As guitar players, we all know the importance of a good set of strings…
Don’t we?
We’ve all heard the difference between cheap ones and the good ones.
And we’ve heard the difference between old ones and fresh ones.
(And if you can’t hear the difference…try recording them through a nice condenser mic, and listen back on some good studio monitors.)
The difference will be OBVIOUS.
But ask a guitar player WHY he uses his particular make and model of strings…
And you’re not likely to receive much of an answer.
Because the truth is…
The vast major of guitar players simply don’t know shit about their strings.
So the goal of today’s post is to solve this problem. If you’re shopping for strings, whether it’s electric, acoustic, or classical, and you’re not sure what to buy…THIS POST IS FOR YOU.
Let’s begin. First off…
The Key Factors Affecting Tone
A guitar string’s tone comes from a mix of 5 factors:
So let’s discuss each one in more detail, starting with…
1. String Gauge
When comparing string gauges, you often hear labels such as:
However…
There are no set-in-stone definitions for any of these terms…
That is why…it’s far better to compare the actual diameters of the strings.
So here’s how it works:
Measured in 1/1000th’s of an inch, string gauges commonly range anywhere from .008 on the lightest 1st string, to .056 on the heaviest 6th string.
For example:
To make things simpler, guitarists typically refer to an entire set of strings by the size of the high E string. So according to the previous example, a set of medium strings would simply be an “11“.
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With classical strings, it’s a bit different. While the specific gauges are still shown, they aren’t nearly as important as the string “tension“. The 3 standard options to choose from are low, medium, and high tension.
So how do heavy strings differ from light strings?
Heavier gauges are generally better for:
Lighter gauges are generally better for:
Many manufacturers also offer a “hybrid gauge” known as light-medium strings, which use lighter gauges on G,B,E and heavier gauges on E,A,D. These are intended for players who use a good mix of picking and strumming.
Up next…
2. Metals
With electric strings, the 3 most common metals used are:
Other less-common metals for electric strings include titanium, cobalt, chrome and copper.
With acoustic strings, the 3 most popular options are:
With classical strings, the most common materials used are:
Up next…
3. String Core
Beneath the outer winding of the bass strings (E6, A5, D4 and sometimesG3)…
There is a solid core wire that comes in 1 of 2 varieties:
Check out the diagram above to see how they look from a cross-section view. (This part refers only to electric and acoustic strings…not classical).
Originally all guitar strings had round cores, until D’Addario pioneered the first hex cores.
After that, it didn’t take long for hex cores to become the industry standard with almost all major manufacturers.
The main reason being:
The sharp edges of the hexagonal cores were good at “gripping” the outer wire, thus preventing slippage, and making machine-winding more accurate and consistent.
This is why today, it’s much more common to see round core strings assembled by hand.
Now here’s how these two core types compare in terms of performance:
NOTE: One key detail to remember with round core strings is…you must tune them up to pitch before trimming them. Otherwise, the outer wrapping will slip and unravel.
Got it? Good. Moving on…
4. Winding Method
The wire that wraps around the solid core comes in 1 of 3 varieties:
Of the 3, roundwounds are the most popular by far. They’re also the cheapest, with the widest selection to choose from.
Flatwounds are 2nd most popular, but are usually more expensive.
Halfrounds are the least popular, and you can pretty much disregard them when shopping for strings.
Now here’s how roundwounds and flatwounds compare in terms of performance:
NOTE: While not in the scope of this article, you might care to know that with bass guitars, flatwound strings are more popular.
Up next…
5. String Coating
Back in 1997, the Elixir company revolutionized the guitar string industry…
By introducing the entirely new concept of “coated strings“.
By covering their strings in a micro-thin polymer coating…
They created a barrier that protected the metal from damaging substances such as oil, sweat, dirt, and skin.
And the result was…
But rather than try to explain it in words, check out the cool visuals in this Elixir promo video:
Now despite their popularity, Elixir strings aren’t loved by everyone…
According to their critics:
And both of these are reasonably valid points.
