Choose strings for a classical guitar. What are the best guitar strings?

21.04.2019

It has always been an honor to be able to play the guitar. Even after learning a few chords, you can already play simple songs in the yard or near the fire to lift your mood and morale. But there are times when, due to carelessness or prolonged use, the strings on a guitar break. In order not to cut short the holiday, you should always have a spare set of strings with you. This is where the main question arises: “How to choose strings for acoustic guitar?"

Types of strings

For an acoustic guitar, you have the choice of installing nylon or metal strings (on the same electric guitar, you can only install metal strings). These are two opposing camps. There is still debate about which strings are best for an acoustic guitar. In fact, it all depends on the person. Acoustic guitar strings sound different. That's why they are so great amount. There are many different sets that differ from each other in various parameters that affect the sound and quality of the game. Don't forget that, among other factors, the acoustic guitar itself also affects playing. What strings are best for beginners?

Strings for Beginners

The first steps in mastering the guitar are always difficult. It is very important that from the very beginning a person enjoys playing the guitar, otherwise he will soon give up. Since the main element of a guitar is the strings, the approach to their selection should be in the first place. For beginners, nylon ones are best suited, since they have all the parameters useful to them.

Pros and cons of nylon strings

Best for beginners nylon strings, since synthetics are much easier to play. Metal is a much harder material than synthetics, so it is more difficult to pluck your first chords on such strings. Synthetics, in turn, are a softer material, so learning to play on them will be many times easier.

For untrained fingers, the first loads will be quite large, so you need to do everything possible to reduce the load on them. In addition, synthetics are not so harmful to the skin: although at first it will be painful to clamp the frets, but then you will quickly get used to it.

But everything is not as simple as it seems. Synthetic is a soft material, which is why it is susceptible to deformation. Because of this property, the acoustics need to be constantly adjusted as the strings stretch. They are also less durable, so you should be careful and try not to tear them.

Nylon on a guitar does not sound as loud as metal. Its sound is more subdued, but soft. Therefore, when playing forte, you need to put in more effort.

Pros and cons of metal strings

Metal strings are made of a stronger material, which gives them such strength. They are more durable and unpretentious to other conditions. They also don't deform as much. This makes it possible to keep them tight (no need to adjust them every time). Best Strings for acoustic guitar - metal. They are rightfully considered as such, because their sound is more ringing and loud.

But they have a number of disadvantages. Due to their strength, metal strings are made thinner. Especially for beginners, this results in thick calluses on the left hand. If you re-exercise out of a spiritual impulse, your fingers may bleed, and these are not just words. That is why it is important for yourself to choose a norm, several hours a day, in order to avoid overwork and bloody blisters. In addition, pressing chords will be much more difficult than with synthetics, since metal is a harder material. Here you need to use all your strength to make a sound.

Which strings to choose

So what are the best strings for an acoustic guitar? Well, for this it is worth taking into account all the factors. If a person is just starting to study music, then it is better to use nylon strings, since they are the easiest to learn on; if you have experience, then metal strings, because they have a more beautiful sound.

How to change strings on an acoustic guitar

If suddenly the guitar you bought turned out to have a set of metal strings, but you needed nylon ones, it doesn’t matter. The question of how to change strings on an acoustic guitar is resolved very quickly.

The first step is to buy a new set of strings. They are sold in any music store, and there are plenty of them on the Internet. After that, all that remains is to remove the old ones and attach the new ones.

Old strings need to be removed starting with the pegs (those things that are attached to the headstock). By reducing the tension, you can easily untangle them with your fingers and remove them from the peg. Then simply untie the knot on the bridge (the base on which the strings are attached near right hand). Then, following the reverse procedure, new strings are put on, starting from the lower bridge and ending with the pegs.

Valuable advice: it is best to change strings for an acoustic guitar not from top to bottom, but from the sides. That is, first the sixth and first strings are put on, then the fifth and second, and only then the fourth and third. The headstock is made so that pairs of pegs hold the strings in exactly that order. The farthest pair of pegs is responsible for the first and sixth. Same with the middle and third pair of pegs.

