Acoustic Guitar String Buzz At Bridge For Sale (2024 Update)

Silk ans Steel strings seen to have less tension a smoother feel and sound mellow. I use them on my parlor guitar and they are plenty loud. I fell back in love with my parlor guitar after putting silk and steel strings on. I still use EXP17's on my dreadnought and different sizes on my electrics like heavy tops on my 335 and 10's on the tele and about to try 7's on my strat. I think guitars are all different and need strings that match the guitar and the style of your playing. I have no problem going from one gauge to another. Most of my practice is on the acoustic with the 13-56 tuned Eb, then when I pick up another guitar It seems to be faster and easier along with being more fun if that's possible. I love D'Addario strings sorry now spending so much money on trying other brands. I recommend trying D'Addario silk and steel on any folk/acoustic guitar first!Lewis

I'm no professional. I like to play around the house and I often do solo music in church. I tend to only play acoustic guitar because I love the sound. However, the 80/20's make me want to vomit both in sound and feel. These strings take anything you play and transform it into a smooth and beautiful piece of art. They feel wonderful, very soft but still very present. They sound so warm, but also articulate every sound. If the EJ40's ever get discontinued, I might just hang up my axe and stop chopping down tunes.JC_Broussard

These are great strings be not for everyone. They are different in that they aid the upper register of vocals. I've put them on a 00-27 and a J 200; tow very different guitars. The affect is magical for those musicians who want a harp-like tone from their steel strung axe. They have an interesting configuration. From e to E; 12, 16,12,16, 23 W, 30 W. The result is crisp, clear highs and rich lows. These strings are different, but wonderful.goeller2006

I have tried countless strings over the years, and these John Pearse strings are fantastic! You name it, I've tried it. Everything from D'Addario, Elixer, Martin, Gibson, DR, Cleartone and even Dean Markley. Cheap and expensive, I have tried them. All I can say is that these are the best acoustic strings I have tried to date. I just went from a set of Elixers (which I thought were expensive, but good) to these, and these strings won out hands down. As soon as I installed these, my guitar absolutely came ALIVE! It was almost like night and day. Everything was better! Immediately what I noticed was the added volume and projection I was getting, but most of all, it was the tone that absolutely sold me on these. With these strings I heard more woodiness, percussive body, clarity, string to string definition, harmonic overtones, and resonance than any other acoustic strings I have heard to date. The top end also opened up and became even more tactile and transparent. These strings are just more organic, yet highly defined and less sterile than anything else I have heard, and they also have a very balanced output from string to string that is excellent. In no small measure, these strings have been a bit of a revelation. These strings are also very smooth, and I also noticed less finger noise between fretting notes and bar chords as well. However, regarding that smoothness, I also noticed something interesting as well. Just try to follow me with this: These are the first set of John Pearse strings I have ever installed, so I don't know if this is a "one off", but as smooth as they are, I also noticed that the unwound strings have an ever so slightly uneven and wavy finish to them in spots when you shine them in the light. I don't mention this as a negative IN ANY WAY, but just purely as an observation. Besides, I could care less because they sound so darn amazing. Anyway, my point of mentioning this (and this is based purely on conjecture), is I wonder if the barely perceptible finish inconsistencies contribute to the overall tonality of these strings? TBH, I have never seen strings that had this kind of "inconsistency" to their finish before, and I am wondering if this has anything to do with the great tonality of these strings? All the other strings I have bought over the years have been extremely smooth and consistent in their diameter and finish. Again, I don't mention this as a negative in any way because you never feel this while playing in the least. The only time I noticed it was when I looked at them under direct light. These strings sound fantastic, and obviously their specific alloy and construction plays a great part to their sound, but on the other hand, I have never seen strings with this kind of finish before, and yet I have also never been so excited about a set of strings before either. There has to be something to it. The only other thing I can mention is that these strings also have excellent string life as well. I have had these on my acoustic after about a month and a half of use, and they still sound fantastic! Anyway, all I can say is that I have tried A LOT of strings, and these ones are the standouts by far. Buy with confidence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Peace. 🙂Eywa Dude

Had a pesky b and e string on short scale 000. Solution was it wanted more tension to ring true. The 13 and 18 did it; short scale so they play like lighter strings! The 22w g is awesome, the rest balance nicely. 52 is lite for E but not much of a sacrifice; drop D tuning still do-able. SO HAPPYJohn

There's not a lot of choice for acoustic baritone guitars. I buy D'Addarios for my other guitars so I was happy to try these and they've become the strings I use on the baritone. By the way, a decent acoustic baritone guitar is a wondrous thing – buy one if you don't already have one.DJ

