Steel String Guitar Strings For Sale (2024 Update)

Silk ans Steel strings seen to have less tension a smoother feel and sound mellow. I use them on my parlor guitar and they are plenty loud. I fell back in love with my parlor guitar after putting silk and steel strings on. I still use EXP17's on my dreadnought and different sizes on my electrics like heavy tops on my 335 and 10's on the tele and about to try 7's on my strat. I think guitars are all different and need strings that match the guitar and the style of your playing. I have no problem going from one gauge to another. Most of my practice is on the acoustic with the 13-56 tuned Eb, then when I pick up another guitar It seems to be faster and easier along with being more fun if that's possible. I love D'Addario strings sorry now spending so much money on trying other brands. I recommend trying D'Addario silk and steel on any folk/acoustic guitar first!Lewis

I'm no professional. I like to play around the house and I often do solo music in church. I tend to only play acoustic guitar because I love the sound. However, the 80/20's make me want to vomit both in sound and feel. These strings take anything you play and transform it into a smooth and beautiful piece of art. They feel wonderful, very soft but still very present. They sound so warm, but also articulate every sound. If the EJ40's ever get discontinued, I might just hang up my axe and stop chopping down tunes.JC_Broussard

Better than expected. Solid tone. Easy to play. Just right. Not too bright, just clean and tight, as a well made set should sound. Lows still great, even at the slightly lighter gauge. Don't get me wrong, they can get plenty bright if you want that. Just that they didn't seem as extra bright as some kinds try to be because they can with all the "super nano ultra special coated infused …but still hand crafted somehow" type stuff. Was never happy with previous sets on my 5 string. With these, I was able to set up with slightly lower action. This alone is worth it on my instrument. Finally, it's the bass it should've always been. Waited way too long to find these. I hope they keep making them. Probably going to order a few extra sets and try to keep a few on hand. As others point out, I'm not sure there's another set with these gauges for 5 strings. To me these are just right in a lot of ways.Person

Overall: Don't pay any attention to the low price these are great strings. Have used Fender 7250's on all kinds of bass guitars they always sound great and feel good. Years of use have proved quality. I put them on my Jazz bass, my PJ, and my Squire, have used them on Samick, Music man, OLP, and Epiphone basses, all good.Scott

Been using the 8250-5M set for awhile. Wanted to try a lighter gauge. I get more guitar tones out of these. I was concerned I might overpower them since I'd used medium gauge for a couple of years. These are literally perfect on my Modern Player Jazz Bass V and 2 1993 Jazz Plus Vs. I bought the Modern Player new from Musiciansfriend. I think this light set is the set that it had on it. I use a pick, single and double thumb as well as two finger picking techniques. The E and B strings give a nice low end. The A, D and G strings have a growl and bright tone and respond well to picking or plucking. I'll be using these strings for some timegeorgesguitars

Great strings! They have a good tone, and if kept clean, will last forever! I know, because I had one set of strings on a guitar of mine for over 20 years. I have had the guitar for almost 30 years, and only on the 3rd set of strings. You may say bull, but these strings will last you for a LONG time! Highly recommended!gpgl-p-qn9d97b

