Best Strings For Beginner Electric Guitar (2024 Update)

BB King famously convinced Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top to switch to lighter strings and Billy never looked back. Tone can be shaped so much by the amp so the primary function of strings is feel and playability. Lighter strings like these mean you can play harder for longer. I also find I'm playing more accurately because my movements needs to be more delicate.Jack C.

You have to try these strings for yourself. No matter what anyone reviews or says, this is a matter of preference. So I say spend the money and try them. I will relate my personal review now. First off Ernie Ball strings are very good strings. I would say that about Curt Magnum, DR, GHS pure Nickels and Fender pure Nickels also. I play pure Nickel strings which are mellow strings btw. I normally use .10s and .11s. This was an experiment for me because I went down a rathole one night on the internet reading about what strings "the stars" use. I read what people said and honestly it is entertainment in itself!!! If you use 10s or heavier, you will have to adjust your neck, action and intonation. These no getting around that. The tension is very different. If you re-adjust your tone settings on your pedals and amplifiers, you'll get a usable tone with these strings. You'll have to play with your pickups also since they respond differently. Don't use these strings if you have a heavy picking hand like SRV. If you have a light hand or can switch it up and play softly, try them. DON'T go out and play a gig if you haven't spent some time with them, especially if you are dropping down from 10s or 11s. If you use 9s, you'll probably be ok. I am all for playing without tiring and playing without hurting my tendons. Maybe I will stick with these OR NOT. I have them on a PRS Custom 22 SE. I use 2mm V-picks. You had better use light picks with these strings. I switched to a Fender medium. So I use 11s when tuned down a half step. 10s up to pitch. If you have tendonitis from playing guitar 3 or 4 hours a day for 50 something years, these will be a refreshing change and you may not have any pain whatsoever. These are certainly the strings to use on a guitar that has a neck issue where the truss rod won't handle 11s or 10s. Nowadays, necks don't seem to be made to handle the medium or heavy gauge strings that I grew up with. Whatever I say doesn't matter. When it comes to strings, you will have to try them yourself and decide if they work for you or not. I purchased four sets to try on numerous guitars. I may get up enough nerve to use them at a gig. These may be strings to put on student guitars so they don't get discouraged.Rick

Ernie Ball has always been a high quality guitar string. Used by beginners, every day pickers, and professional musicians. They provide great sound and a great feel when played on a cheap guitar, or high dollar instrument. Im no professional guitarist , but I do know The Ernie Ball Slinky series string should be your number one choice when looking for a great all around string. There on all my guitars. And let me tell you, they really make my Strat talk like SRV s # 1uskev-xeu3yty9

I've tried many string brands out there and have come back to Ernie Ball in the last couple of years. They sound and feel great, stay in tune (assuming you have a guitar that stays in tune), and are durable (no strings last forever). You can simply depend on them.Frank

Getting back into guitar after a few years off, decided I don't really have anything to prove to anyone and dropped down from 12's to these 10's. Negligible sound difference, if any at all really. But wow are my fingers so much happier. Less pain = more practice. Get you some!ZACH

I have used Ernie Ball Slinkys since I started playing guitar (time that can be measured in decades, that's all I say). I have been through other top brands, and just don't like them. I have gotten to know EB strings to the point where I can nearly predict when they'll break. That's good in my book. The lively tone and intonation stays for a LONG time. And they're good enough to scrape clean and, in the word of Billy Idol, Start Again. Well, that beats boiling them (RIP EVH). What's even better is all these new, attractive hybrid sets, allowing you to easily find your groove without having to get two packs for your ideal set! EB just keeps getting better.Guy lll

I used to have to buy the Skinny Top Heavy Bottom and Power Slinky set in order to get the low and high strings that I preferred but ever since Ernie Ball came out with this set I don't have to. It's my go to set of strings for standard because I like tight strings that I can chug or shred on. Plus they last forever. Get these!Rollin

