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I used to play with 030 but now I use 040 on my KB. I ordered some Hotwire 040 a while ago when I decided to move back to 040 and I was unimpressed by the quality of the strings I received. They had a strange coat of oxidation and they didn't sound "fresh". Now I use D'Addario EXL220M. They are the medium scale version of the popular EXL220 (Alphonso Johnson, Michael Manring, Victor Wooten use them to name a few). They sound like the EXL220 but the tension is slightly lower. I found this helps with the bendwell. They last cosiderably longer than the Hotwire and I prefer them sound-wise. I have a set of Elixir 040 that I am going to use as soon as the D'Addario EXL220M die. I use them on my Fender Jazz and they are great. If and when I return back to 030 I think I will use Hot Wire though. They are the best 030 I ever tried.