These Blue Steel strings are so lively I am surprised they don't get up and walk away from the guitar! They have a resonance to them that is more than simply an added brightness; in fact, I have found that other types of strings are unbearably bright using the hot 498T bridge pickup on my Les Paul Special. These strings, though, seem more balanced to me and nicely crunchy in the midrange and bass, with an extra ring to them at all frequencies, not just the high end. They last forever even with daily play. I usually plug into my computer and use guitar amp modeling in GarageBand or Logic, and these strings shine through every tweak I can make. My only complaint, as noted above, is that the last set I put on the guitar seemed rough on my fingers at first. I hadn't noticed this before, but I had used a different brand last time I changed the strings and although they died within a couple of weeks, they were silky smooth to play. The new Blue Steel strings felt a bit like little metal files when I first put them on, but after a break-in period of just a few hours of play (or perhaps a callus-growing period?), they felt fine. I try different strings from time to time, but I always keep coming back to these, and I am never disappointed with them. I have a pack of Ernie Ball strings that I am going to try next, just because everyone raves about them, but I think chances are slim that I will switch allegiances. I love these strings. Love love love! I suppose the main feature of these strings is the processing they go through. Whatever they do to them, it works. They sound better on my Les Paul Special than any others I have put on it. The strings come in a sealed package and so remain uncorroded and shiny even if you don't use them right away. I have yet to break one of these while playing. My only complaint is that they seem to chew up my fingers when brand new. Or maybe I was just having a bad left hand day. They wore smoother with some play. A bit more expensive, but they last longer than most other strings I have tried, so you can probably get away with changing them less often without a reduction in sound. I am happy to pay a little extra for strings with the life and staying power that these have.ErikTrips

Overall I love these strings, they suite my style greatly and they sound so good through my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Fender Blues Junior! These strings are number 1 in my arsenal of strings because to me, i enjoy the brightness that these strings offer! they get me the nice twangy, chimey crystal clear bright tone and sound and each note i hit with these strings really pronounces so greatly! i only set my hot rod deville's drive barely on 2 and i get a nice rich gritty sound and when i strum at the tip of the neck like Kieth Richards does, i get that nice bell like chime perfectly. One thing to note with these is, in order to keep that nice rich flavor to them, you gotta use string cleaning oil such as fastfret or dunlop string cleaner, you cant let the grease from your fingers sit on these after gigs or long times of play because it will dead end the tone greatly. but all in all these strings are great, they are my number 1 brand strings i like to use! One thing to note is you have to keep up on making sure you clean these strings right after you play because if grease from your fingers is left on them it will greatly dead end the tone. Not a bad value just wish they were less but they are worth it though.cUpBsrmjO

I have been using these strings for a long time. This is a perfect example of a great product. Exceptional tone quality and lasts really good. Perfect electric strings for many kinds of music, including blues and old rock and roll.dhbolyer

I recently switched to these after years of using D'addario and Ernie Balls. They have an extremely bright sound which is perfect for a warm axe like a Les Paul. The first couple of days, they sound like a whole new dimension of string brightness. the rest of the week, it sounds like standard, new NPS strings (for me).I don't think they really last "twice as much", maybe they last 1.5 times more… yet, I am quite an aggresive player anyway. They have a great sound and feel smoother than other brands to me, but it's not quite a big deal. I strongly recommend them if you're looking for brightness in that warm-sounding axe – they'll be worth the extra buck. If you have something like a Strat or a Tele and don't feel like adding even more twang, I suggest some other string.ShredHead-MDT1z

These sound great on my les paul. Have a much richer sound compared to the elixir brand strings I replaced. They have kept in tune better than any other strings I've used to date. Very impressed with the quality considering the low price.h0ly_c0wb0y

Sounded a little chimey on an Epiphone Les Paul Special-1, with 650/700's. Quite a bit mellower on an Epiphone Les Paul Plus Top Pro, with ProBuckers.. Many online have suggested for Nickel allergy. I don't play enough to say for sure, but I think it sure helps for that.A.J., ND

My super power is to sweat a lot and kill nickel strings in record time. These stainless steel strings put up much better fight and sound great for much longer.DG

I always go for steel strings for my electrics and have bought Rotosound for years. They feel really good to the touch and, of course, are made in the U.K.Bill D.