The biggest selling point for Super Slinky strings is their magnificent tone. There really aren't any strings that sound better than these for hard rock. But as others have noted, they are sometimes prone to premature breakage of the unwound strings at the ball end. It you use a locking tremolo like a Floyd Rose, then this isn't an issue, as you'll be cutting off the ball ends anyway. But for everyone else, he's a trick that I (and many other players) have been using for Super Slinky's ever since the 80's. Just grab your soldering iron and solder the string down where it's twisted around the ball. Just be sure that the twisted part is nicely coated with solder and you shouldn't have any more problems with early breakage. Don't worry, it won't mess up their tone of anything like that… not if you do it right. Try it and see!Rasterburn

These are really nice! They deliver very warm and round tones when playing clean; however, when using overdrive or distortion, the tone becomes pretty monstrous! Because of their thickness, understand they're not made for easy bends and jazzy licks. Additionally, if your guitar is set-up for 9's, or even 10's, you'll need to make slight adjustments in your action, especially if you're using a trem.Shane S.

Well built strings in my opinion. There smooth and able to hold there tone pretty well I think that these strings will prove to be at least satisfactory for any type of musician They can take the heat and they look pretty good too.TC

Bought these on a recommendation from a guy on YouTube and have not had any issues at all. I used Dean Markley Blue Steels for nearly 20 years, but due to lack of availability, was looking for an alternative. The individual who recommended them is a touring professional guitarist. I see why he uses them.Jason

Unfortunately, I do not have a 7-string axe but if I did, it would be strung out with these babies! I buy them for the 28, 38 & 58 strings for my SRV Strat to get that Texas tone. They play just as smooth & good as any of the other Ernie Ball strings I use. I love the heavy, warm-end tone & the strings do not disappoint AND they're easy on the fingers meaning they're smooth. If you bend strings up a whole step like I do, these strings will toughen you up real fast.. These strings last and never have I experienced any corrosion. Highly recommended if you want that Texas blues tone, jazz sound or you just wanna DJENT!John564Holloway

I was looking for a perfect set to stay super tight in Eb but also retain enough tension in lower tunings. I had been using the Not Even Slinky set and found the higher strings for be a little too thick and the lower a little too thin. So, I decided to give these a shot. I remove the .28 (Normally the 4th string) and that way, I have regular 11s at the top but super heavy strings at the bottom. When tuned to my signature Eb, they retain a lot of tension and are good for a nice chugging sound. When tuned any lower than Drop C, they start to lose a little tension, but still stay manageable. I'd say the lowest comfortable tuning is Drop A before they get too floppy. Overall great strings, EB is the best!Ryan

Ernie Ball Strings are great. They have a lovely "twang" to them when brand new. However, I DO like their Paradigm Strings the most, as they last for 6 months or more before I need to change them. Those Ernie Ball Paradigm Strings are the best, longest lasting strings that I have ever used. I wish Artist Guitars stocked the EB Paradigms (I'd have given a 5* Rating instead of 4* if they had Paradigm Strings). If/when they DO start to stock them and if their price is right, I'll purchase them for ALL my 7 or 8 guitars! ATM I usually purchase 3-pack deals via e-Bay. 😀 I only got these as I wanted a brand new set of 7-String Guitar Strings for my brand new and 1st ever 7 String guitar, the Artist Guitars' Spiritus 7 that I purchased recently. However, I am going to purchase Paradigm 7-String sets from now on. These non-paradigms are just temporary. I'll be purchasing another Acoustic Guitar or few in the future also, as I'd like a JB300NT V2 Steel String Acoustic as well as a new Nylon Classical Guitar. And I need a Bass or 2 also. LOL You can never have enough, let alone too many Guitars! Thank you Artist Guitars. You guys rock!Narayana

