Best Strings For Pedal Steel Guitar (2024 Update)

I like these strings. They allow me to play longer between string changes and the tone doesn't prompt the string change. The only reason I change them is because they become harder to tune which is reasonable seeing that they go through about two weeks of having the life literally stretched out of them. I tried every brand you can imagine and always come back to the NYXL 1238.gmtshowlambs

In my opinion, these are the best pedal steel guitar strings on the market and at the price that these were sold at I couldn't pass it up.harleyveejay

These are the best strings out there for Pedal Steel. They stay in tune and last longer than any other string I have used (I've used them all)Tracy N.

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

I played D'addario strings for the first 10 years I played guitar, then about 4 years ago I decided to take a shot at making a custom gauge set specifically for my guitar. Ernie ball strings are easier to find individually so I changed brands. I can't even begin to describe how much of a difference it makes having consistently ascending string tensions across the fretboard on my 7-string (~21 lbs at low end to ~13 lbs at high end) especially for fast players. Sweeps and arpeggios immediately feel more natural. My 7-string is currently tuned to drop G (d,A,F,C,g,D,G). With a 25.5" scale the best gauges are .010,.014,.019,.028,.039,.056, and .074 if you want a good middle ground between tight strings and bendability. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.Cameron

I have a Jackson that has single-coil pickups in the middle/neck position. The guitar is in standard D and I use the 10-52 Ernie Ball set. The 17 gauge G string always sounded a bit weird on the neck pickup. After hours of googling and youtubing I found out that this is rather common on unwound strings (esp. the G). Switching to the wound 18-gauge string was all I needed to cure this problem. It makes it quite a bit harder to bend the string though.Mike

I have used these strings on my guitars for over three years with out any problems with them losing their intonation. And they seem to last for about over two years under daily playingd_rock_e

I am a new pedal steel player (E9). My new to me PSG was in need of a string change. No experience deciding what is a good string or a not so good string. Decided to try a set of Ernie Ball strings. They installed like any other string. Hold tuning well. I am abusing the instrument about 2 hours a day c/w lots of up and down bending. So far no broken strings. They sound good, hold pitch, seem durable and are priced right. Not much more to say.Alvin

I'm glad I tried the Fender ss strings. They feel great and have a consistent tone. Not sure bout the longevity yet, too soon to tell. Great price as well. Bought a few Set to give as presents.RochesterTom

These are great guitar strings and a lot better than the ernie ball. As a leading manufacturer of strings, for decades Fender has delivered a high-quality product. The sound of these stings with a Spanish Cedar Wood pick is crisp.mojogumbo

I used Fender strings a long time ago and they always performed well. I made the change to super slinkys many moons ago but decided to go back to 350L when I changed over to my Nighthawk. The slinkys seemed a little dull, maybe it has something to do with the Nighthawk having a Fender scale length. Great move! Everything is much brighter and present with no sacrifice on bottom definition. I play every day and liked the longevity of the super slinkys so we will have to see how the Fenders compare. Great strings and a great price from MF as usual.Jerzy

I have been playing out for over forty years. These strings are so much easier on the fingers for long gigs. More of a mellow tone too if you like that. I have used these strings for my acoustic guitars for over ten years. These or the light set would be perfect for beginners. You remember how heavier bronze strings felt the first time you picked up a guitar.troxil-09

I am an aging arthritis sufferer. Been trying a wide variety of strings to mitigate the pain associated with playing my collection of high end acoustics. I know I could switch to nylon classical or electric guitars, but they just aren't my style. The GHS silk and steels give me the comfort I need with less pressure required for fretting and still retain a full, high quality acoustic resonance. Have yet to find a better set for my purposes. I used Elixirs exclusively for years, so I know a good string when I play it.Phil P.

SIT strings really live up to their name. I play my sho-bud in church and have used several other brands, but the SIT stay in tune the best of any I have used.docletts

Amazing strings. the variety of a 10 string pack lets me build a true custom string set thats perfectly tailored to my playing style and tonal desire. The wide tonal capability these strings offer is incomparable, you can go from soft plucking blues to hard down strumming hardcore punk with no problems.mario

I pretty much exclusively use D'Addario strings at this point, best balance of value, durability and tone. These ones I bought for a 6 string Epi I was setting up, rich lows and bright highs, perfect for lower tuning, open tuning or full chord rhythm playing. A blind test would put that Epi at a much higher price point then what they go for, simply by a set up and these D'ddario strings.KENNY

I have been doing a comparison of silk & steel strings from multiple brands, and these are by far the loosest feeling and easiest to play. They really do feel like having nylon strings on a steel guitar. This is great if you want to make playing easier, and it definitely does. The sound is pretty good too, not as loud as regular strings but a more sweet sound. If your guitar has low action you will probably get fret buzz since these are basically extra lights. Also, another plus to these strings is that they are wrapped with silk at the ball end, which is good for delicate or older instruments. I would recommend these for people who want the easiest to play strings. Otherwise the LaBella 710L strings sound similar and aren't quite so light.Chris

Looking at the description, I wasn't sure if it had "silk" threads underneath the wrap wire. On the Martin website, "silked" seemed to refer to the windings at the ball end. I took a string apart and, indeed, it is a true silk and steel. I'm using them on a very old Gibson flat top with many repaired cracks. Also, my hands seem to be degrading where normal strings are too high tension.Roy

