D’Addario brings Nickel Bronze into its XS coated acoustic-string range
The new sets pair D’Addario’s transparent Nickel Bronze voice with the thin-film protection and tuning-stability features of XS.
Oct 12, 2026
Credit: D’Addario
D’Addario has added XS Nickel Bronze to its coated acoustic-string family, combining the company’s Nickel Bronze alloy with the ultra-thin film used across the XS range. The company positions the sets as a clearer, more instrument-revealing alternative to its phosphor-bronze and 80/20-bronze XS options. The line uses NY Steel cores and Fusion Twist construction, and D’Addario says guitar and mandolin gauges became available on October 1. Its announcement followed on October 5, putting a specific new material choice into a coated range that had previously centered on bronze formulas.
Why it matters
Players who like Nickel Bronze’s strong note definition no longer have to choose between that voicing and D’Addario’s longest-life XS coating.
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