The first scene in Davis Guggenheim’s
acclaimed 2008 documentary, It
Might Get Loud, shows Jack White stringing
a wire across a crusty plank of wood
outfitted with a Coke-bottle bridge, a Tele
bridge pickup, and nails for a tuner and
a tailpiece. It’s possibly the most primal
lap-slide ever, but despite its roughness it
sounds positively badass through White’s
ancient valve amp. What’s more, though
the film is chock full of luxurious closeups
of the iconic and priceless instruments
and amps used by White and guitar gods
Jimmy Page and the Edge, this opening
scene cuts to the chase in a way we rarely
consider: For all the emphasis, time, and
money we guitarists put into tonewoods,
pickups, amps, tubes, effects, speakers,
and even cables, we often spend very little
time thinking about the core component
without which a guitar simply becomes a
collection of wood—strings.
The history of stringed instruments
stretches back centuries. For most of that
time, strings were created using organic
materials, primarily animal hair and
intestines. Historians frequently refer to “cat
gut” strings, but that’s misleading, because
generally the intestines of farm animals
such as sheep, lamb, or cattle provided the
components for early strings. But that all
changed early in the 20th century, when
guitar builders began using steel strings to
increase durability and volume. Gibson was
an early proponent, and C.F. Martin & Co.
also transitioned to steel strings in the 1920s.
Guitar-string manufacturers of the era
typically evolved from firms producing
materials for violins and other instruments.
As just one example, the D’Addario family
focused on violins before branching out
into guitar strings in the 1930s.
As the guitar became more prevalent in
the post-war era, the need for accessories
grew considerably. In 1962, Ernie Ball
capitalized on this need and expanded from
just selling instruments in his guitar store to
producing strings and accessories.
“Ernie Ball is the pioneer of [the sorts
of ] electric guitar strings that you know
currently in the shops,” says Derek Brooks,
who works in the company’s artist relations
department. “All the popular gauges that
you see are from Ernie Ball and his forethought
into combining string gauges.”
Around the same time, GHS was
launched in 1964 in Battle Creek, Michigan.
Their Boomer series of strings marked the
beginning of major growth for the company.
And in 1970, Martin acquired the Darco
String Company (which was founded by
members of the D’Addario family) and
began manufacturing its own strings. Other
companies have joined the fray over the
decades and, today, an expansive industry
produces a wide variety of guitar strings.
One of the more recent developments
in string manufacturing and marketing
is a focus on maintaining the freshness
of the strings, much like beer producers
that use tinted bottles, born-on dates, and
other strategies to provide a higher-quality
product. GHS Strings offers a resealable
zipper multipack for storing strings prior
to use in order to preserve quality. And
Dean Markley’s Blue Steel strings—a game-changing
product for the company—were
inspired by a scientific magazine article.
“The concept came from an article in
Popular Mechanics decades ago about how
drill-bit, tool, and die manufacturers were
cryogenically freezing their products to
maintain their sharp edges, thus increasing
the lifespan,” says public relations representative
Josh Vittek. “A sidebar to that article
mentioned a violinist doing the same to her
strings to extend the life and performance.
From there, the idea was born.”
Behind the Bullet
Most steel strings are constructed with a brass ball end
attached to the string using winds of its core wire.
In the early ’70s, unhappy with how ball-end strings would
shift inside a Stratocaster trem block—and thus cause tuning
problems when players worked their wang bars—engineers
at Fender developed the Super Bullet string. These have a
cylindrical piece of brass clamped directly onto the string
(left). As shown in the trem cross-section, the “bullet” sits snuggly in the string channel,
reducing movement and improving transfer of string vibration to the bridge.
Frozen strings are just one of the myriad
considerations that manufacturers use
to improve and differentiate their products.
Indeed, the massive variety of options
can be daunting, especially to beginners.
With all the different gauges, materials,
marketing tactics, packaging considerations,
and swag offers, the “string wall” at
your local retailer—that mecca of spooled
wire and prophylactic-like packaging
behind the counter—can be intimidating
and overwhelming enough as to be more
akin to a wailing wall.
“It’s like the toothpaste aisle,” says John
Biggs, a tech journalist and hobbyist guitar
player. “Intellectually, I know there’re
different ingredients and formulas in the
tubes. One’s for whitening, one’s for cavity
control … but on an emotional level,
I stand there and wonder if there is really
any difference at all.”
No doubt similar reasoning guides many
guitarists to just stick with whatever brand
of strings accompanied their guitar, whatever
their favorite player uses, or whatever
happens to be on sale. For many, that initial
strumming in the guitar store establishes a
sort of template in the musician’s mind for
what the instrument should sound like.
