Don’t overthink the decision on which type of acoustic guitar string gauge to buy. Your first choice is either thin, medium, or thick strings. The other choices are the type of metal used and whether or not you want guitar strings that have a coating on the wound strings. I cover the basics of different types of strings and mention my preferred acoustic guitar string brand.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the various types and facts about acoustic guitar string. There are different sizes, different materials, different winding, etc. You don’t need a scientist or engineer to help you decide which string set to buy.
The best thing to do is to buy different types of strings and see which you prefer. The only problem with that method is that you either have to change strings often, or you need more than one acoustic guitar.
D'addario Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
Metal Materials: There are different types of metals used to make guitar strings. The two most popular types are 80% copper & 20% zinc (80/20) which have a bright sound or Phosphor Bronze which have a darker and fuller tone.
Other factors: The wound guitar strings (Low E, A & D) have different cores (hex or round), different winding methods, and some also have coatings.
Lighter gauge strings are easier to play when it comes to fretting chords or bending strings. However, because they are thinner they break easier. They are also known for having less volume and sustain than heavier strings.
Dunlop Acoustic Guitar Strings Phosphor Bronze Select Gauge
Heavier gauge strings, on the other hand, are harder to play and require more hand and finger strength. As a result, they are not a good choice for beginners. They are louder and have a longer sustain and will not break as easy as thinner strings.
You may want to consider using the string gauge I use, Light or 12’s, as they are in the middle. If they feel too hard to play then try the thinner strings, or go to thicker strings if you want a fuller sound. Start with something in the middle then go thinner or thicker based on your experience.
Your options are extra light, custom light, light, medium, and heavy. In the image below you will also see light-medium which is an additional string gauge that Elixir produces.
Sp 100 6pcs. Acoustic Guitar Strings, 85/15 Bronze (0.010 0.048 Light Gauge) At Rs 180/piece
Don’t bother memorizing the size of each string. I only included the sizes for both E strings. You’re not going to be tested to see if you can remember the exact diameters for each gauge.
In general, the diameter of the high E string is used to refer to the entire set of strings. For example, I play light Elixir strings where the high E string has a diameter of .012”, and are referred to as “12’s”. Heavy strings, on the other hand, would be referred to as “14’s”.
I prefer the coated strings made by Elixir, specifically the light gauge. They have coatings named Polyweb and Nanoweb coatings. One of them is a thin coating and the other is thicker. I play both and they sound great to me. Also, they go a long time without breaking!
Player Tip: Changing Your String Gauge
One of the most annoying sounds to me is hearing strings squeak when you move position on the 4 wound strings. That is kept to a minimum with their coated strings. I’m fine with the slight loss of tone if it also means little to no squeak.
The choice is yours. You could go middle of the road and buy light gauge guitar strings and size up or down the next time you change strings. As I mentioned above, I prefer the light coated Elixir strings so give them a try.
Check out my article on making a Guitar String Bend map for your guitar and string combination. It’s a great idea to know how far you can bend each string at various fret positions.Guitar strings are available in a wide variety, and knowing which type to buy can be confusing. Once one starts considering gauge size, material of the string, coatings, and different brands, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed!
D'addario Ez920 American Bronze Medium Light Gauge 12 54 Acoustic Guit
The best way to buy strings is to educate yourself on some of the generic terms and figure out what type of music you mainly like to play on a specific guitar. Since using the wrong strings on your guitar may damage your instrument, knowing these things will give you a better idea of what type(s) you should purchase.
Steel string, or acoustic style guitars require different strings than nylon or classical style guitars. This article will cover the basics of nylon and steel strings; we’ll save electric guitar strings for a separate article.
● Lighter gauge strings don't produce as much volume and the tone is considerably jeopardized. However, they are easier for beginners to play and to bend. Lighter gauge strings are usually used for blues, rock, or improvisation based players that bend their strings a lot, as well as vintage guitars (because they put less stress on the neck.)
D'addario Xs Coated Acoustic Guitar Strings Gauge 12 56 Xsapb1256
● Different types of guitar bodies may require certain weights of strings. Bigger or jumbo sized bodies are usually better suited for medium or heavy strings while smaller parlor sized guitars tend to perform best with light to medium-light gauge strings.
● If you play finger-style guitar, you may prefer light or medium-light gauge strings, as it may be easier for your right hand fingers to pick the strings. If you are usually strumming your guitar, you may be best suited for medium to heavy gauge strings. If you do both, you might want to find a set that's the right balance between light and heavy.
● The heavier the gauge of string, the more tension it will produce from the guitar headstock to the bridge. Neglecting to properly set up your guitar when replacing strings to a heavier set could damage the guitar. Talk to a luthier before making dramatic string size changes to your instrument.
What Acoustic Guitar String Gauges Should I Use?
Acoustic or steel string guitar strings - Clear, bright tones compared to nylon or classical style strings. You can find warmer sounding steel strings, but they’ll usually be tougher on your fingertips and require more pressure to get your notes to sound clearly when playing. With consistent practice, guitarists will form calluses on their fingertips over time which will make playing steel-string guitar easier and more enjoyable. Steel strings on acoustic guitar are generally used for rock, blues, country, bluegrass and singer/songwriter genres.Steel string guitars have a small ball bearing at the end of the string that's used to keep the string in place at the bridge of the guitar after it's wound around the tuning peg at the head of the guitar.
Classical or Nylon Strings - Warmer, gentler and softer sound compared to steel strings. Beginners may opt to begin learning guitar on a classical/nylon string guitar, as they're generally easier to play on. Due to the warmth of the nylon strings, these types of guitars are typically paired well with classical, bossa nova or flamenco guitar styles. Nylon strings are not meant for string bending because nylon doesn't bend as easily steel does. Unlike steel string guitars, nylon strings are to be tied in a special knot at the bridge of the guitar.
Bronze - Bright tone. Players that want a true brass sound should try a bronze string. If your guitar body style is naturally warm, like a Martin, you may want to try bronze strings to balance your sound, unless you love the lower, warm sound. Bronze strings tend to wear out quicker due to the material's tendency to oxidize faster than other string types.
D'addario Pb023 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic String, .023 Gauge, Single
Silk & Steel - Softer and mellower than steel strings.This type of string is best for finger-style guitarists, as they tend to prefer the softer material of the string for ease of playing. The silk is actually now made of a nylon filament that resembles silk.
Coated strings - Prolonged string life due to a polymer coating used on the strings.These strings tend to not have the same level of brightness or warmth of the other strings, but only slightly. They’re best for players who don't want to replace strings as often and are not as concerned with the greatest clarity or character of their strings.
Carbon Fiber Strings (Fluorocarbon) - Bright sound with sustained volume and projection. These tend to be harder on the fingers. Not as warm as Nylon strings.
D'addario Ej38 Phosphor Bronze Light Gauge 12 String Acoustic Guitar S
Titanium Strings - Excellent high end frequencies. The mid and bass tones are not as present as carbon fiber and nylon strings.
Knowing what all the technical terminology means is helpful when choosing strings, but sometimes it's nice to have familiar, audible examples. I'll post some examples of famous guitar players' string choices below. If there's an artist you like, you may want to experiment with the string type they use. There are several other major differences that can affect a musician's tone such as their guitar, amplifier, playing techniques and recording methods. The type of string they use is a minor detail and subject to change, but it's still interesting and fun to know.
James Taylor - John Pearse guitar strings, phosphor bronze with a
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