From time to time, every plucked instrument requires changing the strings. They wear out in direct proportion to the intensity of use of the guitar. Their lifespan is affected by how often the guitarist accompanies the vocalists. In order to make a good choice, and the buyer is not disappointed in the purchase, we will take the liberty and publish several useful tips by choice of strings.

We hope that our work will be appreciated, first of all, by beginning guitarists. It is they, more than experienced musicians, who experience difficulties when choosing strings for their favorite musical instrument. Modern online trading has the ability to satisfy any needs of potential buyers. The choice of goods is so huge, and determining what exactly to buy can sometimes be very difficult. Manufacturers of strings for plucked musical instruments supply trading enterprises with goods of varying prices and quality levels. A dynamically developing business must develop and constantly offer new products to the market. Otherwise, you won’t be able to withstand the competition. Experienced accompanists undoubtedly have an easier time making the choice.

But how can those who are just rubbing calluses on their fingers avoid making mistakes by sliding them along the strings?

When selecting guitar strings, you need to keep in mind several nuances that can significantly facilitate the process we are covering. We assure you that over time you will also gain experience that will allow you to independently purchase the required accessories. One of the first tasks that can become key to satisfying your need is what kind of guitar strings are needed for:

• acoustic
• classical
• electrical
• bass guitars

Then we need to determine the configuration and what material the strings are made of. The diameter of their cross-section and winding configuration.

Acoustic guitar strings

For acoustic plucked instruments

The best strings are those made of steel and polymers. Metal - made of stainless steel. Synthetic - carbon or nylon. If you just recently picked up a guitar, then buy polymer strings. They are softer than steel ones, and it will be more comfortable for your fingers to learn the technique of playing chords. Carbon strings are more expensive, but they sound much better than nylon strings. Therefore, at this step the choice is yours. It all depends on the funds you have planned for the purchase. Metal strings sound louder than carbon strings. But they are pulled onto guitars of reinforced construction, with a powerful neck.

Diameter and hardness

The elasticity of guitar strings for acoustic musical instruments directly depends on their cross-section. They are produced and sold in the following sizes:

• 9/45 - thin and soft, with a quiet “voice”
• 10/47 - a little tougher than the previous ones, recommended for beginner guitarists
• 11/52 - “golden mean”, optimal in terms of rigidity and reproduction of sound power
• 12/53 - medium tension, recommended for completing new tools
• 13/56 - these are very tight, for experienced guitarists with a lot of experience

Classical Guitar Strings

For classical musical plucked instruments, we recommend purchasing nylon strings. They are soft. They are comfortable to play while accompanying a vocalist performing romances or other musical composition from romantic repertoire, which is called: “In the circle of friends.” The lower three “classical” strings are made into one strand of nylon fishing line. They are sold polished or honed. Top: Strings No. 4, 5, and 6 are made from multiple strands of nylon strands. They are covered with a thin layer of metal alloys, mainly copper, zinc and silver.

According to the degree of elasticity and tension, they are divided into:

• normal
• strong
• very strong

The only drawback of nylon strings is their fragility. But they do not rub calluses on the fingertips of guitarists.

For acoustic bass guitars

The prototype of the bass guitar is the double bass. Since time immemorial, animal sinews have been used as strings for it. The sound of the instrument could not be called satisfactory until the musicians were offered strings whose tendons were wrapped with round steel wire. The volume and sound quality have improved, but another problem has arisen related to the rapid wear of the frets, which has worsened acoustic characteristics. Later, the steel coating was replaced with copper-nickel. The double bass has a softer sound, and the frets have become more durable. But the service life of the new, improved strings did not satisfy the musicians, due to their rapid wear. Thanks to polishing the coating, which was the final process in the manufacture of bass guitar strings, they turned out well and were able to satisfy the requirements of the most demanding, sophisticated consumers. When choosing strings, you need to know a few other little things. In addition to the coating, the quality of the low-pitched sound is affected by the thickness of the core. Thin, it rings louder. A thick one is more powerful, the string sounds louder and richer.

