The Top 5 Guitar String Manufacturers
// September 28th, 2011 // No Comments » // Music
As a guitarist, you know you’ll not sound your best unless you keep fresh, high-quality guitar strings on your instrument. How do you know which strings to buy? The truth is, there are so many choices on the market it’s simple to overload on brand names and models. To pick well, you need to be able to cut through the junk and select the best strings for your needs. But with so many out there, how do you make the decision?
There are several factors that affect your choice of strings, including what kind of guitar you play, what style of music you play, whether you use alternate tunings, and many others.
Not only that, but guitarists often have to choose between sound quality and longevity in their strings. You might spend more money on strings that sound great new, but lose their tone quickly. Old strings are harder to tune, easier to break, and don’t sound good. These issues may differ from brand to brand. A working guitarist might need to choose between tonal considerations and durability. These facts are especially crucial when it comes to acoustic guitar strings, since you can’t hide a bad tone with your amplifier.
You can’t choose wisely without having good information about your strings, so I’ve tested many brands and decided on the strings which I believe are the five best. I’ve considered durability as well, but sound quality and feeling are my main criteria. However, a string that lasts longer and sounds good could rank higher than a great-sounding string that dulls quickly. This review is a generalization. If I were reviewing testing|trying out electric string models only, the brands could be listed in a different order, or a different brand not listed here could be in the top 5.
5. D’addario
D’addarios are a value brand. They’re just inexpensive and sound good new, but they also wear out quicker than each other brand in the top five. I like to recommend buying D’addario strings should you require strings quickly and don’t have a lot of time to break a new set in, or if you’re short on cash until payday. Simply remember to change them out when you get paid!
4. GHS
GHS is well-known for their Boomer series of strings. Their tone is decent over the choice of strings, from acoustic to electric to bass, but where these strings really excel is in their toughness. You cannot break these strings unless you’re trying (or you leave them on for upwards of 1 year, which I’ve seen before), but even then it is very difficult. They maintain their tone and good tune longer than any other brand tested except one. In addition they work wonderfully for alternate tunings. If you are with limited funds or just do not like to get new strings often, GHS would be the string you want.
3. Ernie Ball
Slinky strings, Ernie Ball’s most prominent series, generally sound fantastic right from the package. And also they feel great under your fingers. Ernie Ball brand made the best-feeling strings of the brands I tried. The tonal qualities from their electric and bass models blew away alternative brands for most applications. I especially rate the Slinky 9-gauge electric guitar set top of the list for rock and metal lead guitar use. Their acoustic models lag behind my top 2 brands, however, and in addition the string life is commonly short.
2. Dean Markley
I’ve used Dean Markleys from the time I first started playing, and they have never let me down. The Blue Steel and Vintage lines sound wonderful and last for a good long time. In fact, they go longer than any uncoated brand I’ve tried. If I have a large amount of gigs in a short time, I will slap on a set of Dean Markleys and stay confident my tone will last throughout the week.
1. Elixir
Elixirs are pricey, however in this case you certainly get what you pay for. Even though they cost double the amount in some cases, they can last around two times as long and perhaps improve tonally as they age.
Elixir does coat their strings, and a few feel coated strings sound flatter or duller than non-coated strings, but I don’t hear it. I have personally used the very same set of Elixirs on my acoustic guitar for six months, with public performances a minimum of once weekly, with virtually no drop in tone quality or feel. The coated string takes a small amount of time to get accustomed to, but whenever you do you may never buy another model of strings.
Conclusion
Chances are you’ll have a decent analysis of different string brands and their traits. Of course, if you need a specific model or instrument your expections may just be distinctive from what I’ve listed here, but hopefully you now have a good sense of where you can look.




