strings, picks & cable

There's a lot to be said about picks, strings and guitar cords. There's more product out there than ever before. Whether you are just getting started or you been buying music gear and accessories for 30 years, getting what's right for you is more complicated than it ever was. All I can say is... experiment and keep a mental note of what you find out. Remember that getting that good tone you hear in your head is comprised of many components and how they interact with one another. I call it the "Tone Chain". It all starts with your fingers!

Boy here's a subject that gets a lot of debate on the internet! A couple of decades ago, there wasn't a lot of choices when it came to strings. Now you have coated & uncoated, tempered & non-tempered, you got more choices on gauges and core materials & wrap materials than ever before! Where to start? Check out forums on the internet or ask players what strings they use. Just remember everybody has an opinion and that's all it is.

You can put the greatest set of strings in the world on your guitar and then be disappointed pretty quickly because it was a wrong choice set for the guitar. How can that be? Players like to think they get to be the "The Great Decider" when it comes to string choices. I hate to break it to you... but the guitar has the last word about what is best... and what's more... your guitar could care less about what you think. You're just the player... so get open minded about this perspective with string choices and you'll get dialed in to what works best real quick!

Here's some basic parameters that you can expect from string tone and behaviors associated with string types and gauges. First off string gauge is a personal choice. But you always need to take in consideration your playing style, your physical comfort, the guitar's set up and it's duty (what you use it for). For example, you'll use a heavier gauge set for slide guitar with open tunings than you would for a standard tuning.

Most players with decades of experience would agree that a heavier gauge string set usually offers a bit more tone than a lighter set does. Light sets are not bad, just different. Light sets on some guitars can sound thin. Remember that a heavier string is a little stiffer and physical harder to bend. They also as a rule... will have a tendency to vibrate more easily and longer over a magnetic pickup than a lighter string, depending on the magnetic strength of the pickup and string proximity.

But don't take my word for it, try it and see for yourself. Tip: start with the next heaviest string set so if you can become accustom to the next size set up, otherwise you could be in for an unpleasant surprise. Like lifting weights, work your way up. If you think this is turning into rocket science yet... it is... there's more... lots more.

Let's go over the different string types (for electric guitar) and discuss their sonic properties and what they do to your frets. There's two major string division types in the string world. They are: plain strings (or unwrapped) and wound strings (wrapped). Plain strings depending on the string set gauge, are usually the two smallest strings and many sets the 3rd string is unwound, but not always. Pickups are so efficient now that the 3rd string for most applications balances out better than it ever has. A million years ago all 3rd strings came wrapped.

But as solid body guitars and loud amplifiers became more prevalent most folks preferred a plain 3rd string. The reason you see jazz string sets using a wound 3rd string is because it is slightly stiffer a mellower in tone. Perfect for jazz. Not so good for rockers!

So you got your nickel sets, temper treated (cryogenic) sets, stainless steel sets... the list goes on. Here's a quick word on plain steel strings. To my ears... everybody makes a good plain string and they all seem to sound and last about the same. So when you hear a lot of hot wind and soda crackers about one is better than another... just take it with a grain of sand.

Nickel plated sets are cheap and they have pretty good tone. Nickel plating is soft by nature and these sets are the easiest on fret wear. I use nickel sets myself, I like the tone. I would describe the characteristics as a full bodied warm tones with fat bass response. It has good midrange character, punchy and cuts through the mix. If you keep these strings clean of beer, whiskey, DNA and other body fluids you can actually get some good mileage out of them. More on that later...

Stainless Steel sets can be tough on your frets because of the hardness. So depending what your fret wire alloy is made from and how much you play and where you play the most on the fingerboard, you can go through frets faster than on nickel sets. Stainless sets do have some awesome tone qualities. They really cut through the mix great, I like the bright tones. They also have a nice tight clear bass response. That sound more responsive and louder on some guitars.

This is an excellent choice string type that will breathe life into an anemic sounding guitar with flabby or muddy bass tones. Because that there are less iron particles in stainless steel, they can last longer than nickel plated strings. Some folks report they get a little more sustain or slower signal decay because the pickup has less of an affect on the string.

Cryogenic and coated strings are the new kids on the block in the string world and can have a host of different properties and qualities to them. Some coated strings depending on the coating process can affect the tone too. But the main idea is to make a string last longer by making it more impervious to wear and tear. Manufacturers will claim that they last three times longer than a uncoated string.

My experience with coated strings validate that claim. But on the other had, I have also learned some secrets on how to extend the life of an uncoated string by quite a bit. But the advantage is that a coated string will pretty much always sound "fresher longer" than a well cared for uncoated string.

Cryogenic strings are typically brighter sounding over all and because that the atomic lattice structure of the atoms in the strings have been realigned in the tempering process... the string can be harder and wear down your frets down faster. The last thing I want to mention before we explore the world acoustic strings is to mention a bit about different types of windings and their sonic properties because they hold true in electric as well as acoustic string sets.

There are round wound (the most common), beveled or semi wound and then there is flat wound windings. Round are the brightest and they are the toughest on frets... they are also the noisiest that create "finger squeak". Beveled or semi round retain the sonic qualities of round wounds, but are easier on the frets with less "finger squeak" and can feel a little slicker or slippery. Flat wounds of course have virtually no finger squeak and very little fret wear, but sonically I would characterize the string as warm, mellow with diminished upper mids & treble response in comparison to the other winding types.

Tip: Any time you use a magnetic pickup on an acoustic guitar, you are always better served by using electric guitar strings because they have better overall string volume balance and response to the pickup.

Tip: To make uncoated strings last there longest, use a product made by John Pearse String Swipes. He recommends you wipe down your strings with this product before and after you use the guitar. You should always wipe down the strings to remove as much materials and moisture off the strings that accelerate the corrosion process.

Tip: Always use a separate cloth for your strings than for the rest of the guitar. That way, you'll less likely to scratch a delicate polished surface because you picked up something hard off the strings.

Confused yet? Good. Wait until your enter the forest of acoustic guitar strings!