Bass Guitar Strings

For electric guitars

Electric guitars have gained immense popularity among fans of modern music, and have significantly displaced their acoustic counterparts. This type of plucked instruments, in addition to the soundboard and neck, also has pickups and complex electronic components in its design. That's why they need special strings. The range of sounds extracted from different electric guitars (bass, rhythm, solo) is very wide. Let's look at some types of strings that can be safely called unique in their kind.

For electric bass guitars

The best interaction in the electromagnetic field generated by the pickups of the musical instrument in question is found in common iron. Accordingly, manufacturers have chosen special grades of steel as the main material for making strings.

Bass Guitar Strings

Diameter value

• 0.008 - the thinnest figure eight guitar strings. We recommend it to beginning accompanists who prefer a soft, non-aggressive sound of a musical instrument.
• 0.009 - they are also “nine”. They have a denser sound when compared to eights.
• 0.010 - classic “ten”. The most popular strings among “rockers”.
• 0.011-0.013 are the “heaviest” strings. These are for fans of deafening heavy metal games.

Electric guitar string diameters

Hybrid string sets will be needed by players who tend to deliver piercing solos while backing their playing with powerful bass. The first, bottom three strings in similar sets are of standard sizes. The upper three are thickened, for playing notes of the lower octave in “exorbitant decibels”. There are also sets on sale that include a third string with an upper braid. Such kits are in demand by guitarists who play blues and jazz compositions.

EMI String Coating

In the process of choosing a specific set of strings, you also need to be aware of the nuances associated with the types and types of their coating. Everything is simple with the core: it is always steel. But the braid of the strings can be nickel or copper-plated steel. The nickel plating on the strings gives the guitar a soft sound. A solo at concerts performed on an electric musical instrument with such accessories turns out to be especially mesmerizing. Their only drawback is their short service life, but true professionals will never give them up. Their steel-plated counterparts produce a wide range of bright, punchy sounds from electric guitars. They are used by musicians of various movements: from classical to hard rock. “Metalists” have them in great demand. To protect guitar strings from excessive corrosion, manufacturers apply a thin polymer layer to the coating. Which certainly affects the cost of the kits in the direction of their rise in price.

Winding geometry

Strings with windings of the following configurations are sold in the retail network:

• round
• semicircular
• flat

String coating methods

Types of string windings

The cheapest in cost are analogues with a round winding configuration. They are quite simple to manufacture and do not require complex production lines. Round wire is wound onto a classic steel core. When playing chords, listeners often hear a “creaking” sound from the musician’s fingers moving across the frets. The strings become hard and mercilessly wear away the spacers and the varnish coating on the neck. Semicircular winding is a hybrid of flat and round technologies. Perhaps, such strings can safely be called the most popular among amateur guitarists. They take the most care of the owner’s fingertips and his musical instrument. Similar accessories with flat winding are sold a little more expensive. Their round core is wrapped with square wire, but with oval ribs. This production technology almost eliminated the “creaks” that accompany the movement of fingers along the fingerboard. Guitarists find them much more comfortable to play than their round counterparts.

Popular brands

We present the five most popular manufacturers of guitar strings.

• Elixir - the products of this brand are coated on top with a polymer composition, which increases the service life of the strings, which are considered one of the longest-playing ones. They are soft to the touch. It’s nice and comfortable to finger them while performing musical compositions On guitar.
• D"Addario is in second place. They are in high demand among most guitarists of various backgrounds.
• GHS are inexpensive, but perhaps the most optimal in the “Price-quality” segment. A favorite product in metal circles.
• Ernie Ball - decent quality coupled with excellent string endurance at a low cost.
• Dean Markley are inexpensive American strings that enjoy some popularity among amateurs and professionals.