In fact, there is nothing complicated here, you just need to practice a little.

Best Strings

You always want to have something of very high quality and reliability. The same applies to strings. As a rule, the strings for an acoustic guitar installed when purchasing it are not of high quality. This is why it is recommended to change the strings after purchasing an instrument. The best option there will be a famous brand dedicated to guitars, Fender. He collected all the best in himself. This pleasure costs more than other strings, but it's worth it.

The strings on an electric guitar have a huge impact on the sound and playability of your instrument. If you look at the assortment of any online store, you will probably see the variety of strings they offer. Keep reading and you can easily decide which strings you need and whether they suit your guitar and playing style.

All about string thickness

Their main characteristic of any strings is their thickness, which is measured in thousandths of an inch. The thinnest strings are usually .008 (usually referred to simply as “eight” by guitarists) or the thickest .56 (or simply “fifty-six”). The thickness of the strings is big influence on the playability of the guitar and sound in general.

Thin strings:

They are usually easy to play
Allows you to easily do pull-ups
Very easy to tear
Sounds quieter and produces less sustain
Tend to hit the frets, which gives a very unpleasant sound
Have the least impact on the neck of the guitar, which is a safe choice for vintage guitars

Thick strings:

They are usually more difficult to play
Requires a lot of effort when clamping and playing bends
Generate louder sound and sustain
Preferred for low tunings such as
Puts more pressure on the neck of the guitar

String thickness designation

Most string manufacturers define string thickness using terms like “thin” or “very thick.” While the exact thickness may vary slightly among manufacturers, I want to give you typical string size ranges for an electric guitar:

Basic string thicknesses

Incredibly super thin: .008 .010 .015 .021 .030 .038
Super thin: .009 .011 .016 .024 .032 .042
Thin: .010 .013 .017 .026 .036 .046
Medium thickness: .011 .015 .018 .026 .036 .050
Thick: .012 .016 .020 .032 .042 .054

The set of strings is determined by the thickness from the thinnest string, which is below all the others, to the thickest, which is above all. For example, for an average set of strings, the first string (the thinnest) will have .011 inches, the second .015, the third .018, and so on.

Factors to consider when purchasing electric guitar strings

The most important factors when purchasing are:

Your playing style and music genre
How often do you play
The character of the sound and the tone you want to achieve

Things that influence these factors:

String thickness
The material from which the strings are made
String winding method used
The presence of a protective coating on the strings

Now knowing all these factors, we can choose the most suitable solution for you.

We have already discussed above that thinner strings are easier to play than thicker strings. If you're looking to play fast, technical solos and intense rhythm parts, then you might want to look at thinner strings. Although, on the other hand, if you play metal and use lower tunings, then your choice should be thicker ones.

Guitarists who play genres such as blues or rock and use bends often prefer medium gauge strings, which make bending easier to play and generate a richer, fatter, darker tone. Jazz guitarists most often use the thickest strings, since they practically do not bend and have a great need for a wide range of tones.

Most beginners prefer super-thin and thin strings. Once you have mastered the basic technical skills and your fingers become more flexible and strong, you will be able to move on to thicker options (due to their specific benefits that we discussed above).

To find the right string thickness for you, you should rely solely on your playing style and experiment as much as possible. Try the strings different sizes, brands and you will probably find the ones that are most “attractive” to your fingers and ears.

Difference between different types strings can be quite “thin” and at first glance incomprehensible to you. The only advice I can give you is to listen to your personal taste and choose what is comfortable for your fingers and ears.

Also keep in mind that the transition to new type strings may require you to adjust their height above the fretboard and also entail Negative consequences for your equipment.

