Best Acoustic Guitar Strings For Fingerpicking (2024 Update)

I loved speed, a good delivery! I'm building my own guitars and I would like to do a lot more business with you as long as the Price is Right. So far you have impressed me. Could you send me a catalog that would be great. What I mainly need is good hot pickups for both country and Rock dual coil and single coil and pickguards if you would happen to have any I'm building them in my own signature style of course, of course they are called Reed Guitars. I can get to Nick already made with fretz and truss rod for $14. But I would like to buy bodies that I can work with to give you an idea of what I looking for. Also need 3-way switches and a 5 way switch and of course potentiometers and knobs. Thank you very much. Until then you will need a friend George Reed.reedgeorge

I bought these strings today because my local store was sold out of my usual Elixir brand. I just put them on my old Gibson acoustic, and all of the ball ends are color-coded wrong, and the strings are turning my fingers black after 20 minutes of playing. They sound OK, but really? I used to be a big fan of D'addario strings for my electric guitars. These changed my mind.Page

I always get this brand of strings. They are the best! The strings are color coded for easy restringing. I usually purchase the ultra light bluegrass style and was happy to see that these are the same top notch quality. The ultra lights are a must if you want easy on the fingers. I can’t say enough good things, and you can’t wrong in buying these!Ginabug

Strings sound good so far. 3rd wound string felt strangely weak whilst attaching then broke at ball end whilst tuning. Replaced now and sound good. Would get 5 stars if no breakage.Alan T.

ok my goal. get tension balanced, and lighter tension strings. have the metal but naturally corrosion resistant, no coated strings. these strings achieve that with a sparky gret sound. lively, sounding great feel in your fingers, balanced tension and lighter than typical tension with great sound! I love them!lvmarc42

Excellent sound, they hold their tuning once tuned. Quality strings i as many do stick to Ernie Ball for sound and quality. Very much recommended.paucop_0

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

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

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

Sound just fine. Black coating started coming off after short time playing. Fixed with a sharpie. No biggie. Still a good buyjohnnyb2112

I always used martins and black diamonds. My black diamonds got higher and i saw these strings and thought why not? So glad i did these coated strings sound and feel amazing. These will decently be my sting of choice from now on.thrashedandlost

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 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've been using these strings for years. The 4 wound strings last at least twice as long as other un-coated strings I've used. The 1st and 2nd strings are not coated so I buy single strings to replace these as needed without replacing the whole step. Also, I replaced my strings a couple of weeks ago and wiped the 1st and 2nd strings with a lubricant called Tuf-Glide by Sentry Solutions for protection against corrosion from oils from my fingers. This stuff is designed for guns, knives, etc. Time will tell if it makes my guitar strings last longer. Anyway, buy these strings. I think you will like them.Jack-JGUBF

These strings are not cheap but still very good value. I've always liked the tonality of D'Addario strings and used them for many years. The EXP15s have the same tonality but last much, much longer. As someone who does not enjoy the string changing rigmarole, that's a bonus in itself. However, if you take the life of non-coated D'Addarios and compare it to these, these work out cheaper in the long run. Win, win – that's what I like!bluelemmy

I put these on my grandson's acoustic guitars . He's 14. Regular bronze strings rust pretty fast on his guitars. Wiping the strings off doesn't seem to help very much. These coated strings are the only way to go.TP

I never get involved with commentary of products, but I feel obligated to say WOW, with Martins new Authentic Acoustic line of strings. Installed the PB variety on my 000-28ec, my Gibson sj200, and my Collings CJmh, in each case there was an immediate improvement in all areas of tone. Pardon the cliche', but in every way the guitars came to life. Great sustain, solid bass, and smooth bell like treble. I have tried many strings over the years, and yes there are differences, but never tothe degree I hear with these. A vast improvement in all areas, IMOP. Can't say how long they'll last, haven't had them on that long. Ther worth a try to any guitar out there. And I will always buy from Strings and Beyond. They have always been courteous, professional, ship quickly, and competitively priced. Thanks.Mark

For the last couple years, I’ve been comparing these Lifespan 12-54 against other coated phosphor-bronze sets: D’Addario EXP 12-53 & D’Addario XT 12-53 & D’Addario XS 12-53 & Elixir’s Light nano set. These Martin Lifespan strings have given me no issues, except that my low E string bridge pin doesn’t quite want to press all the way in (due to being cut for a 53 vs 54 gauge string). I didn’t think that small variation would matter, but it seems to! Even with the bridge pin slightly protruding higher than the others, these strings sound great and have lasted quite a long time without degrading in tone or feel. My pick eventually does cut up the coating, which visibly frays and starts to dull the string sound. But, this is after much time and use. I like the sound and feel of the strings, and will now be comparing them to the new D’Addario XS strings, which claim to survive picking better than any other string, while using a thinner coating. We shall see! At this time I can report that I like the Martin Lifespans fairly equally to D’Addario EXPs, which sound and respond better (in my experience) than Elixir’s comparable strings. I have not yet concluded my XT and XS testing to compare, but I expect them to perform as (or more) durably as these Lifespans. I anticipate the XS strings to sound and respond more like uncoated strings than the others listed above (including these Lifespans) while potentially surviving more punishment from my pointy Dunlop Primetone Flow plectrums! I’ll review the XS performance on that listing after finding the results. I have been pretty satisfied with these Lifespans, but not blown away in comparison to D’Addario’s coated offerings. They’re competitive and if you’re a Martin lover, these are an easy set-it-and-forget-it option that give a longer replacement cycle than Martin’s uncoated strings without sounding completely dull. You can get a still good low-end brassy growl on these until their coating starts to fray. However, you’ll definitely also want to try a set of D’Addario’s coated strings to pick a favorite based on their response with your own guitar, picking technique, and sound preferences. I found Lifespans to be pretty stable for intonation and gradually become less strident/bright in tone through use (wear at the picking location). D’Addario lights may have a touch less power (fundamental frequency) on the lowest string. They both respond well and sustain well on my guitar, with the D’Addarios remaining extremely stable with intonation. [For reference, the strings mentioned here were all installed on a very fine Larrivee LV-10 (sitka & EIT) built around year 2000. The guitar has a TON of rich mid-to-high overtone presence and excellent string-to-string balance with good dynamic range and sustain. Most strings sound pretty good on it, but the timbre does noticeably change with different strings. These changes in overtone prominence are difficult to express in a written review…. Larrivee calls for D’Addario 12-53 gauge phosphor bronze strings. Bridge pins are ebony (like the bridge).]Daniel