When to change strings

Then when they became:

• soft - hard
• hard - soft
• make dull sounds
• sound different on adjacent frets
• rattling, with damaged winding

Unfortunately, there are still sellers trying to sell anything for a higher price. Therefore, purchase products from stores with an impeccable reputation. Familiar musicians will be able to suggest the address. Don't hesitate to ask them about it. In any case, first decide what strings you need for your guitar. Visit thematic forums or groups in in social networks and read reviews about the product you intend to buy. Explore the price range. Ordering from online stores is always cheaper than from real retail outlets. But don't forget about the shipping cost of your purchase. Don't rush to throw away old strings. Perhaps they haven't all gone bad. And it may happen that one string breaks and there is nothing to replace it with. To protect your strings from contamination, wash your hands before handling the guitar. After playing it, wipe the strings with a rag moistened with a special degreasing solution. Experienced guitarists claim that strings require replacement once every six months if you play the guitar often. To increase service life, strings need to be looked after. Wipe them regularly with a lint-free cloth. Using a fretboard polish will protect the frets from oxidation and extend the life of the metal baffles. The shining guitar just begs to be picked up. Take care of your instrument, and it will reward you with excellent sound.

For many, both beginners and fully professional guitarists, the process of choosing the best strings for their own guitar becomes a real problem. For your own money, you definitely want to get something of very high quality, durable, comfortable and good sounding. And in this material we will try to consider absolutely all aspects of selecting strings for various types guitars, and also tell you about the most popular brands and models, the choice of which is always a good decision.

Choosing the Right Guitar Strings

In order to find out which best strings for a guitar will suit you, you will have to experiment repeatedly. It all depends very much on style and preference, as different windings sound very different, and even the gauge of the string makes a difference. great importance. However, you should start your search with really worthy and popular models in order to immediately feel the maximum quality and be able to later compare it with products from other famous manufacturers, forming your own, unique taste.

What you should not pay attention to when choosing strings

Before choosing the best guitar strings, there are a number of parameters you should pay attention to. Not all of them may be important at one level or another of your game. If you are a beginner, then you should prioritize comfort and ease of play. This means that thinner strings with traditional windings without any special frills will suit you. It is important to understand that to extract a unique sound, for example, from thick silver strings on an acoustic, you need to have certain skills and master advanced techniques such as fingerstyle. Well, an uninitiated young musician with such strings will most likely encounter a number of difficulties that are unnecessary at this level.

Also, you should not chase cheapness, making deals with your conscience, purchasing relatively cheap strings from unknown Chinese manufacturers. All this will only lead to the fact that you yourself will be dissatisfied with the sound, and low-quality products will very soon require prompt replacement. It is worth remembering that strings are not an element that can be neglected and on which you can save money, because the most important thing in an instrument is the sound, and strings play one of the most important roles in its formation.

Best Strings for Acoustic Guitar

The acoustic guitar is an extremely popular and widespread instrument, and its sound largely depends on the correct selection of strings. And in the process of choosing them, you should rely on:

• row technical characteristics and features,
• your current skill level,
• affordable budget,
• preferred play style.

Ernie Ball Earthwood 80/20 Bronze Acoustic Strings

Why this model? For a ringing, clear and at the same time very warm and deep sound, characteristic of high-quality bronze winding.

Characteristics. Bronze braided thick strings on a steel core, wide variety of diameters available.

Advantages and disadvantages. Great sound that you will find very difficult to give up in the future. The downside is that it wears out quite quickly. With active play, replacement may be required within a few months.

Strings D "Addario 80/20 Bronze Acoustic

Why this model? For the characteristic rich sound achieved due to the bronze circular braid.

Characteristics. Round bronze braid, big choice various calibers.

Advantages and disadvantages. Classic acoustic sound, ideal for various styles games. Among the minuses, it is worth highlighting the not very long service life. After 2-3 months, the strings will gradually begin to lose their properties.

Elixir NanoWeb Phosphor Bronze Acoustic strings

Why this model? For a warm and deep bronze sound, and impressive durability, which is achieved using proprietary manufacturing technologies.

Characteristics. Bronze wound strings with added phosphorus. A wide range of available gauges and a proprietary fluoropolymer protective coating that prevents any negative effects and does not have any negative effect on the strings in terms of sound.

Advantages and disadvantages. Amazing durability, soft sound and no need for complex maintenance. The disadvantages include a significantly higher cost, for which, however, you get strings that last 5-6 times longer than usual.

What strings to buy for an acoustic guitar?

