Guitar strings guide: Learn about the various Guitar string types and its impact on the sound that is produced. The right guitar strings can make all the difference in the sound & timbre, and in the case of beginners it can affect the comfort of playing as well. Things to know and the best brands that are durable, sound good, and are easy to play with. Here’s more on how to choose the right strings for your electric, acoustic or classical Guitar.
Best Guitar Strings
Why You Need Guitar Strings?
Strings are made from metal and over a period of time they go through lot of wear and tear, as a result of which the sound becomes dull. Every guitar player needs spare strings as they break, or become dull over a period of time, or because the original guitar itself came with poorer set of strings. In that case you need to replace the strings of guitar to get back that original zing in the tone.
While the construction quality of the guitar, the wood that is used, plays an important role in the sound produced, the guitar strings also impacts (to a certain extent) the sound produced. Besides, it also plays a major role in the playability of the guitar. These are the reasons that they need to be replaced frequently.
Guitar strings are made of different materials, the more common ones being nylon and steel. However, Guitars strings are made from other materials as well, and there are other important factors related to strings that can impact the quality of sound.
Few more things to know about guitar strings:
- Available for various types of guitars such as electric, acoustic, classical, bass, etc
- Ideally, you should not use the same type of strings for the various guitar types, in case you own multiple guitars
- Certain strings suit a particular type of guitar
Classical Guitar Strings
The fingerboard on Classical guitars makes it possible for intricate finger picking, by providing sufficient room. In general, the longer the string (that runs from saddle to nut), the better is the bass response and sustain.
Here are some important points to remember when it comes to Classical Guitar Strings:
- Nylon produces a round, mellow sound and is the preferred sound for playing classical music
- Strings, in general, can have low, medium, normal and hard tension
- Less string tension makes a classic guitar easier to play
- Classical action is higher than steel-string action due to nylon’s lower tension
Acoustic Guitar Strings
Classical guitars use nylon strings that produce a mellow sound, compared to the steel ones. Besides, classical guitars do not come with the supportive truss rod, in the neck portion, which makes them ill-equipped to support the high tension steel core strings. As far as the acoustic guitar is concerned, the material of choice is usually steel or alloys (mix of different metals). These also differ in their gauges or the thickness of the strings.
You might think that most acoustic guitars commonly use “steel strings” (and its right, they do have steel cores), but the wound strings will almost always be wound with bronze. Acoustic guitar strings are either phosphor bronze (provides a warm tone and sustains the tone a bit longer) or it can be 80/20 bronze (sounds a bit brighter and loses its brightness a bit faster).
Some of the popular options for strings are:
-
- Bronze (80% of copper to 20% of zinc or tin): Produces bright sounds with clear ring, but not very durable.
- Phosphor and bronze acoustic (92% to 8% or 85% to 15%): The bronze makes the sound brighter, more durable as good resistance to corrosion, preferred by most players.
That is why those acoustic strings don’t actually look steel colored.
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings
D’Addario EJ16-3D Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light, 3 Sets
Guitar players love the D’Addario EJ16-3D phosphor bronze strings for their rich and warm tone, strongly built, and with this 3-pack you get a killer deal on these excellent strings!
These strings tend to get mellower over time, as you play more. If these strings sound too bright initially, they should develop into a nice warm sound in a few days time. Another good thing about the D’Addario EJ16 is that it has color coding on the ball ends. This is useful for beginners, as it makes identifying the strings and restringing much easier.
Elixir Strings Acoustic 80/20 Bronze Guitar Strings with NANOWEB Coating (.012-.053)
You get a bright and lively tone from the Elixir Strings Acoustic 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB coating. Designed for consistent performance, and feels smooth. Elixir Strings are coated with an ultra-thin coating to protect the entire string. The Anti-Rust Plated Plain Steel Strings also resists tone-deadening corrosion, ensuring longer life for the entire set.
The tones are softer and brighter, and the good thing about the Elixir Nanoweb strings is their consistency; they sound great when you buy them new, and sound similar few months later as well.
