Best Acoustic Guitar String Brand (2024 Update)

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

Ordered strings last week. Product arrived in a very reasonable amount of time. Installed on my Gibson acoustic. Love the sound quality. Fixed the slight buzz issue that I had. Thumbs up!Bill

I use these strings on my two McIlroy Acoustics one of which is tuned DADGAD and the other in standard. They give the tone I want and as these are my go to guitars the coating makes them last a while!Patrick C.

Eenie ball everlast strings are amazing for 3 weeks than they start going dead very rapidly and the treatment they put on them starts getting your fingers and turn them green. I prefer the earthwood strings from ernie ball because honestly they last just as long but cost half as much.tyrw21

I'm obsessed with archtops but am simultaneously cheap when it comes to strings. I hate buying them like i hate paying for parking or a bottle of water. It just seems like one of those recurring costs i am not happy about. So the cheap side of me loves the longevity of coated strings. The OCD musician in me loves the sound of coated strings because they sound consistent from when you put them on until when they die. I've tried probably ever brand of coated string for 10+ years and Ernie Ball makes the best ones. The Everlast specifically sound fantastic right out of the package. The enamel they use makes the strings really smooth and slightly slick (in a good way). Since i play archtops string choice can really be make or break with a guitar. Bronze can start to sound really clangy. It used to be that i would have a certain brand with a certain guitar. The Everlast were the first strings that i can put on all of my acoustic archtops and they all have a sweet sound. So the Everlast don't have that brassy overtone that can be a little too much with archtops. I love picking up each of my guitars for 5 minutes throughout the day because i know they will sound fresh and have a sweet tone. Everlast are totally worth the money and you will be rewarded with tone and longevity.polishbroadcast

These came installed on my new Epiphone J-45 and man do they sing. Nice bass response and they are not tinny sounding, got the just right acoustic sound. They are coated and to me they make it easier to play. As I haven't played them for that long I'll have to see how they hold up. One other reviewer gave them 3 stars but if you read the review, he was complaining about the shipping time and even said he hadn't tried them. I find it hard to believe that it was AMS's fault for the delay, they always ship super fast. We were (and still are) getting slammed by Covid and delivery times by carriers were way behind in September when that review was written.Greg 'Purple' Hays

I like to keep my J45 Gibson guitar all "Gibson", so I use Gibson coated strings. They sound great and last a long time. Other coated strings are nice too but the Gibson strings just seem to sound brighter and louder.Guy

These came installed on my new Epiphone J-45 and man do they sing. Nice bass response and they are not tinny sounding, got the just right acoustic sound. They are coated and to me they make it easier to play. As I haven't played them for that long I'll have to see how they hold up. One other reviewer gave them 3 stars but if you read the review, he was complaining about the shipping time and even said he hadn't tried them. I find it hard to believe that it was AMS's fault for the delay, they always ship super fast. We were (and still are) getting slammed by Covid and delivery times by carriers were way behind in September when that review was written.Greg 'Purple' Hays

I like to keep my J45 Gibson guitar all "Gibson", so I use Gibson coated strings. They sound great and last a long time. Other coated strings are nice too but the Gibson strings just seem to sound brighter and louder.Guy

Its my favorite strings I love them and Ive been playing them about a hour a day for two months and they still play like new!frankiemarkmark

I had the opportunity to meet John Pearse at a Guitar Show in Nashville back in the 90's right after acquiring a Larravee 12 string. He very kindly handed me a set of his light guage 12 strings and said "try these on that guitar". I've used them exclusively on ever acoustic i have ever since then. The tone on my martin, larravee and takemine are the best i've found. I've played professionally for many years (30,,,,,oh man,,,) and find his strings to play evenly from rich low tones to crisp high tones. I change my strings every three gigs (bars, taverns, concert halls, etc.,)and have never been disappointed.Anonymous

Bought these wanting something different than the usual Ernie Balls and Martins (good strings for sure). Priced a little higher, but the quality is there. I put these on my Ibanez Artwood 240 mahogany top guitar and love the tone I'm getting. Stay in tune very well, and seem to have a stronger feel and volume with them. The Ibanez came with "coated" strings which I dislike the feel of but with these, I can bend, hammer and pull with ease. Will buy again.guitarkis

