Looking for the best strings for electric guitar?

One thing that really contributes to your guitar tone is of course your strings, therefor your choice of strings is crucial. The market for strings is huge and here is my short guide how to find the best guitar strings. I strongly recommend you to buy the different kind of strings described below and then let your ears and hands decide what is best for YOU. Whats best for others might not have anything to do with you. 

The material guitar strings are made of plays a role in the character of the sound coming out. Stainless steel are bright and Nickel are warmer and less bright, more of a vintage sound. Is the material a big thing? Yes and No, it depends of how your guitar sound in itself. Best thing to do is to test you through this area by yourself. There are a few more materials, Nickel-plated, Jazzy Chrome strings and each material has its own character.

Another thing you have to consider when choosing string is if you want coated or uncoated strings.

Uncoated strings is practically strings as they always have been, just strings as they are. By far most used out there. Great sounding but pretty short life time. Most professional guitarists change the hole string set after every performance. Hand sweat and skin dirt make the string less vibrate and you loose much of your tone.

Daddario explanation of coated strings 

Coated strings are strings with a coat, we are talking the three wound strings here (E, A, D normal tuning). The coat is mostly made of Teflon applied either before the winding or after. The result is a string that holds 3-4 times longer, and thats good. On the other hand the coated string loose some sustain and clarity, the coat gets in between the windings and inhibit some vibration. The process to manufacture coated strings are complicated and therefor these strings a more expensive, the higher price does not reflect a better sounding string as you might expect. The higher price might also reflect the longer string life, as you don't need to change that often.

Treated guitar strings is a quite new developed microscopic technique that does not inhibit sustain, clarity or volume that much as conventional coating but lets your strings last longer in the same way, approx 3-5 times vs uncoated strings. Treated strings are still coated, but in a different way.

The choice between coated or uncoated strings must be made out of how you play and even more important how you hear them in action with your guitar. Don't believe everything you read, use your ears instead.

Here are a few good strings you can order straight away and test with your guitar.

Uncoated Strings
Earnie Ball regular Nickel 4.19 USD Buy here

Coated Strings
Elixir Nanoweb Coating 8.50 USD Buy here

Treated Strings
Cleartone Monster Black Series 12.99 USD Buy here