across all genres and styles. Ernie Ball eventually relocated his string business to Newport Beach in California in 1967.

I mostly suggest beginner guitar players, especially those with Strat-style guitars, to simply start with a set of Super Slinkys (9-42) for two main reasons. 

One, they're extremely easy on your fingers owing to the lighter gauge, although this comes at the cost of durability. This is not a major con for beginners since they don't shred all day. Secondly, they're extremely smooth and also good for bends.

D'Addario - History & Overview

Recommended D’Addario Strings

D’Addario as a brand started their journey in the late 1600s in the small Italian town of Salle. They were a family of string makers who eventually emigrated to New York.

In the 1930s, as guitars started gaining popularity, D’Addario took advantage by experimenting with a range of materials, like nylon, to produce their strings.

After producing strings under the brand name “Darco” for a few decades, the family revived the D’Addario brand once again in the 1970s. They partnered with acoustic guitar makers Martin, and huge popularity followed.

In the modern era, D’Addario has emerged as a competitor to Ernie Ball. Their strings are known for the innovative design and construction processes they use, and for being highly playable and resistant to decay.

Such a large company with a far-stretching history rarely retains the family-owned ethos, but D’Addario is still owned by members of the original family.

This intimacy ensures that their strings are produced to the high standard that guitarists and bassists have come to expect from the brand over the years.

I personally use D'Addario NYXL strings on my Les Paul. They feel slicker and last considerably longer than stock Gibson strings and cheaper D'Addario and Ernie Ball alternatives.

Cost

Now that we’ve analyzed the history and heritage of Ernie Ball and D’Addario, let’s take a look at the qualities their strings share. The first thing to analyze is the cost.

The average cost of Ernie Ball’s Slinky strings is around $6 for the basic sets, and $12 for custom, high-end sets. D’Addario, on the other hand, offers their basic EXL strings for around $6 as well and their premium sets for around $13.

As you can see, the costs of D’Addario and Ernie Ball strings are quite similar. Indeed, both brands offer more premium limited edition strings that can far exceed the prices I just outlined, but these are special cases that deviate from the norm.

Shared Qualities

Apart from cost, another shared quality between these two string-producing heavyweights is the construction of their ball-ends. These mechanisms stop the string from sliding straight through the bridge holders.

The only thing that is different about the ball ends on Ernie Ball and D’Addario strings are their colors. Both manufacturers have their color combinations that differentiate the strings from each other for quick identification.

Durability

Longevity is a key aspect for many when choosing guitar strings. This has two aspects, the amount of time you can use a set of strings before they break, and how long until they start sounding and feeling dead.

Although this is up for debate, in my personal experience, D'Addario's most basic set of strings (EXL, regular gauge) lasts considerably longer and sounds fresh as well, compared to its Ernie Ball counterpart.

If you're open to shelling out more, you can opt for D'Addario NYXLs (my favorite D'Addario strings) for much more durability. They also stay in tune for much longer than regular EXLs, and are much more rust-resistant.

Ernie Ball also sells a few premium sets that promise better durability, most notably the Cobalt Slinky and Paradigm. I personally haven't used the latter, as it's quite costly for a single set (costlier than NYXLs), but heard from a musician friend of mine that they easily outlast NYXLs.

If you're looking for extreme durability, however, I can't suggest either Ernie Ball or D'Addario. In my experience, nothing even comes close to the long-term feel and durability of Elixir's coated strings. They have 3 main line of strings (Optiweb, Polyweb and Nanoweb) with slight tonal differences, but all of them last a long, long time owing to their proprietary coating.

If you're interested in learning more about Elixir strings, you can check out this post in which I discussed the differences between Elixir and D'Addario strings.

Feel & Playability

When comparing Ernie Ball and D’Addario strings, some key differences become apparent. Both strings are subjected to different construction techniques which give them their signature feel and tone.

Ernie Ball strings tend to feel smoother and slicker than D’Addario’s especially on the unwound strings. D’Addario’s unwound strings do have a slightly better grip, though.

The feel of D’Addario strings is slightly more textured than Ernie Ball’s. This quality is preferred by guitarists who like to feel the friction of the string on their fingers, which can help with grip and stability in the fretting hand.

Another area where Ernie Ball and D’Addario strings differ is in their winding. D’Addario strings tend to feel slightly taller and flatter. Despite this, they are still very different from flat-wound strings in terms of feel.

The winding of Ernie Ball strings feel like they are more spaced out, and rounder in shape. This causes them to feel completely different from their D’Addario counterparts.

Tone & Sonic Qualities

In terms of the sounds and tones they produce, there are some clear differences between the two manufacturers. Firstly, Ernie Ball strings have an brighter overall tone, which makes the treble end sound clearer.

D'Addario's strings on the other hand are slightly louder. This is true across the frequency range, with their strings producing stronger acoustics and dynamics compared to Ernie Ball’s.

Pickups

When both strings are used with single-coil pickups, the superior brightness of Ernie Ball strings becomes even more apparent. This explains why many guitarists who use high-output, single-coil pickups choose this brand as their string supplier.

When humbucker pickups are used, D’Addario strings seem to produce a noticeably stronger and faster attack. This means there are more definition and clarity at the point of the string being strummed, plucked, or finger-picked.

Ernie Ball strings have a cleaner sound than D’Addario’s. This results in more definitions between notes. They also produce less buzz and saturation when played aggressively, or when using techniques such as slide guitar.

New-String Freshness

In my experience, D'Addario strings are a lot more warm sounding out of the box. 

Other Noteworthy Differences

Tuning Retention

A key aspect of guitar strings is how well, and for how long they can hold tuning. The last thing you need onstage or in the recording studio is the need to constantly tune your strings.

As you’d expect from two premium string manufacturers, both Ernie Ball and D’Addario ensure that their strings hold tuning very capably. However, when comparing the two, there is one who clearly wins in this area, albeit marginally.

Ernie Ball strings are notoriously brilliant at staying in tune. The technique used to wind the strings means that after only a couple of tuning calibrations, they tend to hold tuning extremely well. Additionally, their strings also break in faster than D’Addario’s.

Styles & Preferences

It amazes me how many guitarists and bassists stick with a specific type of string simply because that’s the one they’ve always used.

The key to figuring out whether Ernie Ball or D’Addario strings are right for you is to make it your goal to try as many of their different varieties as possible. That way, you can see which gauge and materials suit your style.

Conclusion

D’Addario and Ernie Ball strings are both brilliant in their own right. They don’t sound alike, and they feel very different. If you’re looking for a brighter, more defined, and smoother string, then Ernie Ball is a great choice.

For more textured strings that are louder and with good attack, I would recommend that you try D’Addario’s. Thankfully, both manufacturers offer their strings at reasonable prices, so you can experiment to find the perfect strings for your needs.

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