MyTabstart > Favorites Directory > Hobby > Best Guitar Strings - Classical, Blues, Accoustic
It can be intimidating to stand behind the counter of your local guitar store and stare up at the massive selection of strings. With labels like "nickel wound," "stainless steel," and "bronze," it would seemingly require a degree in metallurgy to select the ideal strings for your guitar's body and playing style. Not anymore. Whether your guitar chops are rooted in jazz, rock, or you mostly play acoustic, TabStart's guide to the best guitar strings will make your life that much simpler the next time you find yourself gazing up at the mass of guitar string packages at your favorite shop.
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Selecting the Finest Nylon Strings - There are a number of things to consider when selecting nylon strings for your classical guitar. This article highlights things to consider when choosing strings, including string tension, string materials, and the quality of the manufacturing.
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Changing Classical Guitar Strings - Peter Kun Frary, Professor of Music at the University of Hawaii, offers advice on when to change strings. He thinks the D'Addario Pro Arté Strings are the best guitar strings because they last two or three times longer than other strings.
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Best Strings for Classical Guitars - In addition to offering a lovely, short history of classical guitar strings, this article points out things to consider when selecting classical guitar strings to your liking. In terms of the best classical guitar strings, the consensus is that each player needs to find strings to suit his or her tastes.
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D'Addario Classical Guitar Strings - D'Addario offers a variety of classical guitar strings such as the Pro-Arte, the Classics, the EXP coated, Folk Nylon and more.
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Choosing the Best Electric Guitar Strings - This article deciphers the difference between steel electric, nickel electric, and pure nickel electric guitar strings. Each offers its own distinct tone and timbre.
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Electric Guitar Strings Suited for Your Guitar - This article notes that you need to consider the length of the neck of your guitar when selecting the gauge of your electric guitar strings. For instance, Stratocasters are 25.5" long and are factory equipped with an extra light gauge, while Les Pauls are 24.75" long and thus are factory equipped with light gauge strings.
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Ernie Ball - Often cited as the best guitar string by many rock musicians, Ernie Ball offers nickel wound, coated/titanium, reinforced, pure nickel, and stainless steel electric guitar strings.
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GHS Guitar Strings - With GHS having been endorsed by the likes of Eddie Vedder, Foo Fighters, David Gilmour, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, you'll be in good company strumming their electric guitar strings.
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Best Guitar Strings Post at the Jazz Guitar Forum - This is a discussion with jazz guitarists on the best guitar strings for the jazz sound they are trying to attain. Thomastik and D'Addario flatwound strings are mentioned several times.
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Thomastik Infield Gutar Strings - Thomastik Infield flatwound guitar strings are a popular choice for a bevy of jazz guitarists. Check out their Swing Series, Bebop Series, and George Benson custom strings.
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How do I get that Jazz Guitar Tone ...? - The timbre of the likes of Wes Montgomery and George Benson can make any jazz officianado weep. Discussed here is the science behind the guitars, strings, and amplifiers that makes these jazz legends' guitar tones as sweet as they are.
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Flatwound Guitar Strings - This article offers a brief explanation of the difference between stainless steel strings, flatwound nickel strings, and roundwound strings.
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A Little Primer on Your Guitar Strings - This short, excellent article describes the materials used to make an assortment of guitar strings, including flatwound strings, which are the best guitar strings for jazz guitar. Flatwound strings create the flat, dark sound that is central to jazz guitar stylings.
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Best Acoustic Guitar Strings - This article discussess the different metals involved in making acoustic guitar strings, and it explains wrap wires, coated strings, and string gauges. The author suggests trying a number of brands--D'Addario, Martin, Elixir, and Ernie Ball are all quite good--and deciding for yourself which strings are the best.
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Martin & Co. Guitar Strings - Martin guitar strings are often called the best acoustic guitar strings. It is only fitting considering that they are widely considered to be the finest acoustic guitar maker in the world. Their website has a guide to selecting guitar strings.
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Elixir Acoustic Guitar Strings - Elixir guitar strings were at the forefront of coated string technology, and they boast that their strings last three to five times longer than other strings.
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Best Guitar Strings for the Blues - Blues guitarists tend to play heavier strings so that their tone has a deeper feel to it. Stevie Ray Vaughan played with an extremely heavy gauge while Buddy Guy uses a lighter, more standard gauge. In terms of brands, John Lee Hooker endorsed Dean Markley while B.B. King endorsed a Signature Gauge from Gibson.
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Dean Markley Blues Guitar Strings - The Jimi Hendrix NPS and Jimi Hendrix Pure Nickel are both considered the best guitar strings by many blues masters.