You pull out your acoustic guitar on Jan. 1, ready to start your New Year’s Resolution of practicing every day, when, while tuning up, you break a string. You search your case, but you don’t have any extras, and no stores are open. You have to keep your resolution! Can you make your own guitar …
Any player knows that string choice, especially string gauge, is a key part of the tone equation. That raises the question: Do thicker guitar strings sound better? In general, a lot more goes into the sound of a guitar string than its thickness, but thicker guitar strings will sound louder than thinner ones. In some …
It’s hard to imagine a guitarist more influential than B.B. King, who used his iconic guitar, Lucille, to spread the love of the blues into the mainstream of music. Everyone knows B.B. King played Lucille, but what guitar strings did B.B. King use? B.B. King’s famous blues style came in part from the lighter gauge …
If you’ve ever picked up a guitar that hasn’t been played in a while and been surprised at how difficult it was to play, you might have wondered what was going on. Do guitar strings get stiff with age? In general, guitar strings that are played regularly tend to get looser, rather than stiffer, over …
It can be frustrating, especially for beginners, to always feel like they’re changing guitar strings — after all, that’s time not spent doing what they love: playing the guitar. One things guitarist both new and experienced wonder is how to make guitar strings last longer. The best way to make guitar strings last longer is …
If you’ve ever seen a guitar string snap (or, worse yet, been hit by one as it snaps — ouch!), you know that there is a lot of tension stored in a string. Maybe that led you to wonder: How much pressure do guitar strings put on the neck of a guitar? The amount of …
How Much Pressure Do Guitar Strings Put On The Neck Read More »
Willie Nelson’s guitar sound and style are nearly as iconic as his singing, and he’s both written and performed countless country music hits. When looking at how he gets that signature sound, one thing to consider is: What guitar strings does Willie Nelson use? Willie Nelson has actually been using the same kind of strings …
When I was little, I remember marveling at how hard the strings on a guitar were to press down and how thick they seemed against my fingers. Maybe you’ve wondered, like I did then, why do guitar strings have different thicknesses? If you have two strings of the same length at the same tension, a …
Why Do Guitar Strings Have Different Thicknesses? Read More »
Maybe you found an old banjo at a thrift store or yard sale, or got one as a gift. If it doesn’t have strings, you might not be sure what to do. Can you use guitar strings on a banjo if you don’t have other strings? You can use guitar strings on a banjo, but …
While color coding is nothing new for those of you who play acoustic orchestral stringed instruments like violin, cello, and violas, it’s not as common when it comes to guitars and bass strings. So, plenty of guitarists can be taken aback when they find their new set from a different brand sporting colored ends. But …
