Elixir makes just about any kind of guitar strings you can think of: electric, acoustic, bass, mandolin, and banjo.  Elixir guitar strings are coated in special materials designed to prevent string corrosion, which is what starts to make even the best guitar strings start sounding like garbage after a while.  Other companies use coatings on the wrap wire around the string, but Elixir guitar strings are coated in a special way that completely prevents corrosion.

How Guitar Strings Go Bad

There are teensy-tiny spaces in between guitar strings and the wrap wire around them, and even though the space is small, it’s enough for dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and other assorted junk to get in.  Slowly but surely, all of that stuff starts to collect and mash together, which stops the strings from vibrating properly.  And when that happens, you’ve got dead strings that sound like crap.

Elixir Guitar String Coatings

Elixir has a patented system for coating their strings so that contaminants can’t get in.  It works like shrink wrapping; the string gets coated in an ultra thin polymer tube which protects the strings without inhibiting all those good vibrations.

Elixir guitar strings come in two different types of coatings: polyweb and nanoweb.  Polyweb coated strings have a warm tone and are ultra smooth thanks to the slick coating around them.  Being so smooth means they barely make any finger squeaking noise.  Nanoweb coating is thinner and gives strings a brighter sound that is more similar to traditional, uncoated guitar strings.

Playing on dead strings just plain sucks; every guitar player knows it.  Elixir guitar strings are made to sound better longer thanks to their patented coatings.  If you’ve never tried a set, go pick some up and see how you like them.  You might find they’re perfect for you.

What’s In A String? – Materials

Bass (E, A, D) strings and treble (G, B, e) strings are made from distinct materials for classic guitars.  Treble strings can be made from carbon fiber, clear nylon, or rectified nylon.  Carbon fiber strings tend to have a brighter sound than their nylon counterparts and they are a little smaller in diameter too.  Clear and rectified nylon strings are made slightly differently, but produce a very similar feel and sound.  You may find that you prefer one over the other, so try out both and figure out what works for you as a guitarist.  The bass strings on a classical guitar are made from very fine plastic fibers that are wrapped with metal wire, which will be silver plated copper or bronze.

Finding The Right Tension

Each guitarist has their own preferences on string tension, so no one can tell you whether you should go for low, medium, or high tension classical guitar strings.  Instead, you’ll have to figure it out for yourself.  I recommend you buy a set of each tension from the same manufacturer, change them out, and pay attention to the differences.  It won’t be long before you get an idea for which you prefer.

Which Manufacturer Should I Go With?

Another great question that does not have a specific answer, other than: Go with what feels right for you!  Augustine, D’Addrio, Dean Markley, La Bella, Savarez, and many other manufacturers make great quality strings that you can try out.  Personally, I use medium tension D’Addrio strings, but you might prefer something else.

Your guitar can sound quite different depending on which classical guitar strings you choose to use.  Take some time to investigate the differences in materials, tensions, and manufacturers that are available.  Try some out, see what works for you, and figure out what you like best.  Then you can stop worrying about strings and start playing!

Here are the basic steps to changing guitar strings:

1. Gather all needed supplies

This will usually include: anew set of guitar strings (duh!), something to trim the strings with, a rag to clean with, a string winder and a comfortable chair (or a carpeted floor if you are a bit of a klutz like me).

2. Put your guitar in a secure position

Make sure you aren’t going to drop or scratch the guitar while changing the strings. Laps can be good if you are steady but often it is easier to do on the couch, a carpeted floor or even if you have a left over piece of carpet or a thick blanket to pad it, the kitchen table.

3. Remove all of the old strings

Remove all the old strings from the guitar and throw them out. My wife hates finding old strings laying around the house cause I forgot to throw them away. Do your wife, or mom or sister a favor and get rid of those rusty old things.

4. Clean the guitar before putting on the new strings

Now is a great time to clean all that grime from the fret board and to get into places that you can’t normally when the strings are on. Try to get as much dust, dirt and crud out now.

5. Put on the strings

Put on the new strings one at a time. Make sure they are laying in the saddle and nut properly.

6. Tighten to half tension and PULL! (this is a personal trick that keeps new strings in tune the first time you tune them up)

Only tighten the strings to roughly half tension for now. Now put one finger across the nut to keep the strings from popping out and grab one string with your other hand right around where you would strum it. Pull away from the body. Do this up and down the string a few times. Do each string individually. Stretching the strings like this will keep them from having to be tuned over and over again when you start playing. Don’t be shy, you can tug pretty hard without hurting them.

7. Tune up!

Now tune up to regular tuning

8. Rockout!

Play something with lots of hard strumming and bending, this should put the guitar a little out of tune and get the rest of the slack out of the strings.

9. Tune up again

Tune up one last time

10. You’re done!

That’s it. Now instead of having to re-tune 3 or 4 times within the next hour, your guitar should stay in tune pretty well.

There you go, my 10 steps to changing guitar strings.

When it comes to buying guitar strings in bulk, your best bet is usually the big time internet retailers. Take for example this set of Ernie Ball Slinkys. $3.99 plus shipping from Musiciansfriend.com. Not bad, but you could do better in bulk. That same string is offered in bulk as a 12 pack for $39.99, that’s a whole 2 packs for free!