String durability

I have a question for you: how often do you play the guitar? If you're a guitarist who plays say a few times a month and has a penchant for playing with a "light touch", then you can safely buy less expensive strings and not worry about the fact that they will come to an end in, say, a couple of weeks. On the other hand, if you play often and hard, then you should buy more expensive strings, as they will remain playable quite for a long time. Most guitar manufacturers price their strings based on their durability, which depends on the materials from which the strings are made.

Materials

All electric guitar strings are made of steel, nickel or any other magnetically conductive alloy. Why magnetically conductive? Because these alloys are excellent for transmitting vibrations generated by strings directly to pickups, which use a magnetic field to capture sound (I wrote about this in more detail in the article:). The type of cladding or coating applied to the steel alloy has a significant impact on the sound of the strings. Here are a few tonal characteristics of the most common materials used in production. guitar strings:

Nickel plated steel: Has balanced brightness and warmth with more attack

Pure Nickel: has slightly lower brightness compared to nickel-plated steel and with more pronounced warmth

Stainless steel: It has a bright, crisp tone with sustain, as well as anti-corrosion properties.

Chromium: has a characteristic warm tone with less resonance. Jazz and blues are very often preferred by guitarists.

Titanium: has a bright tone and excellent durability

Cobalt: Has a wide dynamic range with outstanding brightness

Polymer coating: has less sustain compared to uncoated strings, but at the same time is resistant to corrosion

Color coverage: some coatings have color dyes, which gives visual appeal

Types of string braid

The first, second, and sometimes even the third strings do not have a “wire” braid wound over the string. The rest, or as they are also called, bass strings, have it. Below are the types of braids and how they affect playability and tone:

Round braid: The most popular type of braid that has a noticeably ribbed structure and produces more sustain, attack and bite. Also this type The braid wears out the neck and frets quite a lot.
Semicircular: has a smoother texture and produces a darker tone and less attack compared to round.
Flat braid: It has a very smooth tactile quality, as well as a fairly dark tone. Popular among jazz and blues guitarists.

Signs that it's time to change strings

Setting up and maintaining an instrument is becoming more and more difficult;
You see that rust has appeared on the strings and it has begun to fade or has already faded;
The braid of the bass strings seemed to begin to “unravel”;
Dissonance and instability appear even in the way you tune the instrument;
You can't remember when last time changed the strings;

How often should you change your strings?

Unfortunately I don't have an exact answer to this question, but there are some factors that shorten the life of your strings:

Sweating. When you play a lot, your fingers produce a lot of sweat, which simply corrodes the strings.
You play very aggressively, i.e. use a lot of bends and a hard attack when playing.
Frequent playing of the instrument will also wear out the strings.
You use different guitar tunings and often change the instrument.

Some guy from Fender shows how to properly change the strings on his electric guitar

Keep your strings clean. After each gaming session, take the time to take a dry, clean rag and simply wipe them from your sweat, pieces of skin from your fingers and dirt. This procedure will allow you to significantly extend the life of your strings.
Wash your hands before each play on the guitar, which will slightly slow down the oxidation process of the strings.
Invest in a tool for winding strings onto pegs. It will help you significantly reduce your time when changing strings.
Buy strings in 5-10 sets. This way you will save your money by buying them at wholesale prices.
You may need to urgently replace a broken string at a rehearsal or performance, so keep a spare set or individual strings in your case or case.

Choosing strings by brand

One of ideal options The choice will be to purchase a set of strings depending on the brand. For example, if you have a guitar, then the strings from this manufacturer will sound great; many companies that produce guitars have a good Additional income, which they do not want to lose at all, therefore, this product will have at least the same quality as the instrument itself (for example, Gibson strings). In addition to such large brands as, there are companies that specialize exclusively in the production of strings, this includes Elixir(read the article about this manufacturer), Dunlop, YesDario and others.