Obviously, when choosing the best strings for acoustic guitar, you need to start from such parameters as the thickness of the string, its winding and its type itself. For beginners, thinner and softer strings with a diameter of 0.010 inches with flat copper or bronze winding are perfect, but pros should take larger gauge models with round winding to get the most rich sound with good depth and maximum overtones.

Best Strings for Bass Guitar

Choosing the best strings for a bass guitar is a very responsible process, because they are not changed as often as on regular guitars, they are more expensive, and therefore the set you choose will become your faithful companion for quite a long time.

Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Bass Strings 50-105

Why this model? For its distinctive and well-recognized sound, chosen by thousands of professional bassists around the planet.

Characteristics. Round nickel-plated steel braided strings on a hexagonal steel core. Wide range of available diameters.

Advantages and disadvantages. Branded clear and ringing sound, high level comfort when playing. The disadvantages include the average service life and the need to care for the strings using special cleaning solutions at certain intervals.

Strings D"Addario Nickel Wound Bass 50-105

Why this model? For a classic, slightly vintage sound with characteristic accents.

Characteristics. Classic bass strings with round nickel-plated winding on a hexagonal steel core.

Advantages and disadvantages. High quality, excellent balanced sound and affordable price. The disadvantages include the average service life.

Elixir NanoWeb Bass Strings 45-105

Why this model? For amazing durability, excellent sound unaffected by protective coating and maximum playing comfort.

Characteristics. Strings with round nickel-plated braid on hexagonal steel cores, with a proprietary polymer protective coating made of fluoropolymers. Wide range of calibers available.

Advantages and disadvantages. Excellent protection against any impact, and a service life measured in years. The disadvantages include the high cost, which not every beginning musician can be prepared for.

What strings to buy for a bass guitar?

Be that as it may, the best bass strings are the ones that sound great for many months, even years, without having to change them too often. Of course, this is a matter of taste and skill, but it is better to immediately invest in models with a protective coating, forgetting about replacement for a long time. It is also worth emphasizing that the bass guitars themselves come in both 4-string and 5.6-string versions, and for each of these models you will have to look for specialized strings.

The best strings for an electric guitar

The best electric guitar strings combine high-quality deep sound, high durability and reliability. But at the same time, they necessarily have some kind of proprietary sound feature that distinguishes a particular model from many other options.

Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom Strings

Why this model? For the unique sound achieved by combining super-thin bottom strings with thick top strings.

Characteristics. Thick strings with nickel-plated winding on a steel hexagonal core. Thin strings are made of high carbon steel, making them durable.

Advantages and disadvantages. Chic and varied sound, great for various styles of music and playing techniques. The disadvantages include relatively quick “aging” and the need to regularly care for the strings using special means.

Elixir NanoWeb strings

Why this model? For a pleasant, balanced sound and decent protection, which means versatility of use in all situations and circumstances.

Characteristics. Nickel-plated winding of strings on a hexagonal steel core. Thick strings have a protective fluoropolymer coating, while thin strings are coated with a special anti-corrosion compound.

Advantages and disadvantages. The highest level of durability, almost complete immunity to any negative influences. The disadvantages include the rather high cost and slightly muffled sound compared to unprotected strings.

Strings D "Addario Nickel Wound

Why this model? For beautiful, clear and balanced sound. It’s no wonder that this model is the most popular in the D’addario brand line, and is regularly chosen by famous professional guitarists around the world.

Characteristics. Nickel plated steel round braided strings around a hexagonal steel core. Wide range of possible calibers.

Advantages and disadvantages. Great sound and affordable price. The disadvantages include the relatively short lifespan of the string, since after just a few months active play you may need replacement.

What strings to buy for an electric guitar?

Choose the best strings for electric guitar not that difficult. Many famous manufacturers will be happy to provide you with their own models, among which you can easily find something ideal for yourself. All that remains is to spend a little time and effort on the search itself.

Best Strings for Classical Guitar

Classical guitar strings are traditionally made from polymer materials, in some cases with the addition of some metal. However, it is interesting to note that 50-70 years ago such strings were created from animal tendons, soaked and seasoned in a certain way. Classical strings are very soft, and therefore they are most often recommended to be used in the learning process. However, classical and western guitar are actually two completely different instruments and it’s not just the strings that distinguish them.

