If you’re just getting into guitar playing, congratulations! The guitar is a fantastic instrument, one that can bring you all sorts of enjoyment for years to come.
If you’ve had your guitar for a few months, you might begin to notice that your instrument is sounding dull or no longer staying in tune. The strings themselves might start to look worn or uneven. It’s time to replace your strings.
There’s only one problem: there are a million options for guitar strings, and it’s completely overwhelming!
Choosing the best guitar strings for beginners does seem overwhelming. But by the end of this guide, you’ll know everything you need to know about guitar strings, and we’ll give you some top recommendations in several categories:
- Best acoustic guitar strings for beginners
- Best electric guitar strings for beginners
- Best acoustic guitar strings for fingerpicking
But before we jump into recommendations, there’s plenty you need to know about the types of strings available and how to know when it’s time to change your strings.
What Are the Different Kinds of Guitar Strings?
If you’re new to the world of guitar, you might assume that guitar strings are all basically the same. Actually, there’s a huge variety in terms of materials used, string gauge, string windings and core type. You’ll also find strings of many of these types in both coated and uncoated formats. It can be pretty daunting if you’re just starting out.
The good news is that as a beginning player, you don’t need to master every last configuration of strings. You just need to choose between a few varieties for now, and you can explore the deeper nuances of each category later on.
Electric Guitar String Types
Nickel-plated steel strings are the most common type for electric guitar players and are probably where you’ll start. They’re corrosion-resistant and tend to produce a tone that’s bright and present. These are, in most cases, the best electric guitar strings for beginners.
If you’re leaning toward a more mellow tone (jazz and blues come to mind), you might prefer a pure nickel string.
Pure stainless steel strings are the third main option. They tend to produce a very bright tone that won’t sound great on a single-coil guitar. On the upside, they’re very durable and don’t produce as much finger squeak.
Acoustic Guitar String Types
There are several more types of strings commonly used on acoustic guitars. We’ll skip the niche types that are usually only seen on classical guitars and focus on the most common types for general acoustic players.
The “default” string for most acoustic guitars is the 80/20 bronze string. Throughout most commercial genres, these are used for all six strings, while some classical guitarists will use them for the lower three. These strings produce the classic acoustic tone you’ve heard everywhere, mellow with a touch of brightness and substantially more volume than nylon strings.
Phosphor bronze strings are another popular choice in the same vein as 80/20 bronze. The addition of phosphor reduces brightness a bit but helps the strings to last longer.
Nylon strings are the most common in classical guitars today, but you’ll still find some modern acoustic players using them for their softness and warmth. They’re much easier on the fingers, making them attractive to beginner guitarists. However, they don’t produce nearly the volume of sound as bronze strings.
Silk and steel strings are somewhat a hybrid, with a silk or nylon core wrapped in steel. These tend to be lower tension (so easier to press down) and produce a mellower tone, but with more body than nylon strings. If you’ve tried standard strings and found them too hard to play (or too bright for your liking), silk and steel might be an attractive guitar strings for beginners option.
Most beginning acoustic guitarists will choose 80/20 bronze strings. If your fingers need time to strengthen and develop basic calluses, you might opt to start with nylon or silk and steel before moving up to one of the bronze choices.
String Gauges
Guitar strings also come in various gauges, or thicknesses. You’ll see strings listed with an extra-light, light, medium, or heavy gauge.
As you develop as a player, you’ll want to learn about the various sounds and effects made possible by the different gauges. But as a beginner, none of that quite matters yet.
What you need to know for now is that the lighter string gauges are easier to press down. You’re probably still developing finger strength (and your beginner guitar could be harder to press down on anyway), so an extra-light or light gauge is the way to go for now.
Conversely, the lighter gauges can feel a bit more cutting on your sore fingertips as you get started. If finger strength isn’t a concern but pain on the pads of your fingers is, you might need to move up in thickness.
Other Elements
There are a few more elements or variables with guitar strings, but we won’t spend long on them. There are several types of string windings, with roundwound being the most common. Most beginners will start with these.