Great amount positive feedback exactly at string Elixir, however, for the last few years I have personally been using the brand YesDario and have never regretted it yet. All of these companies typically have their own proprietary coverage ( Elixir – Nanoveb), which has served faithfully for a long time. The prices of these brands vary by somewhere around 20 percent. If you are still a student and don’t have much money, you can go to the Aliexpress website and order several sets there YesDario, last time one cost two dollars, which is much cheaper than in the store, but you will have to wait a little (up to a month). Moreover, they say that all the products of this brand are fake, but of quite high quality; in general, it’s up to you to decide.

Resonant substance

I would like to write metal, however, acoustic guitars are often used nylon strings, which give a rather soft sound (ideal for classical music). Therefore, if you have an acoustic guitar and are preparing to enter the Gnessin College of Music, then you will be fine good choice exactly nylon. If you play other music, from blues to grindcore strip metal (no matter what guitar), then you will have to choose between steel strings and nickel(all this is conditional, in addition to steel and nickel there may be up to 20 other metals). Steel gives a characteristic sound, however, like nickel, in defense of steel it can be said that such strings last a little longer. For comparison, take Dunlop nickel and metal, buy whichever you like best, replace this brand with any other. It is worth adding that strings for electric guitars and bass are made with the addition of ferromagnetic alloy, which creates a magnetic vibration that is picked up by the pickup, so acoustic strings won't bother your monster with two humbuckers

Thickness

Everyone knows that distance measurements are measured in mm, with strings... that's not true at all, they are measured in inches. On sets they usually write 9-42 or 10 -46 or 8 -40, this means that the first string from the 9-42 set is 0.009 inches, and the last (we have six strings) sixth is 0.042 inches.

In general, thickness is also a very important string parameter, regardless of which it will be quite problematic for you to communicate with your guitar. Example - you play jazz and buy GHS signature strings by Zach Wylde where the last string is 56, in general, you tighten them and if the wood on the guitar is crap, then you get either a bent neck or if everything is really bad, then a cracked one. Depending on the music, on the configuration of the guitar, you can choose the thickness of the strings, basically, most people use 9-42, 10-46, these two sets are suitable for 90 percent of all styles of music. The Fender eight lasted exactly three days, then the 6th string broke, then the 4th, and then I bought another set

Options for perverts

Some strings have a phosphor coating, which allows them to glow in the dark, sometimes even spectacularly. Let us add that there are kits with different color schemes, for example, each string has its own color, but without phosphorus

When to change strings

If you see traces of corrosion on the coating, this is the first sign that it is time to replace it. You can hear from the sound the fact that the strings no longer ring...at all, and the sound has begun to change, which also means that the replacement process is very close.

How to change strings

As a bonus, you can tell us one way that will quickly and without complications allow you to change a new set. There is a rule according to which there should not be more than five turns on the peg axis; in general, for bass strings this is a completely followed rule (more fraught with poor tuning and lack of aesthetics), for the first three it is quite possible to make 7 or even 10 turns. By tensioning the string depending on the headstock, you can press the string to the quill, thereby, without reinventing the wheel, give a tension that will not allow the formation of unnecessary turns on the tuning axis, this is very convenient if you have a Fender Stratocaster quill, for Les Paul you just take the strings and lift them above the bar and pull it.

When choosing strings for an acoustic guitar, any musician, both a professional and someone who picked up the instrument for the first time, faces one difficulty. It consists in the inability to listen to sound. How certain strings will sound will become known only when they are used; it is impossible to predict the sound.

If professionals understand what they came to the store for, that is, these people are familiar with various brands, they have specific preferences and favorite manufacturers, then beginners do not have such experience and get lost in front of the display case.

How to choose?

Buying strings is almost always a lottery, but there are some determining factors. Firstly, you need to understand in advance as clearly as possible what exactly you need to purchase in terms of technical characteristics and material. For a beginner in music, there is no point in trying everything at random, since a person with no experience can simply tension the string incorrectly, which is why he will not hear its true sound.

Music teachers and acquaintances with playing experience can help you decide what is worth purchasing. A similar question can be asked in thematic groups or on the forums. The only thing you shouldn’t do is trust the words of the seller when he tells you which strings are best for an acoustic guitar.

