The Player's Lounge / Strings & Things / GUITAR TALK / First time string buyer / Latest Posts

RE: First time string buyer

sirshackleton — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:30:44 GMT

This is part of the fun of playing the electric guitar....finding the right gear that works for you.

I'd go with a .010 set to start. Your LP has a slightly shorter scale than normal (the length between the bridge and the nut), meaning that strings have a little less tension on them. So a .010 set like the EXL110s are a good starting point in my opinion.

The size of the string will not only affect how the guitar feels and plays, but also how it sounds, so you may want to try a couple of different sets out over a month or two and see what you think.

RE: First time string buyer

Michael D. — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:13:47 GMT

9's for lead & 10's for rhythm is good advice D'Addario EXL120's are the ones that I would recommend. They have great tone, bendability, very durable, and a great value as far as cost goes.:);)
If you want to hear these strings at work check out my band @

RE: First time string buyer

marsguitars — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 01:02:34 GMT

Most beginners opt for 9's if playing lead and 10's if playing only rhythm.

The 9/10 refers to the thickness of the thinest string (E/1st string), in thousandths of an inch, regardless of the make of strings.

Thinner strings are easier on the fingers for beginners but can break more easily and don't give such a good tone.

When you've played for a while you can decide what would suite you better when you next change your strings. As well as changing gauges (eg 8's for very bendy lead stuff... up to 13's :w00t: for ultra heavy metal/punk), you will also find a variety of hybrid gauges in between that let you have heavier or lighter bass strings with the same treble strings. Fortunately strings are cheap, so you can experiment! Just try them out and find what's best for you.

RE: First time string buyer

Dulcimerist — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 05:09:45 GMT

It all depends on the tone and "feel" you want for your guitar. Do you want to bend strings when you play?

Regular Light might be a good start for a gauge of strings. As for the alloy of strings, it depends on if you want bright or mellow for your tone.

First time string buyer

LeviM22 — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:18:00 GMT

Just received my first guitar and broke a string tuning it. Not sure what strings are on it atm, so i need to know what strings would be best for a beginner on an electric?