STAGE // How to Choose Acoustic Guitar Strings // Mannys STAGE (02 Jun 2023)

How Acoustic Guitars Create Sound

When you strike an acoustic guitar string, the energy you apply to it causes the guitar’s top, or soundboard, to vibrate. This is then amplified by the guitar’s sound chamber, creating the sound waves we hear. As you can imagine, the weight, density, and flexibility of those strings affects this vibration, and so factors such as gauge, material, and construction become important considerations when selecting acoustic guitar strings.

Acoustic guitar string gauges (thicknesses) are measured in thousandths of an inch, and are listed from the lightest to the heaviest in a set. 'Extra Light' strings, for example, might have a range of .010 at the lightest and .050 at the heaviest. This is denoted as '10-50', and players will often simply refer to them as '10s'. Manufacturers are constantly experimenting with gauges, but here are some examples of different acoustic string sets you're likely to see in store:

Extra Light: .009/.010 - .047/.050
Custom Light: .011 - .052
Light: .012 - .054
Medium: .013 - .056
Heavy: .014 - .059

Typically, lighter sets are easier to play, allowing for faster fingerpicking and easier bending of notes. They tend exert less tension on the neck of the guitar, and thus produce less volume and sustain. Heavier sets, by contrast, are more difficult to fret and bend, but produce more volume and sustain from having a higher resting tension on the neck.

Heavier strings are often used with larger body sizes (dreadnought and jumbo) guitars for added bass and low-mid response, while lighter strings will capture the articulate top-end of smaller (auditorium, concert, and parlour) guitars.

You may have noticed that the heavier strings on an acoustic guitar have a metal 'core' with a separate 'winding' around the outside. This allows these strings to maintain flexibility while being thick enough to have a low pitch. The shape of these respective parts also confers tone and feel.

Acoustic guitar string cores were traditionally round and had a warm tone and flexible feel on the fretboard. These days however, round cores are quite uncommon, having been replaced with hexagonal cores, which possess a brighter tone and more rigid feel.

Acoustic guitar string windings are typically all 'round wound', meaning that the wire wrap is round in shape. This provides them a bright tone that compliments the warmth of an acoustic sound chamber. 'Flat wound' strings have traditionally been used on archtop guitars in genres such as jazz. They are quite rigid and dark sounding but eliminate string noise when sliding.

'Ground wound' strings such as D'Addario Flat Tops use a round wire wrap that is then polished down into a smooth surface. They retain some brightness while reducing string noise considerably.

The materials which make up acoustic guitar strings play a large role in the way they sound and play. 80/20 Bronze and Phosphor Bronze make up the majority of strings available, but there are a few more exotic materials worth trying if you're seeking a sound that ever-so-slightly bucks the norm.

80/20 Bronze is made up of 80% copper and 20% zinc and has a bright sound.
Phosphor Bronze has phosphor added to the alloy, this creates a warmer tone.
Silk & Steel has a very warm and mellow tone and exerts less tension on the neck.
Nickel Bronze has a transparent sound with fewer overtones for a mellow-yet-articulate tone.

Acoustic Guitar String Coatings

Coatings are microscopically thin layers of polymer which sit on the outside of your acoustic guitar strings. They help prevent the metal from oxidising in contact with hand sweat, as well as stop grime from building up between windings. This is great if you find yourself perspiring a lot as you play, whether through heat, exertion, or nerves. Coated acoustic strings will sound better for longer under these conditions, but they also cost more, so it's a matter of convenience rather than economy.

Most of the major string manufacturers have coated options including Ernie Ball, D'Addario and Elixir.

Close up of guitar string on tuning post.

Man playing acoustic guitar with a capo on second fret.

Another String in Your Bow

As you can see, the myriad of acoustic guitar string choices really boils down to a few key ideas. Put lighter strings on smaller guitars, heavier strings on larger guitars, choose 80/20 bronze for brightness, and phosphor bronze for warmth. Purchase coated strings if you want to change them out less, and experiment with different materials and construction when you get bored. As you naturally try new sets, you'll start to refine your tone until it's something that perfectly reflects your playing style.

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