As a rule, the dealer is not at all interested in how the instrument will sound; he is worried about selling an old or frankly low-quality, stale or expensive product to an amateur. Each musician can choose the best strings for an acoustic guitar only on his own, just like the instrument. Absolutely identical strings, like the guitars themselves, in different hands They don't sound the same at all.

What are they?

Beginners are usually embarrassed by the question of what strings there are on an acoustic guitar and how they differ from classical ones, trying to figure it out on their own. However, having found out how some differ from others, beginning musicians do not take into account such a factor as finger strength, which an experienced musician or teacher will certainly tell you about when explaining which strings are used on an acoustic.

The acoustic strings themselves can be:

monolithic on a steel base;
steel in flat and semicircular windings;
synthetic on a steel base.

Having heard about steel, beginning musicians are almost always puzzled and ask sellers about strings for an acoustic guitar made of copper or brass. Such questions immediately reveal a complete lack of experience and even the very fact of familiarity with the instrument. Copper, brass, etc. are not the material of the strings themselves, but their windings.

Monolithic

Made from so-called piano steel. Copper, its alloys and phosphorus bronze are used in the windings of “monoliths”. These strings are very sonorous and have good unison. Almost all 12-string acoustic guitars are equipped with them.

With flat and semicircular windings

This is how it is equipped regular guitar acoustic 6 strings. The strings are stretched with the flat side under the fingers, and the round side, respectively, towards the body of the instrument.

This is the best option for beginning musicians. The specificity of this type of strings is that they give a more matte, pure and free sound even with uncertain playing technique. Especially important point is an even sound in the bass, which is more difficult to achieve than the upper ringing.

Synthetic

They are most often equipped with not particularly expensive instruments, which are what beginners purchase. Many are completely satisfied with the sound, and when going to the store, such musicians know for sure that they need “synthetics”.

As a rule, only when contacting the seller do beginners in playing the guitar learn that there are two types of this type of strings.

The first type is strings in a metal winding, additionally covered with Teflon on top. This variety is good for those who intensively use the tool, as it is extremely wear-resistant and almost resistant to friction.

The second type is strings, in the winding of which wire and “synthetics” are connected. This variety is easier in terms of pressing the frets, but quickly becomes dirty with sweat and skin particles, since the gaps between the turns are not very tight. This feature leads to the fact that these strings lack iridescence, that is, gypsy romances You can't play them perfectly, the sound is quite dull. But for chanson they are quite suitable.

About the winding

Before you change the strings on an acoustic guitar to the same ones, you need to know exactly what type is on the instrument, and, most importantly, do not forget what the winding is made of and what type it is made of.

Literally everything in the game depends on these factors, not only for a beginner, but also for an experienced musician. Since guitar playing is based on tactile memory, that is, finger memory, string consistency is extremely important. Musicians who are accustomed to certain values of gaps in the turns and convexity of the strings always experience discomfort and perform worse on the new type.

Of course, after some time devoted to scales or other exercises, your fingers get used to it, but you don’t always have free hours for your own “tuning,” especially for beginners.

Winding materials

Acoustic guitar strings are wrapped in copper and its alloys, phosphor bronze, brass, synthetic polymers and silver.

There was a joke among Western guitarists in the middle of the last century that silver strings protect them from vampires in the auditoriums.

In fact, such strings are not made of silver, and they cannot protect against a vampire. Silver is only a coating sprayed onto finished strings with any winding. This does not affect the sound in any way, but it looks very aesthetic and even mysterious. In addition to their visual appeal, such strings do not leave dark marks on the skin and do not fade with long-term use.

Phosphor bronze and brass are the most durable and strong windings available. But they have a disadvantage, the same as that of polymers - such strings for an acoustic guitar do not ring. Their sound is thick, rich and dull, very solid and serious.

