D'Addario "Pro Arte" (EJ45)

These are perhaps the most consistent of all manufacturers, and all of their varieties of strings have extremely reliable intonation. These strings are favored by a large percentage of the luthiers we work with probably because of their consistency and their transparency. These strings are, in positive sense, colorless; they allow the tonal characteristics of the guitar and the player show through without any overt biases. Therefore, these strings rarely clash with an instrument or a player.

The tension differences are more prominent in the D'Addarios than in some of the other brands. The J45`s are their lowest tension, the J46`s the middle tension, and the J44`s the highest. The J45`s are a bit more flexible with regard to color than the other two tensions, but don`t tolerate extremely loud playing.

Basses: These basses are fairly quick to settle into tune and are consistently in tune. They project well and have a better than average lifespan.

Trebles: The trebles speak very well and quickly and they have excellent projection. The three trebles exhibit much variety with the 3rd string, as is often the case, much mellower than the upper two. Their intonation is tremendously consistent and they have a long life.