Before these strings I was using the stock strings that came with my Les Paul…( And of course the first string broke as always). Then I ordered some Regular Slinkys, but the first string broke again. So then I ordered some Power Slinkeys…and Im still using the first two pairs on my Les Paul and my Yamaha Acoustic! I am really impressed with the quality of these strings and I would recommend them every time. Not only did they not break, but they have deep rich tone, but they are also totally shred-able also as well, great for classic rock and new age rock as well.Anonymous

This is a superb product these strings sound excellent, clear and powerful, and this three pack is amazing value, I highly recommend this product to any serious player and also for the beginner, because sounding great help with your progress .. These are the best strings I have played, they are stable, bright and have a beautiful controllable tone, they fit and suit any style of music and any situation….Genuinely, I believe they are simply the best….Go for it, and get playing…peter_johnj

I really like these strings. They are warm, and give what I believe to be the best tone on my Stratocaster's and Telecaster. I don't really remember when I first started using Pure Nickel strings (of any brand), but I DO know I have never used anything but Pure Nickel since. The strings got a 4 star rating. I purposely omitted 1 star because, I feel they don't last as long as say a Nickel wound D'Addario would…but then again, I have not found a Pure Nickel D'Addario set of strings. So I forfeit the longevity for the tone. I DID just today order some Fender 150M (medium gauge 11's)…which are also Pure Nickel. I would never order 10 sets of strings if I didn't like them. Once I get to play the 11's, I will give a review on that product page. As far as Fender Pure Nickel strings go…you can't go wrong on the tonal quality. Rock on!!!White Dog

For years I've played flatwound strings, but when I bought my new Fender American Professional Jaguar I was taken by how lively and expressive the strings were! I left them on. There was a learning curve, with me having to learn a lighter touch, but the more I played them the more I liked them, I went on the Fender website, clicked on the "Chat with us" button, and asked what set came on the Jaguar. It was this set – the Fender 250L Super 250 Nickel-Plated Steel Electric Guitar Strings. VERY musical, VERY expressive! I play jazz-inflected folk, fingerstyle or various flatpicks, including Fender 351 Thins and Dunlop 204s. There's a reason Fender puts these on their guitars!RubyTuba

BUY THESE ! I hadn't used Fender strings for 30 years . A friend of mine bought out a music store so to liquidate he sold me all the strings and drum sticks in stock .. there were mostly Fender strings so I started using them . 20 packs of 9's lasted me well over a year . I work at least 3 night a week as a lead guitarists / vocalist . so I use my main Strat a lot . after I ran out of Fender's I used GHS and noticed I was breaking strings .. so I tried the Ernie Ball's .. breaking strings again ! I went to a local music store and bought a pack of Fender's . as an experiment I wasted to see how long before one would break . SIX WEEKS ! .. THEY LASTED 6 WEEKS ! .. That's 18 gigs , 3 hours pr night for a month and a half every Thursday Friday and Saturday . and they still sounded good ! FENDER RULES !horsesass123

Recommended by a friend. The action on them is great. Great tone. Love the way that they sound and feel. Have tried many other types of strings and these are by far the best ones I have used. I will use these from now on. I am still learning how to play and these strings are make it easier.Chris

These are not bright strings, the sound is somewhat dull – not so much you can't boost highs and adjust mids to compensate enough for most purposes, but these will never sound great for anything that needs to pop with bright presence. I am forced to keep a 5 string tuned down a whole step for one of the bands I regularly work with and this is the only game in town. You will need to re adjust your bridge because your intonation will change with these strings on and it may be enough to make solos and high passages sound a but wonky. If you have to keep a rigged tuned down, these are what you need but they put an awful strain on the neck if you try to pull them up to standard pitch – use for lower tunings ONLY.Doug

i've been using these strings for almost 2 years for hard/heavy rock. on a 36" scale 5-string the 135's feel great, and stay nice and tight at Eb or D tunings. at standard E tuning they are extremely tight. i've taken them down to C tuning, which puts the low B all the way down to seriously subterranean G, and that's about where they start to get floppy on a 36" scale bass. i would describe their tone as being loud and punchy, which suits loud, heavy music very well. as for longevity, i'm getting a solid month out of them at 10 hours per week of fairly vigorous playing. i kept the last set on to to see how long they'd go for. after 3 months they're starting to loose temper, and need to be replaced… but that's after a lot of playing.Wesley

