I decided to finally find the best sounding set of strings for my Martin X acoustic guitar, and as usual when buying a product, I dove deep into reviews online to hear what the consensus was about what sounds best.
I cruised around reddit and guitar forums, and took notes on what people said, for future reference.
I’ll list them here, but read down further for a more detailed explanation.
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings
Here’s the strings I’ll be getting to try out, and why:
(NOTE: Do remember that every guitar is different, and everyone’s ear is subjective. So guitar strings are one of those things where you can try out a lot of options to find what’s right for you.)
Elixir Nanoweb 10’s (Extra Light)
- Lot’s of people swear by them
- Silky and simple, last the longest compared to other brands
- “All the alternatives seem to market themselves as not having a ‘slippery’ feel, or feeling like regular strings.”
- “My favourite aspect of Elixir’s is that they are slippery and don’t threaten to tear chunks of skin off. Also much less string noise when moving up and down the neck.”
- “Elixir nanowebs for practice because they last a long time and brighten up my sort of dull sounding Ibanez. But Martin 80/20’s on my 000-28 for performing.”
D’Addario EJ10 80/20 Bronze (extra light 10-47)
- Rick Beato played these in his video, they had the coolest sound (If you keep watching you’ll hear a comparison of the 10, 11, 12, and 13 gauges.)
- And as a bonus, are the easiest to play (lightest gauge)
- Less mistakes = less to fix in production
- And anyways… in production you can use EQ and effects and all that to make it sound better, so the performance is all that really matters
Martin Original 80/20 Bronze 10’s
- A lot of people say they love the Martin Originals
- On video they actually sound better than the Martin Monels, which actually sounded flat and kinda empty to me… but maybe worth a try as well?
- Good for performing, per some reviews
Martin Retro Acoustic Guitar Strings – 10’s (Extra Light)
- Supposedly sound great some people say, that there’s no comparison… but in that video above they sounded kinda flat to me. Might be worth a try though.
- “Always played Martin 80/20 SPs until they finally came out with the Tony Rice Monel (Retro) strings. I’m all about those. Not really bright or zingy, which I never liked in other strings. They seem to have a really neutral, transparent tone that more or less highlights the sound of your guitar.”
Best Size Acoustic Guitar Strings?
I chose extra light gauge for a specific reason (considering my own application). One interesting thing to note:
If you’re going to use your guitar for recording, consider getting the lightest gauge, which is usually a 10 gauge.
This is because it’s the easiest to play, hence your performance will be the best (least amount of errors). Less errors means less to fix in production.
You can change so much of the sound in production, with plugins and effects, anyways. In that case, getting a good performance is more important, in my opinion. I get 10’s myself, for this reason.
(Many do say 10’s are too light for them, so it’s all preference. And if you’re not using your guitar to record, might not be something to worry about).
If you’re planning to play by the campfire with friends, and need a louder tone, thicker gauges (like 12 or 13) will be best. Just note, the thicker the gauge, the harder they are to play, as you have to press down harder. Also research on what gauge was on your guitar previously, and make sure changing gauges won’t damage your guitar).
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings for Beginners
The best acoustic guitar strings for beginners are the D’Addario EJ10 80/20 Bronze (extra light 10-47) Guitar Strings.
This is because they:
- Last a long time (focus on playing, not changing strings)
- Stay in tune for longer than other strings (get practicing faster, without having to spend a lot of time tuning before each session)
- Sound great
- Thin gauge, so they are much easier to play than heavier gauge strings (less finger pressure is required to get a clean sound, which is crucial for beginners)
What are your favorite acoustic guitar strings, in your experience? Comment down below!