There are almost never any particular problems when choosing classical strings, since there are not many options available on the market, and the varieties presented vary greatly in price, so the choice is often made precisely on the basis of this parameter.

Strings D "Addario Classic Nylon Normal

Why this model? Due to the stronger and more sonorous type of nylon used, high-quality silver-plated braiding, which produces perfect sound with precise sound production.

Characteristics. Heavier rectified nylon, a wide range of available diameters, medium tension and silver-plated thick strings.

Advantages and disadvantages. Excellent value for money, high durability of the model. Among the minuses, it is worth highlighting the specific sound of the winding, which may not be to everyone’s liking, especially when playing at a certain rhythm. The most suitable option for experienced musicians.

Ernie Ball Earthwood Folk Nylon Classic Strings

Why this model? Because of the rich and deep sound achieved through the use of bronze winding with a small addition of copper. The model is a true classic, which many musicians have chosen for many years, without changing its bright and characteristic sound.

Characteristics. Thin strings and thick cores are made of nylon. Thick strings have a bronze winding. The model has many diameter options.

Advantages and disadvantages. It has a warm and deep sound, well suited for both beginners and pros. Among the disadvantages, it is worth highlighting the rather rapid wear and tear, due to the fact that bronze is a soft metal, quite susceptible to corrosion.

Strings D "Addario Classical Coated

Why this model? An excellent solution for those who do not want to change strings too often. Combines high-quality sound and a proprietary polymer coating that protects the string from any negative external factors over many months of active play.

Characteristics.Nylon strings with silver-plated braid and special protective coating EXP. The model has many diameters, to suit almost every taste.

Advantages and disadvantages. The product has the highest durability, will easily last 4-5 times longer than conventional strings and at the same time will delight you with the characteristic deep sound of individual notes. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the higher cost and the fact that silver winding is not suitable for all styles and types of play.

What strings to buy for classical?

When choosing the best strings for a classical guitar, you should focus solely on your taste and financial capabilities. All the options presented are an excellent solution. Some are more suitable for beginners, have an affordable price, but will require regular adjustments, while others are designed for performances, and therefore will easily give you stability and rich sound, but will also cost accordingly.

This review will introduce you to different types of guitar strings, types of windings and materials from which they are made. Let's look at what a string actually is. By the way, any stretched thread or metal wire can be called a string. Of course, with the condition that when playing it does not stretch or tear.

And now a little history. Our ancestors, long before the advent of guitars, used strings made from animal tendons. This type of string is called " veined"with strings. You can also find those that have survived to this day" intestinal"strings. They, as you probably already guessed, were made from animal intestines. Type of strings, appeared in. - early 19th century was completely different. These were wound strings that were able to improve the timbre of many instruments, particularly guitars. The winding helped reduce the tension, making it much easier to play. Somewhere around the same time, another type of string appeared - with a steel base or core. Although they were initially used on the piano, they later spread to other musical instruments including the guitar. The 20th century, with its technological progress, greatly increased diversity types of strings. Next we can look at each of them in more detail.

Types of strings.

- Gut strings The type of strings from this, to put it mildly, unusual material no longer produced in Russia. Although sometimes they can be found in the west, this is also a rarity. With the advent of synthetic strings, gut strings almost immediately gave way to them. The main disadvantage of this type of strings the fact that they wear out very quickly near the frets and lose their quality from high temperature or humidity, including moisture released by the hands. In other words, not the most the best option;) .

- Synthetic strings The type of synthetic strings can generally be divided into two groups:

1. Nylon strings - They are used mainly for classical guitar. They are quite soft and well suited for beginner guitarists. The lower 3 strings of the guitar are made of nylon fishing line, which is made of so-called monofilament synthetics. The top three strings are made from many thin nylon threads. Such a fishing line will be made from polyfilament synthetics. Usually, the winding for this type of strings They are used from copper in the form of a round wire with a silver coating (Fig. 1). Silver increases wear resistance and, to some extent, prevents the strings from getting dirty with your hands. But nevertheless, it gradually wears out in the fret area. People found a way out by experimenting with other alloys. Silver-plated brass, pure brass, or phosphor bronze are superior in wear resistance to silver-plated copper.