Tim McNair, general manager of
Martin’s string division, relates the story of
a collector who purchased a new Martin
and then contacted the factory about getting
additional strings. “I sent him our
Clapton’s Choice strings,” says McNair.
“He calls me up a couple of days later
after he got the strings and he says, ‘You
broke my guitar. This is not the guitar I
bought.’ I explained that, no, those are
not the strings that came on the guitar in
the dealership. So I sent him [a set of ] the
4100s we had on that guitar at the time,
and he calls and says, ‘You fixed it.’ I
don’t think people realize that the set of
strings affects how the guitar sounds.”
Construction Types
To understand strings, there are a few somewhat
technical areas to get a handle on,
including how strings are made. What we
consider to be a simple guitar string is actually
the fusion of two main components.
First, there is the core wire—basically
the inner foundation of the product.
Some string companies use a hexagonal
(six-sided) core, others use a round core.
“You have to marry the tensile strength
against the flexibility of the core wire,”
says Martin’s McNair. “If you get it too
stiff, it’s not going to play well—the vibrations
start to slow down, and you don’t
get as much pressure against the fret.”
Second, there is the wrap material
that encircles the core. The shape of this
wrap material often drives the designation
of how a string is “wound.”
Roundwound strings are constructed
by wrapping a round metal wire around
the core (imagine a spaghetti noodle
twined around a chopstick). They are
the most common string type today, and
they’re considered a good, all-purpose
option for multiple genres of music.
Flatwound strings are constructed
by wrapping a flat, ribbon-like material
around the core (imagine a linguine noodle
around the chopstick). They produce
warm, somewhat subdued-sounding
tones often preferred by jazz players.
Halfwound strings combine the qualities
of roundwounds and flatwounds.
In fact, some manufacturers take a
roundwound string and grind off the
edges. This produces a string that offers
reduced finger squeak.
Although these three types represent
the overwhelming majority of strings on
the market, some companies are exploring
new winding methods. For example, Dean
Markley’s Helix HD line uses a wrapping
material that has an elliptical shape.
Further, Rotosound’s Jason How adds that
machinery and construction speed are also
important factors. “Rotosound is one of
a few string manufacturers that designs
and builds all its own machinery entirely
in-house. This means we can control and
adapt to every possible function of the
string—tension-control management,
wrap-wire angles, wrap speed etc. … Many
string companies wind their strings at ridiculously
high spindle speeds to achieve efficiencies.
We have a unique system that allows us to
run the machines at the perfect slower speed
to produce a superior product and still achieve
maximum output.”
Metal Types
What your strings’ individual components
are made from affects the final sound at least
as much as the type of construction. Most
manufacturers use steel cores but employ
numerous combinations of metals and alloys
to produce a wide range of tones across
their product lines. It’s a bit like the contestants
in a chili cook off, where some prefer
cayenne, some use red pepper, and others
choose paprika to augment their cherished
recipes. Guitar string producers do the same
thing, just with more volume.
Steel is used for a bright, crunchy tone.
Nickel, once the industry standard, is
used for a slightly warmer, “vintage” tone.
Down to the Wire
Gauges, Tension, and the Core-to-Wrap Ratio
Guitarists are typically used to thinking about string tension—that
is, how easy or difficult a set of strings is to play—in terms of
gauge. For instance, tuned to high E, a plain .011 string has more tension
than a .009 made of the same material—a fact our fingers can easily
confirm. However, when it comes to wound strings, there’s more to
the question of tension and feel than meets the eye. It’s true that, tuned
to low E, a .048 string feels tighter than a .046. But can there be a difference
in tension between .046 strings made by different companies,
assuming they’re on identical guitars and tuned to the same pitch?
The answer is yes, and although the differences may be subtle, it’s
an area worth exploring. As you can see when you clip a wound string
and peer at its cross section, it comprises two elements: the core wire
and wrap wire. To achieve a given string gauge, manufacturers may
vary the ratio between these two wires. One brand may have a thicker
core and thinner wrap, while another may use a slightly thinner core
but make up the difference in diameter by using a bigger wrap.
These differences affect feel, explains Eric Cocco, vice-president of
LaBella Strings. “The tension of a musical string can be adjusted by
simply combining different core and wrap wires. This can also be varied
by using different tensile strength for the core and wrap wires. As an
example, an electric guitar gauge of .042 can be made by using a .016
core and a .013 wrap wire. Another way of building that string could
be with a .019 core and a .0115 wrap. The gauge would be the same—
.042—but the string with the .019 core would be much stiffer.”