I've been a D'addario guy for a long time, and use them on all my guitars. I like the phosphor bronze tone on my acoustics, and use the extra lights because I have hand and finger joint issues. Actually 10s are pretty heavy for me, I use 8s on my electrics. Anyway, they sound great, are easy to play and have always been reliable for me.James

For years I refused to replace one of the low E machines on my Guild 12-string, as much on principle as anything else. I could only find a full set when I only needed one. The folks at Sam Ash knew my feeling and enthusiastically referred me back to the shop. Not only did I get a single machine, the price was more than right. Now I will be going back there not so much for their merchandise as for the people. That's where they put their investment.Mediaman.2

A friend of mine put light gauge electric strings on his acoustic guitar so it would be easier to play. I did like the feel but the sound was too thin so when I came across the Extra Light D'Addario's for acoustics I was excited to try them. My preferred style of playing an acoustic has recently become almost all finger-picking without finger picks. I tried them on my vintage classic dreadnought Yamaha F335ii and they sound good with a little less low end and a little more thin high end which you would expect. Also there is a tendency for the little E string to rattle as I use an upward stroke with the index or middle finger to play it. I will try switching that string out with a little higher gauge to alleviate that problem. Your style (light or heavy) of playing may determine whether these strings are right for you. They are great for strumming light rhythm with a balanced bright sound using a Fender thin pick so I would definitely use them for recording rhythm parts. For recording finger-picked parts I will continue using regular light gauge strings on a Martin. The D'Addario extra lights are easy on the fingers and good for practicing any style. They would also be a good choice for beginnersdhughe1

Just started playing open tuning slide. Thought I would try phosphor bronze over nickel strings. I prefer nickel for a resonator sound.Larry D.

I've been using these strings for a few years and I've always been happy with the tone. These tend to have a slightly lower price point over other brands.Jeff

I have tried alot of reso strings in search of the best.Jim Dunlop'resonator strings are probably the best so far.High quality phosphor bronze and well balanced.They come with an extra .018(B string)for adding a little more mass to the high D string. I tried the extra .018 and it's exactly what I've been looking for. .016' are kind of wimpy if you do alot of single string playing. I'm comparing these to D'Addario EJ42 reso strings. My usual preferance. I really like the Dunlops better. They seem a little heavier though the same guage.Just a really well made tonally rich set of strings.RANDAWG

These are outstanding strings. For many years I held off using them because of the relatively high price. I had read and heard the general narrative about how much better they felt and how much longer they lasted than conventional strings. I recently purchased a nice mahogany Taylor and it had a factory set of Elixirs on the guitar. Anyway, tired of the "grungy," tacky feel that my strings would often have after only one gig, I tried the Elixirs. I'm now an Elixir convert. They feel terrific, even after 3 or four gigs. Musician's Friend is a great place to buy these. Fast, free shipping and a really easy, no-brainer purchase now that I understand what all the fuss is about. Buy these and you'll not regret it.Billy The Kid

When you play guitar outside, your strings decay pretty quickly, unless you've got coated strings for protection. The coating on most coated strings get frayed and buzzy too quickly. A set of Elixirs will last three or four weeks of daily outdoor playing, and virtually never break. I can't imagine how long they'd last if I only played indoors!whowhatwhywhenwherehow

These are a bit pricy, but if you can afford them, I recommend them. To me, the advantages are 1) they last longer before the intonation goes sour and the treble starts to decay 2) they are quieter, meaning less string/finger squeak 3) they seem extremely uniform and predictable. No hot, dull or buzzy strings out of the box, or bad ball end wraps, which I've experienced using other brands.55music

Not crazy about their sound. First time I tried them. Too metallic and the strings Vibrate too long, disrupting a chords pure and rounded sound. The e string broke immediately as I was re stringing the guitar. Luckily i bought 2. But won’t purchase again. I miss a warmer, fuller sound. I had elixir 10’s before which were excellent. I will go again for 10’s or 11’s.Nina V.