Rice. 1

1 2. Carbon strings The material for these strings was discovered in the 20th century in Japan, and it is called fluorocarbon or carbon. Carbon fiber is 90% denser than nylon. Therefore, at the same tension, carbon fishing line can have a smaller diameter. This string type much louder than nylon ones. Bass strings of carbon sets can be made of either carbon or nylon, since there is no noticeable difference in sonority. Although, let’s say for particularly sophisticated musicians, this small difference is enough to make their choice in favor of carbon strings.

- Steel based strings

Data types of strings most often found in pop music, rock, blues, and also where they prefer sonority and richness of sound. These strings can be stretched three times harder than synthetic strings. In acoustics, they are usually placed on guitars with a more reinforced structure. These are non-classical acoustic guitars with Western, Jumbo, and Dreadnought body types. And, of course, such strings are used on electric guitars. Because magnetic pickups simply won't be able to read the vibrations from a nylon string. By the way, the winding metal strings you can find different ones. Copper-based alloys are most often used, but can be found in stainless steel, nickel, brass, and phosphor bronze.

Each winding adds its own unique flavor to the sound of the instrument. We are already familiar with the “Roundwound” type winding; we can see it again in Fig. 1. This winding gives maximum sonority and velvety, which is especially noticeable for the first time after installing the strings. There are two more equally popular steel string winding type: “flatwound” and “groundwound”, they can be seen in Fig. 2. Both types of winding “eat up” the whistle and unpleasant sounds that fingers make when sliding along the strings. This is achieved because the outer side of the winding is flat. Such type of strings Very often used by guitarists who record in the studio via a microphone.

Rice. 2

That's basically all. Now you know, what kind of strings are there? for guitar. We conclude that to choice of strings should be taken quite seriously, since each type of string has its own pros and cons, its own characteristics, which can make playing the guitar somewhat easier or more difficult, and maybe even enrich it. And on my own behalf I would like to advise you: experiment!;)

If you have already purchased an acoustic guitar for yourself and want to take a set of spare strings for it, but still don’t know which ones to choose or have no idea about them at all, then in this article I will try to reveal all the secrets to you and answer such questions. important question: how to choose strings for an acoustic guitar?

What do you need to know first?

When choosing strings for your guitar, I would advise you to be careful about the opinions of the so-called “experts”. This is especially true for unfortunate salespeople in music stores, who for the most part are not particularly professional and want to push you the most expensive or stale product in the window, but are not as interested in helping you choose strings for an acoustic guitar.

I'm sure that for mine creative life Any guitarist will try more than a dozen different strings and change his preferences more than once, because a person’s requirements and tastes change over time, and string production technologies also do not stand in one place. Quite often, professionals have several different guitars and, accordingly, for each they select a separate set of strings that are best suited in terms of physical and sound parameters. Therefore, it makes no sense to give any advice on choosing certain brands of strings. But on the other hand, I will try to introduce you to modern types of strings and their design differences.

Deciding before purchasing

As I already talked about in the article, you first need to decide what kind of guitar you will master. Whether it is a classical guitar or an acoustic one, the strings will also be different; in fact, the strings are almost the whole difference between a classical and an acoustic guitar.

When choosing strings for your acoustic guitar in a store, you will definitely encounter a problem that did not exist when you were choosing your instrument. I’ll tell you what this problem is now. Before purchasing, you will not be able to listen to how the strings sound in order to choose the most suitable ones for yourself. Therefore, first, consult with friends or acquaintances of guitarists who have experience behind them before you decide to buy strings.

String thickness

You need to decide what thickness of strings suits you best. Keep in mind that to play thick strings confidently, you must have well-trained fingers on your left hand. As a rule, the diameter of the 1st string in different sets can vary from 0.008 to 0.013 inches. The thicker the strings, the richer and more voluminous the guitar will sound.

Winding material

Copper or its various alloys. These strings are the most common and most often used on acoustic guitars and are therefore less expensive.

