Best Light Guitar Strings (2024 Update)

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

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.

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

This was a great price on my favorite strings. Shipping was very fast too. Unfortunately, "new" does not mean the same as"fresh" and I have now learned the difference. These do seem to be genuine Elixers, but a few problems which led to broken strings may indicate that these were either sitting on a shelf for a very long time or else exposed to moisture. Normally, brand new strings will be very springy when you first take them out of the sleeve. They generally will uncoil into a straight line, but every single one of these maintained a strong curl or twist in it. But that alone was not a problem for me. The strings installed normally and tuned well, but the tonal quality seemed a little sub-par compared to what I was used too. Still, it's possible I was just imagining that. The strings were fine for a month. Held there notes as well as any, and the tone was at least decent, though I still felt it was missing something. But after one month I had the B string break. I usually keep Elixer strings for 6 months before they finally lose their great tone and I replace them, and because I wind plenty of extra string around the posts, I haven't had a string break on me in over 8 years. Breaking one now pretty much confirmed my earlier suspicions. I went ahead and replaced all 6 strings with the next set, but 2 weeks later and the high E string broke on me. For now I'm borrowing the high E from the final set, but the first chance I get I will be replacing every string with a new, fresh set from a local music store. I don't think I'll buy strings online again because of this apparent problem of freshness.jaredlang85

These strings have been a lifesaver for me. My hands aren't acidic and I easily get a year from them before needing to restring. I use the same brand on my PRS electric, too. (10's). I gig weekly in our church worship band so I prefer a string that holds tone and these just deliver. Super product! I do prefer these over the 80/20 and any poly web version…for tone and I feel the poly version stifles string resonance too much.BradM

Long lasting, great sound. I went to my girlfriends sisters home for Xmas and a few guys got a some guitars out and we played some rock, country and bluegrass on Elixers strung on acoustic instruments. They claimed the strings were three years old. They sounded quite good for their age. After seeing a John Paul Jones interview where he said Elixers were all he used. I already used them but his opinion completely sold me. I even bought an Elixer tee shirt. I use them on all my guitars and mandolins. I won't settle for anything else. I just bought a FX5 that had Addario's on it. No pause, I replaced them with Elixers. Great sound. Long lasting. Stay good looking too. Buy multiple set bundles and save money.easymedicine1

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

I have tried many different makes and models of strings for my Martin HD28 but I always come back to these. Although they are not coated, they last a long time for me. They retain their bright tone and stay in tune better than others I have tried, particularly coated strings. I usually change them because I think it must be time to do so, not because of any sound issues or corrosion. I do always keep the guitar in its case when it isn't in use.Pete

I go back and forth between the Retro series and the SP series on several of my Martins and Altmans so I was excited to try the new ones out since I needed new strings. Yes, it is noticeable that there was zero corrosion when I opened the first set. I have less finger noise and the playability is a bit easier. They don’t go as far as the flexible core series, but if you use a pick this set sounds more solid and big. If you always use SPs you will really enjoy the upgrade and if you haven’t used Martin strings for awhile give them a shot! I can see moving from Monel on my rosewood guitars to these and Retro series on my mahogany instruments. Ive only had them on for about 10 hours of playing time and they still sound fresh and hold tuning much better out of the box than the previous SPs. Now I hope they carry the 12.5-55 set which is prefect for two of my Martins.Gunbarrel

D'addario EJ26 Phosphor Bronze guitar strings are very good. I have played this strings for years. D'addario is a very trusted brand among guitar players. They are always consistent great sound and playability. They are comfortable on the fingers and they last a good while. The longevity of strings all depends on how much and how often you play. Phosphor Bronze have a warm smooth tone. If you are looking for great sounding strings look no farther than D'addario EJ26 Phosphor Bronze strings.Travis

I have used various D'Addario strings since the early 80s. I was 'aware' of them in the 70s but I typically used Fender strings on electrics and Martin on acoustics. I have always maintained that D'Addario strings are cheap, plentiful, and get the job done. The argument could be made that there are better strings out there ("boutique" strings) but D'Addarios are available in any music store and they are consistently good. I think I only had one or two sets where the unwound strings were nasty…. they looked 'kinked' and didn't sound right. One or two sets out of how many hundreds of sets?? As to these particular strings, I have a 1947 Gibson L-5 and it just feels more 'right' with caveman strings. I'm not one of those 30s rhythm players that go runka chunka all day long, I play it like any other guitar, and it begs for heavy strings. D'Addario has them available….not everyone does, ya know. I'm happy with the company's products, across the board.ksdaddy

