Sunday 12 December 2010

Restringing Your Guitar - Guitar String Gauges and Alloy Ratios

By Robert Bowman


As a guitar player, you'll inevitably need to restring your guitar at some point. When you begin playing, "guitar string gauges" and "alloy ratios" really aren't important terms to know or understand. When you've played so much that your guitar starts to produce the dreaded "buzzing" sound, it's time to teach yourself about the different string types available and the sounds they produce. Standard acoustic guitars are made with 6 or 12 steel strings, and more expensive models come with on board electronic pick ups. Compared to classical guitars, which are made with nylon strings, the steel strings on acoustic guitars are very high tension, which creates a very powerful and bright sound. Taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the different guitar string types will help you make the right decision when it's time for new strings. Acoustic guitar strings come in a variety of "alloy ratios" and "guitar string gauges." While these terms might sound be a little intimidating, the concepts are very simple. Essentially, the alloy ratio refers is the metal ratio which compose the string. The guitar string gauge is the thickness of your string.

A quick crash course on guitar string gauges will allow you to make an educated purchase when its time to restring. Acoustic steel strings come in a number of different alloy ratios and guitar string gauges. An alloy ratio refers to the metals the string is composed of, while the guitar string gauge refers to the string's thickness or diameter. Bronze strings are referred to as being "80/20's" with a make-up of 80% copper and 20% tin. These strings produce an incredibly bright, clear ringing sound and have a much softer feel than other strings. They're sometimes easier to play on for beginners, as they don't have as much tension, and someone without good finger independence might find them easier to pluck. These strings often lose their bright sound after a few months of heavy use, so restringing with 80/20's is necessary from time to time.

Phosphor-bronze guitar strings are made of ninety-two percent copper and eight percent tin, and last longer than any other alloy ratio string out there. These strings are incredibly durable and resistant to corrosion. With this nice combo of durability and a bold and brassy sound, phosphor-bronze strings are the most popular alloy ratio choice for acoustic guitar players world wide.

Brass guitar strings are eight five percent copper and fifteen percent tin, and are right in the middle of bronze and phospher-bronze in regards to their sound and life span. These are very easy to pluck - the biggest disadvantage is that some players may find this alloy ratio to irriate the skin on their finger tips. Despite this, brass strings are the string of choice for players of intermediate skill.

When you are browsing online for new guitar strings, you will notice that they are classified by guitar string gauges of extra super light, super light, light, medium, heavy, and extra heavy. Lighter guitar string gauges are much easier to pluck, and are preferred by beginners, while heavier gauge strings are louder and stiffer. These require much more finger strength and skill to play, and you will need to be a highly skilled guitar player before you are able to use extra heavy strings. Medium gauge gives you benefits on both ends of the spectrum, and are perfect for intermediate players who have advanced past acoustic guitar basics. Different playing styles require different strings - try playing different gauges if your friends have guitar string gauges you do not - you'll quickly find out which gauge you find most enjoyable.




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