Copper, like its various alloys, is the most popular material for winding. These strings produce shimmer and are ideal for Spanish musical pieces, for accompanying dances, performing romances and much more. For example, a high-quality fight can be performed exclusively on copper. The only downside is their fragility; such strings have the most short life.

What else affects the sound?

Beginning musicians, trying to achieve satisfactory sound quality, often change strings, throwing away quite good ones. And they do it only because it “doesn’t sound right.” This is another difference between a beginner in music and an experienced guitarist.

In addition to the winding material and type, the height of the strings on an acoustic guitar also affects the sound. It is adjusted above the neck, and the sound quality, ease of performance, and even the service life of the strings largely depend on it.

Each musician chooses this parameter for himself; there is no single standard for the “correct height”. It is determined personally, during the game, of course, not in an hour or even a month.

Beginners need to take into account when tuning that strings pulled too low will certainly catch and rub against the frets, as well as rattle on chords. Tensioning too high will require a lot of effort from the fingers and the hand in general, especially when pressing the central frets.

The optimal height parameter is influenced by the tool itself. For a convex bar, one height is good, for a curved bar, another. The ratio of the thresholds also matters.

What does a typical set of strings look like?

In the standard set, only the 4th, 5th, and 6th are always wrapped. But the 3rd string may have the thinnest winding in comparison with the others, but most often it is “bald” or “naked”. 1st and 2nd always remain unwound.

In stores, strings are sold exclusively in sets, which often causes confusion among beginning musicians who only need to replace one that has broken. However, the sale of strings in sets is not due to the desire of sellers and manufacturers to profit from beginners and inexperienced guitarists. This is due to the fact that each set of strings has certain specifications sound nuances. Strings purchased individually from different factory batches almost never sound in unison.

And this moment is extremely important for obtaining high-quality sound. Even home game or playing in the park on a bench “for girls” on strings from different sets often produces a noticeable resonance for the listeners. And when the instrument is used in areas with sound amplifiers, for example, in any club or cafe, sound defects are the first thing that “catches the ears.” Therefore, you should not look for advertisements for the sale of one string or pair, you need to purchase a whole set.

Beginners, when choosing their first set of strings, do not need to be shy. You should ask about everything, no matter how ridiculous the question may seem to the most novice guitarist. Music is impossible without good tool, and it, in turn, requires a thorough study by the owner.

I promised that I would tell you how to choose the right strings for an electric guitar, and today we will try to figure it out. After all, for a beginning guitarist this will be quite difficult to do due to the lack of necessary knowledge, skills and habits.

This issue also has some peculiarities related to which strings to start with: thin or thick, steel or nickel, which manufacturer to give preference to. 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.

Preface

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 coating and the gauge (diameter) that will be most comfortable for your fingers to play. Most likely, 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.

But if you recently bought yourself a new inexpensive guitar, then accordingly there are already some strings on it. I would advise changing them first. Of course, they can live on your guitar for some time, you can even learn to play them. But know 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 look at the criteria for choosing strings for an electric guitar.

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, coated 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.

D'Addario– the most popular bourgeois strings that our guitarists love.

– quite durable and very high quality strings. They are in demand mainly among metalheads. Average price.

- quite affordable in price and good in quality, I also advise you to try it, you won’t regret it, because such strings will last much longer than some fake produced by Petya Ivanov’s steel mill No. 3.

— American-made nickel/steel strings at an affordable price. Feedback from guitarists is only positive.

And here’s another thing: don’t really trust the salespeople in the store, who will gladly shove some stale crap at you, especially if they notice that you don’t really understand it. So it’s better to start by sitting at home and “Google” or consult with familiar guitarists. Try to decide in advance on the brand of future strings, read reviews from musicians, and look at the average price in online stores. And most importantly, the issue of choosing strings must be approached purely individually, i.e. Decide in advance what kind of sound you want and how comfortable these strings will be for you.

