String material: The strings of acoustic guitars are generally composed of 6 single strings (except special). The strings 1-3 (fine → thick strings) are non-wound strings, which are solid wires of different thickness (1 string most Thinner and thicker, the surface will be coated with a metal layer such as tin or zinc, 4-6 will be wound with a string, and a wire will be wound on the basis of the solid steel wire. The winding wire is made of different kinds of metal plating. It is the main determinant of the quality of the string material. The four most popular string brands on the market, Alice, Martin, Elixir, and D’Addario, are now taking their mainstream models for evaluation.
Alice AW432: Alice is the leader of the domestic string, with a very high cost performance, is a very good choice for the student party. Alice AW432 is one of the best-selling products, with thickness between 011-052, imported wire string, coated copper alloy wrapped strings, soft touch, soft tone and rich overtones. The main thing is that the price is real, even if you change it once a month, it won’t feel bad.
Elixir 16052: The most powerful technology of the company is “coating rust”, which greatly extends the life of the strings without external forces. But the Achilles heel is also due to the plating of a layer of film on the surface of the wire, which makes the string harder and slippery, and it will rise when used for a long time, and the feel is slightly worse than other brands.
Elixir16052 is one of the best, the thickness is between 012-053, the tone is thick, the graininess is strong, but the horizontal force requires a lot of strength.
Martin MSP4100: Some people say that if you can’t afford a Martin guitar, buy a Martin string.
The Martin strings are designed for performance and are full of tension for large stage performances. Martin MSP 4100 is a typical representative of this, the thickness is between 012-054, 1, 2 string copper plating, 3 to 6 string phosphor bronze winding, the texture is hard, the feel is more dry than Elixir, the low frequency is full and wide, high frequency has strong penetration.
D’Addario EJ16: As an American string brand, Daddario has a very high reputation and a high quality and affordable price. It is loved by guitar lovers all over the world. The most popular D’Addario EJ16, the thickness is between 012-053, the core of the string is made of hexagonal high carbon steel, and the outer layer is wrapped with anti-corrosion phosphor bronze to create a transparent and bright tone. The tension is moderate and comfortable to play, perfect for everyday practice.
