I promised that I would tell you about how to choose the right strings for an electric guitar and today we will try to figure it out. After all, for a novice guitarist it will be quite difficult to do, due to the lack of necessary knowledge, skills and habits.
There are also some features in this issue related to which strings to take to start with: thin or thick, steel or nickel, which manufacturer to prefer. For professional guitarists, these questions may seem simple. But what should beginners and those who are just starting to learn the electric guitar do? Let's look at this in more detail.
The bass strings have an inner part made up of thin strands of nylon covered with a metal wire wound into a spiral. The type of metal - an alloy of gold, silver or bronze - affects the quality of the sound. Nylon ropes have virtually supplanted the gut and the silk and metal ropes used until the first decades of this century.
The round metal strings used on the guitar are formed by a thread of a special alloy of steel, covered with a thin wire, also metal, coiled. As with serious nylon threads, here the metal used for the coating affects the sound quality. The strings used on electric guitars are similar to the previous ones; However, in its interior, instead of steel, small magnetic metals such as brass, bronze, or copper are used. There are also flat strings in which the coating is buffed or consists of flattened filament - a kind of ribbon wound in a spiral.
Foreword
For those who do not yet know how to choose the right electric guitar, I advise you to read the detailed article. I will say right away that the choice of strings is a purely individual process. After some time, you will no longer need any advice, because you yourself will be able to select the strings, their coverage and the gauge (diameter) that will be most convenient for your fingers to play. Chances are that only through trial and error will you be able to find the strings that work best for you. Therefore, the advice in this article will be useful only at the very beginning of your creative journey.
The resulting sound is opaque, less bright, but the strings are more comfortable to play. And they are preferred when you want to eliminate finger noise by shifting the scale, such as in recording studios. That's why you have to be careful not to change them by mistake.
This prevents damage due to inadequate tension. This is a type of rope that is halfway between nylon and metal. Both in regard to tension and its constitution. The sharpest of mild steel, uncoated. The bass has a steel and nylon interior covered with a silver spiral thread. Soft and sonic, excellent, silk and steel strings are very suitable for folk guitar, and it is risky to use them on classical guitar.
But if you recently bought yourself a new inexpensive guitar, then, accordingly, some strings are already on it. I would suggest changing them first. Of course, they can live on your guitar for a while, you can even learn to play them. But be aware that their quality leaves much to be desired. No one will give you a guarantee that these strings will not break or rust in the near future. Now let's deal with the criteria for choosing electric guitar strings.
Another important element to consider when choosing, for both nylon and metal strings, is their "weight". It determines the tension of the strings after they are set on the instrument. This "weight" is nothing but the diameter of the rope. The "light" lines are the thinnest. They achieve the correct pitch at a relatively low voltage, resulting in a smooth feel. They are best suited for both beginners and blues guitarists who often "push" the strings into gear to get some of the signature effects of this genre of music.
String manufacturers
The first thing you should pay attention to when you start choosing strings for your electric guitar is the brand (manufacturer). I would advise giving preference to such proven brands as:
- the most expensive, long-playing and my favorite strings, which have a coating with a polymer composition, thanks to which they do not lose their original sound so quickly, and they are also soft and quite pleasant to the touch.
The sound, however, is less full and intense than heavier strings. Also, if the scale is not in perfect condition, the light strings may bother you. On the other hand, "heavy" strings create a rich, full-bodied sound and maintain tuning easily. They are listed for base guitar, with reeds, and for rock. Heavy nylon strings are undoubtedly more suitable than light ones for classical guitar concerts. Heavy heavy ropes require a lot of technique in the left hand. Also, make sure the fixture is strong enough to withstand the stress.
D'Addario- the most popular bourgeois strings that our guitarists love.
- quite tenacious and very high quality strings. They are in demand mainly among metalworkers. Average price.
- quite affordable and good in quality, I also advise you to try it, you will not regret it, because such strings will last much longer than any fake produced by Petya Ivanov's steel plant No. 3.
When in doubt, it's best to choose "middle" rows. Each factory has its own subjective concept of "weight". Thus, when changing brand of ropes, it is good to mention the diameter that appears on the packaging, instead of being referred to as "heavy", "light" or "medium".
In the shop musical instruments we are faced with a variety of prices for guitars, which at first glance are all the same! In contrast to the tones of the flowers of the forest from which they are built. The guitar strings you should choose depend on the model you are playing, the sound you want to create and your preferences to make your playing easier. This article shows you how to choose guitar strings.
— nickel/steel strings of the American production on reasonable price. Feedback from guitarists is only positive.
