The best way to find out which is best for you is to try several types before you pinpoint your favorite. And there is no better time than now to start experimenting. That said, the resurgence in popularity of pure nickel strings suggests that players still value that vintage experience, and in terms of warm tone and smooth playability, they are hard to beat. They might also serve a practical purpose for beginners, too, as new guitarists can quickly identify specific strings based on their colour. A short scale guitar can be any guitar: bass guitars, acoustic guitars, scale electric guitar, acoustic-electric bass guitar - you name it, and there is probably a short scale version of the guitar on the market. Free delivery and returns on eBay Plus items for Plus members. The gauges for a six-stringed guitar range from the smallest on the high E string and level up to the B, G, D, A and low E strings. Easier to play and deeper in tone, these instruments are more popular than ever before! Basses. I currently have them equipped with .09. String gauges are measured in 1/1000th of an inch. They are: Body Style. Sure, if the shoes are too large you can get your feet in them, and you may even be able to walk around, but soon you’ll have blisters and all kinds of other problems. It enhances stability and sustain, but it could well be a time machine, for the pure nickel experience here – with nickel wrapped around a nickel core – makes for a truly rich, warm tone, perfect for blues, country, and jazz. So strings that would be under low tension on a full-size guitar will be under extra-low tension on a short-scale guitar. There is no doubt that strings greatly affect the tone and playability of your electric guitar. Epiphone Les Paul SL. The company’s latest step in the Super Slinky catalogue is the first cobalt string – a material said to provide a stronger magnetic relationship with pickups for higher output, clarity and harmonic response. The best electric guitar strings you can buy today (Image credit: Ernie Ball) 1. Scale Length. By Mike Duffy. Be the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. There is a good reason for Ernie Ball’s Slinky series of electric guitar strings’ ubiquitous presence in gig bags and cases the world over. For Fender's slate of electric guitar strings, these things will impact those factors: In this piece, we'll break down everything you need to know to ensure you've got the right strings on your Stratocaster, Telecaster or any other electric guitar. Also used by most 8 & 9 string guitars; 34″ (863.6mm) standard bass guitars; As you can see, there is no ‘normal’ scale length for an electric guitar. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. This creates a small V-shaped area of "slack" fit in the two places where the wire loops around the ball. That they come in all kinds of custom gauge options and are cheap as chips just seals the deal. Those holding a note and bending it won’t be disappointed. The only difference you might notice is that they stay brighter longer. Visit our corporate site. Everything you need to know about Fender's collection of electric guitar strings. A word on guitar string materials… Flatwound, which are favored by many jazz players, tend to have a smoother playing feel and darker tone. There’s not that much daylight between these and the Fender Bullets, though these have a more conventional wrap and ball-end construction, and as per Les Paul’s preference these have silk-wrapped ends to cut down on ambient noise, making these ideal for recording situations. Coated strings such as Elixir’s promise to extend the life of your string, repelling the gunk and sweat that builds up when playing. Roundwound is the most popular way of string winding, as they are available in the widest selection of gauges and materials. Nylon strings provide a mellow and percussive contrast to the bright and articulate sound of steel strings. New York string icon D’Addario set out to even the playing field with its Balanced Tension XL sets, which boast mathematically equalised resistance for a similar feel from string to string. Indeed, Ernie Ball claims that their patented RPS (reinforced plain string) technology increases tensile strength by up to 37 per cent, with up to 70 per cent more fatigue strength. The pioneering Northern California … Meanwhile, New York-based string titans D’Addario plump for a high-carbon steel core with their NYXL range, around which they judiciously wrap some nickel and promise another super-tough string that won’t go breaking on you when you go for a hero bend. Belt and braces. A couple of things to consider when deciding on a first guitar: 1. The Slinky feel, much-loved by players in many different genres, has been given a high-tech update with the Paradigm range, courtesy of Ernie