There’s also the question of coated vs. uncoated strings. Coated strings will last longer and tend to feel better on the fingers, but they lose a bit of brightness as a tradeoff. Because of the difference in feel, we recommend coated strings for beginning players.
Why Should I Change My Guitar Strings?
Another common question among beginning guitar players is why they need to change their strings at all. For one reason, you may want to experiment with different string types, gauges or string windings over time. Doing so requires changing out the strings on your guitar.
But there’s another more pressing reason you’ll need to change your strings. Simply put, they wear out. You touch them a lot, and as a result, oil and dirt and other junk build up on them. Over time, strings will start to sound dull and can even break.
If you want to keep enjoying playing guitar (and you want to keep sounding good), you’ll need to change out your strings from time to time.
How Often Should I Change My Guitar Strings?
How often you should change your strings is a subjective thing that depends on the type of string, how often you play, and the conditions in which you play. Pros who play nightly might change their strings as often as every four shows, but you’re probably not putting your guitar strings through that level of stress, and you certainly don’t need to change them out that frequently.
How long to go between changing really depends on the health of the string. If your strings are starting to look rusty, worn or discolored, it’s probably time to change them. The same goes if you can’t get them to stay in tune like you used to be able to.
One guide pegs the average time for most beginning students to replace strings as somewhere in the three to six months range, or between 100 and 200 hours of actual play time.
How Do I Actually Change My Guitar Strings?
Good question! Most beginners are nervous at the prospect of changing their guitar strings themselves. However, describing it in an article isn’t the best strategy for learning. If you can’t sit down with an experienced friend or teacher, a YouTube tutorial might be the next best thing.
Here’s a tutorial on changing electric guitar strings (sponsored by a well-known string maker). Wondering about an acoustic? Watch expert player and teacher Tony Polecastro show you how to change acoustic guitar strings.
Best Guitar Strings for Beginners – Type
As we’ve mentioned in the previous section, here are the attributes we recommend in each category for guitar strings for beginners:
- Electric players should start with nickel-plated steel strings
- Acoustic players should start with 80/20 bronze or phosphor bronze strings, with silk and steel as an alternate choice
- Choose an extra-light or light gauge
- Winding style is less important, but most beginners choose roundwound
- Consider coated strings as your fingers are still developing calluses and strength
- Remember that your preferred style may influence some of these default choices
Those are the attributes of the best guitar strings for beginners, but you’re probably still wanting to know exactly which strings to buy. We’ll give several top recommendations in several categories below.
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings for Beginners
If you’re looking for the best acoustic guitar strings for beginners, any of the options below should perform quite well for you.
D’Addario EJ40 Silk & Steel Folk Guitar Strings, 11-47
As far as silk and steel strings go, the D’Addario EJ40 set of light-gauge strings (.011 inches on the high E and .047 inches on the low E) is a fantastic choice for beginners. These are silk and steel strings, so you’re getting just about the most mellow sound possible as far as string type. But your fingertips will thank you, as silk and steel are about the easiest strings out there on the fingertips.
D’Addario has dual-sealed these strings for maximum corrosion resistance, and the set is available in both six-string and 12-string packs.
Check current prices on Amazon for the D’Addario EJ40 Silk & Steel Folk Guitar Strings
D’Addario EFT15 Flat Tops Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings, Extra Light, 10-47
Silk and steel strings won’t be right for everybody. Some beginning guitar players need a brighter, brassier tone than you can ever get from that softer style of string. Phosphor bronze strings are a good option for a brighter tone, but they can definitely be harder on the fingers.
Enter the D’Addario EFT15 Flat Tops Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings. With a flat-top wind, the tops of the strings are, well, flatter — making for a much easier time on your fingertips. In extra light gauge, the EFT15 Flat Tops are some of the best acoustic guitar strings for beginners that you can get. With precision polishing for reduced finger noise and a great tone and sustain, these are simply great strings.
They are a decent bit more expensive than other types because flat-wound or semi-flat strings are more complicated to make. But if you’re not changing your strings all that often, the added cost is minimal.
