SOUND, PLAYABILITY and LONGEVITY are the three things to look for when deciding on a brand or type of string that’s best for you. Let’s take a look at each.

SOUND What may be the best sounding string on one guitar may not be the best sounding on a different guitar. There is not one type of string that is best for one type of guitar. Also to be considered is the type of music you play (i.e. rhythm, lead, fingerpicking, etc.) when searching for the perfect string.

STEEL STRING ACOUSTICS... There are basically two types of strings in popular use today for the acoustic guitar. Bright Bronze and Phosphor Bronze. You will find many variation on these two types, with each manufacturer having their own formula. As a general rule, Bright Bronze strings are more gold in color and have a brighter sound, where Phosphor Bronze is more copper in color and have a warmer or mellower sound.

If possible, go to your favorite music store and buy one package each of these two types of strings (in the same gauge, more about gauge later). Take them home and put on one set and play them for a week. Give them a good work out. Now try the other set and see if you can hear a difference, you should. Which do you like best?

Let’s say you’ve found that you like the bright bronze strings best, try several different brands to see which variation on the bright bronze you like.

Other strings to consider for the steel string acoustic are...

SILK AND STEEL string are metal wound strings with a nylon core. These are recommended for guitars that are old and fragile or on some twelve string guitars, because they put less tension on the instrument. These have a soft and mellow tone.

WHITE BRONZE strings are used mainly with acoustic instruments that have magnetic pick-ups (usually in the sound hole pick-ups). Since bronze is non-magnetic, regular bronze strings don’t have strong and even output for use with these pick-ups. The idea behind White Bronze strings is to work well with magnetic pick-ups and still sound good acoustically.

CLASSIC GUITARS...Today, for classic guitars, all you will find are strings made of synthetic materials, usually nylon. The three low strings are metal wound on nylon and the three high strings are plain nylon. To find which you prefer, play as many different brands as you can.

A couple of things to consider: Nylon strings usually aren’t sold in gauges, but rather in different tensions. Normal tension strings will have good tone with easy action. Higher tension strings will have better tone and volume but with stiffer action.

Also, you can get nylon strings with Ball Ends which just slip through the holes in the bridge or with Straight Ends which you have to tie to the bridge. Straight ends are considered the better sounding string because of the way they attach to the instrument. Ball ends (while limited in choices available and thus sound) are easier to put on.

NOTE: It does not hurt to put nylon strings on steel string guitars, (they just don’t sound worth a darn) but NEVER, NEVER put steel strings on an instrument built for nylon. Classic guitars are not built or braced for the amount of tension that a full set of steel strings, tuned to pitch has. This will seriously damage the instrument.

FOR ELECTRIC GUITARS and BASSES... When you think about sound on the electric guitar, you often think about the pick-ups and amplifier. But remember that strings do have an affect on how the pick-ups react. There are a few different compounds in popular use today for electric strings. Nickle strings seem to be the all-around favorite. Also available are strings called stainless steel and some that have more Iron in them.

Electric strings have to be made of materials that will affect the magnetic field produced by the pick-up. When the string vibrates through this magnetic field, the pick-up creates a voltage that is sent to the amplifier. So, strings like the ones claiming higher iron content will affect the magnetic field differently (since iron is very magnetic). However, because there’s more iron in these strings, they will rust sooner than say the stainless steel strings that resist corrosion. You see, they all have something to offer.

If possible, go to your favorite music store and buy one package of each of the different “types” (in the same gauge, more about gauge later) to determine which has the sound you like. See which sounds best with your pick-ups, amplifier and playing style.

ABOUT FLAT-WOUND STRINGS...Flat wound strings do not sound as “Alive” as round wound (regular) strings. Flat wounds coast more and usually go dead quicker than their round wound counterpart. Because of this, few six string electric players use them, but if you feel you need a smooth string give them a try. Because of the large size of the windings on bass strings, bass players find the smoother surface of a flat or “half round” string to be more comfortable to the touch, and less damaging to their fret wires and wooden fingerboards.

A WORD ABOUT COATED STRINGS... In almost all the above mentioned strings these days the manufacturers are making what they call "Coated" strings. These are strings that have one form or another of some synthetic material that protects the windings from dirt, sweat and acids from the hand. They are often several dollars more per pack, but give several time the string life of the uncoated string. I like these strings a lot and find them well worth the extra price.