Ball’s patented RPS (Reinforced Plain String) technology increasing the strength of its electric guitar strings by up to 37 per cent. There’s even a seven-string option. The British string stalwart has been making strings since 1959 and now colour-codes according to gauge as Roto Reds, Pinks, Yellows and Purples. And you don’t have to be rock royalty. SIT Power Wound electric guitar strings, 9. The difference between a 9 and a 10 is far more pronounced in terms of tension than the difference between a 46 and a 47 or something like that. Ibanez GRGM21BKN 3/4 Size Mikro Electric Guitar. Body: Poplar. “But,” you ask, “if high tension is good, why not use extra-hard strings?” Maybe you should. Hello! To help you zero in on the right strings for you, we've scoured the market and played some of the very best sets, with great options here from Ernie Ball, Elixir, GHS and more that cater for all budgets and playing styles. As mentioned in the introduction, scale length is the distance between the bridgeand the nut of a guitar. Gibson SG Special 2016 T Electric Guitar, Satin Cherry. This is a lot easier to achieve on a shorter scale guitar and using lower gauge strings, because the shorter the scale, the lower the string tension will be at pitch. Coated or uncoated electric guitar strings? That's all down to their carefully considered construction. Gibson’s “bench-tested and builder-approved” nickel strings should on the shortlist for any player looking for that warm nickel tone and smooth feel. humidity and the residue left behind by your hands can speed the process, - "Light-Regular:" .009/.011/.016/.026/.036/.046, - "Regular Heavy:" .010/.013/.017/.032/.042/.052. Best Budget Option. Optima Gold Brian May Signature strings, 10. The Stagg BC300 is a 4 string, 3/4 size fusion electric bass … When the body of a guitar is too large, it forces you to reach around awkwardly to pick or strum the strings, putting your fret hand in an even mor… Below are the common materials used for wound strings in Fender's lineup: Epiphone Les Paul Special VE. The normal scale length for a Fender is 25.5″, but the normal scale length for a Gibson is 24.75″. If they're into rock music, best to go for an electric guitar. One advantage of less string tension is a “looser” feel, making bending and vibrato more fluid. Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtqfHmssx8&t=191s. Thank you for signing up to Musicradar. Dunlop Heavy Core electric guitar strings, 6. Ernie Ball Paradigm. A set of .010’s on a Gibson Les Paul (24.75”) will feel pretty different from the same strings on a Schecter KM7 (26.5), with almost 2 more inches of length, they will be significantly tighter on the Schecter. Tone-wise you are looking at a bright, harmonically dynamic voice. For example, Stratocaster and Telecaster scale length is the standard 25.5-inch length as you can see in the picture below. 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Best Short Scale Electric Guitars & Best Short Scale Electric Guitar Brands A full sized guitar might be difficult to handle especially if you are a beginner or you have small hands. Boomers are uncoated, roundwound nick-plated steel strings with a round core, and offer a smooth ride for all kinds of styles. The low E, A and D strings are wound with various alloys, while the G, B and high E strings are tin-plated. These long-life strings from German company Optima are the only 24 carat gold strings in the world (don’t fear, they’re priced in the upper-medium end of the spectrum). The best electric guitar strings for your Strat, Price: from £7.99/$9.99 | Material: Nickel. This is the latter. How do I find a good set of electric guitar strings? Meanwhile, heavier gauges give you more volume and sustain, allow you to dig in and play harder, and are typically preferred for drop-tunings and alternate tunings. What you need to know about guitar string gauges The good thing about having a variety of strings for your electric guitar is that you have options. Let's face it, if you don't want it to be just another percussion instrument in your collection, you need strings. We’ll start off this list with a real classic, Squier by Fender. Buy Short Scale Electric Guitars and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! At normal string tension, this "slack" wire loop is taut and unbent, and the ball end is prevented from completely abutting the bridge plate. I was wondering what string gauge would be ideal for a shortscale Fender Mustang. There was a problem. Great Savings & Free Delivery / Collection on many items Finally, don't forget to wash your hands before playing to rid your fingers of potentially damaging oils. Today's best electric guitar strings deals, Tough enough for Floyd Rose whammy abuse and heavy picking, Regular Slinky series still awesome at