Best Strings For Takamine Acoustic Guitar (2024 Update)

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 discovered these strings by a lucky accident. Now I use them on all my acoustic guitars. I feel that they improve the tone considerably especially on my slim bodied electro acoustic. Although I am not an expert,and unable to comment on longevity and durability, I recommend them.John F.

Great for bends on an acoustic. Not quite as loud as elevens, but you’d expect that. I have wound G on my Telecaster, so having equivalent sets allows easy transition between playing the Tele v playing the acoustic.Richard P.

I've tried just about every string on the market over the last 20 years. For years, I swore by Martin Phosphor Bronze Custom Lights. My primary guitars were an older sunburst Taylor 210ce (ES1), a Boulder Creek A/E, an Ibanez Jumbo w/ Fishman Sonicore pup and a Martin LXME. I was very happy with the Martin strings, but then I bought a Taylor 214ce (ES2) that came with these Elixir HD strings. I had tried Elixirs a long time ago, thought the sounded "good, but never great." I dig that "new string" brightness for performance and the Elixirs just sounded "pretty decent", but were "pretty decent" for a long time. That is not the case with these new HD Elixirs. They're bright and articulate. I've switched to Elixir HD's on all of my acoustics (except the Martin LXME, still better with Martins). I wouldn't usually bother with reviewing strings, but the other guitarist mentioned my strings were starting to sound a little dead. I knew the Elixirs had been on there for a LONG time, so I logged into my MF account to see when I ordered them. It had been slightly over a year! I'd put over a hundred hours on these strings! I used to restring 2-5 guitars per month…11 guitars, 5 of which are used regularly. If a pack of Martin's lasted for a month, I thought that was great. Technology has improved! Elixir HD's are that new $#!+ and I am a convert!DayGloYellO

I find them great. They hold their tone a long time – And I mean for around three months & sometimes longer. Of course, strings can sound a bit ordinary if you don't tune properly. They also hold their tuning well. I don't find that they suffer from corrosion, even though I live in a very corrosive area on the coast. But of course I play probably every day and usually give them a quick wipe down before returning guitar to it's case, especially while they are new. Not so much after 3 or 4 weeks old. I mostly use them on a Taylor 312ce. I plan to try them on a Yamaha I use for slide too.Brendon

On the back of a promotional appearance in my facebook I bought 2 sets of these strings and so far, I'm pretty impressed. As all acoustic guitar players realise, their instrument can sound wildly different just with different strings on it. So, first impressions was a much fuller and better defined mid range than competing brands. Its in this area that normal bronze strings usually fade quickest and I'm happy to say after many sessions that these phospher bronze strings are holding up well. That aside, the biggest plus is the top end. Does better definition, more volume with less marginal string/fret interferance sound good to you? Well, this is the forte of these strings. My favourite thing is bluegrass picking and these strings fit that bill well. Cutting through Banjo and Mandolin playing volumes is no easy task and I'm happy to say the Elixer HD lite does that very well. Though slightly larger on the top end, they retain that light gauge 'feel' that encourages greater experimentation with a lot less hand cramp that is common with thicker gauges. Overall I'd give these strings 9.5/10 with the .5 mark down only for excessively bright sound that seems to be inherent in Elixer strings anyway on my Maton CW225. If you have a very woody sounding instrument I'm sure these strings will sound especially good. Well done Elixer a really great string.Colin

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

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

I put these strings on a older Alvarez guitar and all I can say is WOW what a voice change! The Martin Retro Monel Bluegrass string made my inexpensive student model guitar sound like a much higher end instrument. The clarity and sustain is so much better than the 80/20's I used to use and the life span is at least double if not triple of the 80/20's. Try a set you won't be sorry.Mark

I have been reading about pure nickel strings and I've wanted to give them a try. The Martin Retro reviews were good and if Tony Rice likes them and uses them, they must have something positive to offer. I've only had them on my dread (solid mahogany b/s and Adi top) for a couple of weeks…but I love them. I hear the tone of the guitars wood. Not too bright but also not too dark or muddy. Very mellow. Urban legend has it that they get better with age. We'll see. But they sounded good new and they guitar sounds great after two weeks. Too early to tell or comment on how long they stay this way. I will be buying more and use them again. Time to try them out on an OM.B

