Acoustic Guitar for Beginners - Everything you need to know about Guitar String Gauges

By Robert Bowman


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.

Bronze guitar strings are commonly called 80/20's, are they are composed of eighty percent copper and twenty percent tin. Strings with these alloy ratios produce a very bright sound, and contain a very soft feel compared to other strings. These are signicantly easier to play for a beginner guitar player. They don't have as much tension, making it much easier to pluck than other string options. The biggest disadvantage to having 80/20's is that eventually their sound turns flat, so you'll find to restring from time to time depending on how often you play.

Phosphor-bronze guitar strings are made of ninety-two percent copper and eight percent tin, and last longer than any other alloy ratio string out there. These strings are incredibly durable and resistant to corrosion. With this nice combo of durability and a bold and brassy sound, phosphor-bronze strings are the most popular alloy ratio choice for acoustic guitar players world wide.

Brass strings are 85 percent copper and 15 percent tin, and are right between bronze and phosphor-bronze strings in terms of both sound and durability. Brass strings are considerably simpler to play, but many player discover that this alloy ratio is irritating to the skin on their finger tips. Despite the potential for irritation, they are used more widely than bronze strings by intermediate skilled guitar players and above.

When you are browsing online for new guitar strings, you will notice that they are classified by guitar string gauges of extra super light, super light, light, medium, heavy, and extra heavy. Lighter guitar string gauges are much easier to pluck, and are preferred by beginners, while heavier gauge strings are louder and stiffer. These require much more finger strength and skill to play, and you will need to be a highly skilled guitar player before you are able to use extra heavy strings. Medium gauge gives you benefits on both ends of the spectrum, and are perfect for intermediate players who have advanced past acoustic guitar basics. Different playing styles require different strings - try playing different gauges if your friends have guitar string gauges you do not - you'll quickly find out which gauge you find most enjoyable.




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