How Do I Select Guitar Strings?

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There are so many types of strings on the market today that it can get quite confusing for the beginning guitar student. Here's help with picking the right strings for your type of guitar.

Steps:
1. Keep in mind that the string you select depends on the type of guitar you play, the sound you want to create and your preferences for ease of playing.

2. Go to your local music store and look at its selection of strings.

3. Get nylon strings if you are a beginner. They have a soft, mellow tone and are easy on the fingers. You will stay with them if you decide to play classical guitar.

4. Pick ball-end nylon strings, frequently called "folk nylon," if you want to become a folk guitar player. They are a little heavier than regular nylon and take vigorous strumming.

5. Get Monel strings if your fingers are strong enough to handle metal strings. They have a much sharper and louder tone than nylon. The thickness varies according to the type of set purchased; medium-light gauge is recommended for beginners. Do not use them on classical or electric guitars!

6. Select silk and steel for finger-style playing. They are much easier on the fingers than the regular metal strings. Do not use them on electric guitars because they will not pick up electricity.

7. Pick bronze strings for fingerpicking on a folk guitar. They provide brilliance in sound. Select light gauge for finger-style playing, heavy gauge for strumming.

8. Buy a set of brass strings if you want your tone to be sharp and harsh; they are usually more brittle than bronze.

9. Get flat-polished strings if you desire ease of playing. They are easier on your fingers than standard metal strings. These strings come for both acoustic and electric guitar.

10. Select flat-wound strings for any electric guitar. They are comfortable to the left hand and give a smooth tone when amplified. This string is preferred by many jazz guitarists.

Tips:
As you can see, selecting the right set of strings for your guitar is a highly personalized decision involving many considerations. After trying different sets, you will know which ones are right for you.

Replace old strings on your instrument. When a string gets old, it sounds dead. Beginning students can start looking for wear after about five weeks. When in doubt, ask your guitar teacher.

Warnings:
Never use metal strings on a classical guitar - the neck is not built to sustain the tension and may warp quickly.

More Tips:
The diversity of strings for electric guitars is fairly minimal, as all are round-wound and nickel-based. The string you choose for your guitar is not so much a factor of technicality, but rather of your own playing style and equipment. It all comes down to gauge and brightness. It really doesn't matter what guitar you're playing. A guitar with string locks is good for the whammy bar stuff, but beyond that, it comes down to (a) a reliable guitar, and (b) working the strings in. No string will sound in tune for a performance until you've played the strings for a good long time. My technique was to grab the high E string and completely pull it out of tune, then bring it back. Do that over and over again, and then move to the B string. Eventually, the strings give out their elasticity and maintain their tone. You have to do this from the first string to the sixth string (over and over again), until there's no waver in the sound.

Stevie Ray Vaughn used strings that were like piano strings. His style was heavy, and he was physically able to give vibrato to strings that heavy. This is not the preferred method to picking out your strings.

In Ted Nugent's words, "Play until you bleed," and there's truth in that. The strings aren't as important as the callouses you develop during playing. Start with light gauge strings, and play for hours, until it hurts. You can even start with an angel hair .08 gauge, as long as you play it long enough to hurt. Don't be creative at this point, play regular riffs over and over again.

You should be able to play .09's for hours without pain. If you get to that point, you need to decide if you want versatility or power. If the latter, move on to .10's, and start the learning process all over again. If not, stay with nines.

Learn where you feel comfortable playing for hours and hours. You can try different brands of strings afterward, but their always going to be more affected by your guitar pickups, and any overdrive you use.

So, in the short run, the brand of guitar string, for an electric guitar, is inconsequential. Pick the brand that feels right for you, and allows you to jam for a good five hours.

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