May 22, 2023 I Partnership
Taylor Guitars Announces Transition to D’Addario Strings
Taylor Guitars and D’Addario have announced that Taylor is transitioning to D’Addario’s premium XS coated Phosphor Bronze guitar strings. Effective immediately, Taylor’s U.S.-built models, including the recently redesigned 400 series and new Builder’s Edition 814ce, will be strung with XS Phosphor Bronze strings, while Mexico-built Taylor guitars will begin transitioning to the new strings starting this summer.
“We’re excited for this new chapter of [our] partnership with D’Addario,” said Andy Powers, chief guitar designer, president and CEO of Taylor Guitars. “It’s the guitar maker in us that wants to be standing alongside the string maker in them. The XS strings are really consistent and produce a great response. They have all the metrics that make a guitar sound musical: pitch accuracy, dynamic range, feel, sustain. They work exceptionally well.”
Taylor Guitars and D’Addario, both founded within a year of each other, have a history of collaboration. In 2017, their joint efforts resulted in a specially designed D’Addario nylon-core string that made it possible for Taylor to launch its GS Mini Bass, which delivered control and low-end punch in a short-scale instrument.
“This is so much more than an iconic guitar company and string manufacturer coming together,” said Jim D’Addario, founder, chairman of the board, and chief innovation officer of D’Addario. “It’s about what can happen when insatiably curious people get together for the sole purpose of elevating what’s possible for musicians. Taylor truly embodies that ethos.”
Taylor’s decision to adopt D’Addario’s XS strings is based on the XS line’s performance benefits, including maximum tuning stability, long-lasting string life, enhanced durability and break resistance, and an ultra-thin coating process for a smooth feel. Launched in 2021, XS Strings are D’Addario’s most innovative string line to date.
In each XS string set, the wound strings feature an ultra-thin protective film coating, while the plain steel strings feature a unique polymer treatment — which keeps all six strings protected from performance-impacting contaminants.
