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 manufacturing strings for all types of musical instruments since the 17th century. The brand began start the path in a small Italian village called Salle, but in the early decades of the 20th century it moved its headquarters to New York City to benefit the brand’s expansion.
And in 1956, the company became one of the first brands to manufacture strings for electric guitar, with D’Addario accurately predicting 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. This range includes standard gauge sets at a very reasonable price, and economical packs of 3, 10, and 25 sets of strings.
In short, these strings have a great sound, are versatile, and are reasonably priced. However, if we don’t pay attention to cleaning them after playing, or even during a long session, their durability is greatly reduced depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment, and the sweat on our hands.
Sweaty Hands
If your hands sweat excessively, you can use talcum powder. This is something that guitarists such as Keith Richards and Jeff Beck have used.
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 care to thoroughly clean the talcum powder from the neck and strings after 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, which have the advantage of lubricating the strings before we start playing, allowing our fingers to glide more smoothly.
ERNIE BALL Electric Guitar Strings
Another legendary manufacturer is Ernie Ball. The hallmark of these strings’ sound is their full, dense bass tones, while maintaining bright trebles. In addition, Ernie Ball strings have great elasticity, which makes bending easier, 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 Slinky range of nickel-plated steel would be the most popular series, as its prices are quite affordable.
GHS Electric Guitar Strings
GHS is another historic brand that has been manufacturing strings for all types of instruments since 1964, and is a brand that is solely and exclusively dedicated 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 feature a round core for greater contact between the wound and the core, unlike the standard hexagonal core used in most strings, providing greater adhesion between the wound and the core.
ELIXIR Coated Strings
Another string manufacturer that every guitarist should know about is Elixir. This manufacturer began creating its products in the mid-1990s and has been 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 coats the strings is its main feature and star quality.
This ultra-thin coating protects the strings from moisture and dirt, significantly extending the lifespan. It also reduces the noise caused by fingers rubbing against the wound.
One of the best strings for electric guitar, although they cost about twice as much as uncoated strings. This can be cost-effective, as 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 different feels and tones, although the level of protection remains 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 squeaking caused by sliding your fingers.
The strings with the most coating and warmest tone would be those in the POLYWEB series. Very useful for guitars with an excessively bright tone, or to dampen the sound of a metal pick.
DR Electric Guitar Strings
Generally, strings are wound by machine, but we have manufacturers such as DR who wind most of their products by hand, a hallmark of the brand that sets it apart from other manufacturers. DR assures us that the feel and sound of hand-wound strings are well worth it.
Although the DR brand is not as well known for electric guitar strings as the brands mentioned above, it enjoys great popularity in the field of bass strings.
The manufacturer acknowledges that the thicker the string the more noticeable the difference in hand-wound is. DR is also a leader in the manufacture of 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 exposed to ultraviolet light or black light.
How to Increase the Life of Guitar Strings
Finally, I would like to remind you that you can boil used strings in water for a few minutes to remove dirt and restore some of their shine and functionality.
Cleaning your strings frequently with a cloth or cleaner is the best way to extend their life, but if you need to get the most out of them 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, as bass strings are expensive.
You only need to remove the strings when they have reached their optimal lifespan, roll them up, put them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then dry them thoroughly with a cloth or paper towel.
For extra cleaning power you can add a little baking soda or vinegar to the water.
To do this, the strings cannot be cut flush with the peg, as in that case we would not be able to put them back on the guitar.
I hope this article has helped you learn a little more about this important topic, since the quality and condition of the strings can influence not only our sound, but also our playing comfort, and even the maintenance of the frets.