I've been an Elixir user ever since I bought my Taylor two and a half years ago. That being said, when I bought an American Standard Strat this summer, I wanted to try other strings. I love coated strings, and was looking for a product with long life, good feel, and good tone. So I wanted to try these new Slinky's. I bought a set and when the stock strings needed replacing, these went on. I strung up, tuned, and played on them, a lot. The initial tone and feel were great. They felt and sounded a lot like uncoated strings, which was great. But as the weeks progressed, and I continued to play, the tone stayed intact, but the feel wore off. My hands sweat a lot and I'm pretty brutal on strings (as in on an uncoated set, they can start corroding after 5 or 6 hours). I would say that after about 3 weeks of playing about 4 hours each week, I began to notice wear on the strings around each fret, and as I wiped them down after each time playing, more dirt wiped onto the rag. During the next few weeks, more and more wear showed up, and they began losing their tuning stability. I finally took them off, and restrung with Elixirs. In a back to back test of new Slinky's vs. brand new Elixirs (Nanoweb on Acoustic) over 8 weeks and playing around 4 hours each week, the slinky's wore a lot faster. At the time of restringing the strat, I still had no troubles with too much wear, or tuning stability on the Elixirs, but the Slinky's needed to go. Personally I'm going to stick with Elixirs, but these were great strings. They feel nice, sound good, and are a little cheaper than Elixirs, but I feel like they could be better. If you want the lasting tone and feel, I would choose Elixirs over these strings.JohnWhirl

I've been playing guitar for 22 years and have tried many strings. I am very happy with these and have recommended these strings to fellow players. I put these strings on a PRS Custom 22 with Humbuckers and they sounded great. My PRS has a thinner sound at higher gain levels but these strings gave me a warmer/Les Paul tone that I really like. Plus, they play smooth as butter. I say thumbs up, try them ! I see some reviews that say they don't last long. Compared to what? Not changing your strings for 3 months! If you are playing out regularly, you should change your strings at least every two weeks. These rock, Try em'.RHINO

These are my new favourites – I have always use Super Slinky's in the past (I'm talking 30 years+), but these have an edge…don't ask me why, they just do, it's a feel, especially on the B and top E; they don't sound any better, in my opinion, but they have this feel about them; I use Ibanez JS and Jem Pia guitars, and some how they seem to improve the overall quality of the instruments themselves…who knows…they are the same gauge too…I will likely use these for another 30 years now- if I am really lucky…James S.

I've tried many string brands out there and have come back to Ernie Ball in the last couple of years. They sound and feel great, stay in tune (assuming you have a guitar that stays in tune), and are durable (no strings last forever). You can simply depend on them.Frank

I have used Ernie Ball Slinkys since I started playing guitar (time that can be measured in decades, that's all I say). I have been through other top brands, and just don't like them. I have gotten to know EB strings to the point where I can nearly predict when they'll break. That's good in my book. The lively tone and intonation stays for a LONG time. And they're good enough to scrape clean and, in the word of Billy Idol, Start Again. Well, that beats boiling them (RIP EVH). What's even better is all these new, attractive hybrid sets, allowing you to easily find your groove without having to get two packs for your ideal set! EB just keeps getting better.Guy lll

Stringed guitar, tuned it, and after only 5 minutes of pulling and bending them they were broken in and no longer getting stretched out of tune. The tone is alright and their durable. My issue is with how loud they are. I play with heavy distortion, on a Blackstar tube amp with distortion pedals, and I've never had such loud strings. Changing position on fretboard causes a LOUD dragging scratching sound. Never had this issue with other strings playing same stuff so it's not a technique problem. I can dampen strings no problem, but it's a problem when playing fast stuff and there is no time for it. Since then I've changed strings and no longer have this problem.Jd1337