And one more thing, do not really trust the sellers in the store, who will be happy to shove you some stale garbage, especially if they notice that you are not particularly versed in this. So it's better to start by sitting at home "google" or consult with familiar guitarists. Try to decide in advance on the brand of future strings, read the reviews of musicians, and at the same time look at the average price in online stores. And most importantly, the question of choosing strings must be approached purely individually, i.e. decide in advance what sound you want and how comfortable these strings will be for you.
The thickness varies depending on the type you buy; Recommended for beginners from medium to light. They are much lighter on the fingers than regular metal strings. Do not use on electric guitars because they will not pick up electricity. Select bronze strings to play the folk guitar with your fingers. They make the sound "shine". Use a light rope to touch with your fingers or a heavy strip. Buy a set of brass strings if you want your tone to be sharp and rough. They are usually more fragile than bronze ones. Buy smooth and polished strings if you want to play easily. They are lighter on your fingers than standard metal strings. They are suitable for both guitars and guitars. Choose flat strings for any electric guitar. They are comfortable for the left hand and give a soft tone when boosted. This string is a favorite of jazz guitarists. Make sure you buy the correct type of string for your instrument. Acoustic steel guitar strings have a very high voltage for a classical guitar and can damage it. Nylon strings won't vibrate the top of the guitar for enough steel strings to create a large number sound. Electric guitar strings have a different composition of guitar strings to help the pickups function properly. If you are playing with alternative tunings, you may prefer a set of strings that will support the same voltage of the tuning you are using, such as the string used when standard setting. Talk to a store employee or guitarist or guitarist about string tension. This will make it easier to change the chord and won't damage the instrument if you attach an accessory to it.
- If you are a beginner, use nylon threads.
- They have a soft, soft tone and are easy on the fingers.
- Do not use them on classical guitar or electric guitar!
- Use steel and silk to touch with your fingers.
- Replace the old strings of your tool.
- As the string set gets old, the sound will fade out.
- Beginner students may start to notice wear after about five weeks.
- If in doubt, ask your music teacher.
String coating
This is the second and most important criterion when choosing strings for an electric guitar. On the front of the package you can find information about the coating material from which they are made. Regardless of the braid, the core of the string is always made of steel, but its winding can be of several types:
Nickel plating– has a soft sound (ideal for solo performance). Strings with such a coating are considered the most popular today, even despite some of their shortcomings (the winding fades rather quickly, rubs on contact with the frets and loses its original sound in a couple of weeks).
Protect your tone with steel guitar strings
There's no way to mask it when your steel guitar string tone starts to lose quality, making the initial investment larger with coated strings to compensate. But remember that not all coatings are the same. Our steel guitar strings are available in two finishes. The choice of coat is personal, try 2 and decide what you prefer.
Good steel guitar tone starts with the right rope material.
Guitarists usually play without the spices of amps and pedals, so it's important to practice the natural tone of your guitar's steel strings.steel coating- has the brightest and sharpest sound, and such strings are made entirely of steel (winding + core). These strings are best suited for metal players and those who want to achieve a harsher and more piercing sound. Not as popular as nickels.
Sometimes, to protect the strings from corrosion, manufacturers apply a special polymer composition to the winding, which ultimately significantly prolongs their life, but the price, as a rule, will also be appropriate for them.
Combine the measurement of strings with the sound, style and model of your steel guitar
The metal alloy used to make strings is fundamental to timbre. Phosphor bronze has the brightest and brightest tone. There are many factors to consider before setting a preference for the row dimension. First, timbre: heavier ropes have the warmest and most articulated timbre, while lighter ones sound brighter and have a softer attack. Then you have to consider style: many finger players prefer lighter strings, while medium and heavy strings are preferred by pick players.
String Gauge
Caliber is the thickness of the string, which is usually expressed in fractions of an inch. As a rule, in sets, the thickness of the 1st and 6th strings is usually indicated, for example: 9 - 42 or 10 - 46. In the jargon of musicians, this sounds like "nine" or "ten". Depending on what style of playing and style of music you prefer, it is necessary when choosing strings to strive for some kind of compromise between richness and loudness of sound, as well as speed and convenience of playing. In practice, it turns out that thick strings have a richer and more powerful sound, but thin ones are the easiest to play, but you have to sacrifice the sound. Here the choice is yours. In general, in my opinion, the most optimal set in terms of thickness and sound is the “ten”.
You also need to consider the instrument: heavy strings work well with larger ones. guitar guitars, such as large and dreadnought models, while lighter strings are better for smaller guitars. Finally, never place heavy ropes on delicate antique instruments, as the stress can damage the hand and bridge.