Replaced the dead right out of the box elixir string that SUCKED and these brought the guitar back to life and it now sounds and plays wonderfully. Highly suggested and as the string were in my box for a while and now the package has added Tony Rice's name to them even more highly suggestedDas Fuut

I have used Black Diamond Guitar strings as a young musician. They seemed to have disappeared from the stores in my part of the country. But I found them again online. And they still sound as good as ever.danielson*2014

Excellent strings . Good volume , good attack , mellow without being dull, edge without harshness . If these strings last as long as is claimed I shall be using them again Worth noting that these strings seem to have very mixed reviews . Many saying the strings broke . I never break strings (guitar set up well , enough width at the nut with some graphite and 'Bob's year uncle's problem solved I will admit they are expensive so will have to see how long they last as to wether they are worth the price or notRobin G.

The strings are very nice, but if the you read the negative reviews for these strings (2 stars or less) you will find that the "G" string broke during the re-stringing of their guitar. Happened to me too when re-stringing my Martin OM 28. Been playing guitar for over 50 years and have some experience changing strings. So what do you do? Spend another forty for a "G" string? There are so many durable Martin strings available for 1/4 the cost. Just be advised!Melrosemike

I ended up, for fun, buying the most expensive Martin strings, Titanium, and the cheapest (almost), the Phosphor Bronze Acoustic to compare. The Titaniums are close in tone to phosphor….I would say a step towards 80/20's in tone. The review done by Strings and Beyond is spot on. The feel, projection and sustain is very close to Phosphor Bronze and when switching between the two guitars that have the 2 sets that i bought it takes just moments for the ears to enjoy the slightly different tones. If these strings last 2 years it will be worth it for me. My hands are not corrosive so that is not a factor. But my local stores sold out of these Titaniums because people have "bad" hands bought up all the current stock. So there will definitely be a following there. Looks like these strings are a winner for the sweaty hands with a great tone to boot. If they do last a long time (as the testing suggests) Titaniums will have defiantly found a spot in the market. I can see these being great for a travel guitar, particularly in the tropics. Will this be my only string from here on? No. But, I will use these on my travel McPherson and one of the Martins. The other half dozen acoustics will get a sprinkling of Monels (retros) and regular uncoated strings.Layton

I discovered these strings by a lucky accident. Now I use them on all my acoustic guitars. I feel that they improve the tone considerably especially on my slim bodied electro acoustic. Although I am not an expert,and unable to comment on longevity and durability, I recommend them.John F.

Great for bends on an acoustic. Not quite as loud as elevens, but you’d expect that. I have wound G on my Telecaster, so having equivalent sets allows easy transition between playing the Tele v playing the acoustic.Richard P.

I hate to give a bad review of Earthwood because I've played and loved the other Earthwood strings; however I tried these Rock & Blues strings on my Taylor as well as my Fender Sonoran and was not happy at all with the sound. For me I think it is the fact that the g-string is like an electric string and not wound like an acoustic string. Because of that, when I strum the whole acoustic sound is "off". Sure the string is easier to bend for lead, but to me it's not worth the trade off of having a bad sound when strumming.Strums the Word

I use to buy Martin Marquis strings but the price went up and I thought I would try these Ernie Ball strings. I put a set on my guitar yesterday evening and they sound good. I like buying the packs of strings instead of single packs. We will see if they have a long or short life. The sound is great.Hunter Dan

I discovered these strings by a lucky accident. Now I use them on all my acoustic guitars. I feel that they improve the tone considerably especially on my slim bodied electro acoustic. Although I am not an expert,and unable to comment on longevity and durability, I recommend them.John F.

Great for bends on an acoustic. Not quite as loud as elevens, but you’d expect that. I have wound G on my Telecaster, so having equivalent sets allows easy transition between playing the Tele v playing the acoustic.Richard P.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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