The core-to-wrap ratio also impacts tone. “You want a significant
mass on the winding,” says Jason Everly, president of
Cleartone Strings, “because that’s what makes the sound waves. The
thicker the mass of the wrap, relative to the size of the string, the
more audible low-end frequencies you’re going to get. You’re trying
to get close to a 1-to-1 ratio between core and wrap wires—at
least on an acoustic string—but that’s difficult because the wrap
wire will shear the core wire when you reach that ratio. So that’s
the game, and everyone has their own top-secret formula as to how
they overcome this and how they adjust for it.”
If you’re interested in fine-tuning your guitar’s playability and
tone, it pays to experiment. Companies put a lot of thought into
how they manufacture wound strings, and the core-to-wrap ratio is
an important factor in their designs. —Andy Ellis
Bronze refers to a mixture of metals,
frequently a combination of copper, zinc,
brass, or other materials. It’s generally
used as a wrap for acoustic-guitar strings
to provide bright, crisp tones with good
volume and projection.
Phosphor-bronze combines phosphor
with bronze to increase the durability.
It’s also generally used for acoustic guitar
strings to provide a combination of
brightness and warmth.
Gauges
Perhaps the most common terms you’ll hear
guitarists use when talking about strings
are their gauge—that is, how thick each
one is. You might hear a fan of shredding
metal solos saying, “I play eights” or “I play
nines,” which is simplified guitar speak for
saying they prefer using a set of strings that
has a .008" or .009" high-E (or 1st) string.
Lighter gauges (.008 or .009 sets for
electric, or .010 or .011 set for acoustic)
are easier to play and most appropriate
for newer guitar players. The most common
gauge sets for electric guitarists in
general are .010 sets, but some blues and
jazz players often play .011, .012, or .013
sets because they tend to yield a more
taut and burly tone. Fans of detuned
metal or baritone guitar also play heavier
sets out of necessity—thinner gauges are
too slack and lose their pitch too easily
when tuned to lower registers.
As for acoustic guitar, .012s are the
most common sets for two reasons: First,
most acoustic players don’t play electriclike
leads on their flattops, so they don’t
need them to be as easy to shred on.
Second, more of your tone is generated
directly by the physics of the guitar body
with an acoustic, and heavier strings
yield a richer, more robust acoustic tone.
As we mentioned above, keep in mind
that these single-number designations
(e.g., “I play .011s”) are just ballpark figures,
because virtually every string manufacturer
makes at least a couple of varieties
of sets in each general gauge range. For
example, both Dunlop’s Medium sets and
its Light/Heavy sets have .010, .013, and
.017 gauges for the top three strings, but
the Mediums have .026, .036, and .046
gauges for the lower three strings, while
the Light/Heavies have .030, .042, and
.052 gauges for a little extra oomph on the
E, A, and D strings.
In the past, players were constrained by
manufacturer offerings in terms of gauges,
but today, there is an almost limitless palette.
“Throughout most of the 20th century, standardized
electric and acoustic guitar gauges
were sufficient,” says Brian Vance, director of
product management at D’Addario. “However,
today there are so many popular styles and
trends that it is often necessary for players to
go outside of standard gauge sets to get the
effect they desire. Whether it’s for open tunings,
drop tunings, baritone guitars, 5-string guitars,
7-string guitars, or a variety of other reasons,
many players are opting to go their own way
and customize their string selection.”
Coatings
Many guitar string brands offer sets that are
treated with a variety of proprietary coatings
and polymers to reduce corrosion, fret wear,
and the audible squeaking sounds players
sometimes experience as they slide their
fingers from one neck position to another.
Some players dislike coated strings (although
they seem to be more widely used in the
acoustic realm) claiming they muffle the
string’s natural tone or sometimes have a
bit of a sticky feel. However, some manufacturers
claim there isn’t an appreciable
difference, while others say a different feel
was precisely the goal for developing coated
strings in the first place.
“It’s about giving players options,” says
Steve R. Rosenberg, project manager at
Elixir Strings, the company that pioneered
coated strings. “Originally, it was about the
feel of the string—the idea that it gave you
a different feel. [But] after tens of thousands
of strings, [we realized] this long-tone-life
benefit trumped the original concept.”
Today, depending on target markets and
branding strategies, some companies choose
to highlight the difference of a coated string
while others downplay the difference between
the playability of coated versus uncoated.