Note that the EFT15 is marketed as extra light, but it’s pretty close to the thicknesses of the light-gauge EJ40s above. This is as good a time as any to mention that not every set of strings that’s called “light” has the same thicknesses, so watch those thicknesses if this is a concern.
Also available is the EFT16, a light-gauge version of this string (12-53).
Rotosound JK9 Jumbo King Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
If you want the absolute lightest gauge upper strings possible, that’ll be a set of 9s. That lighter gauge may be easier on your fingers as a beginning player.
In this space, the Rotosound JK9 Jumbo King Phosphor Bronze 9s is a great set of strings. Rotosound strings are known for imparting that iconic British sound and have been favored by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Geddy Lee and John Entwistle.
These steel strings are made up of an unusual 92/8 bronze alloy and are made in the UK. These are an established string type and brand that have been around for a long time and will perform very well.
Elixir Strings Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings w NANOWEB Coating, Extra Light (.010-.047)
Elixir is another well-known and highly respected string maker. You’ll find many types of Elixir strings in any guitar shop, and some guitars even ship with Elixirs preinstalled.
What sets these Elixirs apart is the combination of phosphor bronze and Elixir’s nanoweb coating, plus the sheer variety of gauges available. That nanoweb coating will give you extra life out of these strings, as the coating protects the strings from the oils and dirt on your hands. The coating can also help somewhat in terms of playability, as it can soften the feel of the strings on your fingers.
These are roundwound strings with superior performance, long-lasting tone, better tuning stability and resistance to corrosion. They’ll feel smooth in your hand and produce a tone that’s rich and full.
This family of Elixir strings comes in a wide range of gauges. But for the beginning guitarist, we recommend keeping it light. Stick with either the extra light (10-47) or Custom Light (11-52).
Ernie Ball Earthwood Silk and Steel Extra Soft Acoustic Set
Ernie Ball is another great string maker that has a loyal following across a wide range of guitar playing styles. These silk and steel strings are just about the softest option under your fingers, thanks to the silk layer between the steel and bronze. The 10-50 set is the lightest gauge available.
These strings will produce a wonderfully mellow tone and are among the best acoustic guitar strings for beginners, thanks to their soft feel. They will also reduce string noise from your fingers, if that’s an issue you’re trying to resolve with your playing.
If your guitar is already a fairly soft instrument, you might be underwhelmed by the sound output with these strings. But if you’re rocking a loud dreadnought or are typically playing with an amp, these will do wonders for you.
Check current prices on Amazon for the Ernie Ball Earthwood Silk and Steel Extra Soft Acoustic Set
Best Electric Guitar Strings for Beginners
Rocking on an electric instead of an acoustic? We’ve got recommendations for you, too! Below you’ll find unbiased comments about several of the best electric guitar strings for beginners.
Elixir Strings Electric Guitar Strings w NANOWEB Coating, Super Light (.009-.042)
As we mentioned above, Elixir makes excellent acoustic guitar strings, and they bring the same craftsmanship to their electric guitar strings as well.
What sets these Elixirs apart is the combination of nickel-plated steel and Elixir’s nanoweb coating, plus the sheer variety of gauges available. That nanoweb coating will give you extra life out of these strings, as the coating protects the strings from the oils and dirt on your hands. The coating can also help in terms of playability, as it can soften the feel of the strings on your fingers.
This particular family of Elixir strings comes in a great variety of gauges. We recommend either the super light (9-42) or Custom Light (9-46).
Ernie Ball Classic Pure Nickel Super Slinky Set
A legendary set of strings that’s been around for decades, Super Slinkys are used by tons of pros and amateurs alike. These are pure nickel-wrapped strings over high carbon steel hex cores, and they come in a range of interesting gauges. The Super variety is a 9-42 set, which is sufficiently light for most beginners.
There’s also an Extra set (8-38) and a Hybrid (9-46) that you might consider, depending on your playing preference.
And if you’re not sure what that preference is yet, that’s OK: Super Slinkys are so cheap, you could easily pick up all three types and experiment to your heart’s content.
