Best Strings For Slide Guitar (2024 Update)

These are great strings be not for everyone. They are different in that they aid the upper register of vocals. I've put them on a 00-27 and a J 200; tow very different guitars. The affect is magical for those musicians who want a harp-like tone from their steel strung axe. They have an interesting configuration. From e to E; 12, 16,12,16, 23 W, 30 W. The result is crisp, clear highs and rich lows. These strings are different, but wonderful.goeller2006

I have tried countless strings over the years, and these John Pearse strings are fantastic! You name it, I've tried it. Everything from D'Addario, Elixer, Martin, Gibson, DR, Cleartone and even Dean Markley. Cheap and expensive, I have tried them. All I can say is that these are the best acoustic strings I have tried to date. I just went from a set of Elixers (which I thought were expensive, but good) to these, and these strings won out hands down. As soon as I installed these, my guitar absolutely came ALIVE! It was almost like night and day. Everything was better! Immediately what I noticed was the added volume and projection I was getting, but most of all, it was the tone that absolutely sold me on these. With these strings I heard more woodiness, percussive body, clarity, string to string definition, harmonic overtones, and resonance than any other acoustic strings I have heard to date. The top end also opened up and became even more tactile and transparent. These strings are just more organic, yet highly defined and less sterile than anything else I have heard, and they also have a very balanced output from string to string that is excellent. In no small measure, these strings have been a bit of a revelation. These strings are also very smooth, and I also noticed less finger noise between fretting notes and bar chords as well. However, regarding that smoothness, I also noticed something interesting as well. Just try to follow me with this: These are the first set of John Pearse strings I have ever installed, so I don't know if this is a "one off", but as smooth as they are, I also noticed that the unwound strings have an ever so slightly uneven and wavy finish to them in spots when you shine them in the light. I don't mention this as a negative IN ANY WAY, but just purely as an observation. Besides, I could care less because they sound so darn amazing. Anyway, my point of mentioning this (and this is based purely on conjecture), is I wonder if the barely perceptible finish inconsistencies contribute to the overall tonality of these strings? TBH, I have never seen strings that had this kind of "inconsistency" to their finish before, and I am wondering if this has anything to do with the great tonality of these strings? All the other strings I have bought over the years have been extremely smooth and consistent in their diameter and finish. Again, I don't mention this as a negative in any way because you never feel this while playing in the least. The only time I noticed it was when I looked at them under direct light. These strings sound fantastic, and obviously their specific alloy and construction plays a great part to their sound, but on the other hand, I have never seen strings with this kind of finish before, and yet I have also never been so excited about a set of strings before either. There has to be something to it. The only other thing I can mention is that these strings also have excellent string life as well. I have had these on my acoustic after about a month and a half of use, and they still sound fantastic! Anyway, all I can say is that I have tried A LOT of strings, and these ones are the standouts by far. Buy with confidence. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Peace. 🙂Eywa Dude

Had a pesky b and e string on short scale 000. Solution was it wanted more tension to ring true. The 13 and 18 did it; short scale so they play like lighter strings! The 22w g is awesome, the rest balance nicely. 52 is lite for E but not much of a sacrifice; drop D tuning still do-able. SO HAPPYJohn

Perfect for guitars that 9 size strings are just a little stiff feeling on. I love this set for practice learning new stuff also so I can go longer without abusing my fingers bending. Don’t sound thinMrbrownstone242

I have used Ernie Ball strings since the 60's. I used them on a 1962 Epiphone Crestwood Custom back then. They were always the least expensive and I did break a lot of strings back then. I always bought as singles not as a set. I like the .006 high E back then. Changed my use over the years and got away from using. On occasion buy a pack and I am never not satisfied at their quality. They have been refined and now still less price than some but the quality stays up there. I can't say cheaper because they are right up there with Gibson brand strings. I always like keep a few sets in my gig box in case I need a fast string change.DP Guitars