Yet they’re still popular enough that other brands have since developed their own copycat versions.
And while those copycats might be just as good, it’s still commonly accepted that Elixir is the go-to brand for coated strings.
Currently they offer two varieties of coating:
For acoustic guitars, here are your options:
And for electric guitars:
NOTE: As you can see, Elixir doesn’t have very many options to choose from. Personally I love this, because it makes the buying process much simpler.
But as you’ll see, it gets a little tough with the other brands I’m about to show you.
So up next…
The Other 6 Brands to Know
Now that you’ve been properly introduced to Elixir strings…
We might as well cover the other BIG companies.
Among the dozens of brands on the market…
There are a select few in particular that have dominated the competition, and together make up probably over 90% of the market.
They are:
Apologies if I left out your favorite brand here. Because as folks will argue, there are many other “lesser-known” brands out there that are just as good, if not better.
Having said that…
If you don’t already have one of those brands in mind…why not limit your options to those who’ve already established themselves as industry leaders?
So anyways, here’s a closer look each one, in no particular order…
1. D’Addario
The oldest string-makers on the list, BY FAR…
The D’Addario family has been in the string-making business since way back in the 1600’s…
Just starting out in a tiny farming town in Italy known as Salle.
Over the years they expanded, eventually moving to New York, and abandoning gut strings in favor of synthetic.
And in 1956, they became one of the earliest companies to start producing modern day electric guitar strings.
Today, D’Addario is arguably the most influential string manufacturer in the world, as they literally have strings for just about any instrument you can think of.
For guitar, here are their top options:
Acoustic:
Electric:
Up next…
2. Ernie Ball
When a man by the name of Ernie Ball was first introduced to Leo Fender back in 1953…
He saw for himself the huge potential that the electric guitar had to offer.
And from that day forward he dedicated his life and business to helping it become the most popular instrument in the world.
His most notable contribution is undoubtedly his line of Super Slinky electric guitar strings.
Originally developed back in 1962, they are still today perhaps the most instantly recognizable brand on the shelf of any guitar shop.
Their acoustic strings aren’t nearly as popular, but here are the top options for both:
Acoustic:
Electric:
Also check out their popular m-steel line made of cobalt alloy for higher output:
Up next…
3. Martin
Few folks can argue that the Martin&Co Guitar Companymakes anything other than the best acoustic guitars in the world.
And for the past 175 years, that’s pretty much all they’ve done.
Therefore it’s no surprise to learn that they make some pretty awesome acoustic guitar strings as well.
Their electric strings aren’t nearly as popular, and wouldn’t be my first choice…
But here are the top options for both:
Acoustic:
Electric:
Up next…
4. DR
At a time when machine-wound strings dominate the industry…
DR sets themselves apparent by being one of the few companies that still winds the bulk of their strings by hand.
As they firmly believe…the sound and feel of a hand-wound string is worth the extra effort.
While DR may not be quite as popular as most of the other brands on this list…
What they ARE known for…is their bass strings. Because as they claim, the differences with handwinding become much more apparent as strings get larger.
They also seem to be the industry leaders in this new “neon string” fad.
But anyways, here are their top options in each category:
Acoustic:
Electric:
Neon Electric:
Up next…
5. GHS
Named after the company’s original founders (Gould, Holcomb, and Solko)…
The GHS Company has been making strings for all kinds of instruments since back in 1964, out of Battle Creek, Michigan.
Calling themselves “the strings experts” might seem like a bold claim…
But unlike some of the other big brands…
With GHS, it’s pretty much all they do. And they’ve been around for a long time so they’re probably pretty good at it by now.
Before we get to the recommendations, I’d like to show you an awesome video they did, showing you exactly how guitar strings are actually made in their factory.
Check it out:
Pretty cool huh? Anyways, here are their strings:
Acoustic:
Electric:
6. Fender
As the only true “household” name on the list.
