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Acoustic Guitar Strings

Are you always confused with the strings that you should use in your guitar?

In this blog, we will clarify all your doubts related to guitar strings and we hope that after reading this you’ll be able to find the best-suited strings for your guitar.

Acoustic guitar is an organic instrument, the sound completely depends on your strings and how you would like to use them?

There are several things that you should consider while changing your strings:

1. Difference b/w steel and nylon strings
2. Material
3. Gauge (size of strings)
4. Strings with coating

Now, let’s elaborate on these points….

DIFFERENCE B/W STEEL AND NYLON STRINGS:

The major difference between steel and nylon strings is that they both are used for different

guitars with a different purpose. Nylon strings are used with classical and flamenco guitars whereas steel strings are used for the type associated with rock, folk, country and blues kind of music. Using steel strings on a guitar built for nylon strings can seriously damage the neck because of the extra tension that is unbearable by a classical guitar. The neck construction and top bracing of classical and flamenco guitars are not designed to handle the far greater tension produced by steel strings. Using the wrong strings can also damage the bridge and saddles.

MATERIAL:

Majorly 3 different types of materials are used to manufacture guitar strings.

Bronze strings also called 80/20 bronze as they are made of 80% copper and 20% zinc. They are generally used for all genres. Bronze strings have a bright sound that fades away quickly after few hours of playing. Bronze strings are the most commonly used strings.

Phosphor Bronze strings, as the name suggests, they are made of bronze with phosphor added in it. Compared with bronze strings, they are much more reliable and sustains a warmer sound that lasts longer than bronze strings. You can check PROCRAFT Acoustic Guitar Strings which are made of phosphor bronze and are treated with an environmental anti-rust coat.

Another one is silk & steel strings which produce a soft and mellow sound with a lesser tension on the bridge. It majorly comes in lighter gauges and is good with vintage guitars, which are less durable and easier to play.

GAUGE (String Size)

The thickness of a string is measured in gauge which is usually measured by the diameter of the 1st string (higher E string). There are two different types of string gauges available:

Lighter Gauge String:

They are easier to play but are much more fragile than heavier gauge strings.

They produce less volume and sustain.

Buzzing can be a problem, especially on guitars with low action.

Heavier Gauge Strings:

They are generally harder to play.

You require more finger pressure to fret and bend notes.

It exerts much more tension on the guitar neck.

Acoustic Guitar String Set Gauge Designation :-

• “extra light": .010 .014 .023 .030 .039 .047
• "custom light": .011 .015 .023 .032 .042 .052
• "light": .012 .016 .025 .032 .042 .054
• "medium": .013 .017 .026 .035 .045 .056
• "heavy": .014 .018 .027 .039 .049 .059

Strings with Coating:

Coated guitar strings create a smooth texture. A Coating helps your strings resist the rust.