I ordered 9 high string because my barre chords were causing me grief. These seem much louder than my recent strings (which may have become dull) I use my fingers mainly but a pick requires some restraint. They haven't settled in yet requiring retuning each day but may be due to the weather i.e heating coming on! For the price I've had less performance from much more expensive strings.grummanfly

I believe I already rated these once before but as I've been asked to do it again…ok. Not the usual kind of strings you would expect to be able to use on an acoustic guitar but worth trying. The only issue I had with these is that the G string would not intonate properly and I could not get that in tune for trying and so I bought a separate custom string to replace it. The measurement of the G in the set is .015 plain steel and I replaced this with a .017 wound string and this fixed the problem very easily. If, like me, you like a consistency of feel and sound I would recommend getting all the strings in custom strings. It's very easy to do. And there you have it… 🙂 Overall a nice set of strings but maybe just think about changing the G (.015) to a custom string (.017) wound string.Francis O.

I've used these on my Taylor 414 custom several times now….i LOVE THEM. I find their tone much richer, and longer lasting then the Elixer strings recommended for TaylorRoderick

Interesting set of strings. They were actually quite bright in tone,I'd hoped the nickel wrap would have mellowed them out.lasted a long time- but on balance I'd rather have a set of nyxl phosphor bronze strings.As an all round uncoated string.Tim w.

I have been changing all my acoustic instruments, especially guitars and mandolins over to these strings. I still occasionally like the brassyness (really bronziness) of phosphor bronze but actually prefer the tone of NB strings. I mostly play vintage instruments and these bring out the best in them. You basically get more of the tone of the woodiness of the guitar or mandolin vs. the tone of the strings. Hard to describe. They are excellent for archtop guitars.Jim

I tried these Balanced Tension Nickel Bronze strings on my Gibson J-15. I figured that they would give me a little more volume and I was very disappointed. Not only was there no additional volume, but they sounded very muddy. I haven't given up on the idea of balanced tension, but these aren't the ones for this guitar. I'll try the lights and see if they are a little brighter.Fred

I've heard that string manufacturers re-labeled string gauges. What was once light is now extra light. If you've got an older guitar, and you're worried about tension on the neck, bridge, and top, buy a set that's a notch lighter than what you'd been using years and years ago. Extra lights are plenty loud enough unless you're a gorilla. In that case, see if you can find some Mapes heavy gauge. They'll yank the face off your guitar, but you'll satisfy your need to be a genuine irritant until they do.jdeitch11

Definitely the best strings at the price point lately. They have a thinner or smoother wind than Ernie Ball slinkys or Daddarrio exl and this results in less finger noise and a zingier tone IMO. I'm into clean and classic rock, and I doubt you would like these over the former two names if you were into more modern and metal sounds. It depends on the guitar for me, on my strat I could use just about any strings. My guitars with humbuckers seem more picky, at least to my ears. I prefer these over the other two as far as cheap strings go, and these are often cheaper. Win win. Used to be I would never have preferred Fender strings so either my tastes are changing or these strings have changed over the years.Joelish

Overall: Don't pay any attention to the low price these are great strings. Have used Fender 7250's on all kinds of bass guitars they always sound great and feel good. Years of use have proved quality. I put them on my Jazz bass, my PJ, and my Squire, have used them on Samick, Music man, OLP, and Epiphone basses, all good.Scott

According to a Fender rep, these are what came on the Fender PJ bass I ordered from Musician's Friend. They produce the classic Fender tone I wanted. I eventually replaced them with a set of Fender 7250L (.040, .060, .080, .100) to make it easier to play on the guitar's 9.5" fingerboard radius. I stayed with Fender because of the tone that the 7250M strings produce. The Light's have slightly less oomph on the low end, yet all the tone while the lighter gauge makes for nice melodic work on the high end of things. If you have a Fender bass and want Fender tone…Vice

These are great strings be not for everyone. They are different in that they aid the upper register of vocals. I've put them on a 00-27 and a J 200; tow very different guitars. The affect is magical for those musicians who want a harp-like tone from their steel strung axe. They have an interesting configuration. From e to E; 12, 16,12,16, 23 W, 30 W. The result is crisp, clear highs and rich lows. These strings are different, but wonderful.goeller2006