I have used these strings for 3 or 4 years now they're really good I chose them because of the size and I found out that they are awesome. Not one ever broke on me as I did expect the 10 to from the speed and pressure I used sometimes. My particular style is metal, the strings work great for that. They are highly pliable. I am a bender and the tuning I think does not go out too much after the stresses I place on the strings. I have used deep standard E standard C standard a also be dropped down tuning no problem with any of the strings at all the sound is crisp and clear it's not a muddy sound and it's not a tinggi sound from the strings like a steel Acoustic sound.Big Mac

These strings work pretty much as advertised. They let you tune absurdly low without sacrificing note clarity or integrity… not perfectly, but reasonably. They also stay in tune remarkably well with little to no breaking-in.Regular DR 10's can handle my guitar tuned down 1 1/2 steps with no problems, but anything beyond that is flub territory and intonation is out by as much as a full half-step. With the DDT 10's, I can go 3 steps down and they still sound tight. If you check with a tuner, the intonation isn't quite right, but the difference is negligible to the naked ear. It's hard to break a DDT string. They are noticeably tougher than your average set of 10's. The feel is quite nice at 1 steps and lower though. They're surprisingly easy on the fingers. You don't have to pick hard to get heavy attack. They just exude brutal tone.Their quality stands true to the DR name. Definitely worth a try if you plan on experimenting with extremely low tunings. They can make your 6-string sound like a 7-string… only it'll still feel like a 6-string!Strizzwald

I typically play a half step down, sometimes drop C#. Guitar I have set up for that was giving me some occasional open string buzz in drop C#, but I didn't wanna go to a higher gauge because I like to be able to go to E standard once in a blue. Took the Daddarios off, put these on. Boom. Problem solved. Also very stable tuning wise and feel great overall. Thumbs up!Dustin J.

these strings are the best that i have ever used. i think they sound better then d'addarios, if only because they are warm as opposed to bright, which goes well with my alder guitar. mine lasted two months before breaking, and i couldn't detect a change in tone or tuning stability. and they're red! the only reason i gave a 9 on quality is that the coating wears off where it contacts the frets and where you pick after a month or so, but it doesn't affect anything but looks. too bad i didn't buy more.word.

Here you have one of the best strings you can get for the price you pay. One may think, oh since they are coated with color , the quality sucks. They were wrong, I've been using these strings for about 3 months now, not only do i get compliments on how good the strings look on my black Gibson Epiphone, but i also receive compliments on how good my tone is. There is only one problem i have with these strings. After playing with the strings all day, around the picking area of the strings they red coating comes off. If you think about it, No ones really looking at your picking hand anyway. Also DR includes a piece of paper that even tells you that the Coating comes off. Overall this product is a must buy for me anytime i need new strings.Michael

Put These on my Gibson Voodoo LP The red strings look great with it's Black and red finish. the tone is bright for coated strings. Only have had them a week so none of the coating has come off yet.Did a three hour jam session with my band Second Satuarday last weekend and they held tone very well. So far pleased and will purchase againSecond Saturday

I have tried a multitude of various strings. These DR strings are great. I have the Multi color; Yellow; Orange; Green and the Black Beauty ones. They perform great on my Gibsons; Epiphones and Ovation guitars. I use them on acoustic; acoustic electric and semi-solid guitars – all with equal positive results.Mr B t

These are excellent strings. I bought them for my son, who loves them. They stay in tune well. He likes their feel, they feel like the Elixir strings he used before. They seem to last well, he's had then on his Schecter about 3 weeks and they feel and look good and hold their tuning well. And did I mention they look really good under black light?Richard

I am a drummer. My son needed strings. He took a few lessons years ago, and recently decided to try again. Guitar needed strings. I put on a full set and tuned it up. Seem to be functional. Fairly flexible. I didn't want really heavy strings. I know they would wreak havoc on un-callused fingertips!Scott W.