D’Addario’s Vance says, “Our EXP
coated [acoustic] strings look, sound, and
feel like traditional strings, while providing
a barrier against corrosion and wear. They
retain their new-string tone and last three to
four times longer than traditional strings.”
Actual coating methodologies vary
from manufacturer to manufacturer. Elixir
Strings, for example, owns a patent on
materials and technologies that coat the
strings’ cracks and crevices.
“As you play, dirt and gunk accumulates
between the windings, in the gaps,” says
Elixir’s Rosenberg. “What that does is add
mass, but more importantly, it’s restricting
the motion so your string can’t freely
vibrate. That’s what’s causing those highs to
roll off and lose that bright tone people are
looking for. Unless you are protecting the
gap between the winding—physically preventing
material from accumulating—you’re
not significantly changing tone life.”
Colored strings, such as the Neon series
from DR Strings or the guitar and bass sets
from Strings by Aurora, illustrate another
reason to balance coating size with playability
and longevity. While enabling players to
customize instrument appearance, colored
strings also reveal the worn spots. “If you
have a coating you’re saying is really thin, but
you can’t tell it’s there, if you put pigment
in it, you’d see how fast it went away,” says
Thomas Klukosky, factory manager at DR.
“If you’re going super thin—down to micron
coatings—you’ll rub off the plating. As soon
as your string hits the fret, it starts wearing
away whatever the string is made of.”
Machinery and construction practices factor into quality of string production, says Jason How
of Rotosound, which controls all of its hardware in-house, from machine design to operation
speed. Photos courtesy of Rotosound
Smart Tools to Aid Your Search
Big-name guitarists (and their techs) get
courted by reps from every imaginable string
company, so they have it a bit easier when
it comes to selecting their go-to strings. But
how should a weekend warrior go about it?
“Patiently,” says Dean Markley’s Vittek.
“Developing as a musician is a long process.
Finding the tools you need to do so can be
even longer. Try them all. Trial and error
will be the only way you come to a conclusion
of what string works best for you.”
Russ McFee, president of GHS Strings,
agrees with the trial-and-error nature of the
process. “The best advice is to experiment.
Strings feel different to every player, and
you have to find the one that fits your own
playing. In our opinion, a new player should
keep the gauge of the string on the lighter
side—for both electric and acoustic. As
the player gets more experience, then he or
she can try heavier gauges for a little more
punch and volume or for different tunings.”
Many guitar companies help beginners via
interactive website tools that help you zero-in
on a particular type of string. For example,
GHS features a graphic of a string delineated
with various string models along a continuum
from bright to mellow. D’Addario’s
website has a similar string-selection tool that
also enables you to add filters for coating,
wrap material, and construction. Ernie Ball
offers three different web tools: The Tone
Universe and String Player offer different
ways to listen to clean or distorted recordings
(single-string or chord) of various string
types, while the String Finder lets you reference
the company’s diverse roster of famous
endorsees to help you decide which string
type and gauge might work for you.
The Future of Strings
The string industry has invested millions
of dollars in research and development to
bring us some pretty cool innovations over
the years—innovations that are easy to
take for granted or overlook. A medieval
traveling minstrel accustomed to stretching
gut strings across his lute would be
shocked at the variety and combinations
of alloys, gauges, and coatings available in
the 21st century. And if one thing’s for sure
after talking to reps from so many of these
companies, it’s that we can count on them
continuing to blaze new trails.
“There is room for improvement in the
areas of corrosion-resistant materials and
processes, new alloys with varying tone
and texture characteristics, and more variations
based on the feel and tension of the
strings,” says D’Addario’s Brian Vance.
Some industry experts even predict that
younger players will come to expect features
that traditionalists dismiss today. Further,
society’s increasing awareness of environmental
citizenship may also influence the
future of guitar strings.
“I think a lot of companies are becoming
more environmentally aware than ever,” says
Russ McFee from GHS. “We continually
look at ways to improve the process and cut
down on material waste while maintaining
a high-quality guitar string. The packaging
that companies use will continue to evolve
and be redesigned as we move forward,
offering some exciting opportunities.”
In that initial It Might Get Loud scene,
Jack White nails down a thick, heavy-duty
wire that seems better suited to industrial
lighting applications than music. In future
generations, the same scene might be filmed
with a gossamer thin fluorescent strand that
seems as fragile as a spider web but is strong
as steel. But whatever the future technologies,
the string will remain as integral as
ever—after all, there’s a reason one of our
favorite nicknames for the instrument is
“the 6-string.”