I have tried countless strings over the years, and these John Pearse strings are fantastic! You name it, I've tried it. Everything from D'Addario, Elixer, Martin, Gibson, DR, Cleartone and even Dean Markley. Cheap and expensive, I have tried them. All I can say is that these are the best acoustic strings I have tried to date. I just went from a set of Elixers (which I thought were expensive, but good) to these, and these strings won out hands down. As soon as I installed these, my guitar absolutely came ALIVE! It was almost like night and day. Everything was better! Immediately what I noticed was the added volume and projection I was getting, but most of all, it was the tone that absolutely sold me on these. With these strings I heard more woodiness, percussive body, clarity, string to string definition, harmonic overtones, and resonance than any other acoustic strings I have heard to date. The top end also opened up and became even more tactile and transparent. These strings are just more organic, yet highly defined and less sterile than anything else I have heard, and they also have a very balanced output from string to string that is excellent. In no small measure, these strings have been a bit of a revelation. These strings are also very smooth, and I also noticed less finger noise between fretting notes and bar chords as well. However, regarding that smoothness, I also noticed something interesting as well. Just try to follow me with this: These are the first set of John Pearse strings I have ever installed, so I don't know if this is a "one off", but as smooth as they are, I also noticed that the unwound strings have an ever so slightly uneven and wavy finish to them in spots when you shine them in the light. I don't mention this as a negative IN ANY WAY, but just purely as an observation. Besides, I could care less because they sound so darn amazing. Anyway, my point of mentioning this (and this is based purely on conjecture), is I wonder if the barely perceptible finish inconsistencies contribute to the overall tonality of these strings? TBH, I have never seen strings that had this kind of "inconsistency" to their finish before, and I am wondering if this has anything to do with the great tonality of these strings? All the other strings I have bought over the years have been extremely smooth and consistent in their diameter and finish. Again, I don't mention this as a negative in any way because you never feel this while playing in the least. The only time I noticed it was when I looked at them under direct light. These strings sound fantastic, and obviously their specific alloy and construction plays a great part to their sound, but on the other hand, I have never seen strings with this kind of finish before, and yet I have also never been so excited about a set of strings before either. There has to be something to it. The only other thing I can mention is that these strings also have excellent string life as well. I have had these on my acoustic after about a month and a half of use, and they still sound fantastic! Anyway, all I can say is that I have tried A LOT of strings, and these ones are the standouts by far. Buy with confidence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Peace. 🙂Eywa Dude

Had a pesky b and e string on short scale 000. Solution was it wanted more tension to ring true. The 13 and 18 did it; short scale so they play like lighter strings! The 22w g is awesome, the rest balance nicely. 52 is lite for E but not much of a sacrifice; drop D tuning still do-able. SO HAPPYJohn

SO I put them on my 45 yr old acoustic guitar and they are brighter than bronze – they sound amazing with fingers or using a slide. They are very clear, project well, sound great. They have lots of punch too – they sound great for all types of music from rock & roll to blues. I definitely recommend these strings. The strings look a lot nicer than the old strings I had on my acoustic guitar!Lauderbabe

This review is about D'addario guitar strings. The guitar strings included in this package are extra light gauge .010 – .047. This product contains three sets of guitar strings, each set consists of six strings. This product is specifically for acoustic guitars. The D'Addario guitar strings are advertised as having a corrosion barrier sleeve. Each set of strings is individually wrapped. This is an amazing product. I do not know how to play the guitar but we have a guitar that had old worn strings on it and the D'Addario acoustic guitar strings changed the overall appearance of the guitar, and even made my guitar playing sound good (to me). Replacing our old guitar strings with this brand was a necessary choice. With these acoustic guitar strings, the life of this guitar has been extended tremendously. The sound that comes from the instrument is more soothing now, than it used to be. The D'Addario guitar strings took a little time replace, but the process was fairly easy. I am excited that three sets of guitar strings came in this package because I am truly a beginner when it comes to the guitar, but now that the new strings have been installed, I am excited to play. I recommend this product, and the craftsmanship is superb.Missourian

Although more expensive than your average strings, because of their longevity, they represent great value for money. Tonally excellent – bright, focused, rich, resonant bass, sparkling treble, and all points in between. Also surprisingly smooth under fretting fingers. Now I can bring my guitar to all the best parties in town, Women love me. Men admire me. It's a win win situation every time. Seriously good stringspaulguitar09

I usually use Elixir Lights or Mediums which is the recommended brand for all Taylor Guitars but I always wanted to try out Cleartone. Picked up the Cleartone Grand Lights which is a mix of medium and light strings and they do not disappoint. They sound beautiful on my Taylor Grand Auditorium! I highly recommend picking up a set of these and try them out on any acoustic guitar. If you like the crisp bright tones of lights with the rich and loudness of medium strings then these are the strings for you! They are corrosion resistant and have a thin flake free coating on them like Elixirs do. These just might be my new favorite strings! I will have to check out some different sizes and see what else they have. But as of now I am happy with my very first set of Cleartone acoustic guitar strings!mccaseyfresh

