Living at just a few meters from the sea in a tropical climate, humidity and salinity (in the air) are an all year- around hazard for any strings. Tired of spending tons on branded ones (e.g. Elixir), I decided to try the HB coated strings and, though the tone is a bit on the crispy and bright sound spectrum, and the coating job may not be of excellence, I found the HQS strings to be very acceptable, durable and of unbeatable price for its quality.