Pure nickel wraps tend to produce a warm tone with a vintage profile, and that’s what you’ll get with these Super Slinkys.
Check current prices on Amazon for the Ernie Ball Classic Pure Nickel Super Slinky Set
D’Addario EPS520 ProSteels Electric Guitar Strings, Super Light, 9-42
D’Addario is perhaps best known for its strings for other instruments, but it makes some mean sets of electric guitar strings as well. If you walk into a guitar shop and pick up a guitar off the rack, there’s a better than decent chance it’s equipped with D’Addario XL strings.
This super light (9-42) gauge string features a unique steel alloy that’s unusually magnetic, leading to a bright tone with impressive sustain. This pack of roundwound strings includes three ProSteels wound lower strings and three plain steel upper strings.
Just be aware that these are pure steel strings, which can lead to a very bright tone that isn’t always best for single-coil electric guitars. Why is this relevant? Because many cheaper beginner electric guitars are single coil guitars. If that’s the kind of guitar you’re playing currently, you might want to choose a different type.
D’Addario EHR330 Half Round Electric Guitar Strings, Extra-Super Light, 8-39
If you’re not quite sure your fingers are ready for pure steel strings, we can’t blame you. They can be a bit of a shock. A better first choice for the best electric guitar strings for beginners is these half-round XL strings, which are sanded down on the top surface for much easier playing.
Half rounds cost just a bit more, and the tone is more middle of the road than bright. This middle approach plus the ease of playing make the EHR330 a perfect choice for many beginners.
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings for Fingerpicking
Fingerpicking guitar is a style all its own, and the rules for flatpicking (strumming) guitar players don’t always apply. This extends to string choice. If you’re equipping your guitar for fingerpicking, you’ll want to take that into account when selecting strings.
In general, you’ll want to choose a light gauge again. However, fingerstyle doesn’t produce as much volume, so going on the thicker side of light might be good to get more sound.
Whether you’re using your bare fingers or fingerpicks, the recommendations below are some of the best acoustic guitar strings for fingerpicking.
D’Addario EJ40 Silk & Steel Folk Guitar Strings, 11-47
Already reviewed as some of the best strings for all beginning acoustic players, the D’Addario EJ40 is also a fantastic set for fingerstyle players. In many styles where it’s used, fingerpicking doesn’t require that sunny brightness and may not even want it. Additionally, the softness of these strings is a welcome relief.
Check current prices on Amazon for the D’Addario EJ40 Silk & Steel Folk Guitar Strings, 11-47
Martin Guitar Acoustic Flexible Core Tommy’s Choice MA540FX
Martin guitars are legendary in certain genres, including many where fingerpicking styles show up. The company knows how to make a beautiful acoustic guitar, plain and simple. Martin also makes its own strings, and its line of flexible core strings is a great choice for fingerpicking.
The light gauge set ranges from 12 to 54, so they’re a bit thicker than many other light sets reviewed above. These are 92/8 phosphor bronze strings, but the real innovation is the flexible core. The core wire is lighter while the wrap is a bit heavier, giving a flexibility that should reduce your finger fatigue considerably.
With these strings, you should get a tone that’s full and balanced, and you’ll get plenty of flexibility on the string. If you plan to explore unconventional tunings, these strings should hold up.
In addition to the phosphor bronze set, there’s a custom light silk and steel pack in this series as well. The silk and steel set is also great for fingerpicking.
Check current prices for the Martin Guitar Acoustic Flexible Core Tommy’s Choice MA540FX (Light)
Ernie Ball Everlast Coated Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings
A coated string can make a lot of sense for fingerstyle since you know you’ll get a lot more oil and dirt on the strings in the plucked area. Still, you don’t want to compromise the sonic profile with too thick a coating. The Ernie Ball Everlast series is a great choice, then, because the coating on these phosphor bronze strings is extremely thin. That said, both the inner core and the wrap are coated, so you should get extreme durability here.
These strings are rich and warm, but the light gauge strings are thicker than other sets.