And the name probably most synonymous with the electric guitar…
Fender has been perhaps the biggest driving force in the industry since they started way back in 1946.
Today, they make not only guitars, but a ton of other instruments and music related products as well.
And yes, their strings are just as good as everything else they make.
Here are their most top models:
Acoustic:
Electric:
Up next…
When to Change Your Strings
If you know a lot of guitar players…
I bet you can think of at least one who changes strings every other week…
Possibly by choice, but probably because he breaks them that often.
On the other hand, I bet you can also think of another guy who has never changed his strings once since he bought the guitar!
So when exactly is the right time to change your strings?
If you play…
…your strings probably break often, in which case, it’s obvious when to replace them.
However…
If they don’t break on their own, it’s up to you to decide when they need changing.
And it’s tough, because the look, feel, and sound of your strings deteriorate so gradually that you often won’t even notice how bad they are unless you have something to compare it to.
When you finally do restring them, it suddenly becomes crystal clear how bad your old strings truly were.
As such, everyone has their own rule of thumb as to when it’s time to change up their strings:
So here’s what I do:
I keep a spare set of strings close-by, and occasionally compare them to the ones on my guitar.
Once I start to see a noticeable difference in the color and texture, I change them up.
Up next…
Extending the Life of Your Strings
To maximize the life of your strings, you’ll often hear tips such as:
While tips such as these may be true…
Personally, I know I’ll never do that stuff on a regular basis. And I bet most other people won’t as well.
The ONE tip though, that makes a HUGE difference in the life of your strings is…
You need to make sure you wind them properly.
It may be a hassle to create those perfectly spiraled coils on your tuning pegs. And some people might even think it looks cool to do a sloppy job…
But that sloppy job is the reason strings break prematurely. And it’s the reason so many people leave bad online reviews about a perfectly good set of strings.
Getting good at stringing guitars takes some practice, so if you want to get better, here’s a good video by Fender that explains how it’s done:
Some Final Tips
Blues guitar can take many forms, which means that learning how to get the blues sound is an evolving process. However, by identifying specific techniques, notes, and patterns to follow, you can begin finding your own blues sound.
When playing the blues, guitarists incorporate aspects of both the major scale and the blue notes to come up with two new scales of their own: the 6-note blues scale and the 5-note minor pentatonic scale.
The 6-note blues scale and 5-note minor pentatonic scale.
Once you’ve solved the problem of assembling a basic working studio…
The next question becomes:
How do you use it to record instruments?
Because often, what works in pro studios, doesn’t work so well in home studios…
Where a lack of gear often forces us to invent creative shortcuts.
And that is why, for today’s post…
I explain several practical home recording methods for the 5 most common musical instruments:
(Click here to learn about vocals.)
First up…
Recording Electric Guitar
The simplest method to record electric guitar is:
You take a mic that works well on electric guitar, place it up against your guitar cabinet, and press record.
However, in practice, pro studios often take it much further by using:
Tul G12
But since few home studios have the gear for these advanced techniques…
Here’s what they do instead:
1. Recording with a Direct Box
By plugging your guitar into a direct box (such as the one pictured)…
You convert the hi-z guitar signal into a low-z mic signal…
Which can then be recorded directly into your DAW as a dry track with no effects.
To build effects, an amp simulator is inserted on the track, which is essentially a virtual version of your guitar rig.
Compared to the “traditional” way of guitar recording, this method is:
Since most audio interfaces now come with DI inputs included, chances are you wont even need to buy one.
If not, check out this article to see which direct boxes I recommend:
For amp simulators, I recommend:
Also check out the updated version:
And for the ultimate all-in-one solution that includes DI inputs, virtual amp tones, AND Pro Tools software, there’s this:
Now despite its advantages, most people agree that even the best amp simulators still don’t sound quite as good as the “real thing“.
