PG's Nikos Arvanitis explains and demonstrates the individual sonic qualities and contrasting characteristics of the most-used modulation effects on guitar by citing the Police, Heart, Prince, Nirvana, Whitesnake, and Pearl Jam.
Chasing the best acoustic guitar sound is a lifelong pursuit, but in this video PG’s Nikos Arvantis gets you off to a solid start.
He compares a host of string gauges and types, to unveil their personalities and secrets. “The material your guitar strings are made of, as well as their thickness or gauge, will have a significant impact on how a guitar feels in your hands and even changes how it sounds,” he says. And without amps or effects, acoustic guitar strings play an even bigger role in your sound than they do on a typical Les Paul or Stratocaster or PRS, for example. Gauges, especially, can have a powerful effect on how a guitar plays. And don’t be seduced into thinking bigger gauges equal bigger tones every time. All the strings in this test video are made by D’Addario and have a steel core center.
The test guitar is a Taylor 414ce.The contestants: Silk & Steel EJ40s gauged .011–.047, Flat Tops Phosphor Bronze EFT16s with phosphor bronze wrap wire gauged .012—.053, Nickel Bronze nickel-plated phosphor bronze wrap wire gauged .012–.053, 80/20 Bronze Wrap Wire and Fusion Twist Technology, and XS Coating Phosphor Bronze Wrap Wire.
In conclusion, Nikos also points out a few other factors to consider when contemplating switching strings: how much sweat or oil your hands produce, and what your budget allows—because prices vary widely between strings types. “Your choice should ultimately be based what your ears and hands can tell you,” he advises. “So, try as many strings types as you have access to, and remember that your preferences may evolve over time as you become more experienced.” And remember to subscribe to PG’s YouTube channel so you won’t miss other valuable videos like this one, as well as our Rig Rundowns and First Look videos.
Stop taking guitar strings for granted! Nikos Arvantis opens the book on the wildly varied world of guitar strings, the cheapest, fastest way to change your tone and improve an instrument’s playability.
Round or hexagonal core? Flatwounds or roundwounds? Maybe a hybrid of both? Nickel, steel, high-carbon, coated, or nickel-plated strings? Looking for biting T-style leads or mellow darker jazz box sounds? Using various D’Addario .010-gauge sets, a Strat and a Fender Deluxe, Nikos displays how they sound. Check out the tone of high-carbon steel-core pure nickel wrap wire, high-carbon steel-core stainless steel flattened ribbon wire, high-carbon steel-core stainless steel wrap wire, NY steel-core nickel-plated wrap wire, NY steel-core phosphor-bronze wrap with a XS coating, pure-nickel roundwounds, extra-light chromes, bright toned half-wounds, NYXLs, nickel-plated roundwounds, light-gauge pure nickels, regular-light-gauge half-wounds, XS nickel-plated steels, pure nickel regular lights, half-wound regular lights, and regular nickel-plated steels. Nikos says, “Using different strings with the exact same setup will absolutely alter your tone, but the biggest and most noticeable difference will be how the guitar feels in your hands. At the end of day, selection of strings is a matter of personal taste and your decisions should be made after trying as many as you can to see what helps you express yourself better. Also, remember that many experienced players have changed their strings and gauges throughout their life, so keep in mind that what your ear finds pleasing will evolve over years of musical experiences. The most important thing to remember is that you should ultimately trust your hands and ears to make the choice that is best for you.”
Tips and tools you need to change strings on a classical guitar.
Changing strings on a nylon-strung instrument is much different than wrestling with the buttons and wire on a steel-string acoustic. PG’s Nikos Arvantis offers an in-depth tutorial on changing nylon strings, and specifically on a classical instrument—where the number of string holes on the tie block (six, nine, or 12) vary model-to-model. His tools: a normal tension D’Addario string set, a string winder, wire clippers and a headstand. Nikos walks us though one string at a time, from bridge to tuners. He starts by running the bass string through the bridge to the tie block—in this case a 6-hole variant—and displays proper string tying technique. Thinks loops and remain patient. This can be challenging the first few times, and especially so for those with large fingers. Next we move to the headstock. The lowest bass string also needs to be tied securely, and then wound to pitch in such a way that the windings run on the outside of the string roller. For the next two low strings, the windings go to the inside. This avoids string overlap. Next he moves to the highest string, where the light gauge can be especially hard to knot, and also keeps the string on the outside of the roller while winding up to pitch. The next two highest strings go on the inner part of the roller, as with the bass strings. Finally, the loose ends sticking out beyond the knots on the tie block and rollers are trimmed with the wire cutter. And violá! If your nylon-string guitar has a nine- or 12-hole block, consult the manual or other sources.
DIY: How to Adjust Your Guitar's Neck Relief & Truss Rod—Plus, Fix Your Action | Helmer’s How-Tos
In the second episode of our Helmer’s How-Tos DIY series, expert luthier Dave Helmer shows you how to keep notes sweet by adjusting the truss rod to improve your guitar’s neck relief (don't worry, you won 't break it), or by raising or lowering action on the fretboard. For the best results, a string action gauge will come in handy.