These strings sound great for my gigs. I dont own a martin guitar but they're durable in the heat, and thats exactly what i was looking for.Jake

I cant state enough how good this nut worked. It fit perfectly with a little minor sizing. The guitars tone opened up dramatically. The notes literally come blossoming out. And that annoying plink while tuning is gone. Great product. 2017 Breedlove Studio 12-string.jhs60061

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

I switched from John Pearse strings to the SIT strings and found them more responsive, easier to tune and as they promise, stay in tune. I really like the pro light and light gauge strings as they have great sustain and are easy to workSANTEESLIM

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

I’ve used these Santa Cruz Mid Tensions for 4 string changes now on both my D18 and D35 and I continue to be impressed. I don’t think it’s just a marketing gimmick as these strings produce a more balanced and full sound than regular phosphor bronze sets. It’s a more mellow sound right away, almost like Monel strings. These have a great feel under the fingers as well. Great product!Michael M.

reliable, strong guitar strings. shipping was fast. Have purchased them before and am very satisfied with the brand and durability. I've been playing the guitar for years. These are good.Sophi

Tried these on a friend's recommendation and I'm not disappointed. I put these on a nearly new Gibson J45 Studio and was happy the strings that came new on the guitar were gone. These sound so much sweeter. It's only been a few weeks but I think they'll last as long as most strings (usually a D'Addario user). A normal set is 12-53, for some reason these are 12-54 but I couldn't notice much difference on the larger 6th string. Try a set.mmall001

I just recently picked my guitar back up after about 20 years of not playing. I have Gibson Hummingbird that I always had and the did use Martin strings on. I really got the bug about playing and ended up buying a Yamaha R 700 as well as a Seagull S6 (with a Seagull Artist Mosaic on the way). While talking to Josh on MF one day about strings he told me about these Earthwoods–lighter gauge–.11-.52. He swore by them. I had a credit with MF so I bought two sets. They are as good on my Seagull S6 as the Martin's ever were and easier to play (I finger pick mostly) and the combination of the full sound of the S6 and the Ernie Ball Earthwoods is a perfect combination. I've had them on for three weeks already and play sever hours every day and they still sound bright and full of tone. I put the other set on my Yamaha just recently and they sound as good as the Martins ever did. Whether they will remain crisp remains to be seen (each guitar is different). But in anticipation of getting my Seagull Artist Mosaic soon I've decided to buy four 6 packs of the Ernie Ball Earthwood Strings with my certificate from Backstage pass. I couldn't ask for a sweeter deal than that.KB

From the moment I tuned the strings upon installation I fell in love with the smooth gliding and crystal-clear attacks on the Stringjoys! The ability to slide from fret to fret with chord or triad was met with same success as when I used flat-strings on my electric Gretsch. I installed the two sets on my HD-35 Martin and on my J45/50 Gibson and the performance and sound were way beyond my expectations–particularly when I plugged them into my acoustic amp. A month has passed and each day I played, which was everyday, the strings put out the same great results as on the first day. And, yes, I highly recommend them to all guitar pickers. Greg Bruorton Downsville, LouisianaGregory B

LOVE THEM! Live in dryer climate (Kansas). Installed strings and 4 days later traveled to Augusta GA for missions trip and played multiple locations at 80%+ humidity, a 2 hr televised broadcast, even UNDER A BRIDGE during a THUNDERSTORM…and they were flawless. Had a spare set of old brand I used to use just in case. THE LOW END IS SO CLEAR. Will be signing up for a subscription. Thanks for the AMAZING customer service. From the handwritten thank you in the box, the follow up, and the guarantee… You have won my business by that alone, it’s just a plus your strings are AMAZING too! I am referring you to EVERYONE that owns a guitar! Best, Justin KiserJustin K

Review may be a bit early, just put the strings on last night. So, I have a Taylor 414ce-R and while I love the sound and the guitar is almost never out of my sight it's a little bright for my ears. Replacing the strings last night has made the guitar a little less bright but it's still a little to cold sounding. While I have no complaints, these strings have not had the impact that the set I put on my electric did. ON THAT guitar Stringjoy are the only strings that are going on it. The Taylor, I'll try different set from Stringjoy before looking elsewhere. I still recommend these, just haven't gotten the tone I'm looking for yet.jeff c

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