String coating

This is the second and 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 quickly becomes dull, wears out upon contact with the frets, and loses its original sound in a couple of weeks).

Steel coating– has the brightest and sharpest sound, and such strings are made entirely of steel (winding + core). These strings are best suited for metalheads and those who want to achieve a harder, punchier sound. Not as popular as nickel ones.

Sometimes, to protect strings from corrosion, manufacturers apply a special polymer composition to the winding, which ultimately significantly extends their life, but, as a rule, the price will also be appropriate.

String gauge

Caliber is the thickness of the string, usually expressed in fractions of an inch. As a rule, sets usually indicate the thickness of the 1st and 6th strings, 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, when choosing strings, it is necessary to strive for some kind of compromise between the richness and volume of the sound, as well as the speed and ease of play. In practice, it turns out that thick strings have a richer and more powerful sound, but thin strings are 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”.

0,008 – these strings are the softest and thinnest, best suited for beginner guitarists. Their sound is not as powerful and dense as thicker sets and therefore they are 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.

0,009 – “nine” also belongs to the category of soft and thin strings. It’s a little more difficult to play on them, but the sound will be denser 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 fairly dense sound.

0,011; 0,012; 0,013 – strings of this gauge are considered thick and quite difficult to play. But they have a spacious and powerful sound. Such sets are also used for low standing in heavy styles of rock music.

There are also hybrid sets, where the first three tenor strings are standard thickness, and the 4th, 5th and 6th bass strings can be thicker than the standard. For example, Zakk Wylde plays his signature 10-60 gauge set. Hybrids are created so that the riff sounds most powerful on the bass strings, and when playing solo there are no difficulties with bending.

Another interesting point. In various sets, the third string can be with or without a winding. The third string without a winding is most often used by musicians performing rock music, because it is easier to perform solos and bends (braces) on such a string, but for others musical styles, for example, jazz, the entwined 3rd string is best suited. Although you shouldn't take this as a rule, experiment!

Types of windings

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 this type of 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 “whistle” as the fingers slide along the string.
A rough surface that wears out the frets and fingerboard much faster.
A winding that is not secured to the core and 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 whistling, makes the strings more comfortable to play, and causes less wear on the frets and fingerboard. The sound of these strings is less bright than round wound strings. They are more expensive in price.

Semicircular winding

Nothing more than a hybrid of the two previous windings. These strings have the sound characteristics of round along with the feel flat winding. At first they are made the same as with round winding, but then the outer side of the wire is polished and pressed until it is almost flat.

Hexagonal winding

The core profile is a hexagon with tightly wound round wire that follows the shape of the core. Thanks to this design, the problem of torsion of the winding around the core is solved and the sound is significantly improved due to its close connection with the winding. The disadvantage is that sharp ribs wear out the nuts and fingerboard much faster than round wound strings, and such strings are also less comfortable to play.

Do not throw away old strings, because... They will still be useful to you if some string breaks and the store is far away.
Before purchasing, explain to the seller that you need strings specifically for an electric guitar, and not for some other one, so that they don’t sell you the wrong thing.
To somehow extend the life of the strings, try to wash your hands before playing so that they are free of dirt and grease, 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 last that long. During this time, their characteristics change: inhomogeneity appears in thickness, the sound loses richness, or microcracks may appear.
If one string suddenly breaks, you can purchase it separately without having to buy a whole set. In this case, try to choose a similar string.

To determine whether your guitar needs strings replaced, you should pay attention to the following::

dull guitar sound;
the guitar doesn't stay in tune well;
the strings are corroded or appear dirty;
intonation is broken (the same note should sound clearly in different places on the fingerboard);
the winding shows signs of wear;
a lot of time has passed since the last replacement;
strings too soft/hard.

In conclusion, I would like to wish you good luck, friends! Now you know how to choose strings for an electric guitar and you can safely go shopping. I tried to collect as much information as possible in this article, so share it with your friends on in social networks lower on the page. I will be glad to see your comments and additions. All the best!