Those searching for the best acoustic guitar strings to buy can go in for Ernie Ball or D’Addario brands. This article guides you through choosing good acoustic guitar strings for beginners and intermediate guitarists…
If you are a beginner and have used your acoustic guitar for quite a while now, it is suggested to change the strings. The sound and tone of the guitar depends a lot on strings used on it. New strings give a crisp and strong sound; whereas when strings get old, they tend to give a sound which can be described as somewhat dull and blunt. As you keep using the strings, their sound quality deteriorates significantly due to sweat and dirt that gathers on them. And this may even make the guitar not tune properly or get detuned after a short time of strumming. The strings are even to be replaced if you find rust on the surface.
Types of Acoustic Guitar Strings
Typically, there are two types of guitar strings; nylon and steel, of which steel ones are largely used in the guitar playing community. Nylon strings are normally used by classical and jazz musicians to create a mellower tone as compared to their steel counterparts. They are not too hard on the fingertips. On the other hand, steel strings are further divided into three types namely; bronze, phosphor bronze, and silk and steel.
Bronze strings are widely used by beginners, and come with a golden shiny finish. Phosphor bronze are used for the purpose of durability and tone. In silk and steel strings; silk cores and steel are wrapped in levels. When buying the best sounding strings, it is also suggested to consider the gauge of strings. In simple terms, gauge means how thick the string is.
There are many types of gauges in guitar strings starting from extra super light, super light, regular light, and medium to heavy and extra heavy; with each type having a different sound. If you use extra super light strings, you are more likely to break some while playing. It is better that beginners consider buying strings of regular light and medium gauges.
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings to Buy
Choosing perfect strings is a difficult task, as it totally depends on your playing preferences. Some of the best acoustic guitar brands and strings are discussed below to help you narrow your choices.
D’Addario is probably the best brand that makes acoustic and electric guitar strings. Moreover, the cost is not too expensive. Ernie Ball is a well-known brand amongst professional musicians for providing good sounding acoustic, electric, and bass guitar strings. C. F. Martin & Co., Dean Markley, and Elixir are other good manufacturers of strings.
- Ernie Ball Earthwood Medium .013 – .056 Acoustic 80/20 Bronze
- D’Addario EXP 12 80/20 Acoustic Strings
- Ernie Ball Coated Titanium RPS Slinky Acoustic Medium .013 – .056
- Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze Medium Acoustic Guitar Strings
- M-150 Martin Acoustic Guitar Strings
- D’Addario 80/20 Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
This was some information on the best acoustic guitar strings. Note that the strings best for your style of guitar playing might not be surely good for the playing style of other people. If you want acoustic guitar strings for hard playing, it is better that you go in for those with medium gauges. For light playing or plucking, strings with light or extra light gauges are suitable. The time gap when the strings need to be changed depends primarily on how frequently the guitar is going to be used. Simply change the strings when you find any rust, tuning the guitar is becoming tedious, the tone is not crisp but blunt, etc.
