Cleartone StringsCurt ManganD'AddarioDR StringsDunlop StringsElixirErnie BallFenderGalli StringsGHS StringsGibsonGodin GuitarsGuitar AccessoriesGuitar Gear Improvements and PrototypesGuitar Gear ResourcesGuitarsIconic GearJim DunlopJohn PearseLa Bella StringsLegacy StringsMartin Darco StringsOptima StringsPaul Reed SmithPicato Musician StringsPRSPyramid StringsRotoSoundSavarez StringsSIT StringsStringjoyStringsThomastik-InfeldWilly's Mexican Lottery+ -
I last did this exercise back in February of 2018 - where the core of the article was solid - while I only focused on 9 of the more popular brands. This time around I up the ante to 25 key electric guitar string brands - so there really should be something for everyone here!
Most 6 string electric guitars are supplied with standard 10 gauge (10-46) strings usually OEM’d for the guitar manufacturer by one of the main manufacturers or overseas subsidiaries. Some guitars are down-tuned by default, like my PRS Holcomb SE and those tend to have heavier gauges (10-52). 7, 8 and 9 string guitars have particularly heavy gauges, I may consider a 7-string at some stage, but I’m really not comfortable going anywhere beyond that!
Guide To Guitar Strings
Both my current mainstay Guitars are PRS; my CE was supplied with PRS Strings (D’Addario OEM’d to PRS spec), and the Holcomb SE I believe came with 10-52’s and has been re-strung with equivalent D’Addario NYXL. For the CE I started with standard 10 gauge PRS strings, but have now moved over to NYXL 09-46s - slightly brighter sounding than the original PRS ones which are slightly smoother and warmer.
For standard Gauges you can really pick from any number of suppliers, while many brands have their own gauges and hybrid variants - D’Addario seems to provide more variations than any other. Each manufacturer has its own specialism - particular formula and mix of string materials and how they are wound, colour-coded and coated.
The Big 3 are D’Addario, Ernie Ball and Elixir - the first ist best regarded for its NYXL range, Ernie Ball for its Slinky, Cobalt & Paradigm varieties, and Elixir for its Optiweb coated strings.
Best Electric Guitar Strings 2024: Give Your Electric New Life
I am currently sticking with my NYXLs for a while, but have promised Rotosound’s Jack Dunwoody that I would try some of their strings - Rotos, British Steel, and Ultramag. Right now only the Roots are available as a preferred set of 9-46 - but Jack has stated that he’s trying to get that set standard on British Steel and Ultramag ranges too.
I’m generally really very happy with the NYXLs currently and it’s really not the same process as choosing the ultimate pick / plectrum - which takes mere mili-seconds to swap - while switching strings is quite a bit more time-consuming - especially if you want to A-B them!.
In the end it’s about what you feel comfortable with, what sounds best for your choice of music, and delivers sufficient value in practicality and longevity. Here follow a few pointers and some options, starting with the brands featured in the visuals - the exact sets references, and what they’re currently priced at in £ Sterling!
Annual Sales Of Guitar Strings
Pricing would seem to be roughly in 3 tiers : c, £6-£10, c, £10-£15, and c. £20 at the upper end :
CURT MANGAN - Round Core Nickel, Round Core Pure Nickel, Drop Tuning Nickel Wound, Pure Nickel, Nickel Wound, Monel Hex Core, Stainless Flatwound, String Lap Steel, Signature Stephen Brewer, Signature Rex Briones, Signature Iron Mike Norton
ERNIE BALL - Slinky Nickel Wound, Slinky Classic, Slinky RPS Nickel Wound, Slinky RPS Coated Titanium, Slinky Paradigm, Slinky Cobalt, Slinky M-Steel, Slinky Stainless Steel, Nickel Wound Custom Gauge, Signature Slash Set
Top 5 Acoustic Guitar Strings: Best Wires 2024
FENDER - Super 250's Nickel-Plated Steel, Original 150's Pure Nicke, 3150 Original Bullets Pure Nickel, 3250 Super Bullets® Nickel Plated, Jimi Hendrix 'Voodoo Child' Electric
GHS - Boomers, Coated Boomers, Sub-Zero Boomers, Nickel Rockers, Burnished Nickel Rockers, Big Core Nickel Rockers, Brite Flats, Precision Flats, Progressives, Super Steels
JIM DUNLOP - Performance+, Signature Billy Gibbons Custom Rev Willy'sSignature Jin Root String Lab, Signature Heavy Core Korn, Signature Lab Series Trivium
Guitar String Gauges: Which Should I Choose?