I use John Pearse acoustic guitar strings exclusively and for good reason- they are the best sounding and playing strings period. They also stay brighter and last longer than any other major brand I have tried. For me- John Pearse strings are the best value for quality and tone.buzzman39

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 have tried many brands of guitar strings over the years, and usually use Martin on my acoustic, and D'Addario's on my Les Paul. This is the first time using Pearse strings. I cleaned and dressed my frets, installed an under the saddle pickup with an equalizer, a new bone saddle and nut, then the new Pearse strings. I couldn't be happier. The old early 70's Alvarez now sounds better than it ever has. I highly recommend any acoustic players that have not tried the Pearse strings, to do so.usaf_retired

I highly recommend these strings for darker sounding acoustics. I installed them on my new Epiphone DR-100, and they sound amazing. Much better than the factory strings, in my opinion. I normally like phosphor bronze acoustic strings, but I've found that the DR-100's sound better with the brighter 80/20 bronze strings. Full disclosure, I'm a big fan of Ernie Ball strings in general. I use exclusively the RPS Hybrid 9-46 strings on my electrics. Also highly recommended. Great price on the 3 packs of these. I also really like the 11-52 gauge, vs 12-54. Both sound great, but the slightly lighter gauge works best for me, since I play electric much more often than acoustic. Enjoy!!waterboy411

I've been playing guitar since 1969, and have used countless brands and varieties of acoustic guitar strings. My first go around with Earthwood strings was less than impressive, as I had the ball end fall off of the high E as I was removing it from the package. This put me off Earthwoods for a while, but when I came across an inexpensive project guitar a while back the only acoustic strings available to me at the time were Earthwoods. I bought that set out of necessity and strung the guitar up. I love the gauge of this set since it's only slightly heavier than the sets I've been using on my electrics for years and very comfortable to play, while not sacrificing much in the bottom end of the tone. I was thoroughly impressed with these strings to the point that they're now my go to acoustic strings. Naturally every guitar is going to sound slightly different and every player will have different taste in the way a set feels and sounds to them, but these are my favorite right now. Definitely worth a try if you've never tried them and are looking to replace a set.papastratomaster

I tried these on a recommendation from a friend. I used to use Martin Strings with Medium/12 Gauge. I switched to these because it was a little hard on my hands to get through a full gig. I liked the tone on the Martins a little better but these come in at a close second in my opinion but gives me the options of doing easier bends and double stops. I tried the "one" set before ordering the "three". Recommend doing the same. Great value for the $.hammer_101

I hadn't replaced my strings in a long time and I got these to replace them. These might be the greatest guitar strings I've ever played on. The tone is perfect. The lighter gauge makes it easy to play even with a higher action of an acoustic guitar.Jacob

Use them on a Martin 0-18 small body. Perfect gauge for a lighter set of strings without making the high e too thin. Sound great and last about 2-3 weeks with an hour of play everyday. Overall a good set of strings and I would highly recommend them to any user who is looking for a lighter gauge set.Matt

Bought these to restring a guitar. Messaged the shop for advice as I am a total beginner. They came back almost immediately, ordered straight away and here the next day. Great strings, excellent service. 😁Charles S.

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

Whenever I buy or replace guitar strings on all my acoustic guitars-I always go with martins. They are by far the best strings out there with a better Sound-I put them on every new or used acoustic guitar I have ever owns! Why? Because they are simply the best acoustic strings out there. Only 1 thing about the Martin strings that kind of upsets me. Is they used to always make sure you got 2 first e, strings in every set. Don"t no why they ever stopped doing it. But wish all guitar strings would place 2 first E, Strings on all guitar strings. Maybe they all just decided to let them break it & they will have to buy another whole new pack.I guess these guitar companies -all of them even though they are All already filthy rich -Just have to make another dollar.theemann54

I have purchased several different Martin strings lately (SP's, Marquis, Flex Core, Retro) and found these to be the most well behaved, if you do a lot of strumming. They also sound very good when you punch in a couple of melody notes along the way. For being their least expensive strings, it just adds to the list of good and different possibilities. I was pretty happy with the results. The guitar that I put these on is a Dreadnought known for the wide range in tone from string to string, but these are surprisingly well balanced. I don't know how long they are going to last, but very good first impression.PopStar

