Set Bronze
When learning the guitar, choice of strings always comes up as a question. Beginners see the wide selection offered in most music stores and don’t know what to pick.
Gauge of strings
In a nutshell, heavier strings mean more tension, harder on the fingers, and create a louder sound. But, there is more to the story than just that. You need to know what is suited to your particular guitar.
First of all, you need to know the proper gauge of strings for your guitar. Most acoustic guitars will require a medium or medium light gauge, meaning the first string may be a “12″ or “11,” whereas electric guitars choose around “9.”
Find out what gauge strings are already on the guitar before you change them. Guitars are set up to handle a certain tension. If you take your guitar in to your local music store, they can help you find the right gauge. Changing the gauge of strings on your guitar, without making adjustments, is not recommended. You could potentially harm your guitar or at least make it less playable.
Nylon strings versus steel strings
A classic guitar is designed for nylon strings. You can tell a classic guitar by it’s smaller body, lack of pick guard, design around the sound hole and the strings tied at the bridge. The tuning keys on the head, stick out the back, and the strings are wound around little barrels.
An acoustic steel string guitar has a pick guard, the body is generally bigger and the strings have little balls on the end. The bridge, either has little pegs that push the string ends into the guitar, or it has a tail piece that the strings slip through. The tuning keys on the head, stick out the side of the head, and have little posts that the strings are wound around.
Each guitar is built slightly different, and meant for the strings it was designed for. Switching either of these is very bad practice. It won’t sound good and, will eventually, cause damage to the guitar.
Different sounds
Strings made of different metals have different characteristics. You really need to try them out yourself and decide what you like. You will find most of the difference being in the bass strings. The first two strings will sound pretty well the same with every set.
Choices are bronze, nickel, and silver. I have found that the bronze have a brighter sound. You really need to experiment. I would suggest, keeping the cover to the strings in your guitar case, so that when you try your next set, if you liked the previous ones better, you’ll remember which ones they were. It can be frustrating to find some strings you decide you like best and can’t remember which ones they were.
Easy on the fingers
Some people put nylon strings on a steel guitar for the sake of their fingers. Bad practice, I wouldn’t recommend it. However, I do have a solution. There is a type of string called “slinky folk”, that has silver over nylon. They are a bit easier on the fingers. One drawback is that they don’t keep their sound too long.
Coated strings
There are many coated strings available now. They tend to be more expensive than the regular strings, however, the coating causes them to retain their sound longer and they can be a great choice for students. In the end, they are more economical because they do outlast the others.
Most brands are good
I find that most brands are good. If you are looking for a real deal, sometimes music stores will buy strings in bulk, package them, put their name on, and sell them cheap as a promotion. It can be a good deal.
As a rule, I just don’t buy the cheapest. I have found that they are usually inferior. But, once you get into the main brands, they are all good.
Most music store staff are quite knowledgeable and very helpful. Just ask them, “what are the most popular brands?” and then make a choice.
So, there you go. Now you know something about choosing strings for your guitar. As long as you choose the right gauge and proper strings, (nylon or steel) it’s hard to go wrong. Good luck with your guitar.
Gail Karen (G.K.) Eckert is a vocalist, musician, songwriter, author and teacher. She founded Musikhaus Studio of Creativity in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada in 1987.
Get a free copy of her new e book Be Creative – a step-by-step guide to a More Creative Way of Life.
She has written numerous articles on all aspects of the music business. Find out more about learning to be a pro.
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