Smoother, more comfortable to play than typical wound strings. OK, silky, if you will. Price is higher, though, and they have a shorter lifespan. Before they wear out, they sound good.Ned

I've tried all kinds of strings on my Martin guitars. Used coated strings for a while thinking it would be smoother on my fingers and stop the squeal as they slide on the strings.. but that's not cool !!! I'm totally on natural strings ., no boatings., I feel the string more .. I realized I want that !!! I don't get the screech as my ginger slide on the strings except fir when/if I want it . Yep !! I bought several 3 packs of these EJ16's. Great sound and you have !! Go gif it !!Chuck

I have an acoustic archtop guitar, and found a long time ago that phosphor-bronze strings produce the best tone for my playing style and the instrument I use. I've used a different brand for a long time, but I thought I would give these D'Addario a try. I'm glad I did. These strings produce a nice warm tone, and take a lot of punishment. I have a pretty aggressive rhythm style, and have snapped a lot of strings in my time and had to buy a lot of extra G-strings (it's always the G-string), but these D'Addarios hold up well. I'm very happy with them. and they are around half the price for a 3 set pack of the brand I was previously using, which is why I decided to give them a try.Noah

These strings seem to have more bite and attack. Clarity is key here with these things. Very clear on every string. I will buy again for my 7 string guitar. Being tuned low and having the clear voicing come through is pleasant. Thank youMatthew

I was talked into buying these strings about a month ago by a sales associate at the Guitar Center in Jackson, Ms. Said they were the best strings Earnie Ball had to offer. I can now say that I disagree. I love Earnie Ball strings, don't get me wrong, but these are by far the worst I have purchased. I had them on for two weeks and played on them five times. Put my bass in its case after every session. Within a week, I started noticing that they were gaining rust. Dispite the fact that I cleaned them. By the time the second week came, they looked like they had been left in the rain for months. I don't recommend these strings to anyone. The steel and nickel strings, yes, buy those. I love them. But these new cobalt strings are a waste of money. Thankfully my local Guitar Center took care of me and gave me a free pack of strings when I showed them the wear and tear they had gained over a course of two weeks. I'll say again, don't buy these strings. You will be disappointed.Van Lee

I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for.I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for. I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for. I play mostly in a blues band, and like a fat, thick tone with lots of bottom and some midrange punch. I was excited about these strings after hearing about their increased output. However, for my purposes I find that they have too much ring and higher frequency harmonics and overtones, and don't give me that down and dirty sound I'm looking for. Perhaps after using them while they will mellow out and give a more pleasing tone. But for now I would say these would be best for slap and pop, where you want a real strong response in the higher registers. For me right now they don't fit the bill for what I'm looking for.QadS-man the bassman

Can't stand Elixir strings. Always hated the way they feel. These strings give a clean, bright sound and the longevity you expect from coated strings. A friend at the music store challenged me to try them. Once I did, there was no going back. Love them. Honestly get a little bummed when I have to use something else.Doug

I do not understand all the reviews that describe these strings as sounding bright. They are the warmest, smoothest sounding PBs I've ever played. They are also much less loud than other sets I've used, which is a good thing IMO. If you have a deep, warm sounding guitar or want to warm up your tone, these strings are definitely the way to go. They also stay in tune much better than Martin SP PBs, in my experience (though the Martins have a great tone as well… but a little bit bright for my taste), and are much easier on your fingers.Shaun

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 use these on my Takamine G series Jumbo bodied Acoustic electric both 6 and 12 strings. I get a ton of mid-range and bass and substitute .015 for 2nd (B) and .012 for first (E) strings so the treble isn't so brassy. It works terrific for the contemporary church music I play both with and without an amp.9376roberth

after trying many makes and gauges for my guitar I have settled for the steel silk strings that give the perfect tone for what I want. I have found the balance between low end depth and high end clarity that suits my playing. The Martin Steel Silk may be slightly more expensive than the Bronze varieties but the difference is more than worth it. I recommend any acoustic player should give them a try.kenuphog

Having been a long-time user of Elixer acoustic strings, I was afforded the opportunity to try D'Addario XS Acoustic coated strings. After restringing my vintaged Harmony Stella baritone, best midrange tone guitar I own. Tuned her, after a little stretch time fine-tuned her. First strum my ears were amazed! The tonal range of these strings, warm, bright, full bodied, this guitar has never sounded so good, I can only imagine how incredible they will sound on the Taylor! Before I forget to mention, playability is awesome! Good job D'ddario, you've hit a grand slam!!!!!Jason

I'm an experienced guitar player and have used many different strings on my Martins and Collings Guitars. In latter years I have migrated to using treated or coated strings, specifically the Martin Authentic Acoustic Lifespans and Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronze in medium gauge. Both are excellent strings and I would recommend either for sound, durability and playability. After using two sets of the D'addario XS Medium Phosphor Bronze strings, I believe that they are even better than the Martin and Elixir strings. Sound on my dreadnoughts is deep and full in the bass notes, clear in the minds and with lovely singing trebles rich with overtones. String feel on the fingers is very, very slightly slicker than the Martin AA Lifespan treated string, and definitely less slick that the Elixirs (which can feel sometimes a tiny bit too slick). Durability is outstanding and the strings look good and last nearly as long as the Elixirs and longer than the Martins. All three are fine strings and I use all three, but I believe that the new D'addario XS mediums are the best of the lot and recommend them without hesitation.Jeff

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.