A No-Nonsense Guide to the Different Types of Guitar Strings

Guitar strings come in various types. When choosing guitar strings, some of the most important factors one should consider include the specific instrument owned, the style of music played and the level of proficiency of the player. The four main types of guitars – classical, acoustic, bass and electric – can have their own distinct guitar string types. These strings can differ due to a number of factors including the material, the construction technique and the physical attributes of the strings. A player’s own requirements can also play a role in the choosing of guitar strings to use.

Gauge and Construction

Gauge is the thickness of a string and is traditionally quoted in thousandths of an inch (e.g. .010”). However, you will often see this written simply as 10. Usually guitar strings are provided in packets of matched strings. Sometimes these are referenced by the top string only (e.g. 10), or by the top and bottom strings (e.g. 10-46). Because gauge of a string has a direct relationship to its weight then the same packets may also be referenced using weight (e.g. Light). However, different manufacturers use different standards and construction techniques so this should be checked individually.

Guitar strings are usually single lengths of plain wire (top strings) or have a wire core with an additional wire winding (bottom strings). These wound strings may also differ in construction with the most common being roundwound. This refers to the cross-section of the wire used in the winding. Other less common types are flatwound but these tend to be more expensive. Nowadays also a string may be coated or un-coated. This coating is a very thin layer of additional material which protects the string against corrosion and wear.

Whereby the characteristics of gauge and construction can be applied to all types of guitar strings, the main differences for individual instruments occur with the actual materials used.

Electric Guitar Strings

Nearly all of these guitar strings are made from a steel core. The most popular type of winding is nickel plated steel. These produce a bright tone and are suitable for all types of music. Less common are a pure nickel winding (offering a warmer, more vintage sound) and chrome or stainless steel. These latter ones giving a clear, punchy sound often preferred by fusion and jazz players.

Bass Guitar Strings

These guitar strings naturally use the bigger gauges to give that distinctive low end tone. As with electric strings they are typically made from a steel core. The most common types of winding are made from stainless steel or nickel. An important consideration when choosing bass strings is scale length. This is the length of string which must be used to match each individual instrument. Scale lengths vary from short (30”/760mm) to extra long (up to 36”/915mm).

Acoustic Guitar Strings

As with electric and bass guitar strings, these too are typically made from a steel core. Popular types of winding are made from bronze or from phosphor bronze (the latter has a significant phosphor content added to the bronze alloy). Bronze strings have good sound projection, bright tones and deep bass response. Phosphor bronze offer an overall balanced tone coupled with longer life.

Classical Guitar Strings

These strings differ from all the above in so much as they don’t use a steel core. Instead they use a nylon core with typically either a silver or bronze winding on the bass strings. Nylon is the modern day equivalent material to the traditional gut. This results in a crisper, brighter tone normally associated with classical music. Nylon guitar strings are usually referenced by tension, with low being suitable for beginners and high for advanced players.

Conclusion

There is a dazzling amount of different guitar strings available on the market today, and choosing the right ones to suit the individual can be difficult. If you are a beginner then it is best to start with a light set (e.g. 10-46). These are easy to play and require less pressure to hold down. Conversely if you are an intermediate or advanced player then you can choose a medium or even heavy weight. Furthermore you can even customise your guitar by fitting single strings of a chosen gauge to suit your own playing style and preferred type of music.

Christopher Abbott is the author of this article on Guitar Strings. Find more information about Guitar Strings Online here.