PYRAMID - Nickel Classics, Gold Pure Nickel Flatwound, Monel Classics, Pure Nickel Round Wounds, Fusion Flats Pure Nickel Flatwounds, Nickel Classics Jimi Hendrix (10-38)
ROTOSOUND - Roots, Pure Nickel, British Steel, Plain Steel, Darkzone, Ultramag, Top Tape Monel Flatwound, Signature Mikey Demus (10-54), Signature Michael Amott (11-59)
SIT - Power Wound Nickel, Power Steel Stainless, Universals Balanced Tension, CRT Coated Electric, Flat Wound Electric, Power Groove Pure Nickel, Silencer Semi-Flat Nickel, Electric Signature Series
Tanglewood Acoustic Guitar Saddle (plastic) 72mm X 3mm X 9mm
Do note that the following overviews contain some generalities, and there is an occasional disagreement of sorts by manufaturers as to exactly what constitutes that standard gauge - particularly with 11s - and where some manufacturers favour 10-48s, while others go with 10-49s. End Gauges / Lowest Strings tend to be even numbers - so I've gone with that rule here.
All these sets are sold by one or several of these brads, there is often a little overlap on the hybrids, and some players may buy 2 or more different sets to make up their own particular hybrid set. Lots of guitar strings are now also available as singles - so you can assemble or your own custom set.
I would say start with Standard 10s and work your way up or down from there depending on how it all feels and sounds for you. If you haven't done it already, I recommend that you change all your guitars up to locking tuners - which typically hold your tuning in a far superior fashion, but equally importantly enable you to change your strings quicker and easier!
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings
I have indicated Standard Gauges in bold - like most things with guitar - there is no right or wrong here - simply what feels right for you and aids your technical playing ability, tone and enjoyment of making music over all.
My own current preference is Skinny Top / Heavy Bottom - or 9-46. I'd like to try a few more unconventional sets - likely custom for now - including 8-46, 8-52m and 9-52.
The following list is pretty expansive - yet there are new gauges materialising all the time - so this may not be 100% comprehensive - but will be close enough for most!
Pick The Best Electric Guitar Strings For You
Your typical strings are made of a mix of mostly steel, carbon and nickel - the latter metal is used to give you more malleability and flexibility and to improve tone, as solid stainless steel can be rather brittle and sharp!. Each manufacturer has their own formula for the core string, as well as type, configuration and tightness of wrap too. You can get solid Stainless Steel - majority Carbon Steel, majority Nickel, and then compounds of Chrome, Cobalt, Copper and Titanium. Steel has the typical brightness and Chime, Nickel gives you softer, warmer and more rounded tones, and there are smaller variations in mixing up the various other elements.
The most commonly sold strings are Nickel+Steel, typically roundwound as such - the lighter gauge strings are just the solid core (unwound) while the heavier strings can be Roundwound, Flatwound or Halfround. Companies like Elixir have pioneered various teflon-like string coatings which protect the strings from sweat, grime and oxidisation - meaning they last longer. Obviously each string type will have a slightly different feel, and variations in degrees of chime / brightness / resonance and sustain.
It's still early days for me - I have yet to experiment in the same way that I did for pickups, I will certainly need to check out the smaller manufacturers some day - but that kind of A/B testing is incredibly time-consuming - having to re-string the guitar various ways. Strings I have tended to use so far have been mostly Nickel Steel. Strings can be Uncoated, Semi-Coated and Fully Coated - with the mid option as a compromise between tone, feel and longevity.
Balanced Tension Strings
As stated within Type / Material - the make-up of the string - in terms of material compound, windings and coating can all impact on tone to greater or lesser degree. Ernie Ball Cobalt for instance is supposed to better stimulate the magnets of your pickups - for a clearer tone. Steel is bright and chimey, and nickel is warmer and more rounded generally. A lot of steel strings have various 'platings' or wraps to enhance the tone - typically either to produce more brightness or warmth.
Strings sound brightest at the start of their life, some players really like this and change strings more frequently, others prefer to let their strings settle in a touch - which softens and broadens to tonal pallet somewhat.
Gauge plays a significant part in tone too - with lighter gauges being brighter and sparklier while heavier gauges are darker and more resonant. As a modern metal player you at least want your bottom strings to be as thick as possible / comfortable - which is why there are so many different hybrid gauges. I don't possess particularly long fingers, and I started my second stint on guitar rather late in life - meaning I've dropped the top-half down to 9-gauge varieties, while maintaining the 10-style bottom strings. Note that changing up a gauge (i.e. going smaller), has less significant impact on your guitar maintenance than going larger. The latter approach means getting
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