third of the price, You are cutting down on single-use plastic, Ernie Ball’s Skinny Top Heavy Bottom set is more your speed, Fender patented bullet-shaped string ends, Extra high E string to cover inevitable breakages, We check over 130 million products every day for the best prices, 3. Folk music is best played on a steel string acoustic. The extra first string is a useful addition to these nickel-on-steel sets, especially to players who are prone to snapping that high E – which, when you think about it, is most of us. They really pop with a bright clarity, and nice solid midrange. A mathematically precise set with comparable feel from string to string, Price: £6.99/$4.89 | Material: Round wound with nickelplated steel. The plain steel strings are the best example here. A guitar with a shorter scale length (like the Gibson Les Paul) requires less tension to reach concert pitch than a guitar with a longer scale (like the Fender Strat). The best electric guitar strings for higher-output playing, Price: £13.95 | Material: Tin plated high carbon steel core. That means even effort when bending, strumming, plucking and slapping, and even improved dynamic control. 27-30″ (686 – 762mm) guitars in this range are called ‘baritone’ guitars. In fact, Ernie Ball were so confident that they shot a video of John Petrucci trying to break them.Sp;oiler alert:  he couldn’t! The best short scale acoustic guitar is one which melds tonal emphasis with ideal sound projection. Answers on a postcard. $9,200. They won’t go dull for ages either. Sometimes the tone and feel of fresh electric guitar strings can even get you out of a creative rut. Stagg BC300 Short Scale Electric Guitar. As a company at the forefront of the longer-life coated strings market when it was developed in the '90s, Elixir has continued to refine the technology. Liquid error: Could not find asset snippets/.liquid Free Shipping on orders over $50 *remote area exclusions. These are the very best guitar strings from Ernie Ball, D’Addario, Elixir, Rotosound and more. Tough enough for Floyd Rose whammy abuse and heavy picking. Lots of blues and rock guitarists land on medium gauges that offer the benefits of both worlds, while jazz guitarists who don't bend a lot of notes tend to use heavy gauges, sometime with a wound G string. If you really want your guitar strings to stand out as well as your playing does, then these colourful options from DR are a novel eye-catcher. - Vintage Nickel: A little more warmth than nickel-plated steel. Playing a guitar that is too large for your hand size can be just as daunting. And, of course, when it comes to restringing your Les Paul. It won't be overnight, but humidity and the residue left behind by your hands can speed the process. While short-scale instruments are designed for smaller hands, they’re not the only option. Available in .009, .010 and .011 gauges, these pure nickel strings will partner nicely with your Strat or Tele. The string of choice for Rammstein and Lamb Of God, Launch price: from $4.99 | Spec: 8% nickel-plated steel cover wrap over a hexagonal-shaped core. Fender offers strings with ball ends and Bullet ends. Please refresh the page and try again. Expect to get a lot of joy from bends, and a great feel. Full-length ‘long scale’ guitars measure 25.5-inch; in contrast, a small scale guitar neck measures from 22 inches to 24 ¾ inches. Get the best deals on Short Scale Bass Guitars. Readily available discounted online, and like many of the more popular string sets as multipacks, the GHS Boomers represent great value. Because of their flat surface, they can also be easier on the fingers. Squier is Fender’s entry-level guitar … It’s hard to argue against the SG as being the … Bath The body size of a guitar can make or break your guitar playing experience. item 5 Ghs Balanced Nickels - Bass String Set, 4-String, Medium 044 106, short Scale - Ghs Balanced Nickels - Bass String Set, 4-String, Medium 044 106, short Scale AU $54.60 +AU $19.60 postage As far as uncoated electric guitar strings go, these are impossible to beat, and the second-brightest model D’Addario makes. MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The scale length of a guitar is measured from the nut of the guitar to the center of the … They are said to have a brighter tone with great sustain. Optiweb is the company’s latest coating, helping to protect these nickel-plated steel strings from corrosion while offering the same tone as uncoated strings. Fender Original Bullet electric guitar strings, 7. When looking to purchase the best short scale acoustic guitar, there are some points to be noted. Still, the increased size adds more tension and can be more difficult to bend and fret. Price: £16.99/$14.99 | Material: Coated and treated nickel-wound steel. When equipped on a small body