As a professional singer-songwriter in the San Francisco Bay Area, I like to keep my guitar strings fresh-sounding. I just installed a set of Aegean extra-light bronze wound strings on my guitar and am very happy with the sound, which is full at the low end and bright at the high end. Compared with the more-expensive Martin extra-lights I've been using, the Aegeans seem a bit louder and more raucous sounding in the mids and highs, making them a great choice for folk-rock, Americana and delta blues. The Aegeans are also a little shorter than the Martins, so there's less extra string left dangling from the tuners. It's hard to go wrong with these strings.stevtaylo_291

I was excited to try out the Blue Steel acoustic guitar strings. I got them in the mail and strung up my guitar with much anticipation. They were good at first, but after only about 20 minutes, my hands smelled like cheap metal, and the tone had already dulled. These strings made my high quality guitar sound like a tinny, cheap First Act Guitar. I would not recommend these strings to anyone. However, I would highly recommended Elixer nanowebs or polywebs. They are a far superior string. They are worth the extra price and will make any guitar sound great.Paul B.

Played guitar for 9 years. Have always picked and fretted with excessive force. My hands sweat and ruin strings. I've tried many strings, Elixrs were the best but too expensive, DR, D'addario, Ernie Ball, RotoSound….nothing felt like home. Somebody told me about these strings, I bought two packs of 12s and fell in love. Unlike the coated strings (Elixr) these are super-cooled so that the molecules lock together tighter. They stay in tune better than any strings I've played. These strings can take a beating. The tone is great for 4 or 5 weeks and it still sounds decent 2-3 months later. They are cheaper than most strings so you're crazy not to try them.TheCapitols

I've been using these strings for years. I love a wound 3rd string. They last up to a month for me where other brands only lasted a week tops. I just bought a new Les Paul with a Bigsby. It came with 9s on it and the intonation was way off. I had a set of 9s by EB and put them on to see what would happen. After a couple of days I could see it wasn't going to work out so I replaced them with a set of these 11s and the guitar locked right in tune.OleJazzer

Brilliant product. Gives that authentic, original Gibson tone you've been chasing since you changed your strings the first time. I wont use anything elsehotfuzz999

I took a chance with these strings and was Not let down. I wish I would have bought more packs of Darco strings instead of trying other popular brands.string buyer

Overall: Got a couple sets of the extra light (D930) strings put one of the sets on my Gretsch G5425. Easy on, tunes well and after stretching the strings it holds tune very well. The bass is strong and no too overpowering and the treble was bright without being tinny. The middle was a little underwhelming at times, but I'm not sure if it was the strings or the amp I was using. When I changed amps there were no issues. I would definitely use these again. Next up will be trying a set out on my Les Paul, after I burn up the strings on it.Steve

I took a chance with these strings and was Not let down. I wish I would have bought more packs of Darco strings instead of trying other popular brands.string buyer

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

Only have them on for a couple weeks but good so far. Consistent tone with a bright edge that is holding pretty well in the early going. I gradually migrated on my Martin Jr from the OEM coated mediums to uncoated lights, and to a 80/20 for good measure. The guitar gets dark pretty quick with coated strings so I thought I'd try this for more brightness. Hope it lasts.Old Smokey

I tried these after other folks had given good reviews for them. I put them on my Tacoma JR55 Jumbo rosewood/spruce and on my Asian Breedlove maple/spruce dreadnaught guitar. They were so dark and muddy that I replaced them by the next day with EXP light gauge strings. I am now sold on the EXP; 80/20 bronze for bluegrass boldness, or phosphor bronze for warmth. Elixir is good, but they don't seem to keep good tone after a month or so. If you like a brighter sound, you might want to try another string rather than John Pearse. I wish I had spent my money on D'Addario EXP's!K Woodruff

I am a professional studio musician for mainly country, Gospel, and bluegrass music. I had been using Elixir's for years and never thought about trying anything else. Well one day i wanted to try out some for the heck of it and I got these John Pearse strings along with a bunch of other strings that were sent to me to see if I would market. These strings blew me away!! They had a louder sound than any other strings i tried. They had a super great tone. I was able to tell a very noticeable difference in the rich lows that were added with these strings. The only bad thing is they don't last as long as the coated strings but sometimes you have to decide if you want a better tone and change strings more often or have something like Elixir's that don't sound as good but can stay on there for a longer time. Oh and even people that have no clue about guitars, would hear my guitar and ask if I done something to it b/c it sounded louder and better and I have a Customized Larivee that Jean made for me!!Country guitar picker!