Learn How To Play Guitar & Guitar Accessories

Question: Guitar strings for beginners?

(Posted by: on 2012-02-01 13:20:49)

Broke my strings trying to tune the guitar...Any suggestions on what kind of strings i should get that are easy to press down on? Its a electric guitar btw. Thank you in advance. Lol, I'm a total beginner so i don't really know what 8's are haha.

Posted by: Zombie Killer on 2012-02-01, 13:22:26

Try size 8 i use 9's and there good for me 8's should be more bendy though and easier to use or 7's oh well, guitar sizes are based on the thickness of the strings so 15 would be like bass strings that are really thick and lower numbers get thinner, because they are thinner they are normally easier to bend and play.. that's why acoustic is good for finger strength cause the strings on it are thicker and harder to press down. i agree with the person below but i think steel is best for electric.. just my opinion though ^^

Posted by: xbrownangelx on 2012-02-01, 13:26:30

Nylon strings are always best for a beginner. They're not as hard as steel strings and definitely helped me when I first started learning how to play guitar. However, i just found this online so I'd probably buy the same type of strings that came with the guitar! Q: I like the sound of steel strings better than the nylon strings that are on my guitar now. Can I put steel strings on my guitar without problems? A: This can be dangerous! The design of nylon string guitars is very different from steel string guitars. To get the best sound from a guitar there is a balance between strength and flexibility. Nylon strings are under less tension than steel strings so the top is made thinner and the internal braces are lighter allowing the instrument to vibrate more, giving you better volume. The extra pressure that steel strings put on a nylon guitar can, over time, cause the top to pull up, cause braces to come loose, and even pull the bridge off the guitar! Also, most nylon string guitars do not have internal neck reinforcement (truss rod) like steel string instruments do. This will cause the neck to pull forward causing the distance of the strings from the fret tops to increase greatly making the instrument difficult to play. The tuning gear rollers on nylon instruments are also different. They are normally made from plastic which will not support the pressure of the steel strings. The shafts may break under the extra pressure. Hope this helps! :)

Posted by: jcr on 2012-02-01, 13:40:36

Ignore the recommendation to use nylon. You need electric guitar strings, which are made of steel and are wound with an alloy to which magnetic pickups will respond. 8, 9, etc. refer to the diameter of the narrowest (high E) string in thousandths of an inch, so provide a rough idea of the gauge of the entire set. Lighter gauges will be a bit easier to bend but will break more easily too. Any string gauge should be pretty easy to press down on a properly set up electric guitar, though. If you are having trouble, it could be that your guitar is not adjusted correctly.

Posted by: sidestepper11 on 2012-02-01, 14:09:17

What Guitar Strings Are Good for Beginners? There are many different kinds of guitar strings. When starting out playing the guitar, the kind of strings that you use can affect how much you enjoy playing the instrument. Different types of strings not only affect the tone of the guitar, they also affect the instrument's playability. By stringing your guitar with the proper strings, you can increase your chances of learning to play the instrument well. Nylon Strings Acoustic guitars with nylon strings will hurt your fingers the least. Nylon strings are not wound like steel strings. Because of this, they do not cut into the fleshy tips of your fingers as much as steel strings. Nylon strings are best suited for classical music and some types of jazz. If you want to play pop music, rock and roll or country, you may not like the sound these strings produce. You cannot put nylon strings on an electric guitar. Electric Guitars The best way to make an electric guitar easier to play for a beginner is to put thinner strings on it. Almost all major guitar string companies sell sets of light-gauge strings that are thinner and therefore easier to play than normal or heavy-gauge strings. Light gauge strings should hurt your fingers less than thicker strings, and they will also be easier to learn bending techniques on. Steel-String Acoustics If you are intent on playing a steel-string acoustic guitar, your best bet is to tough it out. Steel-string acoustic guitars use significantly thicker strings than electric guitars. While you can put on a thinner pair of strings (making the guitar slightly easier to play), this will affect the tone of the instrument more than putting lighter strings on an electric guitar. If your fingers are extremely sore or even bleeding, you may be pressing down too hard on the strings.

Posted by: TommyMc on 2012-02-01, 14:27:43

There are really 2 issues here: 1. You need to replace the broken string(s) 2. You need some guidance so you don't break more strings while tuning. First the strings. If this is a new guitar with new strings and you just broke one of them, you can buy a replacement string. Any guitar shop will sell individual strings. Just tell them which string, and that it's for an electric guitar. If the strings are old, or you broke several strings, you may want to buy a complete set. If you select "Light " or "Extra Light " gauge strings, they'll be easier to press. Many times we refer to the sets by the gauge of the high E string. If you get a set with a high E that's .009 " (also called 9's) you'll be fine. There are many videos on the web that can show you how to install the strings on your particular style of guitar. Now on to tuning. I have to assume that you tuned these strings so high that they snapped. Electric guitar strings have a lot of leeway to be tuned higher...so you must have been miles away from concert pitch. If you were relying on an electronic tuner....don't. They give false readings if you're too far out of tune. Start by tuning your strings to a reference note. Here's an online tuner that you can use: guitarforbeginners.com/ onlinetuner.html Once the strings are close, then it's okay to tweak them with a tuner. If you have any questions about tuning or replacing the strings, I suggest you bring your guitar in to the shop with you when you get the strings. The store person will be able to give you some guidance in string selection and tuning. Best of luck....