I usually use Elixir Lights or Mediums which is the recommended brand for all Taylor Guitars but I always wanted to try out Cleartone. Picked up the Cleartone Grand Lights which is a mix of medium and light strings and they do not disappoint. They sound beautiful on my Taylor Grand Auditorium! I highly recommend picking up a set of these and try them out on any acoustic guitar. If you like the crisp bright tones of lights with the rich and loudness of medium strings then these are the strings for you! They are corrosion resistant and have a thin flake free coating on them like Elixirs do. These just might be my new favorite strings! I will have to check out some different sizes and see what else they have. But as of now I am happy with my very first set of Cleartone acoustic guitar strings!mccaseyfresh

Although I was not throughly impressed I still say they are worth a shot if you are curious. If you don't like them, hey, go back to what works. I am unfortunately stuck with a stack of these strings (and intend to use them), but I'm not going to complain because I got an incredible deal on them. There's too many complainers out there today. Cleartone strings appear to be a well-manufactured, quality product, and I recommend them on the grounds that you try them to see if they are a good fit for you and your guitar. All the best! Cleartone coating versus other brands' coating – this is what the package touts. I notice the coating to be thinner but a good quality "coated" string has never bothered me much. In other words – it advertises a thinner coating and a more natural feeling product, but unfortunately it doesn't matter to me much. I'll rate this category a 6. The strings seem to be well made and are even packaged nicely in a durable poly wrap package, I admit I was pretty impressed just seeing what was underneath the pouch. Strings are color coded, which will be appealing to those who are familiar with D'Addario strings. Nice touch. Each string tips off with a long straight steel core. Strings tuned up fast and after a few stretches only needed one or two re-tunes. The area where I am dissatisfied is not in the durability or the feel of the strings. I am dissappointed in the sound. These strings replaced an old set of D'Addario EXL's on my Yamaha FGX720SCA Acoustic/Electric, and although they were brigher (as new strings tend to be), they were lacking a certain fullness and richness that the EXL's provided, both new and used, when played on my guitar. The EXL's have always been my go-to coated string, simply because they sound better to me than other coated competitors, so I may be partially biased here. But I know what I hear and I know what I like, and I don't feel these Cleartones are the best fit for my guitar. I want the readers to know that every guitar responds differently to strings. I have played guitar for quite a few years and have realized that some brands/gauges/lines of strings work better on some guitars, both acoustic and electric, than do others. So don't let this review scare you away from trying a set of strings that you might just fall in love with. On my particular guitar I wasn't impressed, but perhaps on your Takamine or your Martin these strings will shoot rainbows from your fingertips. It's all subjective. If you can find a special, I'd say give them a whack. You may not be dissapointed, and you'll know for yourself if these are for you or not. There's a lot of buzz about these strings, why not try them for yourself? Peace.zippidydoo

I usually use Elixir Lights or Mediums which is the recommended brand for all Taylor Guitars but I always wanted to try out Cleartone. Picked up the Cleartone Grand Lights which is a mix of medium and light strings and they do not disappoint. They sound beautiful on my Taylor Grand Auditorium! I highly recommend picking up a set of these and try them out on any acoustic guitar. If you like the crisp bright tones of lights with the rich and loudness of medium strings then these are the strings for you! They are corrosion resistant and have a thin flake free coating on them like Elixirs do. These just might be my new favorite strings! I will have to check out some different sizes and see what else they have. But as of now I am happy with my very first set of Cleartone acoustic guitar strings!mccaseyfresh