Which is why some home studios still prefer the traditional method of…
2. Miking the Guitar Cabinet
For the best shot at getting that “studio quality” sound…
There’s no substitute for putting a good mic to a good amp.
So here’s the basics on how it’s done:
First there’s the mic…
Many people prefer a mic specifically designed for recording guitar cabinets, such as the Sennheiser e906 – (Amazon/B&H/GuitarC/MusicianF/Thomann).
However any good dynamic mic or ribbon mic will do just fine
Here are the ones I recommend:
Next comes positioning…
Start by placing the mic up against the cabinet, facing the cone. From there, experiment with small adjustments in distance and angle until you find a spot with a good tone.
Another technique is to reposition the amp itself by:
With a little bit of patience, and a lot of experimenting, you can get a surprisingly good tone using just these simple techniques.
Up next, here’s one final method of recording guitar that’s a combination of the first two…
3. Re-Amping
If you want the sound of a real guitar amp…
Yet prefer the flexibility of amp simulators…
One way to have both is with a tool known as a reamp…
Which works by converting the line-level output from your interface into a guitar signal, which travels through a second guitar cable, that is then fed back to your amp.
The first benefit of this method is, you can compare and blend both the “real” and “simulated” versions, to find the best possible tone.
The second benefit is, you can still tweak the tone of the amp, and re-record the track, long after your guitarist has gone home.
To try it out, here are 2 good options I recommend:
Up next…
Recording Bass Guitar
The nice thing about bass guitar is…
At home, you can record it using the same basic methods as those used in electric guitar…
…with just a few small differences.
First there’s the mics:
Rather than using a standard dynamic mic…
Bass cabinets are often recorded using special bass mics, with responses tailored to low-frequency instruments.
Here are the ones I recommend:
Next there’s the direct box:
Depending on your style of bass, you’ll have either passive or active pickups.
The general rule of thumb here is:
Once again, here’s the link to help you find what you need:
And finally, there’s the amp simulator:
While most amp simulators do include few bass settings, here’s one designed SPECIFICALLY for bass:
Once you’ve got these covered, you’re all set.
Up next…
Recording Acoustic Guitar
Despite its beautiful simplicity…
What many folks don’t realize is…
Acoustic guitar is one of the most sonically complex musical instrument of all.
Because besides the actual notes…
The sound of the instrument also includes:
While it’s not always necessary to record acoustic guitar to that degree of detail…it is necessary sometimes.
In a moment I’ll show you how. But first, the easier methods…
1. Acoustic DI Recording
Since room acoustics play a BIG role in acoustic guitar recording…
And most home studios have less-than-awesome acoustics…
A simple way to side-step this problem is to record with an acoustic DI in place of a microphone.
The main differences between an acoustic DI and standard direct box are:
To try this method, here are are a few good acoustic DI’s I recommend:
Up next…
2. Mono Recording with a Mic
While acoustic DI recording can work for a home studio to-an-extent…it’s still no substitute for a good acoustic guitar microphone.
How to use sf2 files in fl studio. – Audio Unit for MAC OS, VST (Beta)How I can get more soundfonts?There is a great number of on HexLoops.com – some of them are free, some are not. We used very often Soundfonts to create our instrumentals.
And so…
Assuming you have a room fitted with acoustic treatment…here’s how you perform this next method:
First, there’s the mic. The standard option for recording acoustic guitar in MONO is:
The reason is…
Next, there’s positioning:
Start with the mic about a foot away from the guitar, pointing toward the 12th fret. From there, experiment with small changes in angle and distance until you find a good sound.
In nice-sounding rooms, move the mic further back to capture more room ambience. In poor rooms, move it closer to capture less.
While this should produce a noticeably better result than DI recording, it still won’t be nearly as good this last method…
3. Stereo Recording
So many people struggle for months at a time…
Confused as to why their acoustic guitar tracks don’t sound nearly as good…
As those on their favorite records.