Protect your tone with guitar strings
Check out our most different sizes and choose the best one for you. For great performance, it's important to choose the guitar strings that best suit your instrument, tone, and style. Guitar strings suffer, and if you settle for uncoated strings to let dirt and sweat erode them, your tone will also suffer. Coated strings cost a bit more, but the investment pays off. But remember that not all coated strands are the same. Our guitar strings are available in two casing options.
0,008 - These strings are the softest and thinnest, best suited for beginner guitarists. They don't sound as powerful and tight as thicker kits and are therefore not very popular with experienced guitarists. I wouldn’t recommend staying on the “eight” for a long time, because in the future it will be quite difficult to switch to thick strings, so you need to try to gradually develop your skills and switch to a set of 0.010 or 0.011.
Good guitar tone starts with the right rope material.
The good performance of your guitar depends on more than just amps, pickups and pedals. It all starts with the strings on your guitar and the metal alloy that gives it its distinctive tone. This is a great material that is great for all styles, from hard rock to classic jazz and more.
Combine strings with sound and style
The first step in finding the right lines for you is to analyze your game. The lighter pickup requires less pressure on the frets and less force on turns, making these strings a great choice for beginners.0,009 - "nine", also belongs to the category of soft and thin strings. They are already a little more difficult to play, but the sound will be more dense compared to the "eight".
0,010 - strings of medium thickness. The most popular and widespread among musicians. Combine best qualities thin and thick strings: medium hardness and rather dense sound.
Create your own set of guitar strings
On the other hand, if you play jazz or blues rock, heavier ropes will be more suitable. In addition to natural bass frequencies, many players feel that heavier strings are better at maintaining tension in alternate tunings and slides. For convenience, guitar strings are usually packaged in different string lengths. But that doesn't mean you have to buy a 6-string package with predetermined measurements.
How to buy strings for your guitar. Buying guitar strings is like buying any other product, meaning we need to answer some questions to know what we want. What is the material used in the rope? guitar string can be made from various materials, so it is important to choose the sound that best suits you and a longer lifespan.
0,011; 0,012; 0,013 - strings of this gauge are considered thick and rather difficult to play. But they have a rich and powerful sound. Such kits are also used for low standing in heavy styles of rock music.
There are also hybrid sets, where the first three tenor strings are of standard thickness, and the 4th, 5th and 6th bass strings can be thicker than the standard. For example, Zakk Wylde plays his signature set in 10-60. Hybrids are created so that the riff sounds the most powerful on the bass strings, and when playing solo there are no difficulties with bends.
The type of winding will determine the brightness, volume, rise. This property will determine the thickness of the rope and hence its reproducibility. This is the style you are going to play and what methods are used the most and in these styles are the most recommended guitar strings.
And finally, what is the mark of the rope? The rope brand is not the most important, but we should always be wary of a brand that is little known and has a very cheap price. Elixir is a very good rope, but a very salty price. It is a well rated brand and many famous guitarists use this brand.
Another interesting point. In various sets, the third string may or may not be wound. The third string without winding is most often put by musicians performing rock music, because it is easier to perform solos and bands (braces) on such a string, but for others musical styles, for example jazz, it is the 3rd string that is best suited. Although you should not take this as a rule, experiment!
Winding types
Twisted strings are divided into several types, depending on the winding and material:
Round winding 
flat winding 
Semicircular winding 
Hexagonal winding
Round winding
Strings with such a winding are considered the easiest to manufacture and the cheapest. They have a round core inside, around which a round wire is wound. The disadvantages include the following:
- The presence of a relief profile that causes a "whistling" while sliding fingers along the string.
- Rough surface that wears out much faster frets and fretboard.
- Winding loose to the core, which can rotate around it after damage.
flat winding
Flat wound strings also have a round core inside, but wound wire has a smoother square profile with rounded corners. This profile reduces whistle, makes the strings more comfortable to play, and reduces fret and fretboard wear. The sound of these strings is less bright than roundwound strings. They are more expensive for the price.
Semicircular winding
Nothing more than a hybrid of the two previous windings. These strings have sound characteristics round along with the sensations of a flat winding. At first, they are made the same as with a round winding, but then the outer side of the wire is polished and pressed almost to a flat state.
Hexagonal winding
The profile of the core is a hexagon with a tightly wound round wire that follows the shape of the core. Thanks to this design, the problem of winding torsion around the core is solved and the sound is significantly improved due to its close connection with the winding. The downside is that sharp ribs wear out the nut and fretboard much faster than roundwrap, and are also less comfortable to play.
