Acoustic Guitar for Beginners – Everything you need to know about Guitar String Gauges
As a guitar player, you’ll inevitably need to restring your guitar at some point. When you begin playing, “guitar string gauges” and “alloy ratios” really aren’t important terms to know or understand. When you’ve played so much that your guitar starts to produce the dreaded “buzzing” sound, it’s time to teach yourself about the different string types available and the sounds they produce. Standard acoustic guitars are made with 6 or 12 steel strings, and more expensive models come with on board electronic pick ups. Compared to classical guitars, which are made with nylon strings, the steel strings on acoustic guitars are very high tension, which creates a very powerful and bright sound. Taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the different guitar string types will help you make the right decision when it’s time for new strings. Acoustic guitar strings come in a variety of “alloy ratios” and “guitar string gauges.” While these terms might sound be a little intimidating, the concepts are very simple. Essentially, the alloy ratio refers is the metal ratio which compose the string. The guitar string gauge is the thickness of your string.
A quick crash course on guitar string gauges will allow you to make an educated purchase when its time to restring. Acoustic steel strings come in a number of different alloy ratios and guitar string gauges. An alloy ratio refers to the metals the string is composed of, while the guitar string gauge refers to the string’s thickness or diameter. Bronze strings are referred to as being “80/20′s” with a make-up of 80% copper and 20% tin. These strings produce an incredibly bright, clear ringing sound and have a much softer feel than other strings. They’re sometimes easier to play on for beginners, as they don’t have as much tension, and someone without good finger independence might find them easier to pluck. These strings often lose their bright sound after a few months of heavy use, so restringing with 80/20′s is necessary from time to time.
Phosphor-bronze acoustic guitar strings are made up of 92% copper and 8% tin, and have a considerably much longer life span than 80/20′s. These strings are corrosive resistant and have a much more bold and brassy sound. Because of the longer life span, and not necessarily the sound they produce, they are by far and away the most popular string option.
Brass guitar strings are eight five percent copper and fifteen percent tin, and are right in the middle of bronze and phospher-bronze in regards to their sound and life span. These are very easy to pluck – the biggest disadvantage is that some players may find this alloy ratio to irriate the skin on their finger tips. Despite this, brass strings are the string of choice for players of intermediate skill.
When the time comes to purchase new strings, whether online or at a brick and mortar store, you’ll see guitar string gauges are classified by: extra super light, super light, light, medium, heavy, and also extra heavy. The light guitar string gauges are easier to pluck, and subsequently are the string of choice for beginners. The heavier the gauge, the louder and stiffer you will find the strings to be. Heavier gauges require much more finger independence and strength, and most players will be more comfortable playing something in the medium gauge class. These medium strings give you some good flexibility for range of sound and stiffness. Before you purchase new strings, make sure you’ve played a number of alloy ratios and guitar string gauges, whether it’s at a friend’s house or at a guitar store, after a few minutes of playing you’ll quickly find which strings you enjoy playing.
Want to find out more about guitar string gauges, then visit Robert Bowman’s site on how to choose the right guitar string gauges for your guitar.
