Which strings to buy?

That’s a very tricky question to answer. Each type of strings will sound different on every individual guitar. It also depends on your style of playing, whether you finger-pick or strum as hard as you can.

If you are just starting out it’s best to keep to a relatively low gauge, for example on an Acoustic that would be a 10 or 11 gauge and on an Electric guitar try 8 or 9 gauge.

The best answer is to try different manufactures, types and gauges, until you find a sound that suits you. It may take many years to find your ideal set of strings but what’s the rush, you spend your life learning the guitar. Remember that if you change to a different gauge of string it may affect the neck relief on your guitar (bow in the neck) which may require adjustment.

Acoustic Guitar

80/20 Bronze – 80% copper & 20% zinc

These strings are well balanced with bright trebles and a deep bass. They do tend to loose their new sound pretty quickly, so regular replacements would be recommended.

Phosphor Bronze – 92% copper & 8% tin

These strings are the standard bronze strings with phosphor added to increase the hardness and strength. Therefore they will last longer than the standard bronze. They have a mellower sound than the standard bronze and retain their new sound for longer.

Electric Guitar

Nickel Plated –

These strings are steel strings electroplated with nickel. They are the standard string for electrics and give a good all-round sound.

Pure Nickel –

These strings are an attempt to reproduce the vintage sound from the bygone years. They have a smoother feel with less volume due to having less steel.

Stainless Steel –

These strings are made from Swedish stainless steel, so due to the increased magnetism of the string they are louder with more sustain.