Light Gauge Electric Guitar Strings For Sale (Jan 2023 Update)

Used these to replace the ones that came on my 2018 Gibson Les Paul Standard HP after the factory set had lived its life. I love the sound of these strings and playability of 9s. Haven't broke broke one of these strings yet, even with a lot of bending.The Legend

I bought my first guitar back in January and I went to string up some Ernie Ball Room strings and they broke INSTANTLY. A week later bought these and had no problem with them. They work BEAUTIFULLY for my guitar. I love the feel I love the tone-They're nice and easy to bend. I've been using them on my guitar for a long while now. I'm thinking about going for 10's next time? Anyway a GREAT string pack in my book.Oya

I’ve been playing guitar for over 40 years, performing in several bands on rhythm and lead electric guitar. I currently mostly play a PRS Custom 24, a Fender Strat Elite and a couple ESP’s I’m fond of. I have always used the ‘big name, low cost’ strings until I decided to give Stringjoy a try and see if there is really any difference. I was blown away. The strings are smooth as silk, feel consistent up and down the neck and from low E to high E, and they stay in tune much better than any of my previous strings. I usually use my fingernail to run along the underside of the thinnest E string, to feel for bumps in the string caused by the frets. It’s a quick way to check to see if it’s time to change strings. After 2+ weeks of daily play, I feel very little fret indentation on the Stringjoy strings, much longer than I am used to. I find myself picking up the guitar more often, getting more creative, and figuring out leads I hadn’t pulled off before. I am sold on the sound, feel and reliability of Stringjoy strings, and I won’t be going back to ‘big name, cheap strings’ again. Thanks Stringjoy!.Leslie B

first thing you notice upon opening the package is the ball end and wrap of the string. the wrap goes right up to the ball end with NO slack (if you look at commercial grade brands the ball is loose and the wraps look weak) the length is extra long so you have plenty of sting for any scale neck the balance of the light 10’s is different in that the 48 on the low E looks like it would be heavy at first however, when you string ur ax up you notice a FULL rich tone and the stings feel very strong under your fingers. They bend with ease and the 48 does NOT feel heavy at all! although they are not “coated†the very tight wrap of the winding gives a smooth and fast feel similar to a coated sting. a HUGE plus for a guy that likes coated strings and is converting over! after giving them a proper stretch I tried to intentionally knock them out of tune with a heavy hand while playing both rhythm and lead playing….they stayed perfectly in tune put my freshly strung ax in my gig bag and headed out to my gig (hour away)..took it out once arrived, was still in tune…played the gig…stayed in tune… woke up the next morning and grabbed my guitar for my morning strum and some coffee…you guessed it…STILL in tune! Extremely musical and beefy tone from StringJoy! Everyone should really try these, its tricky to describe with words but no doubt, any guitar player would feel and hear the difference IMMEDIATELY! Scott and the boys, GREAT WORK! Thanks guys!!ryan

I’ve been a Happy Stringjoy user since 2016. I found them while surfing the net one day and was intrigued to find an American (Nashville, TN.) company actually making guitar strings by hand, the old fashion way. They are not a push a button and wait till a thousand sets are done by any means. They actually create the sets one at a time per machine in a painstaking process everyday. The owner Scott is there overseeing the operations and quality control with a group of caring employees. Now about the strings. For me, they where the first to offer “Balanced” by design sets of strings. I had always just bought the 10-46 sets that everyone offered why not that’s what was available to us. But Stringjoy never rests in their efforts to expand their offerings and to help us play and enjoy playing more! These are the Real Deal in so many categories. The feel over the fret board is totally uniform they stay in tune and last, for me, as long as others so called Coated strings. Their tone is superb as is the feel on both my Electric and Acoustic guitars. You get a handmade set of strings along with a signed card by the operator that made them, how kool is that! You can’t go wrong as they are also Guaranteed to satisfy. Try them, You’ll love them.Walter H.

