GUITAR STRINGS
GUITAR STRINGS - Everything You Need To KNOW!
Guitar strings are integral to great sound but there is more to them that meets the eye. There are many constructions from nylon acoustic strings to steel and bronze combinations as well as flat and round wound constructions. The final part of guitar strings puzzle is the more obvious size which is important to most guitarists. All these factors are important but in the same breath not that important.
Guitar Strings Sizes
The size of strings on a guitar is argued over and over on social media but does it really matter? The honest answer if you look at the professional guitarists you will see really small gauge on Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top fame and most would laugh at such a small string but he sounds amazing and the tonal quality is also fantastic.
If you go to my other guitar hero in Slash from Guns N Rose’s he uses 11’s which are not massive but thicker than the 9’s or 10’s normally found on guitars out of the factory. Slash’s tone in unquestionably good with sustain to boot says the size of the strings does not really matter. Steve Ray Vaught I understand had 13’s so that’s like fencing wire and he was also an incredible guitarist.
What are the 6 Guitar Strings?
What are the 6 guitar stings on a guitar tuned to? Well there are many non standard tunings but right out of the box you will get a guitar tuned to E.
The is the strings are E – A – D – G – B – E (Thinnest) in that order.
The tuning of a guitar can be changed often for the singers benefit when they cant reach a high note in a song. Its very popular for many rock bands to use “Eb” where all the strings a loosened by 1/2 step from normal.
Guns n Roses are one band I know of that plays in “”Eb” but does use other tunings to help Axil Rose (singer) cope with the songs they do. IF your a heavy metal guitarist you may find bands that tune down to D or even down to B. It is likely you will need thicker stings and a new guitar setup to ensure the neck is set correctly and the strings don’t buzz when so loose. This is done because the bands want a lower or deeper sound to their music.
Acoustic Guitar Strings
Acoustic guitar strings are made differently from electric guitar strings and can be either a nylon like a fishing line or more often a phosphor Bronze metallic style of string.
Which type you use is dependent on your guitar. There are a lot of cheap guitars that are made without a neck truss rod which controls the bend in the neck of the guitar. If your guitar does not have a truss rod you cannot use metallic strings. It will eventually bend the neck and most often pulls off the bridge from the top of your guitar because they are not designed for the tension.
If you have a truss rod in your guitar then the Phosphor Bronze 80/20 mix are the popular choice for acoustic guitars giving them a full sound and enjoyable to play.
Electric Guitar Strings
Electric guitar strings come in a number of finishes as well as flat and round finish. The range of sizes and is infinitely variable as guitarists decide they want heavier bass strings.
Personal choice will govern your basic set of strings with most guitars delivered with 9 to 42 or 10 to 46 sizes. The numbers represent the size of the string from the smallest to the largest in the pack. You will also find many have color coding on the metal balls on the end to ensure you install them correctly.
Putting on new guitar strings is the best thing you can do to bring your guitar back to life. Its truly amazing how much better the guitar feels and sounds after you replace them.
What Guitar Strings Should I Use?
The type of guitar string you use is very much down to the music you wish to play and how much resistance you like when playing. The larger the gauge of string the harder it is to press and bend. If your new to guitar then I would suggest using a set of 0.09’s or 0.10’s. These are average level strings and are often found on guitars out of the factory.
If your into hard rock or heavy metal you may want to detune your strings to get the same deep bass many have when playing riffs. Your going to need 0.11 or more to keep the guitar in tune but will likely need the guitar set up by a guitar tech to use heavier strings as they will cause the neck to bend more as you get heavier strings.
It will be your preference that drives the strings you choose in the end of the day!
Tuning Guitar Strings
Tuning Guitar Strings is a simple task but important to get right. Unwind your strings first and make sure they are loose. You can cut them off if you wish at this point and give your guitar a good clean.
Its likely covered in sweat and more from all those songs you have been playing. Use some lemon oil to from your guitar shop to clean and maintain the fretboard. Its important to clean it each time you change strings.
Install the new strings being cautious to ensure you have put them on in order so check the pack for color codes.
Installing the string is easy and all you have to do is push it through the bridge and feed it up to the machine heads. I would recommend you hold the string the distance of 2 machine heads and cut it off.
Installing and Stretching Guitar Strings
Feed the new string into the hole in the machine head and as you wind it on also ensure it wraps over itself which will help to lock it in place. If you have locking machine tuners you feed it through the hole and use the locking mechanism to lock the string and cut it off. Tighten the strings and use your tuner to get them on pitch in E – A- -D- -G – B – E which is standard tuning.
I now recommend pulling the string away from the fretboard to take out any stretch or looseness in the string. Retune and repeat on all strings. You may wish to let the guitar settle for a little while before playing it but again retune to ensure all is well. The stretching process will ensure generally that once you start playing the guitar does not immediately go out of tune because the strings slip through the tuner.
With your strings installed you need to tune them up and the many electronic tuners are very helpful. The recent advent of headstock tuners means its there in view whenever you need it.
Tightening the strings to tune is always the recommended way to tune. If you check a string and its to tight or sharp # then its best to detune the string and then retighten to pitch as required.
Tuning Half Step Down
Detuning to Eb or even D is very popular tuning one with many rock bands. IF you find the chords for your favorite song take note as many guitar sites will give you the correct tuning if its changed from the traditional E.
The process for Eb is to simply detune past to a lower note and retighten till you get the Eb displayed on your tuner. The next note will be Ab (A flat) then Db followed by Gb , Bb and Eb again on the thinnest string.
If your going to go lower the same process is required but if your going much under Eb you may also need a guitar tech to reset up your guitar adjusting the neck as well as height and maybe intonation on the guitar to ensure its all good for your first gig.
Alternate Guitar Tuning- Open G Tuning
There are many alternative tunings with Drop D one or even DADGAD which is another alternative tuning. Open tunings are also popular with slide guitar players where the guitar is tuned to a particular chord. It can be any chord you like.
Lets Say you want an open G tuning you would need to have the strings tunes as follows: D-G-D-G-B-D – Other popular alternative tunings are in the diagram.
I hope this guide has been of assistance to you and If you have any questions please leave me a question.
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