Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated vs Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings: which is safer?
D'Addario Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated is the clear pick. Elixir Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
D'Addario
Acoustic Guitar Strings XS 80/20 Bronze Coated
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleCoating degradation and particulate release
PossibleAllergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity)
Elixir
Nanoweb Acoustic Guitar Strings
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossiblePolymer coating composition (unknown)
PossibleMicroplastic shedding from degraded coating
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Coating degradation and particulate release and Allergic contact dermatitis (copper sensitivity) on the D'Addario and not on the Elixir.
- We flag Polymer coating composition (unknown) and Microplastic shedding from degraded coating on the Elixir and not on the D'Addario.
- The D'Addario is 80/20 Bronze (copper-tin alloy) with phosphor-bronze coating where the Elixir is Polymer-coated steel strings with proprietary nanoweb coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 45 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the D'Addario is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Elixir grade, at 45% confidence against 82%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric, which covers materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
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