Electric Guitar Strings
The various strings that are ideal for your electric guitar are usually made from the following:
- Stainless steel
- Nickel
- Nickel coated ones
Stainless Steel
Here are the characteristics of this material:
- Quite popular because of the brilliant tone and great volume
- Anti-corrosive nature
- Lasts longer than their nickel plated counterparts
- Drawback is that the fingers make noise when played on their rough surface
Nickel Coated Strings
Nickel plated strings add nickel to subdue the tones to produce a softer sound.
It is also smoother on the fingers which eliminates the finger noise and improves playability.
That is the reason many guitarists prefer these.
Pure Nickel Strings
These are usually used in acoustic guitars as they produce bright and round sound, with lesser vibrations, when compared to stainless steel.
Jazz musicians and rhythm guitarists also prefer these, as they are softer, more flexible, and reduce finger noise, compared to stainless steel.
Strings for 12-String Guitars
The strings on 12-string guitars are arranged in double ranks and produce a much richer tone and you get sort of natural chorus effect, compared to the ones that come with 6 strings. The strings on these guitars are available of different gauges, and are available for both the acoustic as well as electric versions.
As with most stringed instruments, you will have to occasionally replace the guitar strings, but you just cannot replace them with the strings that are used for the normal guitars. You need special 12-string guitar strings for these ones, which are usually much lighter than the ordinary one.
You get strings for acoustic as well as electric guitars.
Best 12-string Acoustic Guitar strings here
Best 12-string Electric Guitar strings here
Ernie Ball Guitar Strings
When it comes to guitar strings, Ernie Ball is quite popular among students and players. Today, Ernie Ball guitar strings are considered to be among the finest in the world. Ernie Ball makes a range of Acoustic, Electric and Bass guitar strings.
The Super Slinky line of electric guitar strings have been around since the sixties. Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame-Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Aerosmith, Slash, Jeff Beck and Pete Townshend, are just few of the artists who endorse and use Ernie Ball guitar strings.
The original Ernie Ball Slinky guitar strings were so named because they were so much more comfortable (and “slinky”) than the heavier gauge strings that players had traditionally used. Today, in addition to the nickel wound and pure nickel wrap strings, Ernie Ball has Cobalt Slinkys, well-received due to their extended tonal range and soft feel. They also offer Coated Slinkys, which last up to 5 times longer than traditional strings.
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky String Set
Ernie Ball Regular Slinky String Set Review: Durable, consistent and good sounding strings for any rock or metal guitarist.
Here are the main features of these strings.
- Nickel plated steel wire wrapped around tin plated hex shaped steel core wire
- Plain strings are made of specially tempered tin plated high carbon steel
- Size: Medium
- Gauges: 10-13-17-26-36-46
These are one of the more popular strings that not only sound great and are durable, but are also quite cheap and easily available in case you need new ones. These are inexpensive, yet great quality guitar strings. Built to last longer, though strings do break from time to time.
Ernie Ball Electric Guitar Strings
- Ernie Ball 2921 M-Steel Regular Slinky Electric Guitar String Set
- Ernie Ball 2923 M-Steel Super Slinky Electric Guitar String Set
- Ernie Ball 2220 Power Slinky Nickel Wound Set (11 – 48)
- Ernie Ball 2221 Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Set (10 – 46)
- Ernie Ball 2223 Super Slinky Nickel Wound Set (09 – 42)
- Ernie Ball 2215 Skinny Top/Heavy Bottom Slinky Nickel Wound Set (10 – 52)
- Ernie Ball 2627 Beefy Slinky Nickel Wound String Set (11 – 54)
- Ernie Ball P02721 Cobalt Regular Slinky Electric Guitar Strings, .010-.046 Gauge
Ernie Ball Acoustic Guitar Strings
- Ernie Ball 2008 Earthwood Rock and Blues 80/20 Bronze Acoustic String Set with plain G (10 – 52)
- Ernie Ball 2566 Aluminum Bronze Medium-Light Acoustic Guitar String Set (.012 – .054)
Ernie Ball Bass Guitar Strings
- Ernie Ball 2832 Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Bass Set (50 – 105)
- Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky Nickel Round Wound Bass Set (45 – 100)
D’ Addario Guitar Strings
D’ Addario is one of the largest string manufacturers in the world and they produce guitar strings under various names, for themselves as well as for other musical instruments companies. These are considered by many guitarists to be the best guitar strings in the market. Though some of these are premium quality strings, they still have affordable strings, and you get a wide range of strings to choose from.