I have been a Stringjoy customer now for 4-5 years(I think?) and they are the best strings I’ve ever used on my electric guitars! Love the feel of them and the tone. You guys have an amazing thing going. I would love to try them on my resonator guitar(it’s a square-neck). Beard Guitars makes the strings I currently use on it. They’re a little peculiar as far as the gauge goes though. .18-.20-.29W-.36-.45-.56 but I love the tone of that gauge and like Ariel Posen, I like a fight from my strings. I almost ordered a custom set to try when I was ordering my previous sets of electric strings but didn’t see a .29W in bronze. Anyways, I’m very thankful I discovered you guys! Best.string.manufacturer.on.the.planet!!!! Period! Nathan Farlow High Point, NC 86 Ibanez Roadstar RG-110 2000s G&L Tribute ASAT Rogue lap steel Martin HD28 Gold Tone PBS-DNathan F

I turned to Stringjoy because I wanted a 9-72 8-string set, for which there aren't many options ot there, unless you go for a custom set. I was tempted by the stellar reviews, so I decided to give these a go. Firstly, these are the clearest sounding strings I've ever tried. They're not excessively bright, but their articulation is amazing, which really helps that low F# string ring true. They are almost clear to a fault, because they emphasise every little bit of fret buzz and string rattle, so you have to watch your technique. Secondly, these are the longest lasting uncoated strings I've ever used. After a month of use, they have shown minimal aging. I don't play my 8-string every day, but still, this is impressive. Also, they don't rust, flake or turn black. They just gradually become duller, while still remaining playable. One bit of criticism I have is the tuning stability. These strings seem to need a certain amount of tension to stay in tune. They were fine on my 27" scale 8-string, but when I tried the equivalent set on my 25.5" scale 7-string, bending made them go out of tune very easily. I need to try the 10-60 set and see if it's any better. Overall, I'm very happy with this set for my 8-string, and I have already purchased more. Oh, and one more thing! Normally, whenever I use gauge 72 or higher, I have to partially unwrap the winding to fit the string into its tuning peg. With this set, the lowest string was somehow able to go in as it is. A really nice added bonus!Alexander K

When I was in my teens and early twenties, I didn’t think about the differences between brands of strings. I based my choices as much on the packaging as anything. After putting it away for decades, I decided to take up guitar again. I decided that this time I would explore the differences in strings. I’ve been all over the map with this and have finally settled on Stringjoy Naturals. They’re not as expensive as some other strings I’ve tried and liked. They hit a sweet spot for me. Price, playability, and sound. They’re all there for me.Mark B

These strings really made a big difference ( In my opinion) in the sound of my Epiphone ES335, very pleased with the results.oldriv58

I love the feel of these strings. The tone is exactly how I like. My sound is more dynamic than before. Contrary to other reviews, they DO stay in tune (check your intonation and guitar setup in general) and they DO last a long time. I'm not a fan of strings that have windings that work against you. These strings have just the right amount of smoothness and brightness. Bright, but not annoying.JDub

Got these just sampling a few string sets and stuck them on my 2005 Tele Deluxe, they have a fairly decent tone & output compared to my Slinkies and seem to be good quality but my major complaint is the G B and E to me are under much more tension tuned at 440, kinda mixed feelings since some of my guitars are strung with 10's so for me these are 10 feeling 9's ! Strings are the easiest swap for tone chasers so just try a set, you just might like them 🎼Dr.LaRrY

Absolutely can't tell that these are coated strings at all. They are bright without being super honky that you have to break in, they are smooth to play, and only sound better the longer you have them. They last an insanely long time with heavy use while still sounding fresh as can be, I play every day and change mine once every 10 months to a year. I guess I'll have to give Elixirs a fair try because they are the only brand I haven't used on bass yet, but have no idea what the last review was about saying these strings aren't good. They are downright amazing. I don't do reviews but I stand by the products that stand by me. The price is absolutely worth every last penny. Try them and you'll never look back!Mike B

My personal favorite coated strings, they have a great balanced tone perfect for rock and roll. They last forever, and keep their tone for months even with heavy playing. They have a warm low end and snappy responsive highs. I typically don't like coated strings as I find they impede my playing, however these strings feel like there's nothing there! These are truly excellent strings. This is an Employee review by Cgray at Sam Ash store 57Moose

I really like the tone and flexable feel of these strings. They have a good sound that does sound to bright or feel to slick, unlike elixers. I will probably purchase again if i find a great deal on them but unfortanatly i didnt get my moneys worth because the g string broke in two weeks. The only other thing i didnt love is that the big e string has so much wrapping at the ball that i had to jam my pin in a little more than was comfortable to hold it in. All in all the positives outway the negatives, the biggest thing to improve on would be durability.tyrw21

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

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

I'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

These strings are coated to protect them from wear. The company Aurora went a step further, and colored the coating. So if you can find a set in your preferred gauge and color, get them. They ware well, and sound good.lmssrc