Because what no one told them is…
Stereo recording is the secret weapon engineers use to capture BOTH:
The wide stereo image, and broad sonic spectrum present in all those “professional-quality” acoustic guitar recordings.
In sparse mixes especially, where acoustic guitar and vocals must fill out the entire song…this technique is a MUST.
Since stereo recording is a HUGE topic in itself, here’s a separate article explaining how it’s done:
Moving on…
Recording Keyboards
The great thing about keyboards is…
Because it’s a digital instrument…
It’s far simpler to record than anything involving a microphone.
There are only 2 ways to do it, and both methods are relatively straight-forward.
The first is…
1. Stereo DI Recording
If you’re an actual keyboard player…and you own a good keyboard, with a solid selection of sounds…
You probably want to take advantage of those sounds by recording the direct analog outputs, right?
The only problem is…
The line-level connections on most keyboards have extremely high-outputs, which can easily clip when recorded through a standard mic preamp channel.
That is why, the best solution is to first run it through a direct box, just as you would with a guitar.
The only difference is…since keyboard outputs are stereo, you’ll need a stereo DI.
So here are a few good ones I recommend:
Up next…
2. Virtual Instruments Keyboards
For the rest of you “multi-instrumentalists“, who use keyboards on occasion…
But don’t really consider yourselves “keyboard players“…
A virtual instrument, in combination with a MIDI controller, offers a far better recording solution, for the following reasons:
That is why, if you suck at keyboards, but need a good way of “faking-it” from time to time, virtual instruments are what I recommend.
Up next…
Recording Drums
As I’m sure you already know…
Drums are quite possibly the single-hardest-instrument to record in a home studio.
Because doing so requires:
Since few project studios have these luxuries…here’s what many use instead:
1. Virtual Instrument Drums
These days, virtual instrument drums are capable of producing drum tracks so real…
You’ll swear you’re listening to a real drummer.
And that’s because…
Every sample in the software was recorded in a pro studio, on a world-class drum kit, by real session drummer.
So not only is it easier than recording real drums…in many cases, it actually sounds better as well.
And for a small project studio, it is by far the best option.
Here are 3 good ones I recommend:
Up next…
2. Electronic Drums
With a “brain” module far more sophisticated than any virtual instrument…
And hardware so realistic you may as well be playing acoustic drums…
Electronic drum kits (the good ones anyway), are in my opinion, the ideal solution to record this instrument in a home studio.
To see which ones I recommend, check out this article:
Now despite the awesomeness of electronic drums, they’re still not quite as good as “the real thing”.
So up next…
3. Recording Acoustic Drums
The truth is, an entire book could be written on this one subject alone. For today though, here’s the super-condensed version for beginners.
First, there’s the mics…
On cymbals, you use condenser mics, and on drums, you use dynamic mics.
If you’re still building a mic collection, here are some good ones I recommend for each piece of a standard kit:
Next, there’s the positioning…
While varying opinions exist on exactly how this should be done, here are some of the basic underlying strategies:
Anyways…that’s the general idea.
However, in all honesty, the vast majority of home studios will be much better-off recording drums using one of the first two methods instead.
But hey, it’s still good to know, right?
Making the most of what you’ve got
Making the leap from just playing the guitar to actually writing your own songs with it is a fantastic experience. You never forget the buzz of writing your first riff, or composing your first full track. Better than the writing stage, however, is when you actually come to start recording your music and playing it to others. For anyone starting out though, or even more experienced players, nailing a decent guitar sound on record isn’t quite as easy as it would seem.
Perhaps you’re used to playing at full volume in a rehearsal space, and are then finding your recorded guitars lack a bit of oomph. Or maybe you have a very specific guitar sound in mind, but then struggle to properly dial it in during recording. Hopefully we can help. Thankfully there are some things you can affect before you run out and splash a load of cash on newer, better gear. Here’s a list of 7 tips for recording better guitars at home.