First time using these. I really like them. I immediately noticed how much smoother they feel compared to the previous brand I started out using. They feel so much better on your fingers and they dont feel ridged on the thicker strings. String bends are much better. I think I am going to switch to Ernie Ball from here on out. These seem like a much better quality and better value.hillbillyonlineshopper

Strats, ES, Les Pauls, hollow body Gretschs, PRS, my absolute go to strings. Every electric guitar I own gets set up with em. I absolutely buy in bulk. Great life for frequent use. Haven't broken a string in years. Properly stretched you shouldn't have any tuning issues.Charlie

Fantastic set! Took my standard scale six-string to new lows! It’s a bit loose but useable in G but about perfect for G# on my SE archtop Rich Bich. And better than the 72 gauge EB string I had tried previously. Immediately fell into a reasonable tone and with a little EQ-ing! Been an Ernie Ball guy for years. Stringjoy has a new fan!Andrew M

I like the strings, but the over advertising on emails is really annoying. I’m not sure who is your marketing manager, but your time would be well spent at NAAM, Local guitar dealers, online advertising, etc. Maybe even getting a contract to put your strings on specialty guitars from the manufacturer, along with specs that only you meet. Such a great product, but it’s really not out there and non-stop emails are annoying to every person. Good luck as a company, hope the honest feed back helps.John L

I had been reading about these strings in forums etc and was intrigued. Decided to try a set or two and see what was up. I bought the 10-52 Signatures. Well, I have been using them for a month and a half and all I can say is, believe the hype. The feel great, nice on the fingers, and it seems like the difference in quality of the metal is noticeable. I mean, it feels that way. Maybe it's something else. I don't know but they feel good, hold tune very well and settle in easy right after they're strung up. In six weeks of home playing they have not diminished in tone or tuning stability at all. I am already subscribing for three sets every two months as well. Love my stringjoys.Brian H

Like 11s but a little bit lighter on the top. I'm using them for alternative tunings on a Tele, in standard tuning on a full scale length Fender they're on the edge of too heavy for me, personally, but perfect on Gibson scale length.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I tried 11's and they wore me out. 10.5's are now my go to gauge. These sound great whilst still allowing me to play for hours.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

what can i say, i have been using Ernie Ball Slinky's for almost twenty years.and would not think of any other string. they are so flexible, i think i am using regular guitar strings. it doesn't take a Hercules to pull the strings down to the frets. and they always have the sound i am looking for. look, i am going to shoot straight. most musicians are not rich.and struggle until that day(if it ever comes) we get discovered or finally break through. most of us don't. so, if i can get a string that allows me to do what i can with a bass, and sound like the most expensive bass ever made, at a price where i can eat dinner that night,that's a win-win. so whether i am playing for a bunch of my friends, or playing in some major concert venue.i will continue to use Ernie Ball products.david

I've used Ernie Ball guitar strings for quite a while now, so when I got myself a bass I immediately knew I would try their bass strings as well. So far, so good. I'm just as happy with the bass strings as I have been with the guitar strings. Excellent brand; great quality and value.lumina_racer

I knew from the first time I tried them that I’d be sticking with Stringjoy. Custom string sets for no extra charge? Hell yeah. The 7 string 11/70 is terrific for G# standard and drop F#Martin B

Really great strings. Been using them on my Gibson SG in drop C tuning and I have no complaints. A word of advice when you do get them, stretch them HARD or you'll have tuning instability for a few days until they rest but thats part of playing lower tunings. Great strings all around. Medium brightness and a good feel. I change strings often so I can't say "they last forever" but I will say there is no noticeable difference in tone over the 3-4 weeks I use them for.Samuel S

Perfect gauge for drop b on a 25.5†scale length! Not too heavy, not too light. Switching all of my guitars to Stringjoy. Nothing beats the tuning stability, and nothing stays so full of life as long as these do.Kenny B