THE VERY BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS TO BUY NOW
BEST ELECTRIC GUITAR STRINGS TO BUY RIGHT NOW
Having the right guitar strings will not only allow you to play smoother and more confident, but will completely define your guitar sound.
There are many different brands and types of guitar strings out there, so it may be confusing on what are the best guitar strings to use. Here at GuitarGearFreak.com we compiled a great list of guitar strings to help you decide.
What are the best electric guitar strings out right now? -
Many guitarists have their guitar string preference. Though some guitar strings are specifically built for specific genres of guitar playing, most of the guitar strings built today are universal. So it would be recommended to try out several sets of guitar strings, gauges, materials, etc yourself to find the perfect guitar strings for you and your taste.
1. Ernie Ball Regular Slinky Nickel Wound Sets
Ernie Ball strings are an excellent go-to set of guitar strings. They have a large list of musicians that rep their strings religiously and for good reason. Their strings are always consistent, they have many different gauge (or guitar string thickness) preferences for your individual guitar playing style.
The Regular Slinky 'Gold Standard' strings are their most popular with their traditional guitar gauge, popular nickel wound build.
They are not too thick so you can bend fairly well with these. They are also not very thin, just the right balance to give you full sounding chords for a great rhythm guitar sound.
These guitar strings are made for all styles and genres of music.
2. D’Addario EXL110-3D XL Nickel Wound
D'Addario guitar strings are also an infamous guitar string brand that holds up through the test of time.
The EXL110-3D XL strings have the traditional guitar string gauge. They are very durable, and the guitar sound shines with the brightness of the guitar strings.
They are a great cheap set of guitar strings, and let the price fool you - they absolutely hold their own in quality and tone.
3. Elixir Nanoweb
Elixir is known for their great consistent guitar strings. Elixir Strings have a very balanced sound to them. The strings have a very smooth sound and a smooth touch to them when playing.
Built with a Nanoweb coating, these strings are especially durable and long lasting without losing any guitar tone.
Because of the higher thicker gauge, these strings add more low tones which add body to your guitar playing. These strings are great for any rhythm guitarist or a guitar player looking for strings that wont shrill your ears off.
4. D’Addario NYXL1046-3P Nickel Plated
The D'Addario NYXL guitar strings are an 'updated' version of their EXL strings. They are a little lighter to the touch and bend nicely - great for solo guitarists.
They have a softer mellow tone to help with guitarists that like to play high and don't want that over the top bite.
The sustain on the strings help retain the notes you play for much longer. Also with the plain steel alloy and high carbon steel, they are very durable and keep the tone intact.
The strings also have a higher output that pushes the mids for presence and a great low mid tone.
5. Ernie Ball Cobalt Regular Slinky
Ernie Ball's Cobalt Strings give a louder, bitier guitar sound. They are far more expressive than the other strings Ernie Ball puts out, registering a few decibels over their other guitar strings.
We find these strings are not as durable as other designs, but if you're looking for a set of strings to make your live set or recording over the top, these would be a fantastic set of guitar strings to grab.
Ernie Ball's Cobalt Slinky strings have an enhanced magnetic property which boosts your overall string output for an aggressive guitar sound.
These strings are great for all genres. Check out the video above and decide for yourself.
6. Gibson Brite Wires
Gibson guitars has been cranking out musical instruments since it was founded in 1902. Recently, Gibson has started putting out their own brand of guitar strings, and just like their infamous counterpart, their guitar strings sound great.
The Brite Wires comes with the traditional gauge and nickel plated steel. Because of the swedish steel material, they are bright and sing well over a band.
Since they are 10s they will bend really well. They have a great bright high end with great low-mids. They aren't as durable as other brands on this list, but for the price they are well worth it.
7. Fender Super 250L Nickel Plated
Fender's guitar strings have become notable guitar strings to buy off their already excellent popular brand of guitars.
This particular set comes with a .009 gauge so they are a little thinner which helps with bending. They are nickel-plated so they a bite shimmering brightness which could be good for surf guitar or a great blues guitarist.
*I couldn't find a video on these specific strings, so I thought you would appreciate a little FKJ at Fender's Studio.
Fender's strings are low cost and a great bang-for-the-buck guitar strings. Can't go wrong with Fender.
8. Ernie Ball Paradigm
Ernie Ball's Paradigm strings, due to their nano coating, are some of the toughest guitar strings ever made. They are specifically built for heavy-handed guitar players. These strings can take a beating. If you're looking for longer-lasting, durable strings - these would be a great go-to.
The Paradigm strings come with a standard .010-.046 string gauge which will allow you to bend fairly well and keep their tuning with ease.
Ernie Ball is so confident in their durability, the strings come with a 90 day warranty.
9. Dunlop DHCN1254 Heavy Core
The Dunlop Heavy Core strings are exactly as described. They come with a heavier thicker .012 gauge with adds great low end for the chugging metal rock guitarist.
The thicker gauge also adds alot of durability, so these strings can take more of a beating without worrying too much about breaking.
These are specifically designed to be able to drop tune with ease while keeping their tension.
So for all metal guitarists out there looking for a great tight low end sound, these strings would most likely be your go to.
10. DR Strings Pure Blues
The DR Pure Blues Strings are made of handmade pure nickel. These take a little more time to make but don't hurt the budget at all. The strings' sustain is far better than most guitar strings out there.
The strings come in at the traditional gauge, and with the strings being made of pure nickel, they have an awesome chimey vintage guitar sound.
These strings are great for every genre, but they excel with blues and americana styles of guitar playing.
If you want to see the full difference of using pure nickel strings, you can check out a little info from the video or try the link over to Amazon and see for yourself.
How to Choose the Best Guitar Strings to Use:
Guitar String Gauge
The string gauge refers to the guitar string's physical thickness. A typical string gauge would be .010-.046 with .010 being the thinnest (or High E String) and .046 being the thickest (or Low E String).
Now you can go a lighter gauge which will give you the ability to bend and solo alot easier, but the sound is thinner and lighter just like the gauge of strings - which some do prefer. Where as heavier gauges make it a little more difficult to perform aggressive string bending, but add to the fullness of rhythm guitar playing.
Another good thing to keep in mind is many guitar string companies have a 'hybrid' option where they will add heavier gauge to the lower strings while combining them with a lighter gauge higher strings to give a little best for both worlds.
If you have been playing for a while, you probably have a sense of what type of guitar playing you like best, so keep that in mind and use that preference when selecting the best guitar strings to buy.
If you you're a little confused on what particular gauge to get, this guy explains it pretty well:
String Material
There are many different types of metal used on strings that add different characteristics to your overall guitar sound. Most people use Nickel-Plated strings due to their smooth, even sound.
Pure Nickel strings have a warmer sound and smooth feel. Stainless Steel strings have a bright edgy sound to them. We find cobalt strings to sound amazing as well, although they seem much easier to break compare to the normal metals used.
Many jazz musicians also prefer a flatwound stings compared to the typical roundwound strings which give a really smooth soft sound to your guitar playing.
There are also different aloy treatments which can also add to the durability and life length of the strings, but it will also affect the sound as well.
Guitar String Brand
The brand of guitar strings plays a factor as well. Some guitar string brands triumph through the test of time and for good reason. Many of the popular brands earned their notoriety by being consistent in quality and creating a product and standard for their customers.
Ernie ball, for example, has a great standard of quality and proudly shows many artists that use their product on the back of their product.
Hope this helps in your decision making, if your have any questions or comments, leave them in the comment box below.
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