I hate to give a bad review of Earthwood because I've played and loved the other Earthwood strings; however I tried these Rock & Blues strings on my Taylor as well as my Fender Sonoran and was not happy at all with the sound. For me I think it is the fact that the g-string is like an electric string and not wound like an acoustic string. Because of that, when I strum the whole acoustic sound is "off". Sure the string is easier to bend for lead, but to me it's not worth the trade off of having a bad sound when strumming.Strums the Word

I use to buy Martin Marquis strings but the price went up and I thought I would try these Ernie Ball strings. I put a set on my guitar yesterday evening and they sound good. I like buying the packs of strings instead of single packs. We will see if they have a long or short life. The sound is great.Hunter Dan

I’m actually really glad that I’ve been given the opportunity to write this review… I recently had my main Breedlove acoustic looked at by our local tech here in Gibsland Jon, I have been trying different string types for about two months and couldn’t quite get the sound I’ve been chasing. I don’t use the other bright brand that cost a bit because it sheds and I find other things I don’t like about the big E John told me you’ve gotta have a go at these mate… After considerable pressure I brought a set and I still can’t believe how great my guitar sounds every time I play which is every day. The people I work with have all been saying to me that I sound great all of a sudden. So I’ve just found my absolute go to new set of strings. And I buy from Mannys out of principle, because I’m 62 and they’ve been around… Just like me ha ha hahMark M.

I waited a few weeks before submitting this review because I wanted to see if these strings lived up to the promises. I have to say I am not disappointed. They sounded great (as you would expect) when I first restrung my guitar. However here I am, several weeks later and there is no noticeable deterioration in the sound quality, whatsoever. For the past year or so I have been using Ernie Ball Earthwood Phosphor Bronze which are excellent but these are better. Yes, at first glance, they seem expensive but given their longevity, they are a good buy.Mr T. J.

It has a very fundamental tone, good for mahogany guitars. But on rosewood guitars, it may kill off the overtones, which may not be right for some people. Recommended on larger guitars rather than small ones. They do last quite a long time, which helps justify the high price to an extent.J A.

recently asked curt mangan to make me up a custom set of round core monel strings in 12 string configuration. What a great set of strings. I loved monel strings on my maple bodied guitars. But when i saw they had round core available i ordered a set of 6 string strings. They were so good ,i asked about a 12 string set. They dont offer them as of yet, but rep. said they could make me up a set. i askedfor 10- 48,s round core monels, …What a great set of strings. My guild F 412 has always been a stunner tone wise with monel strings. But the round core monels enhanced that 5 x,s .. Btw, ive got over 26 hours of playing on the 6 string set. and no noticeable fall off .Dave Gover

I put these on my Gibson J-55 and man what a difference over the phosphor bronze that came stock. I have yet to put them on my '29/'31 L3 or Custom Shop martin 0018, but I really adore the sound on my J-55. The J-55 has an Adirondack top, mahogany back/sides and is essentially a Gibson version of a Martin D-18 without the super boomy low end. I love these strings and they really bring out the natural woody tone of the guitar, which is how it should be in my opinion. After using these I really like the sound, and in a weird way I'm closer to that guitar than I ever was before, the phosphor bronze that were on the guitar were just too bright and metallic, I prefer the natural earthy tones. I put this guitar in different tunings and these strings really open it up there and in standard tuning as well. I can't wait to put these on my Martin 000, I just got it so the strings on it are fresh but they're 80/20s and I really don't like them. You can't go wrong with these strings. I'm going to be using them on my acoustics forever. Just vintage, natural, woody earthy tones and I couldn't be happier!Antonio

My son in law has owned a 000-15 for around 10 years. I've played it over that time quite a bit and have enjoyed the mid focused sound that the 000 Martin is known for. Well, last night he handed it to me with these light retro strings installed; it's like a different guitar. Full spectrum sound and just a sweetness it never had before. I concur with other reviewers that the Martin Retros bring out the True Tone of the wood. Can't speak for rosewood (yet), but for Mahogany Parlors this is your ticket to special.Tuneboy2000

