Guitar String Guide

Guitar strings age in several ways - they stretch, tarnish and get contaminated with sweat and dirt. Professional players change strings before each gig. For general light home use we would recommend you change your strings every 6 months as a minimum. If you play a lot then every few weeks would be more appropriate. read more »

British guitar string maker Rotosound has launched new stainless steel strings based on their popular 1960s classics, but using improved processes and better materials

The original 1960s Rotosound stainless steel strings were used by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townsend, Brian May and many others, giving the clear, bright punchy 60's sound, read more »

Choosing the best electric guitar string gauge for your guitar, type of music and playing style is never easy. Many guitarists wish there was an 'in-between' gauge... and there is!

Several string makers offer 9.5 gauge strings (or nine and a half, if you prefer) and they can be the perfect compromise between the two most common gauges - 9 gauge and 10 gauge strings. read more »

Iconic British guitar string maker Rotosound have launched their first range of coated guitar strings for both acoustic and electric guitars under the brand name "Nexus". Both Nexus string types use a special polycoat material to give a smooth touch and longer life, improving tone and preventing tarnishing. read more »

GHS "Boomers" already have a big following, especially with guitarists in the USA.

Now GHS have launched super-boomers in the form of their Sub-Zero Boomers series.

The GHS Sub-Zero Boomer strings are cryogenically treated in a computerized system with liquid nitrogen, taking them down to a temperature of below -300 degrees fahrenheit, before gradually bringing them back up to room temperature. read more »

One of the biggest problems children (and adults) have when first learning to play the guitar is the correct position for their left hand when playing chords. There is a natural tendency for the student beginner to over-grip the guitar's neck and flatten the fingers on the fretboard, leading to much frustration as the chord is incorrectly fretted and doesn't sound as it should... read more »

We all know about 6-string guitars and 12-strings... you may have even heard of 10-strings, and twin-necks that can have 18 strings... but check this out - 42 strings! Known as the Picasso guitar, after its likeness to the cubist paintings of Pablo Picasso, this one pictured belongs to jazz supremo Pat Metheny, one of the most famous jazz guitar players of our time. read more »

English guitar string maker Rotosound are advertising "0% price increase in January 2009".
January is the time when string suppliers generally revise their prices, typically adding an inflation-matched percentage to their wholesale prices, which is then passed on to the guitarist buyer. read more »

Way back in 1987, D'Addario strings boss Jim was challenged by his 13-year-old daughter about the amount of waste packaging thown away every time he changed his guitar strings. This was the starting point of D'Addario's on-going green guitar strings campaign that is resulted in their latest initiative - "clean wire" in all wound strings, eliminating tin-plating from the string-making process. read more »

Ernie Ball's new Titanium Reinforced coated Electric Strings are now available in all your favorite Ernie Ball Slinky gauges. Titanium guitar strings combine the latest technological advances in string manufacturing; all wound strings are treated with a micro-thin layer of an exclusive enamel that prevents decay and corrosion up to 5 times more than uncoated sets. read more »