Although I was not throughly impressed I still say they are worth a shot if you are curious. If you don't like them, hey, go back to what works. I am unfortunately stuck with a stack of these strings (and intend to use them), but I'm not going to complain because I got an incredible deal on them. There's too many complainers out there today. Cleartone strings appear to be a well-manufactured, quality product, and I recommend them on the grounds that you try them to see if they are a good fit for you and your guitar. All the best! Cleartone coating versus other brands' coating – this is what the package touts. I notice the coating to be thinner but a good quality "coated" string has never bothered me much. In other words – it advertises a thinner coating and a more natural feeling product, but unfortunately it doesn't matter to me much. I'll rate this category a 6. The strings seem to be well made and are even packaged nicely in a durable poly wrap package, I admit I was pretty impressed just seeing what was underneath the pouch. Strings are color coded, which will be appealing to those who are familiar with D'Addario strings. Nice touch. Each string tips off with a long straight steel core. Strings tuned up fast and after a few stretches only needed one or two re-tunes. The area where I am dissatisfied is not in the durability or the feel of the strings. I am dissappointed in the sound. These strings replaced an old set of D'Addario EXL's on my Yamaha FGX720SCA Acoustic/Electric, and although they were brigher (as new strings tend to be), they were lacking a certain fullness and richness that the EXL's provided, both new and used, when played on my guitar. The EXL's have always been my go-to coated string, simply because they sound better to me than other coated competitors, so I may be partially biased here. But I know what I hear and I know what I like, and I don't feel these Cleartones are the best fit for my guitar. I want the readers to know that every guitar responds differently to strings. I have played guitar for quite a few years and have realized that some brands/gauges/lines of strings work better on some guitars, both acoustic and electric, than do others. So don't let this review scare you away from trying a set of strings that you might just fall in love with. On my particular guitar I wasn't impressed, but perhaps on your Takamine or your Martin these strings will shoot rainbows from your fingertips. It's all subjective. If you can find a special, I'd say give them a whack. You may not be dissapointed, and you'll know for yourself if these are for you or not. There's a lot of buzz about these strings, why not try them for yourself? Peace.zippidydoo

These strings are probably the closest thing to vintage strings available if you are into that old school 50s jazz sound. They are a bit stout for my hands even when set low, but no question they have great tone. Big and deep with a nice brightness to them. Check out some old records to hear that sound. Many jazzers like Mundell Lowe, Barry Galbraith and George Barnes were not playing the dark and rolled off sort of sound we associate with jazz now. These strings remind me of those aforementioned sounds the most. They aren't perfectly polished smooth but I think that is part of their sound.Aaron

These flat wound strings are pretty light as far as flats go but I really like them. I put them on one of my Fender Jaguars and I love the tone. I will say you should probably stretch these a good bit before regularly playing them but either way they're great and are very good quality as expected with Pyramid strings. For my jag, it really mellowed that super sharp brightness just enough to where I like it. I mostly play the Jag on the neck pickup anyways.Antonio

Long lasting strings with no fret slide noise on the guitar neck due to being flat wound. Excellent value. I have used these flat wound Pyramid Gold 12 string sets for more than 10 years. Vetter value than buying custom jazz string sets for my two electric and semi acoustic 12 string guitars.Mark H.

(Guitar there were placed on is a Tom Murphy Painted and Aged Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard w/ Brazilian Fretboard) Back in the day, Ernie Ball strings weren't packaged well; they weren't even sealed. If you haven't tried them since their packaging was reinvented, they're definitely worth a look now. Tried D'Addario pure nickel strings, found the wound three to be too low output. I swear the core wire looked like it belonged in acoustic strings. Maybe I got a factory defect, who knows. Gibson strings sound great initially but the 'G' starts to sound dead after a week and the wound strings sound dead and filthy in three weeks. These on the other hand sound marvelous. They sound great out of the package, stay balanced, and sound good for longer than I thought possible.MidnightRiderInTX

I have recently come back to playing the guitar, Sax is my primary instrument but I have had my Gibson RD Standard since 1978. I have since increased my heard of guitars to 10 electric guitars and 3 bass guitars. I have come to favor the Ernie Ball lights and super lights on almost all my guitars. I play the 9's on all of my Stratocaster copies and the super lights on the 3/4 size guitars. I love the feel as far as tone, intonation, flexibility ease of bends and how the strings hold up as a whole. I would definitely recommend to a friend or buy this produce again.Antonio

I have been using the Power Slinkys (11s) for a few years now. I had switched from another brand because the Slinkys made my Strat sound more Straty. After watching a few videos on YouTube about string gauge, I thought I would buy the Regular Slinkys (10s) and see what difference that would make. When I got online to buy I saw that Guitar Center had a sale on 12 packs and since there is a pandemic, I thought it prudent to hoard strings. My logic was that while I may run out of TP, I would never run out of strings for my guitars. Long story short, you cannot go wrong with the tone of 10s. I do like them better than the 11s. They are much clearer in the low end and you get more definition. I have to do less EQing when recording and they just seem to pop better in a mix. The only downside is that they are taking me time to get used to, I play very heavy handed and these are much easier to bend. But I can already see that I have less hand fatigue.Richard