When you spend so much time learning to play the guitar, and invest a good amount of money on the guitar, it does not make sense to use inferior quality strings. Most guitar players think that the feel and sound of D’Addario guitar strings, especially the Phosphor Bronze, is very good. Anyone who wants the best and doesn’t mind spending a bit more, should consider these.
D’Addario guitar strings are the all-time favorites for most guitar players (provides good balance between the warm low ends and bright highs). Most guitar players love playing on a fresh set of strings, and replace them every month (those who play regularly). This keeps the tone brilliant each and every time.
If you have been playing for some time now, then you would definitely agree that cheap guitar strings do not have the quality you expect. You definitely need something that lasts longer and sounds good, and that is where D’addario guitar strings have made a name for themselves.
Popular Products
Buy something that suits the style you like, and is easy to play.
They produce strings for all types of guitars including electrics, acoustic, classical, bass, and even for other stringed instruments.
You will find strings of various gauges and materials, which suits various styles of guitar playing. The Phosphor Bronze and nickel-plated strings are generally considered to be better for their bright tone, quite popular with beginners and intermediate players as you get the perfect blend of tone and rhythm.
Guitar Strings: Guide
Factors That Affect Tone
There are certain factors related to strings that impact the sound produced, and also impact your play-ability.
The two main factors are:
- Material Used
- Gauge / thickness of the Strings
However, there are a few more things that you should be aware of.
Materials Used
The most commonly used strings are steel strings, found on most guitars. Most acoustic guitars use either steel strings or nylon strings (classical guitars). Electric guitars also usually use steel strings.
However, material such as nickel, bronze, phosphor bronze, etc. are also used on some of the guitars.
Sound is all about vibrations, and the type of string used does impact that. Another thing to keep in mind is how easy it’s going to be on your fingers, as certain strings can be quite painful on the fingers.
So, the type of string used and the coating metals does impact the sound produced by the string.
For example, bronze produces a “bright” sound, steel can be softer especially when wrapped in nickel, and nylon is much more mellow.
Winding Method (Wound Strings)
There are several varieties of wound strings, such as Round-wound, Flat-wound, and a few others.
Most guitar strings usually have a core (usually made of steel or bronze or nickel), and a round wire wrapped around it. They way it is wound around the core determine if it is Roundwound or Flatwound. And how are these two types different?
- In Roundwound strings, a round wire is wrapped in a tight spiral around the core.
- In Flatwound strings, the winding wire has a rounded square cross-section that has a shallower profile (in cross-section) when tightly wound.
So the way the string is wrapped around the core is also a factor.
For instance, “Round wound” strings are loud and vibrant, but it can be hard on the neck of your guitar and it produces noise when sliding your fingers over them. “Flat wound” strings on the other hand are not as crisp sounding, but are easier on the frets and also on your fingers.
Gauge / Thickness of the Strings
String Gauge basically means diameter/thickness of the strings and does affect the playability of your guitar and the tone produced.
- Thin Gauge: Easier to bend, preferred by beginners
- Medium / Heavy gauge: Produces more volume, preferred by rhythm guitarists for the sheer volume and full sound produced
- You have options of light, super light, extra super light, medium, heavy and extra heavy gauges.
What you choose will depend on what style of music you prefer to play. Beginners should ideally choose the lighter guitar strings as they are easier to play, and hurt less. However, the thinner strings don’t sound as loud, full, and bright as the heavier/thicker ones though. The thicker ones are good for strumming but require more strength, and that is why the experienced players use it more.
Usually, thicker and stronger strings are used for the lower registers so that they can make bassy sounds. Thinner strings, on the other hand, are used for the upper octaves / registers to produce a higher pitch. Though thicker strings do sound louder, they need to be played harder and the pressure required to push the strings down is much more, compared to the thinner ones.
Another issue, usually associated with the use of thick strings, is that it can cause buzzing sounds. The solution to avoid this is that you need to mount the thicker strings a bit higher off the soundboard than the thinner strings. Though this makes it easier to press, it can slow down the “action” of the guitar, and make it more difficult to play quickly.
