People are always asking us what kind of guitar strings they should use. So I decided to put together a little how to on picking strings. This is not intended as an exhaustive article on string construction. It is more a guide for beginners about choosing strings that they will be happy with. It primarily covers electric and acoustic guitar strings. But some of the principles and criteria would be the same for any stringed instrument.

First off, choosing guitar strings is a very subjective process. Almost every guitar player I know gives a different reason for why they use a string brand or type. As far as I’m concerned, there is not real right or wrong answer.

The following 4 key elements should serve you well in your hunt for the right strings:

• Cost - How much do they cost and is it within your budget?
• Feel - How do the strings feel under your fingers when on your favorite guitar
• Tone - How do the sound when you play them? Lead, rhythm, strumming, etc...
• Tone Life - How long do they maintain that new string sound?

These are probably not the only things you could use for deciding which strings to use. It is also hard to uniquely separate each of the above, so you will notice a lot of overlap.

OK, let’s look at some specifics about choosing a string that might work for you. First up is string Gauge.

String Gauge

The Gauge of the string is the actual diameter of each string. Usually given in 1000th of an inch e.g. .009 would be a common high E string in a light set of electric guitar strings. The gauge can affect both the tone and the feel. The lighter the string gauge, the less meaty or thick the tone will be. This can be a drawback on acoustics or electrics playing with clean tone. The light gauge does however make it a bit easier to fret making it an ideal string type for beginners. In almost all cases, if you are just starting out, you would stick with light or extra-light gauge strings. As your finger strength improves you will likely want to move to a little heavier gauge. If you are a more seasoned pro, you would most likely prefer a heavier gauge string for its enhanced tone. Another benefit of the heavier gauge string, your intonation will tend to be a little better with them. If you don’t know what intonation is, I’m sorry. I’ll cover that in another article.

String Feel

After gauge, comes Feel. How do the strings feel under you fingers? There are only a few options here with respect to what you can buy currently. Strings typically are mixture of wound and unwound strings. The higher pitched strings (G, B and E) are usually unwound with the G being wound in heavier gauged sets. The lower pitched strings (E, A and D) are wound. The winding is either round or flat.  Flat wound strings can be ground wound, roller wound or standard flat wound, but the feel ends up being pretty similar between these types. Round wound strings will feel a little rougher under your fingers and tend to squeak a little more when sliding your fingers across them. This is especially noticeable on acoustics.   Flat wound strings feel much smoother and do not squeek as much.

In addition to winding, there are many manufactures that now offer coated strings.   The coating creates a smoother surface on all the strings. Many players believe it helps them play faster.  The texture is unique and may take some getting used to if you have been playing standard strings for very long.    There are players that refuse to use any type of coated string because of the feel.

Coated strings will last longer than non-coated ones.   If your body chemistry causes quick wear of regular strings,   these may be for you.    They are also a great choice if you live in a humid climate where strings tend to oxidize or rust quickly.

There is also the matter of style of fashion when looking at the coated strings.  Not my top priority when choosing strings, but I know it can be important. Many vendors now offer coated strings in a variety of colors, black, blue, red and silver to name a few. The color can give a very cool affect and may be something that is a deciding factor for you. These strings should last about as long as there clear coated counter parts. They just may look a little cooler.

String Cost

Acoustic

This one is pretty simple. Either you can afford the strings and are willing to part with the money or not. A basic entry level set of acoustic should range from $3.00 to $5.00. These won’t be the longest lasting strings, but they do provide a nice bright tone when new.

Acoustic strings in this price range are usually labeled as 80/20 bronze and are made up of 80% copper and 20% zinc. OK, that’s probably enough on the construction. Just know these strings are less expensive and tend to be fairly bright sounding.

The next type Acoustic guitar strings, phosphor bronze, will cost you anywhere from $4.00 to $8.00 per set.  These are bronze strings with phosphor combined with the bronze alloy to improve life and tone.  They are not quite as bright sounding as the straight 80/20 bronze strings.

Both the 80/20 and phosphor bronze strings come in the variety of windings listed previously.  The also come with different coatings.  The more exotic or rare the material or winding, the more the cost of the string.

Electric

Entry level electric guitar strings will also range in price from $3.00 to $5.00 dollars.   These strings will usually be a nickel wound string, which is actually a steel string with a nickel coating. 

Like the Acoustic strings, the electrics come in a variety of windings using various materials like steel, silver, etc...   Also like the acoustic strings, the more exotic or rare the material or winding, the more the cost of the strings.

Coated Strings

For both Acoustic and Electric guitar strings you can find coated strings. The coating, as mentioned previously, will extend the life of the string considerably. The cost also goes up and you can expect to spend more than $8.00 to $9.00 on a set of Electric Guitar strings and over $10.00 on a set of Acoustic Guitar Strings. If

Tone

This is the most subjective of the selection criteria. I’ll just try to list the types of available strings and the expected tones.

Guitar Type	String Type	Tone
Electric Guitar	Pure Nickel	Warm, Vintage
Electric Guitar	Nickel Plated Steel (NPS)	Brighter than Pure Nickel, Greater Sustain
Electric Guitar	Stainless Steel	Brighter than NPS, Greater Sustain
Electric Guitar	Chrome	Very Flat Sound
Electric Guitar	Coated	Even Warm, not to bright, long tone retention and life
Acoustic Guitar	Bronze	Very Bright, but Tone fades quickly
Acoustic Guitar	Phosphor Bronze	Bright Warm/Dark, Phosphor helps retain Tone longer
Acoustic Guitar	Coated	Even Warm, not to bright, long tone retention and life

Conclusion

I have covered the most popular string types for Acoustic and Electric Guitar strings in this article. I have also covered what I believe are a few of the primary factors to consider when choosing strings. But in the end it is a personal choice based on feel, tone and what you want to pay for. My suggestions:

· Try out a few different types of strings.

· Play some different guitars at your local store and ask what strings they string their guitars with.

· Ask your friends what they use.

We hope this was of some help.

Still have questions?  Send me an email.

Happy playing.