I've been through about every brand of strings trying to find the *right* ones for my Martin OM-28V and OM-18C. Retros are the deal. You can really finesse the tones out of the guitars with these strings. They've got a huge dynamic range but it's controllable at the same time. Other brands of strings seem to just over drive my small bodied guitars and playing too aggressively just produces a lot of jumbled booming sound. The Retros let you play loud or soft and the tones are clear on either end. As already mentioned they're very easy on the fingers and note articulation is amazing, hammer-ons and pull-offs that were once a struggle just happen.Joe

The Martin retros are one of my favorite strings, but monel/nickel strings have a particular tone and feel to them. If that's what you're after then there's almost no substitute, but if you're expecting the sound of bronze you'll be very disappointed. Monel has a darker tone to it that will give your guitar an overall "woodier" sound, i.e. you will hear less metallic timbre and less of the type of overtones you get from bronze. Due to the properties of the metal, these strings also tune to standard at a lower tension than bronze so they will have a bit of a softer, looser feel to them. I use these on my all-mahogany Martin 00-15M. I play the guitar in open or dropped tunings a lot and I find the monel tone compliments the guitar well. It's also a long scale guitar so the lower tension is nice for comfort over long play sessions. I now exclusively use the Martin Retros on this guitar but still prefer PB on my other ones. Again, they are a niche string, but if monel is what you want, then the Martin Retros are the way to go.Drew

Like buying a string you need but it's buying six strings you need. I did indeed recieve six different strings, each one able to create the appropriate string sound I needed.customer

Elles sonnent très bien, et sont très agréables à jouer. A voir dans le temps, si elles résistent a la corosion dans le tempsStéphane E.

The Martin Extra Light 10 to 47 strings work very well on my Martin D28. They sound like Martin and are great for live gigs. Affordable strings for live Musician…Vernon

Definitely easier to play, but a bit lacking in tone( especially base). Big difference to a set of custom lights. Depends on your priorities! Barre chords and string bends noticeably easier to bring off.alex m.

I put these strings on a older Alvarez guitar and all I can say is WOW what a voice change! The Martin Retro Monel Bluegrass string made my inexpensive student model guitar sound like a much higher end instrument. The clarity and sustain is so much better than the 80/20's I used to use and the life span is at least double if not triple of the 80/20's. Try a set you won't be sorry.Mark

I have been reading about pure nickel strings and I've wanted to give them a try. The Martin Retro reviews were good and if Tony Rice likes them and uses them, they must have something positive to offer. I've only had them on my dread (solid mahogany b/s and Adi top) for a couple of weeks…but I love them. I hear the tone of the guitars wood. Not too bright but also not too dark or muddy. Very mellow. Urban legend has it that they get better with age. We'll see. But they sounded good new and they guitar sounds great after two weeks. Too early to tell or comment on how long they stay this way. I will be buying more and use them again. Time to try them out on an OM.B

Replaced the dead right out of the box elixir string that SUCKED and these brought the guitar back to life and it now sounds and plays wonderfully. Highly suggested and as the string were in my box for a while and now the package has added Tony Rice's name to them even more highly suggestedDas Fuut

These are the slickest, most comfortable strings. I bought them to put on a PRS Angelus SE and be able to do those David Gilmore bends on an acoustic. For that, they are awesome. Bendiest, easy to slide acoustic strings I have ever tried. Great for all those single note lead lines. The bass strings are also heavy enough to still give some oomph. The problem is when you come out of those lead lines to do any rhythmic strumming-the tone is bright, brash, tinny and very G forward. I want to like these strings for their play-ability and keep trying them to see if they'll break in, but always leave disappointed. For reference, my PRS is already a little brighter in a Taylor sort of way than my other guitars. I usually play Santa Cruz Low Tension Parabolics on my Santa Cruz OM, and Martin Life Span on my Martin 0015. The brashness is muted a little if amplified.Jonah

Bought these as replacements on my Taylor guitar. I was surprised at the quality of the strings, the incredible tone and that they didn't stretch A LOT when new (meaning I didn't have to retune after every song…I let the rest for about 4 hours and tune them up before performing). And, they were made in the USA. Highest possible recommendation!Amy

I have been experiencing with different string blends and I stumbled across these… I love them! I like the bright top tones these strings bring. They are super flexible for soloing! I have smaller hands amd fingers so the thinness is an extra benefit! 10/10 recommend!Kayla