Silver coating. This metal has little effect on the sound, but has a good effect on aesthetic qualities. Strings with this coating do not fade, look beautiful and do not leave dark marks on the fingers.

Brass or phosphor bronze. Such strings will be more durable and, unlike copper ones, will have a slightly different sound.

String winding type

Round winding. Strings with such a winding will have a ringing and bright sound, especially immediately after replacement, but not for a long time.

Flat winding. When choosing such strings, keep in mind that their sound will be dull, as if muffled.

The 1st and 2nd strings are always made without winding. The 6th, 5th and 4th bass strings are always wound. The 3rd string most often comes without a winding, but in thicker sets with a winding, which gives its sound a more beautiful and rich sound, but it also has a drawback. Due to the fact that the winding is very thin, it often breaks and becomes unusable, and because of this it is necessary to change the entire set.

Classical Guitar Strings

Synthetic (nylon) strings. The first three strings are made of nylon fishing line, but the bass strings are made of large number threads of exactly the same nylon and have an external metal winding, most often made of copper, less often of silver or brass (phosphorus bronze).

High density synthetic. These strings, unlike nylon strings, are made of carbon fishing line, and at the same time have an increased density and a thinner diameter. Such strings are characterized by a ringing, pronounced sound. The disadvantage is the high price.

Strings on a steel cable. The strings are relatively soft and have different windings: the first three are with nylon tape, and the 6th, 5th and 4th are with silver-plated copper. These strings have virtually no stretch and change pitch quite quickly when the pegs are turned. They are less popular due to high price and very unusual.

Synthallic strings. They are characterized at the metal level by high sound brightness and the usual softness like nylon. They tune up quickly, the winding does not wear out so much from contact with the frets, and these strings also allow you to make “braces.” Maintains tune and rich timbre for several months without changing.

Acoustic guitar strings

Monolithic steel strings. The core of these strings consists of high-strength, so-called “piano steel”, from which the first three strings are also made. Alloys based on copper or phosphorus bronze are most often used as windings, and the windings differ in hardness and elasticity, while imparting different rigidity to the strings. This in turn affects the sound of the instrument and the comfort of playing with your fingers.

Steel strings with semicircular or flat winding. Such a winding can lie flat side out. These strings are a type of string with a solid steel base. When sliding fingers along the coils, the windings do not make a “whistle”. They are characterized by a more matte sound on bass strings and a more ringing sound on unwound strings.

Steel strings covered with thin synthetic material. There are two types of them. The first type includes strings in which on top of the metal winding there is another additional thin tape winding consisting of Teflon - a synthetic material that has low friction and good wear resistance. Protects the twisted string from dirt and moisture and reduces wear from contact with the frets. The second type differs in that, according to the technology, the wire winding the strings is already enclosed in a plastic sheath. Disadvantage - the gaps between the turns are less protected from contamination and sweat from the fingers, but they more effectively reduce wear from contact with the frets. These two types of strings are quite expensive and lack the iridescent sound that is characteristic of round wound strings.

Let's sum it up

When choosing strings for an acoustic guitar, you need to decide what sound you personally like, what kind of guitar you have and, not least, what kind of music you will play or already play. But for beginner guitarists who have no experience, I would advise the following:

Try to always tune the strings using a tuner or tuning fork, because the instrument will not be able to sound fully if it is not tuned correctly. Do not over-tighten the strings so as not to deform them or break them at the most inopportune moment. Also, you shouldn’t tighten the strings loosely, because the sound will be less dense and loud, and the tuning will “float.” Keep in mind that even if you take the most expensive strings, but don’t tune them correctly, they will sound much worse than cheap ones, but correctly tuned and matched to the hands and guitar of a particular player.

Perhaps this is the most important information for those who wondered: “How to choose strings for an acoustic guitar?” I hope that I was able to help you in some way and will be glad if you write a comment, adding your information to this article. Don't forget to share with your friends on social networks, they might also be interested in knowing this. The next article will be about how to choose strings for an electric guitar. So, for those who are interested, wait for updates on the site. Good luck to you!