Now I know $40 bucks might seem like a big chunk of change to be shelling out for all those strings but honestly, are you going to use them over the course of the next year or two? Isn’t it worth the gas in the car for the trip to your local music store where they are going to be more expensive anyway? Come on, you know strings always break at the worst possible time and when you don’t happen to have another one left in the exact  size you need. Having a few extra sets around is a great way to buy a little insurance.

Be careful though bulk guitar string purchasing isn’t for everyone. Make sure you have used the strings you are intending to buy in bulk first, maybe even 2 packs till you really know you like them. I will never forget one time a friend told me he swore by Dean Markley Vintage Bronze Acoustic strings. I went right out with out even having had heard them let alone playing on them and bought 10 packs. Boy was I sorry, those strings broke faster than any I had ever played before (and only the e!). Lesson learned, know what you like then buy in bulk! Save yourself the money and the hassle next time and always have strings on hand.

Changing a guitar string isn’t all that much work. Once you have changed a few you start to get the hang of it and you can do it with your eyes closed in 2 minutes or so but the real question is why would you want to change just one? Well here are a few things to consider:

1. If the guitar strings are old, changing just one can be a waste since you are going to have to change them all soon anyway and then the one string will be out of sync with the other 5
2. Changing just one makes for an incomplete pack that is left over
3. The one string will be too bright and ring out differently than the others.

Then again if the strings are all mostly new, it would be a waste to change all of them since the remaining 5 still have quite a few songs left in them before they will go bad. Then again you might be in the middle of a gig and need to change as quickly as possible so changing a guitar string is the most viable option.

I guess the best way to sum it up is this: If they are old, change them all. If they are new, change one and keep the other 5 for backups. Or if you have all the time in the world I guess you could go to a little shop and buy a single string… LOL, I  haven’t done that in years!

Well here are a few pointers to help pick which is right for you, Stainless Steel or Nickel:

Nickel Pros:

• Generally less expensive than Stainless Steel strings
• Easier on your fingers than Stainless Steel strings
• Slightly “warmer” tone than Stainless Steel strings
• Tend to wear frets less quickly than Stainless Steel strings

Nickel Cons:

• Guitarists with a Nickel allergy may have an allergic reaction to playing with Nickel guitar strings
• Can corrode very quickly when allowed to stay in a humid environment or are not cleaned after use

Stainless Steel Pros:

• Brighter tone than Nickel strings
• Stainless Steel strings are hypoallergenic which means no allergic reaction if you have a Nickel sensitivity
• Less susceptible to moisture and corrosion over time

Stainless Steel Cons:

• Wear out frets faster than Nickel strings (*see note below)
• Can be rougher on your fingers (caution newer players)
• Tend to be a bit more expensive than Nickel strings
• Tone tends to go “dead” quicker than Nickel strings

As you can see, there are a lot of things to think about. My personal opinion: buy a pack of each and see for yourself! People can talk all day about what is good or bad about either type of string but you are the judge of what is the most comfortable and what produces the best sound for YOU.

*Regarding the additional fret wear of Stainless Steel electric guitar strings: keep in mind that when I say extra wear, I am not talking about needing a refretting job a year from now. As with any metal, a stronger metal (stainless steel) rubbing against the slightly softer metal of the frets (usually nickel alloy but sometime stainless steel) will always cause a small amount of wear. Many guitarists have played with Stainless Steel strings for 10 years without noticing extreme wear on their frets due to the harder strings. So don’t let that scare you too much, give them a try, you might just love them!

• Do you live in an especially humid climate?
• How often do you play?
• What kind of strings do you use?
• How important is tone to you?

Moisture, dirt and oils are all big contributors to the fast wear of your strings and your hands have no shortage of any of them! The corrosive effect of the salts in your sweat also play into the factor.

If you are a light player and only tend to pick up your guitar a few times a month, you will notice that the e and B strings tend to corrode the most since they are usually made of plain steel (unless you play with Stainless Steel strings) and the lack of use allows them to degrade quickly. In this case changing the strings can be more of a comfort issue than a tone consideration. Changing your strings every 3 to 6 months would be reasonable… though I can tell you that I have gone as long as 1 year on guitars I don’t play often and they still sounded ok. Just remember that those e and B strings can be murderous when sliding with all that corrosion on them.

If you are a more advanced player and play every day, changing your strings will be more a consideration of tone than playability. Changing your guitar strings once a month or once every other month will keep them sounding bright and clean. Due to the dirt and oils come off your hands and fill in the spaces of the string windings, regular players tend to hear the tone get murky and muddy much sooner than they notice the strings getting corroded.

Players that play gigs regularly, record or do tours will want to change their strings before every show or every other show. There is nothing worse than breaking a string in the middle of a gig and changing them very regularly will keep the strings strong and ready for your intended abuse.

Strings can get expensive if you change them more than you need to so experiment and find exactly what makes you happy. Remember, people can tell you what to do but in the end, it’s your guitar!