instruments like parlor or small classical guitars, nylon strings produce a different tonal palette that both professionals and beginners enjoy. Alembic Stanley Clarke Standard. There are other considerations, however, like tuning stability and durability. View at Walmart. Bullet strings attach a tiny cylinder of brass shaped like a bullet to the end of the string in a one-piece construction. The low E, A and D strings are wound with various alloys, while the G, B and high E strings are tin-plated. Playing the wrong size guitar is like wearing the wrong size shoes. Strings are such a crucial link in your electric guitar sound chain, that it's not surprising that when they feel and sound great, you can get the best out of your sound. This 'fix' has worked perfectly. The scale length on the Burswood guitar is approx 50cm I have tuned it to A-D-G-C-E-A and the strings are now suitably taught, and are not going out of tune (well, not quickly as previously), and the guitar sounds really very nice for something so cheap £25 (GBP) from a second-hand shop. Shop today! Fender also offers the Speed Slick guitar string cleaner applicator that restores and extends string life with a few swipes up and down the string. And now for some pure nickel tone made for your Gibson! Then once you have your strings picked out, just make sure to monitor them regularly so you're always sounding great. You will receive a verification email shortly. - Nickel-Plated Steel: A popular option with balanced tone between warmth and brightness and a fast attack. Featuring my characteristic powerful, refined and noble concert sound, Scott Short Scale guitars are true concert instruments designed to suit musicians with smaller hands. All Rights Reserved. Douglass Scott Short Scales Guitars. Ernie Ball Slinky electric guitar strings, 12. Lighter gauge strings will sound brighter and will be easier to bend; if you are playing lead guitar, a set of .009 or .010 strings will be a more comfortable feel. On the other hand, it's pretty common for sub-par strings to inhibit your playing too. The string design was specifically made for Stratocaster guitars because the Bullet ends fit far more precisely into the tremolo block, closely fitting the circumference of the string channel, adding sustain. Also resistant to corrosion, so they will last a long time. The most common spec for the electric guitar string is nickel-wound steel, which offers a little of the warmth of nickel but with a brighter top end. Arguably the best electric guitar strings on the market for value, Price: £8.95/$5.49 | Material: Nickel-plated steel. In general, the difference in diameter on a given gauge string is going to have a more pronounced effect on the smaller gauged strings on your guitar. This takes some getting used to. To achieve the optimal fit to the player, this model is available in a multitude of scale lengths 613.5mm and longer. SIT is an all-American string company that prides itself on the fact that its strings Stay In Tune. String sage Ernie Ball reckons it’s made some of the world’s strongest strings with the Paradigm set, which promises longer string life while retaining the company’s iconic Slinky tone and feel. CYBER WEEK SALE: Save 50% on a Monthly Plan. Electronics. These are the. For even more fun, stick them under a UV light and they’ll glow, too! $15.49. They take their name from the bullet-shaped string ends that sit snugly between the bridge block and creates what Fender calls a “sonic coupling”. The first is a question of fretboard geography – to accommodate the lower tunings and maintain string tension, the scale lengths are considerably longer than on regular six-string guitars, measuring from a relatively short 26.5” to 28” or more. Heavy gauge strings (typically those with a high E gauge of .011 and higher, though some might say .011 is still medium) can feel thick enough to tow a trailer, but they were just the thing for Stevie Ray Vaughan, who appreciated their fat, well pronounced bottom end and authoritative tone. A combination of an 8% nickel-plated steel cover wrap over a hexagonal-shaped core - all sourced in the USA, no less - produces a bright treble response with long string life. Generally, lighter gauge strings are easier to play, brighter, allow you to bend strings and fret notes easier, and exert less tension on your guitar's neck. Squier by Fender Bronco Bass, Black with Maple Fingerboard. Elixir Optiweb coated electric guitar strings, 5. This roundwound set is used by May exclusively, with a custom light gauge running from .009, .011, .016, .024, 032, 042. The best coated strings, with a natural feel, Price: £14.99/$12.99 | Material: Nickel-plated steel. Keep reading to find the strings that best match your electric guitar, music, and playing style. Hell no! www.alembic.com. $15.49 . Short Scale Bass Guitars A short scale bass guitar somewhat bridges the gap between a conventional guitar scale length and that of a full bass. Don't miss the latest deals, news, reviews, features and tutorials. They come shipped in an air-tight fresh pack with each string individually wrapped in GHS’s NitroPack. Below are the common materials used for wound strings in Fender's lineup: String cores are also made of steel in most cases. Ball end strings work on all electric guitars. It's not really a Les Paul but it's quirky fun. While some players prefer the natural feel of an uncoated string, not to mention the lower price, string coatings have evolved to feel evermore natural. Fretboard radius: 14" … Shop with Afterpay on eligible items. All rights reserved. These nickel-wrapped steel strings are the second brightest electric guitar strings D’Addario manufacture and come in a wide variety of gauges. Fender string gauges can be summed up thusly (from the high E to low E strings): Fender electric guitar strings are made of steel, so they properly transmit the string vibrations to the magnetic pickups. "String gauge" refers to the size of the string, as in how thick, measured in thousandths of an inch. Fender electric guitar strings are made of steel, so they properly transmit the string vibrations to the magnetic pickups. Squier Classic Vibe 50's Stratocaster. Further, the nature of the precision-machined Bullet end design meant that the string returned to the exact same position every time, greatly improving tuning stability even after heavy tremolo use. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Is it too much to string your electric with gold strings? Secondly, they feel great – great to bend, not overly noisy. The interesting thing is the … Hexagonal-shaped wires have been used in more modern string construction, as they hold the outer windings in place and hold tune well. Rotosound Rotos electric guitar strings, 11. Check Amazon. If this doesn’t sound quite your speed, there is, naturally, a 24-carat gold option from Optima. Use some string cleaner with a special wipe, or simply a polish cloth, to keep things properly maintained. Elixir coat the whole of the string, too. That’s not to say they’ll never break, of course, but rest assured they’re tough in the extreme, while the nanocoating feels natural with that Slinky tone present and correct. This is true, as long as both are strung with the same gauge strings. Strings designed for drop-tuning and baritone guitars, Price: £6.99/$4.99 | Material: Nickel-plated steel. Because electric guitar strings are made out of steel, they contain iron, which corrodes when exposed to oxygen. Something for everyone! A roundwound string uses a round wire to wrap around the inner core of the string, while flatwound uses a flat wire (think tape). Your ears and fingers do the rest - listen to them, and they'll tell you which strings are right for your particular style and feel. The standout multi-coloured electric strings, Price: £11.10/$9.99 | : **Material:** K3 luminescent neon multi-color nickel-plated steel, hexagonal core wire with ball end. D’Addario Balanced Tension XL strings, 13. That's made Power Wounds the strings of choice for power players such as The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Lamb Of God's Willie Adler and Rammstein's Richard Kruspe. Is there any better feeling than winding a fresh set of the best electric guitar strings onto your guitar, tuning up and strumming an open chord to hear those notes ring out clear and true? Guitar strings are going two ways right now: one is looking forward to using cobalt, coating strings, new tech, the other is looking at offering players an authentic vintage experience. Firstly, they sound great. Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky electric guitar strings, 14. On the other hand, lighter gauges offer less sustain and volume, and can break more regularly. To get ordinary strings to feel right on a short-scale guitar, you need to use high-tension strings. View at Sam Ash. Copyright ©2020. Exploring the options is a fun and rewarding part of creating your own signature sound. D'Addario reckons they will "bend farther, sing louder, and stay in tune better than any string you’ve played before” and that’s just what you need. Asked/Answered: Are Short-Scale Guitars Best for Players with Small Hands? The best electric guitar strings for ultra-strong, long-lasting performance, Price: £16.99/$14.99 | Material: Coated and treated nickel-wound steel. Short scale bass guitars, short scale fender, short scale mustang bass. Fender does have short-scale models – namely the Jaguar, Mustang, and Duo-Sonic (which we review below) – which are all 24 inches. By gauge we mean the thickness or diameter of the string. BA1 1UA. Here are