Guitar strings knowledge
I am very happy to meet you again. Today, I will give you some knowledge about strings. I hope it will be helpful to you.
Guitar friends play the guitar every day, and guitar strings must be familiar to every guitar lover. Maybe you didn’t even know how to change the strings when you were just getting started with the guitar. But now you are keen to tell the newbies. Introduce which strings sound best. Today’s article focuses on popularizing the knowledge of guitar strings to the majority of guitar enthusiasts.
1. Features of a good string
Good strings should have good sound quality, fast tuning, stable pitch, good playability (finger security, string responsiveness), and long life (if you play 2 hours a day, the strings should be about can be used for 3 months).
2. The standard of good strings
Different brands or different models of strings from the same brand are usually the result of manufacturers trying to pursue higher possibilities in the above 5 areas. Or they are trying to have different performances in a particular aspect (such as bright or soft sound, etc. Wait). They achieve their goals by tweaking the material of the strings (increasing or decreasing the amount of silver in the bass strings, or the amount of carbon in the treble strings, etc.) and the process.
The manufacture of strings is not an exact science, each brand of strings has its own unique characteristics, as well as good and bad points. No single manufacturer makes the best or perfect strings.
3.Listen to others
It’s a good idea to listen to other people’s opinions. But be aware that different people have different criteria for evaluating strings. For example, an instrument maker will generally prefer strings that don’t have much character (neither too bright nor too soft), so that the character of the guitar itself can be highlighted. And a player often has his own specific sound choices (such as earthy bass, bright treble, etc.). And these preferences are not absolute aesthetic standards. It depends on the guitar itself and the style of the player. Therefore, a decent set of strings is not necessarily the best choice.
4.String tension
The tension of the strings is a big aspect. There are many things to say. The tension is necessary for the strings. We rely on the adjustment of the tension to make the strings reach different pitches. Generally speaking:
Tension levels are generally divided into five levels: ultra-low, low, medium, high, and ultra-high. The tension level on a string depends on the standard length determined by the manufacturer (for example, D’Addario is 648mm, if the string is installed on the guitar and the used length exceeds 648mm, then a higher tension will be required, if Anything less than 648mm requires less tension. So don’t forget about the different standard lengths when considering string tension.
The higher the tension, the thicker the string, the thicker the string, the softer and rounder the sound, and the harder the material, the brighter the sound. The lower the tension, the more comfortable the string is, but it also increases the possibility of fret (of course, the problem of fret mainly depends on the guitar itself). More tension doesn’t mean more volume, strings with higher tension vibrate more violently, but this form of vibration doesn’t play a major role in volume. The guitar itself, especially its internal construction, plays a much larger role in this.
To give a typical example:
a set of ultra-high tension strings is likely to put too much pressure on the top and the top will start blocking the sound. When considering ultra-high tension strings, be sure to check with your guitar’s manufacturer about your guitar’s ability to handle string tension, many manufacturers won’t recommend you use ultra-high tension on their guitars strings.
Most players will be comfortable with strings that are medium tension, high tension, or a mix of medium and high tension. I don’t recommend using low or ultra-low tension strings, as it’s definitely sounding thinner than most players can imagine.