Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Guitar strings - beginner question

#1

Hey guys, I started taking some acoustic guitar lessons, I really suck at it so hopefully that scenario will change in a few years. I want to hear from more experienced players their opinion on strings:

What gauge strings do you prefer to use and why?
Any brand preference and why (lol)?

I am using light gauge 0,12 D’addario strings now on my Taylor Dreadnought guitar but I am finding them a bit heavy, which does not make sense since I am a bass player. THe guitar action is well regulated so it is not a fingerboard action issue. Maybe I am just a damsel in distress :rofl:

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#2

For my 000 and D guitars, light 0.012 Authentic Acoustic by Martin. Last year I tried their titanium strings, somewhat pricey but very nice, too. If I could get the cryo 1st and 2nd strings, I would buy a case load of them.

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#3

I play elec & standup Bass & guitar (among other things) …they are different animals and require slightly different approaches from the left hand.

You may be pressing harder than is necessary. Maybe try spending some time each session concentrating on not pushing the strings down any harder than is absolutely needed to get a clean sustained notes to ring out.

This is also great for helping to get us thinking about relaxing in general when playing.

I does take time to toughen up fingertips to the point of being able to play for extended periods of time also.

Trying to play too fast can also create tension that results in playing the instrument harder than is needed. Slowing down can help cure that part of the equation.

Elixir nano-web mediums on my D-28. I’ve tried many different sets, but keep coming back to these.

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#4

I’ve been using the D’Addario EJ19 (Bluegrass Acoustic Guitar) strings with great success. I really like the tone and their long-life. I play in church ever Sunday and try to practice everyday - they hold up well.

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#5

Frank, Frank, Frank…Do the math. Five fingers, five strings…five fingers, six strings.
Which one do you think will give you the most trouble? :roll_eyes:

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#6

@frankb_be, I use D’Addario EJ17’s (medium gauge). Bluegrass players as a “general rule” use medium. If you find the lights heavy, hmm… might just take some getting used to. How old are your strings? You want to keep them new to keep them feeling good!

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#7

I have a 25 year old Taylor 714ce and I use the Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze 12-53 strings. I was in Carter Vintage Guitars today (making a new post about that) and I asked about moving up a little bit on the strings for a little more backbone for when I really dig in and he said probably not because my cedar top may not be able to handle the additional tension. (My Taylor has a little wider nut at 3/4 and a cedar top for fingerpicking, but with the Indian Rosewood back and sides, it really has a great bottom end to it unlike most Taylors.) These strings last a long time and FWIW I find them to be very playable. For me, the playability is top notch and what I like about the Taylor and these strings. They feel smooth and I think they are a little quieter than some other stings.

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#8

Elixir Nanowebs. Great tone. Last a fairly long time. Probably the most expensive too. :roll_eyes: Light gage strings will be easier to play. The easier it is to play, the more likely you’ll stick with it. Very important when starting out.

D’Addario makes great strings too.

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#9

“The easier it is to play, the more likely you’ll stick with it.”

Couldn’t agree more. When people ask me what to start with for them or their kids, I say “playability” is king. I’ll give my grandaughter a Baby Taylor as soon as she can hold one (either just before or just after a fat little pony, LOL!)

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#10

Ut Oh… looks like I’m up ‘the’ creek then :rofl:

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#11

thank y’all this is a great community ideed
I will have a go at the Elixir medium, seems to be a popular choice

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#12

Not to confuse things here, but you might want to go with the Elixer Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze Light strings instead of the medium for a couple of reasons. I don’t know about your particular model of Taylor, but most Taylors used to come equipped with the Elixir Light strings as standard, I think they still do (although it looks like they may have developed some new custom gauge strings with Elixir, they still say that they are light strings). I don’t know if your particular guitar will hold up under a heavier gauge string such as mediums. You might email Taylor guitars with your model number, serial number, etc. and ask them. In general, the lighter the strings are, the easier they will be to play. The heavier the strings, the more tone you may be able to get. But again, strings that are too heavy may not be appropriate for your particular guitar neck/soundboard combination and put too much stress on the guitar neck or the soundboard at the bridge. Maybe much ado about nothing here, but I’d ask Taylor before going to heavier strings such as the mediums. I use lights on mine and I feel like I get a great tone out of them on my particular guitar.

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#13

I really like the Elixer nanowebs. I normally use the mediums, but right now have a set on my guitar that is slightly lighter on the top three strings. Haven’t noticed a lot of difference in playability, but I feel like they might have a slightly more punchy tone on the 3rd string. Either way, they last waaay longer than other strings.

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#14

Seconded. I also play a Taylor dreadnaught (DN3) and it sound really nice with the nanowebs. The last set I bought were 12s. They’re a tad on the heavy side for me, but not too bad. I may go back to the 11s on the next set… but the 12s do sound REALLY nice.

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#15

If you are a beginner get a spanish guitar, with nylon strings, get Ernie Ball black and gold strings

A great reference point is a Cordoba C5. I play a Cordoba solista and would not consider another brand

Until you can can hammer on and off without any pain, you are waiting for that to happen. It is much easier if not using a cheese slicer as a guitar (25.5 scale martin or gibson /epiphone with medium strings)