Feature:
The two best features of coated strings are extended wear and playability. The strings take longer to tarnish because they are coated and they play much faster because there's less friction. The downside is when they do wear, the coating flakes off and dulls the sound.

Quality:
After playing these strings for 10 years on my two Taylors and McPherson, I have noticed a significant breakage problem in the last 4 years with the G string across the saddle. For someone who plays out all the time, reliability is essential. The G string has become totally unreliable in concert- more than 3 or 4 times breaking on the first song.

Value:
This is a good product if you play at home for recreation. They will help you improve as a guitar player. But they are currently unacceptable for professional players.

Desirability:
They're slick and fast, so I guess that makes them y. But keep 'em in the house- they'll embarrass you in public!

Sound:
It's a coated string, so it's a mixed blessing. Less squeaks means less natural fret noise.

Ease of Use:
Great playability. You'll find you can play a lot faster and easier with these strings versus conventional strings.

Support:
Elixir has sent me replacement G strings, stating these were *improved* (which would indicate they knew of a problem). However these broke on 3 different guitars I tried them on- all at the saddle. Bottom line, again, if they are not reliable- who cares if you get free replacements?

Overall:
If you're looking for strings you can keep on your guitar for a long time (at home) these would be a good choice. If you play out a lot, change your strings frequently, or in general- need strings that you can count on- these would not be the strings to get.

Sound:
A couple of days after I put these strings on my Fender acoustic, I nearly took them off. They held onto that shallow "new" sound far longer than the uncoated strings I had been using before. But I was patient and left them on. Now, FIVE MONTHS later! the same set of Polyweb strings are still on the guitar. After a few days, they began to sound rich and warm, and they have kept that good sound for MONTHS. I highly reccomend these strings to anybody. I play every single day, with a pick and fingerstyle, up and down the neck. These strings have stayed clean (not crusty!) and have sounded good for months longer than uncoated strings I have used. Try them. You patience will pay off in the long run.

I prefer the Elixer Nano Web coating since it
results in increased string life and dampens the sound less.

Feature:
Great sound, tonality, you won't go back to any other brand.

Quality:
Well packaged, as easy as any strings to put on.

Value:
You are paying 50% more here than you can get any other brand of strings but you will be getting 200% better strings.

Desirability:
Try it yourself: take your brand and a new pair of these and put them on your guitar

Sound:
Okay, I was induced to put a pair of these on my HD28 and they sounded wonderful. Best strings ever for tonality, lushness and, oddly, diminished sqeeks when shifting chords positions. I had them on the guitar -- which I play every day for at least a couple of hours -- for almost 2 months... and then I just had to change them. I put on brand new Martin strings. I've played them for two days and brand new they sound worse than those worn-out Elixirs. Whatever they've done with this technology, these strings arew worth it. I went out and bought a brand new set of Elixirs and am swapping the brand new Martins (and throwing them away) as soon as I finish writing this review.

Support:
Haven't needed support

Feature:
That darned g-string breaks *very* easy. Sometimes after five minutes fingerpicking. Very frustrating, considering the price tag!

Value:
If the g-string holds, then they would get an 10. When it breaks they get ZERO.

Desirability:
Naah, not any more. To expensive. I bought 4 packages, and in each one the g-stings breask on the saddle.

Sound:
I kind of like the 'damped' sound of the coated strings. It is surely different from normal strings wich are more bright the first days. But the tone stays the same for 4 weeks and more! Where as with normal strings I replace each 4 - 7 days.

Ease of Use:
Normal. These are just strings, ya know.

Support:
Well, they don't refund a broken string, do they?

Overall:
Get that g-string problem fixed, and you have a very good product. As it is now, you can't rely on it.

These strings produce a very satisfactory tone on my Martin and Gibson acoustics. They seem more compatible with the Martin, a 000-16 model. The sound is somewhat muted, though, when I compare them with John Pearse or D'Addarios on the same guitars. They last a long time, but the coating flakes and I get tired of looking at them long before they wear out.