As with many things pertaining to guitar, the type and size of strings are all preference. At most guitar stores there will be a selection ranging from $5 strings up to maybe $35 for premium strings. Strings come in all sorts of different thicknesses and are made from different metals, so how do you choose what type is right for you?

Type of Guitar

The type of strings you are going to get first depends on what type of guitar you have. You will need a different type of strings if you have an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar, a classical nylon string guitar, or a 12 string guitar. There is usually a large selection of strings for each type, depending on what store you go to.

String Gauge or Thickness

Strings come in a range of standard and custom gauges (or thicknesses). Usually they range from extra light, to light, to medium, to heavy, and in some cases extra heavy. The gauge of strings you choose depends on a few things. The first is the strength of your fingers. A heavy gauge string will be much harder to fret and bend than a light gauge string. If you have been playing guitar regularly and it only takes a little bit of playing to hurt your fingers, you might need a lower gauge string. The another difference between a heavy and light string is sound. A heavy string will have a much sharper bright tone where a light string will be softer. The type of string you settle on may have more to do with your musical preference than the strength of your fingers. Stevie Ray Vaughn used heavy strings which is what gave his music that unique sharp clear tone. Lighter strings are more common among metal players because it gives them an easier instrument to play when playing shredding solos.

The setup of your guitar

When a guitar comes out of the factory it is setup to use the stock strings. Usually, depending on the manufacturer, the strings will be a medium gauge. If you decide you want to start using lighter or heavier gauge strings, you will eventually have to take your guitar in to have it setup for that gauge. Because the tension on the neck is set to hold medium strings, if you go to a lower gauge or a higher gauge the pull of the strings can change the straightness of the neck. The best way to do it is find the strings you like sound and feel wise, play them on your guitar for a few months, and then take your guitar into your local shop to have them set the intonation and bridge height. This will give you the best possible action and sound with your strings. The only exception I would say is if you are going to go from a heavy string to a light or vice versa you might want to get a shop to do some initial adjustments first and take it back in a few months for some fine tuning. The last thing you want is a bowed neck on your guitar.

String Materials

Acoustic, electric, and classical guitar strings all use different materials. The different materials effect the tension, the tone, and the feel of the strings.

Acoustic Strings
Acoustic strings are typically made from bronze wound steel. This type of string is very bright and clear when new, but will quickly loose its tone the more they are played. Bronze strings are the most common for acoustic guitars. Other options for acoustic guitars are phosphor bronze strings. This type of string has a warmer tone which lasts far longer as opposed to a bright tone that fades over time. A third option is also silk & steel strings. This type of string has a nylon coated core and is wrapped in silver plated brass. It will typically be the most expensive of strings, but will have a much lighter nylon like sound and will last longer.

Electric Strings
The most common type of electric guitar strings are nickel plated strings. Other options include pure nickel strings, where the wire wrap around the string is pure nickel as opposed to nickel plated. These strings will produce a softer tone and will have less output on the electric guitar.

Classical Guitar Strings
Classical guitars use nylon strings and should never have steel strings put on them. The nylon name refers to the core material. The three low strings will have a silver plated copper wound around them to add mass to the string, but the core is still nylon. Like steel strings should never be used on a classical, nylon strings should never be used on a steel string acoustic. The nylon strings do not provide enough tension for the neck of a steel string guitar and will cause it to bow.

For the health of your guitar it’s not a great idea to be constantly switching from light to heavy to medium strings every time you change. Because of what I said above with the tension on the neck, the constant change of pull on the neck could cause damage to your guitar. Once you decide on a set of strings you should stick with that set. The only exception is if you find a gauge you like that another company offers, you should be able to use them without affecting the setup of your guitar.

Final notes

Feel free to ask the guitar tech at the store any questions you have about the strings or your guitar. Remember the following points when choosing strings:

• Whether your guitar requires acoustic bronze, electric nickel, or classical nylon strings
• What gauge or thickness strings you want (sound/action tradeoff)
• How much you are willing to pay – ($10 to $20 = good quality strings)
• The cost of having your guitar re-setup if you are changing gauges

Some strings are better than others depending on what materials they are made with. Some strings are made to last longer and some are made with sound and performance in mind. In the end it all comes down to personal preference.