Here are some of the popular options, when it comes to thicknesses, for Acoustic Guitar strings.
Extra light (10 – 46)
Good for beginners, easiest to play, least tension but can produce thin sound.
Custom Light Gauge (11 – 52)
Ease of playing maintained, and produces slightly richer fuller sound.
Light Gauge (12 – 54)
Most pros use it. It has a higher tuning stability. However, it is not recommended for budget guitars due to the higher tension of the strings.
Medium Gauge (13 – 56)
This is among the highest thicknesses and can be difficult to play on some guitars due to the high tension. But it produces big and rich tones.
Buying Guitar Strings
You can choose from a variety of gauges, and materials such as silver, nylon, steel, bronze, and nickel guitar strings. Most strings are also made from alloy of different metals so that you get the best qualities of those individual metals.
So if you see something like 80/20 written on the packet of the guitar strings, it means it uses a combination of two metals, with the first metal making 80 percent of the alloy and the remaining 20% of the other metal.
And to save cost, the best option is to buy guitar strings in bulk; this will also save you a lot of time. You don’t have to go to the shop or go online for buying the strings when they are damaged, and because you buy in bulk you get good discounts. In case you own multiple guitars, this is the best option to save not just money but also to save you time.
Where to Buy?
You can buy these from a music shop, or directly from the manufacturer. Though you can ask questions at the store, you can get cool discounts when you buy guitar strings in bulk over the internet.
When ordering online, plan in advance to avoid any disappointment, as the strings could be out of stock when you need them.
Also, don’t plan to keep them unused for years; as they could get corroded which will make them unusable.
Some of the popular brands include: Exilir, Erniew Ball, D Addario, Fender, Gibson, Martin, Savarez.
If you’re a new player you may not have good finger strength so you may go with 11 gauge or 12 gauge, however those with hard calluses may consider gauge 13 or higher.
When you order Bulk Guitar Strings, make sure you buy the right strings with the proper gauges; else it may not be of any use to you.
- D’Addario Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
- Ernie Ball Regular Slinky String Set (Electric Guitar)
- D’Addario EJ16-3D Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Light, 3 Sets
- Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Set
- Planet Waves Pro Winder String Winder and Cutter
Guitar Strings: How Often You Must Change
Here are tips and suggestions to help you know your guitars strings better.
So you were really happy with the sound of your guitar when you bought it a few months back, learnt a few songs, few riffs, and everything was going smoothly. All of a sudden, do you feel that your guitar is not sounding as it used to be? I mean, it is not as bright as when it was new?
The riffs are sounding dull, and at times muddy?
If you have spoken to some of your guitar friends, one of the suggestions would definitely be to change the guitar strings.
But why should you? And that too so soon, after all it’s just been a few months?
Why is the Guitar Sounding Dull?
The reason simply is that the guitar strings are getting fatigued. And depending on the quality, some may reach there earlier and some later.
A new set of strings will always sound bright initially, and over time as you play more and more, due to stretching, the tone starts fading and sounds much softer when they are played.
How often Should You Change?
So how frequently should one change the strings?
Again, it is more of a personal choice!
If the sound is not bothering you and you’re happy learning the lessons with it, you can hold on for some more time.
There is no fixed number of weeks or months. You should go by your ears. It is more about your tone preference.
The more experienced players however change it more often; they love their guitar sound when played with brand new strings, whereas there are some who like the sound that is half way between new and old (for that you need to have some experience of hearing what is old).
When to Definitely Change the Strings
Besides the personal preference, there are events/factors that will indicate that it is time to change the strings. Here are some of those:
- The Sound
When you feel the tone sounds dull/faded, so this depends on you. - Broken String
This is an obvious one. Strings break due to wear and tear, or maybe it was sub-standard, or due to any other reason. Most players usually replace the entire set and not just that broken string, for consistency of sound. - Stiff Strings
There are many who pick their guitars after a gap of several months or even years. In that case the strings could have become stiff and you will find it difficult to fret or strum. Consider replacing the strings! - Other Reasons
Then there are other reasons such as the strings wearing out near the fret, or dirt building up on the strings. These can affect the way the guitar sounds and also could hamper your ability to play the guitar. This is when you should consider changing them.
