Taylor Guitars just made one major change to its entire acoustic line

Taylor has announced a new partnership with string manufacturer D’Addario in a move that sees them part ways with Elixir.

The new team-up will see Taylor transition to D’Addario acoustic guitar strings – specifically, its XS coated Phosphor Bronze strings – for all upcoming models.

Taylor has announced the strings will be used effective immediately on all US-built Taylor models, while its Mexican-made acoustics will receive the same XS Phosphor Bronze strings later this summer.

“We’re excited for this new chapter of 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,” he continued. “They have all the metrics that make a guitar sound musical: pitch accuracy, dynamic range, feel, sustain. They work exceptionally well.”

Notably, the wound D’Addario strings feature an ultra-thin film coating, while the plain steel ones carry a unique polymer treatment. Accordingly, this aims to protect the set from “performance-impacting contaminants”.

It's a set we rate highly ourselves, having marked D'Addario's XS strings as the best acoustic guitar strings with thin coating that money can buy in our dedicated guide.

The two companies cited their similar histories, heritage, values and culture as key factors behind the shake-up, with Jim D’Addario himself saying the new partnership signifies “much more than an iconic guitar company and string manufacturer coming together”.

“It's about what can happen when insatiably curious people get together for the sole purpose of elevating what's possible for musicians,” he said. “Taylor truly embodies that ethos.”

Visit D'Addario for more info.