- Do not throw away old strings as they will still be useful to you if any string breaks, and the store is far away.
- Before buying, explain to the seller that it is for the electric guitar that you need the strings, and not for any other, so that you will not be sold the wrong thing.
- In order to somehow extend the life of the strings, try to wash your hands before playing so that there is no dirt and grease on them, and after playing, wipe the strings with a special liquid or a dry cloth from above and below.
- Try to change your strings at least every six months, because even the best ones don't live that long. During this time, their characteristics change: inhomogeneity occurs in thickness, the sound loses its richness, or microcracks may appear.
- If one string suddenly breaks, then you can purchase it separately, without buying a whole set. In this case, try to select a similar string.
In order to determine if your guitar needs to be changed strings, you should pay attention to the following:
- dull guitar sound
- the guitar doesn't stay in tune;
- the strings are corroded or look dirty;
- intonation is broken (the same note should sound clearly in different places on the fretboard);
- the winding shows signs of wear;
- a lot of time has passed since the last replacement;
- the strings are too soft/hard.
In conclusion, I want to wish you good luck friends! Now you know how to choose electric guitar strings and you can safely go shopping. I tried to collect as much information as possible in this article, so share it with your friends in in social networks below on the page. I will be glad to your comments and additions. All the best!
In continuation of the article about the tuning in which this or that group plays, I will write about what gauge of strings is suitable for a certain order guitars.
The gauge of strings is their thickness in fractions of an inch. An approximate designation is .011 (or simply 11), by the way, the caliber of rifled weapons is indicated in the same way. String packages always indicate the gauge of all strings, starting with the thinnest. Depending on the thickness of the first string, sets of strings can be called differently in guitar slang: for example, the first string.009, then the set will be called "nine", etc.
There are also sets of strings for electric guitars, where the third string comes with a braid. It is designated as follows - .016W - the caliber can be different, the letter W means "wounded" (braided). Not suitable for soloing, especially for bending.
Gauge of guitar strings
It should be understood that the thicker the strings, the more strongly they are stretched, the sound becomes more aggressive, and the better it is to use them for low formations, however, on standard tuning it becomes more difficult to play with thick strings, you should also keep this in mind when choosing your next set of strings.
Strings for standard guitar tuning:
8-38, 8-39 - the most thin strings with a fairly free ride. Optimal for beginner guitarists and those who like to play solos effortlessly. Often used by blues guitarists.
9-40, 9-42, 9-46, 9-49, 9-52 - standard sets of strings with a denser sound than eights. Ideal for combining riffs and solos.
10-46, 10-48, 10-49, 10-50 are the most comfortable string sets for standard tuning allowing you to extract a sufficiently powerful and juicy sound.
11-49, 11-50, 11-52, 12-52, 12-54 - strings with a stronger tension and dense sound.
Low tuning strings:
10-52, 10-54, 10-56, 10-59, 11-52, 11-56 - these string sets are ideal for Dropped D tuning (reduced D) - thin nines will allow you to play solos without problems, and fairly thick sixths the strings won't dangle too much when the guitar is in low tuning.
11-52, 11-56, 12-56 - These string sets are suitable for Dropped C# tuning (reduced C sharp). If necessary, the sixth string can be retuned to the standard system.
11-59, 11-60, 12-56, 12-60, 13-56 - used for Dropped C (downgraded C) tuning.
12-60, 12-62, 12-64, 13-62, 13-65 - strings for the Dropped B (reduced C) and Dropped A# (reduced A sharp) tuning.
13-65, 13-68, 14-68 - these kits are suitable for Dropped A tuning (lowered A).
The data I have given is quite subjective, given the fact that many guitarists tune the guitar specifically for themselves and set the strings based on their own experience. But these recommendations should be followed within one semitone. Many standard string sets can also be used for lower tuning.
In addition, it should be borne in mind that electric guitars have several types of scale:
25.5" (648 mm) is the standard for Fender, Ibanez, Washburn, Yamaha and many other superstrat and strat guitar makers;
25 inches (635 mm) is the standard for PRS guitars;
24.75 inches (629 mm) is the standard for Gibson and similar guitars;
27" (685.8 mm) - baritone guitars.
Accordingly, the same set of strings on these guitars will feel differently: on a Gibson, the same strings will sit differently than on a Fender. With a significant change in the tuning of the guitar and a set of strings, you should adjust anchor bolt guitar, located in the fretboard.
Try, experiment, lower!