1. Setup for success
If you want your guitars to sound as good as they possibly can, then it’s imperative that you put a bit of effort in before even the first note is played. By this we mean making sure your instrument has fresh strings, is fully tuned up (including the intonation and fine-tuning) and any scratchy electrics or wobbly jack plates are tightened and fixed. There are few things more annoying as a musician than nailing the perfect take, only for it to cut out due to a loose connector wire, or to listen back and be a semi-tone out of tune. Take the time to get the guitar in tip-top condition, then at least you’re starting on the front foot.
2. Practice
Sorry if this seems obvious but practice is a key component in sounding good. Make sure you know every hammer-on, every string bend and every tricky chord before you start recording. This way you’ll feel confident and relaxed when it comes to capturing it, and you won’t be relying on luck or fluke. The less you have to think about what you’re playing, the better you’ll be able to play it.
3. Don’t sweat the detail
This is particularly true if you’re using amp simulators to record into. Put simply, don’t worry too much about getting the tone exactly right before you record it. Chances are the sound you’re using will need tweaking after you’ve recorded the other instruments so just concentrate on getting somewhere near where you want to be and you can fine-tune it later. If, on the other hand, you’re recording using an amp, try and make sure you’ve tested the balance between guitar, drums and bass before you record.
4. Concentration and relaxation
With your guitar all set up, and the song structures committed to memory, all that’s left is to play. We’ve all suffered from red light fever before, where you know you can play something under no pressure but when the metronome starts ticking something switches inside us. Don’t worry; it’s completely normal. A big reason guitarists stumble when recording is because of the extra tension we put into our fingers, perhaps subconsciously. Great guitar playing requires dexterity and a deftness of touch, which is nigh-on impossible if you’re all stressed out. Take a few minutes to relax and your recordings will benefit immensely.
5. Signal chain woes
It’s always a good idea before recording to scrutinise your signal chain. Have you got your pedals in the right order? Are the cables all in good condition? If you’re using mains power, are you picking up a hum from nearby electronic devices. Aim to get your signal chain as clean and optimised as you can because it can be hugely frustrating to record a take and find you’ve picked up the 60 cycle hum from anything plugged into the same socket.
For any information on “Building Your Own Pedalboard“, we give you the full rundown and even include a nifty little diagram too.
6. Dial back the gain!
A common mistake, particularly among guitarists playing heavier styles of music, is to think you need to dime the gain all the way to get that dirty sound. That’s fine for playing on your own, or for playing live, but when you’re recording it can quite quickly swamp a mix. A lot of players try to max out the bass sound thinking it’ll give them a heavier tone but all it does really is compete for the same frequencies as the bass. Try instead to find tones that complement, rather than compete with, the other instruments. Knocking the gain back can open up an entirely new level of clarity which lets your playing shine instead of your gear.
7. Enjoy it!
Nice easy one to end with. Put simply, if you’re not enjoying the recording process, stop recording. Or at least take a break. Recording guitars is meant to be the peak of creativity, where you put everything you have practiced down on tape to listen back to later and feel quite proud of yourself. If you’re beating yourself up for recording a bad take, or if you can’t properly relax, put the guitar down and come back when you’re feeling better. Trust us, you’ll get there. And when you do, all those botched takes and incidents of nerd-rage will be forgotten instantly.
If you liked that, then you might like this
Check out our guide on “How to Mic Up an Amp“, complete with tutorial video from the man, the legend, Tom Quayle.
For those who like to tweak their tone on-the-fly, check out our handy guide to “Reamping Your Guitar or Bass“. Tom Quayle guides you through the process that offers greater flexibility in the studio.
If you’re flummoxed as to how to get the best use out of your amp’s effects loop, then we’ve even got an article on that too. Believe it or not it’s titled “How to Use the Effects Loop On Your Amp” (do you see what we did there?)
Get experimental after reading or guide on “Unusual Recording Techniques“.
If you want to dive deeper into the world of mic placement, then our article goes into whether it should be considered “Art or Science“?
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