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

I've been playing/collecting new and vintage guitars for 26 years, and regularly try new strings. I noticed that if these strings contact the bridge when re-stringing, the color will chip off immediately. Secondly, they feel like dull plastic. This feels like your fingers are dragging, and seems "cheap". Thirdly, I had to adjust all the pickup heights on the low-E, as the heavier strings sound completely dull and lifeless. I also received a damaged string, and contacted DR customer service. I haven't even received a response in two weeks, which demonstrates how unimportant we are. In this day and age, where online retail is more important then ever, this is unacceptable. This is NOT a reflection on Guitar Center, which always takes good care of me. Ultimately, these strings are a cheesy gimmick that will hopefully fade out. If you want quality coated-strings, try Elixir.DS

I decided to pick up guitar after a 15 year break and found Rocksmith to be a pretty useful tool. I put these on my guitar to help with getting familiar with the fretboard and neck. Because it's been awhile. The first couple of days, the strings sounded great with no issues, but a couple of weeks in, some of the strings sound muted a little bit and are just not as crisp as non-coated strings. i'll probably take these off sooner than later. I would recommend these for RockSmith but if you're looking to just dress up your guitar, I would caution against them.Citiznkain

I'm a beginner and I never learned to read music. I bought these strings specifically to play along with the game Rocksmith 2014. For those who are just starting out, these strings make it easier to learn to play because of the individual colors of each string. I have bought multiple packs of these strings. I've recently bought a electric guitar, acoustic/electric, and a bass. I have put these strings on all three. Love them. As an added bonus, these strings really light up underneath a black light.Mark just starting out

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

After trying a few different brands and gauges of strings over a five year period I have finally found the perfect brand/set of strings for playing in C# and drop-B tunings. I started out playing Ernie Ball sets on a 25.5 scale guitar in standard tuning but when I began experimenting with down-tuning I found the EB sets to be lacking in tone and definition the lower I tuned my guitar not to mention constantly breaking my low E string. When I switched to playing a 24 3/4 scale guitar in C# and drop-B I had to start looking for a new set of strings because the EB "not even slinky" sets I had been using just were not cutting it. I tried Dean Markley Blue Steel .13's with a wound 3rd string and found the top strings to be cumbersome and the low .56 still not heavy enough for dropping the low E to B. I went to every single music shop in town looking for a light top/extremely heavy bottom set and I finally ran across the GHS .10 – .60 set on sale, two for the price of one. Perfect! These strings last forever. If you use some GHS Fast Fret on them they keep their tone better than any other brand of string I've tried and I have yet to break a string in the year or so I've been using the GHS .10-.60 sets. The tone is fantastic and they sound great on a mahogony/maple body guitar with EMG pickups. It does take some getting used to the difference in string gauge between the low and high strings but it didn't take me long to learn to adjust my pick attack for the lighter strings on the top end. If you know how to set up your guitar for heavy gauge strings get 'em and go to town! If not I would highly recommend you take your guitar to a guitar/music shop and have it set up by a pro. Oh, for you kids out there: these strings are NOT meant for standard tuning and they will not make you sound like Zakk Wylde but they might make you a better guitarist if used as intended. I now use GHS strings on all my electric guitars.ViperDude310

touring in the 80s I used GHS boomers GBCL, I stopped playing in the 90s and somehow ended up using EB hybrid slinkys. I found an old pack of boomers in a guitar case compartment i hadnt opened since 93. Somehow they were still fresh and strung up one of my guitars from the 80s. Wow, the wound strings EAD (or C# G# C# my tuning) are definitely Louder and breakthrough more than the wound EBs… (the plain steel sounded identical). There are soooooooo many fake garbage and laughable opinions on guitar products these days on the tube that I decided to do my own experiment to confirm what I was hearing. I proceeded to purchase 26 packs of these GHS boomers GBCL (which are the wound strings from a 10s set and the plain strings from a 9s set). Using 2 identical guitars (even color), Logic X via a PreSonus FireStudio input, dunlop red acrylic 1.5mm pick and as consistent as possible pick of each strings. The only difference was that each guitar had a new set of strings, one got GHS boomers GBCL and the other ErnieBall HyBrid Slinkys. I averaged the 12 picks of each string by merging the 12 waveforms into a single track for each guitar for each string, the wound strings of the GHS boomers were clearly louder, rang longer by at least 7.2, 5.9, 4.6 seconds respectively (tuned toC#, G#, C#). the Plain Steel string waveforms were virtually Identical between the sets though. If you arent sure what this tuning is, its simply DropD half a step down (aka dropC#). Plugged into a Dual Rectifier, Laney and a Vetta, on a high gain channel you get this Extra Gain that breaks through, so needless to say ill be back to using GHS boomers GBCLs on all my guitars!!!thundercab

