Daddario EXL116

I am a lifelong user of Daddario strings and I always choose the EXL116 for my guitars that I use for playing in a full step down (D Standard) and drop C and these strings fit the bill every time!
These are some of the highest quality strings on the market for the price. I know some people prefer the more expensive brands but in my personal opinion (having used basically every string on the market) these strings have the same, if not better, durability and lasting life as the more expensive brands.
These strings give a perfect mellow sound for those bluesy/clean riffs but also have more than enough bite for rock and heavy metal. I highly recommend these strings for D Standard and drop C tunings! If you want to go to drop B or A, then I recommend the EXL117's which give you just a bit more tension on the low E and holds a great tone and bite, as do the EXL116's!

I use these for D-standard, in occasional alteration with the comparable Balanced-tension set. I pick these over the BT when I need a little extra tension on the low end if I am exptecting to go to Drop-C.
the extra 002 on the low end helps keep things taught.

Unlike the BT set, however, the G and C (or A and D if you are standard tuning) strings already have a sizably higher tension than the low D (or E...) which offsets the above advantage in feel a little. It takes some getting used to switching between sets.

By and large I like the set. As always with D'Addario they sound fantastic, are wonderfully low-impact packaged with easily recycled plastic and cardboard in low quantities and seemingly last longer than you might expect. Will definitely buy again in the future - although I may add a thicker low string if I ever decide to keep a guitar permanently in dropped tuning.

These are my go-to strings. No doubts about it.
The feel and tone is unbeatable. Pure comfort. Security, quality and durability. The brightness lasts for ages (and more so with proper care). It keeps in tune longer than one can imagine, even with heavy hitting and bending. Ideal for heavy style, slow, fast or lightspeed shreding, funky, groovy, bluesy, you name it. And even being such heavy strings the brightness shines on the lower ones, the mellow twang on that G string is pure bliss, and the top ones deliver groovy, soulful and unmucky tone. Like I said, these are my go-to. I would never discontinue these puppies! If you're into Doom, Stoner, Drone or any kind of sludgy type metal, give these a try!

I used to work at a rock club in Cincinnati, Ohio. Once, after a particularly long load out of Slayer and Static X, I noticed a box full of at least a hundred packs DR strings left sitting on the sidewalk. I took them home and played on them for probably years. After that I was hooked. But they were hard to find. When scarcity became a real problem on my tours in Europe, I asked my lead guitarist what he used, and he pointed to D’addario. I tried them out and was blown away by the clarity, tone, and, most important, durability of these strings! And now finally I had found a set that was easy to locate in any guitar shop in the world! They’ve been my go-to string ever since, and the price point can’t be beat!

As would be expected with D'Addario strings, the main reason I use these is due to their durability. I keep strings on my guitars longer then I really should, and these tend to last months at a time. When new, they sound clear and have a great chime. When old, they lose their sparkle but they stay in tune well and still sound decent. I hardly ever break them in spite of my aggressive picking style. I generally tune down a full step and I sometimes use drop C. These give plenty of tension. They're also really good for E standard tuning on cheaper guitars where 9s or 10s would usually go out of tune. Another feature I like is the coloured ball ends found on all D'Addario strings which makes restringing much easier.