Strings

Guitar Strings

Guitar strings are one of the most essential parts of a guitarist’s individual setup. It can be a lot of fun to try out different types of strings to see which set works the best for your playing, but there are still a few guidelines that are good to know.

Read up on all different sizes, materials, and styles of guitar strings here to find the right ones for your instrument and playing. And if you want to know when and how to change your strings, check out our article on how to change guitar strings.

Guitar string basics

Bronze, nickel, and steel guitar strings are measured by their width. For the most part, thicker strings have deeper sounds but are harder on the fingertips. Meanwhile, thinner strings create sounds that project less, but have quicker, easier playability.

String gauge is measured in decimals of an inch. Acoustic strings usually range from .010 inch to .013 inch. Electric rock guitarists may go as thin as .08 inch, while jazz players seek out thicker gauges up to .014 inch.

Classical or Spanish-style guitars use strings made of nylon, although the bottom three strings are still wrapped with ultra-thin copper/silver wires. Instead of measuring their gauge and width, we measure nylon strings by their tension: high, mid, and low. Higher-tension strings have a bolder sound, but are more difficult to play. 

Guitar strings for acoustic guitars

• Bronze guitar strings are popular with folk-style acoustic guitars for their bright tone, which works well for strumming and flat-picking.

• Phosphor bronze guitar strings have a slightly darker tone, which complements fingerstyle playing. Since bronze is not magnetic, it never works for electric guitars.

• Nylon guitar strings are descended from animal gut strings on old-time Spanish guitars. Their rich, mellow tones are excellent for classical, flamenco, and bossa nova styles.

Guitar strings for electric guitars

• Steel strings are bright and long-lasting, but can be harder on your fingers and frets due to their durability.

• Nickel strings sound more mellow for jazz and blues players, and are a bit slippier- feeling for quicker movement. They are less durable than steel, and pricier.

• Nickel-plated strings are a good compromise between steel and nickel, and are the most common electric guitar strings.

• Flatwound strings sound deep and soft with very little high end. This is because the tiny wires that are wound around the bottom four strings are flattened, instead of round.

Exclusive Savings All Year Long

For savings you won't find anywhere else, and for weekly trending deals on top products from industry leading brands, browse Deals, Used, Deal Of The Day, Black Friday & Cyber Monday specials all year long.