As a beginner, unless you break the strings, the sound of the strings may not really bother you. But over time, as you ears start distinguishing between what sounds good and bad, you will learn that new strings have a crisp tone and improve the play-ability of your guitar. That is when you may feel the need to change your guitar strings.
How to String a Guitar
Stringing a Guitar is one activity you need to know, if you own an acoustic or electric guitar.
There are several reasons why you may need to change the strings of a guitar – guitar sounding dull, or strings broken. While playing the guitar, oil and dirt from your hands accumulates on the strings which eventually make your guitar sound dull. Not only that, the way you play the guitar, how often you play, the care and maintenance for the strings also determines how often you will need to change the strings of the guitar.
Some guitar players restring their guitars once in 2 weeks or so, just to ensure that the guitar is in tune.
So how would you know when is the time to change Guitar Strings?
Ideally you should change your guitar strings at least once every 2 weeks. If you don’t there are chances that your guitar will sound dull, so look out for signs like:
- If your guitar starts to sound flat, it’s a sign that you need to change the strings
- If your strings are rusty and look discolored
- If you are finding it hard to tune your guitar
- Lastly, if you have not tuned your guitar for a very long time, for many months together, then you most definitely need to change the strings of your guitar
Materials Required for Changing Guitar Strings
Before you start off with removing the strings, make sure you have the following items besides you, which you may need:
- Clean piece of cloth
- Pliers
- String winder
- Extra pair of strings
- Electric tuner
WATCH: How to string an acoustic guitar
WATCH: How to string an electric guitar
How to Change the Guitar Strings
Some people break into a sweat at the thought of changing guitar strings but there is nothing to really worry about. Changing strings are not very difficult and you can easily learn to do it by following a step by step process:
- First and foremost, place a dry cloth near the bridge of the guitar, just so as to protect it from any damage if any, while changing the strings.
- Once that is done, you can start by using the string winder on the tune key and loosen the strings until there is no tension and use the clippers and clip them off. You can also loosen the bridge pin with the string winder / peg winder and loosen the strings. Be careful and do not use excessive force on the pegs else it may break.
- Remove the strings from the headstock and from the peg holes. Some experts advice that you should remove the strings one at a time rather than all at once as it helps maintain the string tension. On the other hand, when you remove all the strings at once, it becomes easier to wipe off the dirt from the fret board much easily. Hence it is your choice how you would like to do it.
- Now insert the ball end of the string into the bridge hole and secure it with the bridge pin. Be sure not to use excessive force on the bridge pin. Pull the string to make sure that the bridge pin is securely holding the string. Pull the other end of the string towards the neck and make a right angle bend at the end of the string and insert it into the peg hole, wind it around the key hole and turn the tuning key anti clockwise. If there is excess string left, just clip it off with the clippers.
- Tighten the string with the tuning key and tune it to the right pitch. Repeat this procedure for all the other strings.
Changing the strings of a guitar is not that difficult if you follow it correctly and with care. Just be patient and be careful about using too much force while stringing. With practice you will surely learn how to string the guitar correctly.
Taking Care of Your Guitar Strings
You should not only look after your guitar, you also should know how to take care of your guitar strings.
The durability of your guitar strings not only depends on how often you play, it also depends on factors such as cleanliness, humidity, etc. A new set of strings sound bright because it is free of dirt, not corroded, and un-fatigued!
Here are things to keep in mind to ensure longer life for your guitar strings.
- Play with clean hands
- Wipe your strings with a dry cloth after playing
- As far as possible, keep it in the guitar case when not in use
Closing Thoughts
Strings play an important role in guitars, and there are several things to keep in mind when buying strings. In general, budget guitars resonate less and have a smaller tonal range, as compared to the more expensive guitars that have better strings and a much better dynamic range.
The strings that you choose will depend on various factors, including your preference & budget. That is why it is best to try out strings from different manufacturers and see what works best for you. This is important because choosing the right set of strings will help your playing technique, improve the quality of the sound produced, and greatly enhance your confidence as a guitar player.
KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.