How do you choose the right guitar strings?
I’m sure you’d know how destructive it would be if you did not choose the right guitar string. Your guitar will play differently due to the change in tension. Some parts of your guitar might get damaged in the process. You could even snap a fresh string and cut yourself! In short, being ignorant about your guitar strings is never a good idea. So how do we choose the right set of guitar strings? Let’s dive deep!
Should I sign up for guitar lessons to learn about string changing?
It is a ridiculous statement to suggest that you should sign up for guitar lessons to learn about string changing. However, guitar string changing IS part of guitar lessons in most music schools in Singapore. String changing is not an easy task!
However, if you are capable of changing strings on your own but need guidance in guitar playing, we are here to help! We are a music school in Singapore offering guitar lessons at Upper Thomson Road. Signing up for guitar lessons with us means learning from a team with over 10 years of experience running a successful music school in Singapore. Over the years, we have refined our teaching methods to ensure they are engaging, effective, and tailored to suit students of all ages and skill levels. Our commitment to excellence goes beyond lessons—we organize annual recitals! It provides our guitar students with the opportunity to showcase their progress, build confidence, and experience the joy of performing.
What are the things I need to know about guitar strings?
Thankfully, you need to know just a few things about guitar strings before buying a pack! Let’s take a look at typical string packaging and the information present.
Gauge
The thickness of the strings. Most strings are labeled with just the thinnest and thickest strings on the front of the packaging for faster shopping. The rest of the specs are usually printed at the back of the packaging. Here are some common string gauges.
- Acoustic: (a) 0.011 to 0.052, (b) 0.012 to 0.053
- Electric: (a) 0.009 to 0.042, (b) 0.010 to 0.046
- Ukulele: G (0.028), C (0.032), E (0.040), A (0.028)
- Classical: Medium tension (recommended)
- Bass: 0.045, 0.065, 0.085, 0.105
What happens if I use the wrong gauge?
Typically, the retail staff will recommend you some safer options should you be unaware of the current gauge of your strings. While there are no formal industry standards, most major brands ships their instruments with the same few options of string thickness! You can also go to the product website and have a look at the spec sheet. But ok let’s talk about the what ifs.
- Too light – Your strings may start hitting onto your fretboard easily and cause notes to make an unpleasant buzzing sound. If you happened to restring way too light, the tension of the strings may not be enough to create enough clearance between the strings and the fretboard. You may end up with a guitar that has strings sitting flat on the fretboard.
- Too heavy – Your strings will pull the neck in a tension more than it can handle and causing it to bow more than it should. If you are on a floating bridge, it will be tilted forward instead of sitting balanced and flat. You might break your bridge off the guitar if you are on a fixed bridge setup. Indeed, you can break your guitar when stringing them with strings that are way too heavy for it to handle.
Guitarists are fussy and hence the reason for the wide variety of string gauge. To change your string gauge to something different, you can send your guitar into a qualified tech (such as GuitarGeeksSG ) and these professionals will be able re-setup your guitar based on your new string gauge. It is a complicated process to fine tune the guitar. However, a right setup will mean that you will be enjoying your guitar more than before!
Material
The material of the string can reshape your guitar’s tone drastically. It is also the most common reason why there are so many different types out there! However, not every has the patience to try out every different types of materials out there. Hence, we usually refer to the description on the packaging, word of mouth or simply follow what our favourite guitarist(s) are using. To help you shorten your search for the best tone, here are some of the common materials and their characteristics.
- Electric Guitar
- Nickel-plated steel – Balance and smooth tone
- Pure Nickel – Warmer tone
- Stainless Steel – Bright and strong tone
- Acoustic Guitar
- 80/20 Bronze – Bright tone with a strong bass
- Phosphor Bronze – Warm and smooth tone
- Ukulele
- Nylon – default ukulele string material
- Fluorocarbon – Fishing line rebranded as premium ukulele strings. Thinner than nylon and brighter tone
- Classica Guitar
- Medium Tension – Balance tone
- High Tension – Stronger attack and punchier bass tone
- Bass Guitar
- Steel – Brightest tone
- Nickel/Steel Alloy – Bright tone
- Pure Nickel – Warm and smooth tone
One more thing to note about string material is that the characteristic of the tone does not remain consistent throughout its lifespan on your instrument. As you play, the string gets stretched out, aged, tarnished, and even rusted. There are simply too many reasons why the tone doesn’t stay the same as day one. However, that’s not really an issue for musicians of certain genres. Some bassists believes they should never change their strings, only to boil them in hot water to clean them before reusing them. They believe this will allow them to have that warm tone they desire. Some guitarists would do a monthly string changing because they prefer the bright tone from a fresh set of strings. During one of Tommy Emmanuel’s clinics in Singapore many years ago, he mentioned that his strings are changed before every show! I do wonder how true and consistent could that be. Regardless, I should remind you that Tone Is In The Fingers!
Coating
Simply put, while coated strings are usually 2-3 times more expensive than non-coated versions, the coating makes your strings last longer and hence makes more monetary sense. Of course, your guitar has to have good-quality hardware and has been set up perfectly to reduce the chance of string breakage while playing. A set of coated strings from popular brands can last you anywhere from 2-3 months to more than 6 months. There are a few common factors that will cause even the coated strings to rust. If you have any of these following, your best bet is to stick to coated strings.
- Sweaty palms and fingers
- You’re in a place with high humidity
- You practice aggressively on a very regular basis and cause high wear and tear
- Changing strings regularly is not something you want to do
- Buying new strings regularly will affect your budgeting
Still unsure about how to choose your guitar strings?
The last thing anybody wants is to damage their guitar because of a wrong set of strings. Choosing the right set of strings is only part of the equation, let’s not forget about the right technique for restringing a guitar. Restringing your guitar the wrong way can also cause significant damage. If you are unsure, we strongly recommend you leave it to the professionals.
There are quite a few very established and reputable guitar techs in Singapore. Most of them are very reliable and offer great value for their service. One of them is Guitar Geeks Sg and they can be reachable here.
But if guitar lessons are what you need, we are ready to help you become the guitarist you wish to be. Consider taking a Trial Lesson with us! I am sure with our decade-long experience, we will be of valuable help to you.
Contact us through these easy channels! 🙂