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.

these have very good potential. unfortunately they were too thin for my guitar. they sit so low in the nut that they buzzed. as I was trying to adjust the truss rod the 3rd string broke.. I really wish I would have been able to use thembustercherry78

Ordered these strings after having them replaced with not even slinkies when I wasn't home one day,the package I originally bought was colored mint green,these arrived in a tin/silver looking package,not sure as to the difference between the two,not recommended ordering these online…arcturus-35

I have used these strings before and like them a lot. I put this set on a newly acquired Fender Brad Paisley Tele, and the fourth string was dead. So I do not know if it is the string or the guitar. I will wear these out and then try another set.Mark

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

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

These strings are okay for the price, but I've had several problems with them. 1) This is not a sealed pack, so when I bought it the .010 had rusty patches right out of the pack and maybe the .013 too. They're in individual folded paper sleeves all together in an open-air fold-over plastic sheath. 2) They're NOT for your standard extended-range/long scale 8-string. Short scale guitars only. These fit my 25.5" guitar nicely, but when I tried putting these on my Agile Interceptor 30" scale guitar, they were probably 5"+ too short. Didn't even reach the nut, much less the peg (partly because it's a string-through, tune-o-matic, long scale, and reverse-inline, so lots of extra string is needed. Also, on the paper sleeve, it tells you that it's a 30" taper, which means that the string gets narrow after 30" to fit through the tuning peg. On many extended-rang/long scale guitars, the taper will begin before the nut, which you do NOT want. You want the string to be the same diameter along the entire vibrating length. 3) The tension balance is all out of whack. The gauges are okay on the last 6 strings for 25.5" scale. A little too tight from the .054 down (I can imagine on your typical long-scale 8-string they'd be way too tight), but I drop-tune the low strings to E and A, and the .074 is totally floppy and smacking the frets and the 0.64 could definitely be thicker.The Kev

I wrote a review earlier about these strings, but I have definitely changed my mind. I do have an eight string, and I used these for it and wow…they were not very good. The most obvious thing was the .74 string gets smaller WAY before the tuners, even for my seven string. So playing the first fret feels extremely awkward. Second, palm muting on these things sounds hideously dirty compared my old strings or even the stock strings. I also have to agree that a .54 for the E string is very ridiculous. The only thing I'd recommend these for is softer playing or if you never play chords. Otherwise, get the D'Addario or any other 8-string set.Brian Dice

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.

I love these strings. They last a long time, sound great, and don't gunk up and turn my fingers black like uncoated strings seem to do.brainclots

I am trying these even though I had no serious complaints about the other brand of coated strings I use. These sound good when you put them on, the other brand might take a few days to sound their best. These do seem to be slightly louder, with a little better tone. They are slightly harder on your fingers due to the different coating process. The other brand slightly fills in the gaps between the strings making them feel a little smoother, these have the core/wrap coated with a very thin ( invisible ) coating and have the same feel as regular strings. Not really a complaint, I will take less smooth/better tone any day. If they last any where near as long as the other brand I will be using these from now onMac

SAMS THE GREATEST YEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAAAAAWWWWWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE DEEP PURPLE YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ********************* ************************************* ***************************** IM A HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY STAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ********************************************* &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ***************************************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ************************************************MICHAEL

I've used many strings over the yrs as most guitarists do. But I always go back to Ernie Ball. They are just simply the best quality and tone wise. I'm mad it took me so long to try these though. I love the slightly heavier bottom while still having the mid gauge on the highs that you normally get from the regular slinky set. They work great for standard tuning but work even better if you tune a half step down (my main tuning). Don't hesitate and get your pack or packs today. You won't be disappointed.Vince, T

Tried this string more for helping out with a slight string buzz on the low E. Thought a heavier low E would help out, which it did. That said, awesome sounds for thumping rhythm playing while leaving a standard 10s on the high end for note bending. Great balance when comparing 9-46 hybrid sets, which seemed more out of whack for me. Can't say yet for longevity but assume similar for Regular Slinky which benefit from a string cleaning after each use.Axel

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