FEATURES of the Best Electric Guitar Strings: D’Addario, Ernie Ball, GHS, Elixir, DR. MOST POPULAR BRANDS.
D’ADDARIO Electric Guitar Strings
If we talk about the most influential and recognized brands of electric guitar strings, it is practically obligatory to start with one of the most legendary brands in history: D’Addario.
The D’Addario family has been in the business of making strings for all kinds of musical instruments since the 17th century. D’Addario began its journey in a small Italian town called Salle, but in the early decades of the 20th century they moved their headquarters to New York, to benefit the expansion of the brand.
And in 1956 the company would become one of the first brands to manufacture electric guitar strings, D’Addario very accurately sensing the potential of the new instrument.
Their electric guitar strings stand out for their clear and bright sound, and for their great ability to adapt to any musical genre. Strings used by countless guitarists and by artists as diverse as Mark Knopfler, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, John Frusciante, or Scott Ian of Anthrax, among many others.
The examples mentioned above clearly demonstrate the versatility of D’Addario strings, and their most popular series is the EXL nickel-plated steel. In this range we can find standard gauge sets at a fairly reasonable price, and in value packs of 3, 10, and 25 sets of strings.
In short, these are strings with a very good sound, versatile and at a good price, although if we do not pay attention to cleaning them after finishing playing, or even during a long session, their durability is greatly reduced depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, and the sweat from our hands.
Sweaty Hands
If our hands sweat too much, we can use talc powder. This is something that some guitarists like Keith Richards or Jeff Beck often use. Talcum powder keeps our hands dry and also significantly improves the glide of our hands on the neck and fingerboard.
But we must always take the precaution of thoroughly cleaning the talc from the neck and strings when we finish playing, and always use it in moderation.
Cleaning the Strings
To clean the strings we can simply use a dry cloth, preferably made of microfibre, and we can also clean the entire guitar without fear that a rough cloth or kitchen roll could cause scratches or wear on the lacquer of our guitar.
We can also use string cleaners, with the advantage of being able to lubricate the strings with this product before starting to play, and thus obtain better finger glide.
ERNIE BALL Electric Guitar Strings
Another legendary manufacturer is Ernie Ball. The hallmark of the sound of these strings is their full and dense bass, while maintaining bright highs. In addition, Ernie Ball strings enjoy great elasticity that facilitates the execution of bends, and the use of gauges of a certain thickness.
This brand is very popular within musical genres such as Rock or Metal, and is also used by countless artists such as Slash, Angus Young, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, or by guitarists from legendary metal bands such as Iron Maiden or Metallica.
The nickel-plated steel Slinky range would be the most popular series, as their prices are quite affordable.
GHS Electric Guitar Strings
GHS is another historic brand that has been making strings for all types of instruments since 1964, and is a brand that is dedicated solely and exclusively to the manufacture of strings. This brand is used by the most demanding professionals such as David Gilmour, Eric Johnson, Dave Mustaine, Jack White, or Tom Morello.
The hallmark of these strings, in addition to their brilliant sound, is their durability and strength. Strings that maintain a brilliant sound for longer, while supporting extreme string bends with greater breaking strength than other brands.
GHS strings have a round core for greater contact between the wound and the core, as opposed to the standard hex core that most strings have, for greater support of the wound to the core.
ELIXIR Coated Strings
Another string manufacturer that every guitarist should know is Elixir. This manufacturer began creating its products in the mid-90s, and is one of the most innovative brands in the guitar string market in recent decades.
Elixir uses antioxidant treatments to manufacture its products, and the Gore Tex polymer that covers the strings is its main characteristic and star quality.
This ultra-thin coating protects the strings from moisture and dirt, significantly extending the lifespan of the strings. It also reduces the noise caused by fingers rubbing against the wound.
One of the best electric guitar strings, although its price is about twice that of uncoated strings. Something that can be made profitable. Since they can last 3 to 5 times longer than typical strings.
ELIXIR Coating: Optiweb, Nanoweb y Poliweb
The thickness of this coating varies to achieve a different feel and tone, although the level of protection is the same regardless of the thickness of the polymer layer.
The lightest coated series is OPTIWEB. This range offers a bright, crisp and clear tone, and a very natural sensation and feel similar to uncoated strings, but with the advantage of extending the sharpness characteristic of standard electric guitar strings for longer.
With a slightly superior coating, we have the NANOWEB. This coating maintains great sharpness, but is less prone to squeaks caused by handling, and is the most versatile series.
The ones with the most coverage and warmest tone would be those from the POLYWEB series. Very interesting for guitars with an excessively bright tone, or to dampen the sound of a metal pick.
DR Electric Guitar Strings
Strings are usually wound by machine, but there are manufacturers such as DR that wind most of their products by hand, which is the brand’s hallmark compared to other manufacturers. DR assures that the feel and sound of hand-wound strings are worth the extra effort.
Although the DR brand is not as well known in terms of electric guitar strings as the brands mentioned above, when it comes to bass strings, they do enjoy great popularity.
The manufacturer acknowledges that the thicker the string, the more noticeable the difference is from hand-wound strings. DR is also a leader in the manufacture of the innovative “Neon Strings”.
These models feature a coating called K3 that improves their performance and durability, and protects the strings against corrosion. It also provides a very striking fluorescent effect when used under ultraviolet or black light.
How to Increase the Life of Guitar Strings
Finally, I would like to remind you of the resource of boiling strings that have been used for a few minutes in water, to remove dirt and recover some shine and functionality.
Cleaning your strings frequently with a cloth or cleaner is the best way to extend their life, but if you have to make the most of your strings due to a lack of budget, or the high cost of strings in some countries, you can try this method. This method is widely used by bass players, since bass strings are expensive and you have to use them as much as possible.
You only need to remove the strings when they have reached their optimum use, roll them up, put them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then dry them well with a cloth or kitchen roll. For better cleaning, you can add a little bicarbonate or vinegar to the water, or both.
In order to do this, the strings obviously cannot be cut flush with the peg, since in that case we would not be able to put them back on the guitar.
I hope this article has helped you to learn a little more about this important topic, since the quality and condition of the strings can influence not only our sound, but also the comfort of playing, or even the maintenance of the frets.