or XS, for maximum life and a smoother feel. The first portfolio in the series, XT, combines high carbon steel cores, and the most popular alloys with extended lifespan treatment on every string in the set, giving players enhanced break resistance, pitch stability, and long-lasting performance—all while preserving the tone and feel of uncoated strings. In 2021, D’Addario launched XS Acoustic. Designed for six-string guitar, twelve-string guitar and mandolin, XS offers players maximum life, strength and stability—all without sacrificing tone. XS features a remarkably thin film coating (1/10 the thickness of a human hair) that completely protects the wound strings from corrosion, without dampening the tone. In 2022, D’Addario introduced XS Electric strings, which included a reformulated nickel-plated steel wrap wire that provides a bright tone with increased output, bite, and sustain. Accessories In 1998, D’Addario acquired Planet Waves, a small guitar strap company on Long Island, and began manufacturing its own accessories under the Planet Waves brand name. Some of the first products Jim D’Addario and the team designed included an Ergonomic Peg Winder with a built-in string stretcher, as well as a line of instrument cables. Inventor Arthur Pantoja sent an email to Jim discussing the development of a combination peg winder and string cutter. Jim liked the idea, the patent was good, and the prototype worked, but the product needed some fine-tuning. With the help of guitar designer Ned Steinberger, they designed a marketable product called the Pro-Winder, with built-in hardened-steel wire cutters. The Pro-Winder is one of D’Addario’s most successful products, and hundreds of thousands have been sold. Drumheads In 1956, drummer Marion “Chick” Evans produced the first commercially viable synthetic drumhead that also proved to be weatherproof. He subsequently founded Evans Drumheads in 1957, running the company for a few years, making the heads by hand and personally selling them to professional drum shops along the West Coast of the United States. To help run production, Chick partnered with Bob Beals, who later became the company’s owner. In March 1995, at Musikmesse Frankfurt, John D’Addario Jr. was introduced to Beals, who wanted to retire and was looking to sell the company. The D’Addario’s saw this as an opportunity to enter a new market segment, and D’Addario acquired Evans Drumheads, moving the company’s factory from Dodge City, Kansas to Farmingdale, New York. To improve quality, the new team developed and patented a Low Temperature Forming (LTF)