I bought these on a whim one day. I can't explain just how great these strings really are. They have a unique voicing that really compliments my guitar's natural tone. I have used many, MANY brands of strings, as well as many gauges, but these strings are by far my favorites to date. For being relatively new to the string-making game, Dunlop nailed it with these. Fantastic tone, strong, long-lasting, and overall great feel. I switched to these after spending too much time and money on the DR High Voltage Dimebag Darrell set. These sound better, last just as long, and cost three dollars less per pack. Give them a shot, you'll like what Dunlop has going!peteshreds

I bought these Super Brights thinking they were Nickels, but i thought I'd give these Steel strings a chance. I put them on my Jazz bass and i was very surprised at how smooth they feel. Usually, Steel strings are too abrasive for me and rip my fingers up. these are slightly rougher than the nickels i usually use but no rougher than a set of standard nickel Rotosounds. Theyre also quite low tension which i prefer so i can perform bends with ease on any string. Soundwise, theyre great!! Plenty of low end warmth and top end brightness that isn't too zingy. A very balanced volume and clarity across each string. I got a lot of compliments on how clear my bass sounded after my last gig. I think Ive found my new favourite string!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

(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

The strings have a great sound, and look very trick. The guitar pick, though, does end up removing some of the coating, hence only 4/5.shortolly

I recently purchased a Ghost Fret from Chapman Guitars… The guitar was so Black colored that everything blended together too much! These white phosphorescent strings instantly made the guitar pop and gave it that extra something!Lord Randy of the Rhodes

These strings are the bees knees! They are very comfortable to play on your guitar and they don't 'squeak' with hand movement on the fretboard. Also they really are luminous under a UV light. If you want your guitar to look a little bit different from the rest; then these Dr Neons are the ones to get. They sound good too and they last as well. The coating does come off in high wear area eventually though.fireball14017

Bought this for my sons first birthday. I loved it, just wish there’s have been a better sizing guide for it. Definitely size up for the t shirts. My son wears 12-18 months in zippies and shorties, but the tshirt was too small/snug in that size.Lindsay S.

I mean, overall, you probably already know what strings you like and don't like if you play at all, but I will say that these strings initially do have a brighter tone than many others. The one knock I have on these is, if you are a chugger, the strings will almost definitely unwind from the base after a while. That said, they definitely hold a nice one until they break. I have yet to have one take on that muted or tinny tonality, so that is a good thing. Overall, these are pretty versatile, but the more aggressive you are as a guitarist on the strings, the more likely you are to have to replace these more frequently than some of the other brands out there.Peter

These strings are perfect, sound great on my guitar and make very little noise when sliding from fret to fret. They are also low wear and tear on the fingers and would be ideal strings for new players as they work up your finger calluses. Sustain seems fine and they are now my favorite strings for electric guitar (do they make a version for acoustics?) I like playing guitars, but my practice time is always cut short by pain in my fingers – when I first played flats on my bass, it transformed my practices – I can play for an hour plus without discomfort. Same goes for the guitar. Allows me to play/practice longer, and that is worth the extra $$.Axiom71

Back in 2010 when I got into guitar, I didn't know which guitar strings to go for. So I tried to search for bands I liked to find out what guitar strings they used, and alot used Ernie Balls. So from there it was already a winner, and when I tried them for the first time, they just added something to the tone that I really liked, so from there it was my go-to for electric, no matter what type of electric guitar. At the start I avioded ernie balls because I thought they looked like candy bags. I regret not trying them sooner Personally I like these because of the amazing sound it helps producing, and they feel great in my hands.sebrav

The 10-46 sets are not as strident on the highs as most others , there a little bit smoother on the highs for the E-B-G strings. There long lasting and stretch quickly too stay in tune. These are dynamic and punchy in my tube amps ! Once I set my intonation changing strings my guitar needs little else set to set ! The feel is a little unique as they feel smoother than others and bends are easy and they take extreme bends well no breakage ! Cobalt are much brighter if you want or need more highs !golddust742