some things that will tip you off that it's time for a string change: For a proper tutorial on how to change your guitar strings, take a look at the video below. Every type of string has its own sonic qualities and playing characteristics. - Stainless Steel: Very bright tone with excellent sustain. There’s also plasma-enhanced wrap wire for increased corrosion resistance, too, and Ernie Ball promises that its Everlast nanocoating won’t flake nor mess with the string’s natural response. As a rule of thumb, if you want to play fast leads and chords, light gauges may be the way to go (metal players with a preference for drop-D tuning would still need a heavy gauge for the lower strings or wound strings). Claimed to be among the strongest electric guitar strings ever made, D’Addario’s technology offers a high-carbon steel core to resist breakage and refined frequency response to enhance presence and crunch. The core refers to the center of the string, with windings going around it to create larger, wound strings. That means you can really attack those strings without any of the flab that you might get from tuning down on a regular set. Classic British strings with an extra high E, Price: £5.95/$4.99 | Material: Nickel-on-steel. If you’re looking for the classic Epiphone sound … There is no loop and hence no slack, and the business end of the bullet makes tighter and more uniformly solid contact with the bridge. You’ve got Skinny Top Heavy Bottoms, Hybrid Slinky, 7 and 8-string options. Tough to break and with increased presence, Price: £12.50/$12.99 | Material: Nickel-wound, high-carbon steel core. ", Cyber Monday M1 Macbook Air and MacBook Pro deals we didn't think we'd see, Andrew Huang’s Flip promises to be a fast but feature-packed sample-based music-making app, Re-stringing your acoustic? And when it comes to Fender electric guitar strings, there are a lot of factors to consider as you decide which set to purchase, such as the musical genre you want to play, how often you play and your guitar's scale. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Short scale Electric guitar DIY kit for Children GK SST 06; Best-seller Electric Guitar DIY Kit GK SST 10; Chinese Left-Hand Electric Guitar DIY Kit GK SST 10L; 12-string Guitar Kit/ Solid Wood guitar GK SST 10S ; Solid Ash Body DIY Electric guitar kit GK SST 15; GK SST 15-REV; 12-strings Electric Guitar kit/ Ash Body GK SST 15S; more>> GK STL Series. Fender PlayCYBER WEEK SALE: Save 50% on a Monthly Plan.UNLOCK THIS OFFER. Different guitar types are not uniform in size. Many thanks @Rockin_Cowboy. The best electric guitar strings for ultra-strong, long-lasting performance. A little 24 carat bling for rock’s most regal riffer, Price: £16.99/$22.99 | Material: : 24 carat gold roundwound. Menu 0. On ball end strings, the core wire of the string wraps around a separate piece, a tiny metal "ball." Traditional sets can sometimes feature vastly different tensions between strings, causing players to compensate with altered techniques. As a result, they top this list of the best electric guitar strings. Luckily, regularly cleaning your strings will keep them stronger longer. I couldn’t help to put it in the first place because … … Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top has a signature set that has a high E of .007, which is really pushing it. No string is fully break-proof, but you should be looking for those with a high tensile strength. Short Scale Guitars that have smaller bodies do not resonate as well as guitars that have average-sized bodies, ... and strung with a pack of 012-054 Martin SP Phosphor Bronze guitar strings. These categories of people may not be able to learn the musical instrument effectively as they will find it difficult to play around with a full-sized guitar. It works for him, but then every player is different, and you will only find out what is right for you after trying a variety of gauges and materials. There are many types and sizes of guitars from the dreadnought ones to the travel-friendly ones and all sizes in between. Ultra-high strength steel can be found in the wound and plain strings, plus there is some reinforcement at the ball end, enabling them to lock in tune fast and hold up to aggressive styles without popping. Luckily guitar strings are not expensive – this will be one of the cheapest parts of your rig – so experimenting with as many different sets as you can is a good idea. The best electric guitar strings if you're looking for options, Price: £5.99/$5.49 | Material: Nickel-wound steel. A number of brands now have sets catering for drop tunings and extended range guitars, but Dunlop says these Heavy Core nickel-wrapped steel strings have the core-to-wrap ratio to rule them all, one that maintains a comfortable and consistent tension in lower tunings.