The title is wrong. These are not light strings. They are Medium-Heavy 13-56 which is what I wanted. They are excellent strings for acoustic guitar. Very loud with a beautiful sound. Not brassy sounding at all. These are the best strings I have found for my acoustic non-electric guitar. I hope they never stop making them.reindeertigerteam

I have used many different strings and there are some really good ones out there. However, after trying out these, I haven't put anything else on any of my acoustic guitars. They don't have that super tinny sound when you first put them on and they don't take nearly as long to fully stretch out as other brands do.SDG

I bought these strings because I wanted to see if there were any affordable strings that were noticeably better than the cheap D'Addario sets that I was buying, and these certainly fit the bill. At first, they were pretty bright, but once broken in they were nice and warm while still retaining great clarity and definition. Even after many hours of use, they still sound and feel just as good or even better than a set of overpriced Elixirs. I definitely recommend these to any player as they are affordale high-quality strings.ASA

These are great sounding strings, but the price for these is way too out of line….too expensive. Because of the high price, I'm sure I won't be buying these again.brb5594

I am quite happy with the Stringjoy Acoustic Strings and I'm still deciding which ones are my favorite. I recently put on the Foxwood and am now needing to record an "original guitar only song" with it on a direct track and a high end microphone track. Then I will do the same with the Naturals and also the Brights. At least I can then do a comparison but my suspicion is the I might prefer different strings for various purposes. Such being the case, I am not currently positioned to supply anyone with a FAVE RAVE!!!David F

Love these strings. I’ve had them on my Ibanez AC240 for just a couple weeks but I’m blown away! They started unremarkable (in the best sense of course) but have opened up to a nice, full, vibrant sound. They don’t feel coated, but they don’t feel fully natural either which I love. Best of both worlds! I’ve been using your string cleaner with them as well and I’m convinced these will last a good long while before needed a swap out. Going to put these on a couple other guitars as well! Thanks guys! You rocked the park with these!Garrett G

I bought both coated and uncoated versions of the Stringjoy acoustic strings in regular medium light. I now have these on 3 different guitars and plan on installing on 2 more. Have to say I don’t know how you do it but the tension on these strings seems different than anything else I’ve ever used. They just seem “comfortable†and sound fantastic. They’re pricey but worth it. Only con I can think of is they’re a bit noisy when sliding but I’m sure I’ll get used to that.David M

These flex core strings are the best, I use them on all my guitars. The tone quality and response is awesome for fingerpicking and they're super easy on the fingers. The only issue I have with the twelve string set is that it only comes in the extra light gauge so you can't detune them very far. I use some medium gauge strings for the low e, a and d stringHayden

I like these better the regular strings. Worth the extra costs. This is my first 12 String so I am comparing these to the Six strings that I have used in the past. These sound and feel really good. Great quality!!! For the money you can't go wrong.INGRID HEAD

These were described as custom light; however, they are extra light. The thinner strings break too easily, and dont stay in tune.brmilubech

I was hoping to remove some of the ringing I hear from D'Addario strings. Didn't work. I down tune one whole step so that I can use arrangements for tenors and still sing them. Went to heavy strings but they are too hard on my fingers and they still ring. When I tune up to concert pitch, the problem goes away. Clearly, this is really not a product judgement, but a misapplication.Rex

I wanted to experiment & give these Retro strings a try. I installed these on my '87 Martin HD2832 Shenandoah with V neck (super comfy) which has a warm tone, getting better with age. I was not aware that these Retro strings were all nickel so I love how they bring out the nickel hardware on the head stock (see attached pic). Comparing these Retro strings to the med gauge 80/20 bronze Martin Marquis that I usually play, these Retro strings are just as warm and comfy, especially when finger picking. If bass is at 'noon', so is the brightness, even throughout. (When comparing to another brand, these Retros sound and feel just as great as the med gauge bronze Ernie Ball Earthwoods that I occasionally play.) I've been playing bronze strings for so long that I'd have to hear the nickle and bronze played back to back in order to hear a difference, if any. These Retros have a nice punch when strumming and leads are rich & full. I have no doubt they'll last just as long as the Martin Marquis. Looks like I've found another set of Martin strings that I'll play for awhile…I believe Martin strings play better as they get older.John564Holloway