Although I was not throughly impressed I still say they are worth a shot if you are curious. If you don't like them, hey, go back to what works. I am unfortunately stuck with a stack of these strings (and intend to use them), but I'm not going to complain because I got an incredible deal on them. There's too many complainers out there today. Cleartone strings appear to be a well-manufactured, quality product, and I recommend them on the grounds that you try them to see if they are a good fit for you and your guitar. All the best! Cleartone coating versus other brands' coating – this is what the package touts. I notice the coating to be thinner but a good quality "coated" string has never bothered me much. In other words – it advertises a thinner coating and a more natural feeling product, but unfortunately it doesn't matter to me much. I'll rate this category a 6. The strings seem to be well made and are even packaged nicely in a durable poly wrap package, I admit I was pretty impressed just seeing what was underneath the pouch. Strings are color coded, which will be appealing to those who are familiar with D'Addario strings. Nice touch. Each string tips off with a long straight steel core. Strings tuned up fast and after a few stretches only needed one or two re-tunes. The area where I am dissatisfied is not in the durability or the feel of the strings. I am dissappointed in the sound. These strings replaced an old set of D'Addario EXL's on my Yamaha FGX720SCA Acoustic/Electric, and although they were brigher (as new strings tend to be), they were lacking a certain fullness and richness that the EXL's provided, both new and used, when played on my guitar. The EXL's have always been my go-to coated string, simply because they sound better to me than other coated competitors, so I may be partially biased here. But I know what I hear and I know what I like, and I don't feel these Cleartones are the best fit for my guitar. I want the readers to know that every guitar responds differently to strings. I have played guitar for quite a few years and have realized that some brands/gauges/lines of strings work better on some guitars, both acoustic and electric, than do others. So don't let this review scare you away from trying a set of strings that you might just fall in love with. On my particular guitar I wasn't impressed, but perhaps on your Takamine or your Martin these strings will shoot rainbows from your fingertips. It's all subjective. If you can find a special, I'd say give them a whack. You may not be dissapointed, and you'll know for yourself if these are for you or not. There's a lot of buzz about these strings, why not try them for yourself? Peace.zippidydoo

Absolutely can't tell that these are coated strings at all. They are bright without being super honky that you have to break in, they are smooth to play, and only sound better the longer you have them. They last an insanely long time with heavy use while still sounding fresh as can be, I play every day and change mine once every 10 months to a year. I guess I'll have to give Elixirs a fair try because they are the only brand I haven't used on bass yet, but have no idea what the last review was about saying these strings aren't good. They are downright amazing. I don't do reviews but I stand by the products that stand by me. The price is absolutely worth every last penny. Try them and you'll never look back!Mike B

My personal favorite coated strings, they have a great balanced tone perfect for rock and roll. They last forever, and keep their tone for months even with heavy playing. They have a warm low end and snappy responsive highs. I typically don't like coated strings as I find they impede my playing, however these strings feel like there's nothing there! These are truly excellent strings. This is an Employee review by Cgray at Sam Ash store 57Moose

I really like the tone and flexable feel of these strings. They have a good sound that does sound to bright or feel to slick, unlike elixers. I will probably purchase again if i find a great deal on them but unfortanatly i didnt get my moneys worth because the g string broke in two weeks. The only other thing i didnt love is that the big e string has so much wrapping at the ball that i had to jam my pin in a little more than was comfortable to hold it in. All in all the positives outway the negatives, the biggest thing to improve on would be durability.tyrw21

Very nice strings, good price and well packaged, but a little too bright for me. I bought these to try as I thought they would be a bit more mellow than the normal more strings I buy, but they sounded very similar, albeit a lot cheaper.Mike

These strings are definitely easier on the fingers, though there was a notable decrease in sound. I'm thinking there are trade-offs between the softer core, dynamic output of a string. With that said, I found these strings to be very easy to play on, as I usually tune down my 12 string to compensate – though I was able to tune these without issue at the desired pitch, and play for longer periods of time without resting the fingers.John

My first time using GHS strings. I have used Silk & Steel on a number of occasions made by other manufacturers. Not only do the look quiet different but they take a bit if getting used to. However with the GHS strings they looked like ordinary phosphor bronze. I wasnt sure at first, but having fitted them, they are wonderful. Clear, precise, comfortable, my guitar seems have have a much more mellow sound to it.Robert

I love GHS Silk and Bronze strings. If you are a hard strummer or like big strings that are bright and tight for bluegrass, I don't think these are for you. These strings offer a sweeter tone that isn't so bright as regular strings tend to be, and they have a slightly softer feel to both hands. Great for finger-style players or light pickers. Give them a try if that sounds like what you are looking for.Aaron