CHOOSING ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS
The key components affecting tone and playability come from string gauge, string winding method and the string construction
The type of guitar strings you choose, and how often you change them will not only dramatically affect your tone, but also impact the playability of your guitar. By learning about the different string options available for your guitar, you can find the strings which strike the best balance between great tone and playability. material.
There are 3 things you should know about when buying strings for an electric guitar. The first one, and the only really important one, is the gauge (size) of the strings. The second one is the brand, without any real importance nowadays because every known manufacturer is making an excellent product. And the last thing to consider are the specific technics used in the making of the string, which are first and foremost a question of personal taste, but are useful to know about since they often are the reason behind cost differences.
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Gauge
String gauge is the diameter measured in 1000th of an inch. (ex. 8=.008=8/1000th in, 42=.042=42/1000th in)
Here is a table showing different sets that could be offered by a manufacturer:
|
String#
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
|
X-LITE
|
8
|
11
|
14
|
22
|
30
|
38
|
|
LITE
|
9
|
11
|
16
|
24
|
32
|
42
|
|
REGULAR
|
10
|
13
|
17
|
26
|
36
|
46
|
|
MEDIUM
|
11
|
13
|
18
|
30
|
42
|
52
|
|
HEAVY
|
13
|
16
|
26
|
36
|
46
|
56
|
There are also the "custom sets", which are a mix of different gauges within the same set, like let's say lite for the 3 higher strings and and heavy for the 3 lower strings.
- Sound: softer, less "punchy"
- Advantages: easier to bend and vibrate the strings, good for playing solos with more feeling, facilitate a faster picking, softer on the fingertips.
- Disadvantages: strings could break more often, can be harder to tune, they have less sustain, higher chance of playing chords off-pitch because of unwanted bending, more parasite vibrations (fret buzzing).
- Favored by: lead guitarists, especially for studio recording, and those who have sensible fingertips.
- Sound: average
- Advantages: Good for doing a little of everything.
- Disadvantages: None unless you have specific needs.
- Favored by: mostly everyone
-
Heavy to extra-heavy/Jazz
- Sound: clearer, with more punch, picking strokes are a lot more present.
- Advantages: More resistant, help playing clearer chords, have more sustain, causes less buzz, easier to tune.
- Disadvantages: Hard on the fingers, not adapted for rock solos, the strong pressure on the neck can be bad for the adjustment of the guitar.
- Favored by: Jazz and Country guitarists who play mainly chords, death-metal and hardcore punk rythm guitarists who like to pound hard on their strings.
All in all, if you have no particular needs, go with lite if you're more the "lead" type of player or with medium if you're more of the "rythm" type. But if you feel an urge to experiment with the extremes, let yourself go! As always, nothing beats first-hand experience to know what you really like.
2. Brands
As said earlier, every guitar string manufacturer today makes a good product, so choosing a brand is a matter of personal taste. Still, here's a list of the brands known to the author of these lines, for reference. You can't go wrong by choosing one of them.
Partial list of electric guitar strings makers:
- D'Addario
- Dean Markley
- Dunlop
- Elixir
- Ernie Ball
- Fender
- Ghs
- Gibson
- Rotosound
3. Manufacturing technics
-Nickel wound on swedish steel: At present time, it's the most common alloy used in the making of electric guitar steel.
-Pure nickel: A more ancient way of making guitar strings, that seems to be making a come back in a trend to search for a more vintage sound.
-Stainless steel: offers a better resistance to corrosion.
-Phosphorus/bronze: A coating commonly used in acoustic guitar strings, but is also used in some electric guitar strings.
-"Cryogenic" or "Liquid nitrogen treated": A process used by some manufacturers, which consist of freezing the alloy of the strings to -320c using liquid nitrogen to "realign the molecular structure of the alloy". It would seem that this process could double the life time and the resistance to corrosion of the strings.
Valote
( collectibles: electricrockguitar )