I started electric guitar playing more than ten years ago.
When I first started playing guitar,I would use 9s Daddario's.
After my 6th year on guitar,I tried 11s on an Ibanez PGM301 and I really liked it.
I thought I'd never be able to play my guitar as comfortable as I was with 11s.It took my fingertips a while to get used to it.
Then the life-time of the strings started worrying me.Having a pair of sweaty hands would cost me a lot.Because whenever I re-strung my guitar and set it up,I ended up having corroded strings ever though I barely touched them.
So one of my guitar player friend tried to convince me to give Elixir's a chance.And I did!
I have been using Elixir 11s since then.The only negative thing about the Elixir 11s is that they feel a bit more stiffer than Daddario's.But once you get used to it,it feels OK as any gauge would.
What you have, after you re-string your guitar with Elixirs, is you never have to worry about the corrosion problem for a couple of months.I usually use them at least 3 months.If the coating of the wounded strings starts to wear out,you might start worrying.But it's going to need lots of playing hours and really heavy playing.
I also would like to mention about the advantages of using 11s.You'll certainly get a thicker sound comparing to 9s.
According to my experience,the thinner the strings are,the thinner the sound you'll get.When I use 9s,the humbucker pickups tend to sound like a bit more single-esque.But just a tad difference.
To sum up, if you have sweaty hands as I do, I strongly recommend you to give Elixirs a chance.I'm sure you won't feel worried when you have to touch the strings with sweaty hands.Plus you'll save a lot!
