Guitar Strings Buying Guide Buyer Tips Electric Acoustic Nylon String Guitars

For a Beginning or Casual Player,
a Light Gauge Set is your Best Choice!

Acoustic (steel string) .012-.053
Electric (.009-.042)
Nylon (normal tension)

About String Tensions and Gauges

String tension is determined by vibrating length, mass, and pitch. Diameter alone does not determine a string’s tension. By using different raw materials or by varying the ratio between the core and the wrap wire during the winding process, two strings with the same diameter, tuned to the same pitch, could have different string tensions. For example, comparing a D’Addario .032 string to a competitor’s .032 string may not yield the same playing tension.
For the most part, all plain strings are made of high carbon steel; thus any brand of plain steel string with the same diameter will have a comparable tension. That’s not to say that the quality of the wire used to make that plain steel string will be the same.
You should experiment with different string sets to determine what sounds, feels, and plays best for you.

There are many factors other than string gauge that determine actual and perceived string tension on your instrument:

	Scale length, or the distance from the nut to the saddle. (The longer the scale, the higher the tension for a string of the same diameter (mass)).
	The flexibility of the instrument top and neck.
	The string break-angle at the nut and saddle/bridge.
	String height or “action” as adjusted at the saddle.
	Truss rod adjustment (neck relief).

Before deciding on a string gauge, be sure that your instrument is “set up” properly. High string action not only affects how tense the strings feel, but can also make for poor playability and faulty intonation.

Restringing your guitar At the tuning machine...
1.	steel string First, feed the string through hole in post. Make sure to leave some "slack" so string will wrap around post 3 to 4 times. As string wraps around the post, it will lock itself into place!
2.	classical/nylon The locking hold - The most secure method of wrapping around the tuning peg is to bring the extra string back around and under the string as it winds around the peg. This is especially critical on strings that have no windings (plain steel or classical nylon treble strings).
At the bridge
3.	steel string For steel string acoustic guitars with bridge pins, make sure the ball end of the string is firmly seated under the bridge by pushing down on the bridge pin while pulling up on the string.
4.	classical/nylon At the bridge, it is essential to create a “locking” loop to ensure against slippage. It is common to loop the plain nylon treble strings under two times and the wound strings once. This will ensure that as tension is applied to the string it securely locks in place.
5.	Use thumb and forefingers to gently stretch each string across its entire length. Tune the string to pitch and repeat the stretching procedure two or three times on each string. This will help stabilize your nylon strings more quickly. Care must be taken not to stretch the strings too aggressively. In general nylon strings need more stretching time before they "settle-in." Note: It is common for classical plain nylon treble strings (1st, 2nd, & 3rd) to last longer than the wound bass strings (4th, 5th & 6th). Most professional classical guitarists will go through two to three sets of wound bass strings for every set of plain nylon treble strings. Resource: D'Addario

About String Tensions and Gauges

Restringing your guitar

At the tuning machine...