Excellent strings…well packed, great sound, well balanced and colour coded string gauge guide. HALF the price of my previous preferred Rickenbacker brand and made in the UK!!worroourkid

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've been playing for 38 years. I wasn't aware of generic strings in the old days so I've used all the big names, Ernie Ball, GHS, D'addario and to me these are pretty good strings. I've been using them for 8 or 9 years now. The main thing I will say about them is that they mellow out quickly, in other words the new string brightness goes away pretty fast. For me, this is good. I do not like that jangle brightness of new strings. Other than that I can't hear or feel a difference from the major brands. I have recommended them to friends who also liked them. We were in a cover band together and had to restring many guitars fairly often because they would get sweat all over and not wiped down. So these were economical.Quinn

I bought a whole bunch of these in different sizes as it is a good way to experiment with using different sized strings. Some strings last a while but many pop almost immediately right at the ball. Once I had three in a row pop, each one the first time I struck the string with the pick. Enough of the strings work well enough to allow me to accomplish what i wanted but it is frustrating and I will be glad when they run out. But whatever at this price I don't really care.b

I ordered a huge bulk back in 2010, the 10 thru 46 guages set. They hold tune well and have good tone. After each time I practice or gig, I wipe down the strings with 3 in 1 oil and they last. Some people complain that the ball ends break off. But I only use these strings on my Floyd Rose equiped guitars, so I use the ball end wrapped through the posts of my tuning keys, then lock the clamp down. I use stainless steel picks and stacatto pick ( like Yngwie Malmsteen), bend 2 whole steps and pull up hard on the tremolo bar …..and they stay in perfect tune. I'm due for another huge order and will post another review.A.J.

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

Last time I played seriously was in '89. Got back in recently. Tried several different sets of strings. Landed back on the Rotos…as good, if not better, as they ever were. Put 'em on my schecter omen elite-4….they rip!Old School

As someone who regularly plays live shows, these strings are my absolute favorite. Super light and easy to bend, and yet not floppy; they produce no unwarranted fret buzz even at extremely low string heights. That being said, they also manage to maintain bright and exciting treble without sacrificing anything significant in the low frequencies. As always, Rotosound has produced a very piano-like set of strings. One of my favorite playing styles is slap bass (incorporating a lot of the Victor Wooten "double thumb"), and these strings make everything easier. Try them out; if you're interested in light gauge strings, you won't be disappointed.Tim

I had used Rotosound strings in the past. Flat wound, and did not like them. Just did not care for flat wound strings. I had been using Ernie Ball Slinky but was not really happy with them either. They were hard on the fingers (sharp) and thin sounding I was not getting the "beef" in my sound. I did a nice cleaning of my fretboard and installed the roto bass RB 45's The E string was a bit fatter than I was used to but still very comfortable. The strings were smooth (for round wound) and I was most pleased with the fatter tone overall. Tight clean and no buzz. I believe I will be using these for all future restrings. One minor CON was that for strings marked for long scale the D string was a bit close in length. But that said my Bass, an 80's model Washburn force 4 is a very big and long bass.vicmanjim

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

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

I was excited to try out the Blue Steel acoustic guitar strings. I got them in the mail and strung up my guitar with much anticipation. They were good at first, but after only about 20 minutes, my hands smelled like cheap metal, and the tone had already dulled. These strings made my high quality guitar sound like a tinny, cheap First Act Guitar. I would not recommend these strings to anyone. However, I would highly recommended Elixer nanowebs or polywebs. They are a far superior string. They are worth the extra price and will make any guitar sound great.Paul B.

Played guitar for 9 years. Have always picked and fretted with excessive force. My hands sweat and ruin strings. I've tried many strings, Elixrs were the best but too expensive, DR, D'addario, Ernie Ball, RotoSound….nothing felt like home. Somebody told me about these strings, I bought two packs of 12s and fell in love. Unlike the coated strings (Elixr) these are super-cooled so that the molecules lock together tighter. They stay in tune better than any strings I've played. These strings can take a beating. The tone is great for 4 or 5 weeks and it still sounds decent 2-3 months later. They are cheaper than most strings so you're crazy not to try them.TheCapitols

I've been using these strings for years. I love a wound 3rd string. They last up to a month for me where other brands only lasted a week tops. I just bought a new Les Paul with a Bigsby. It came with 9s on it and the intonation was way off. I had a set of 9s by EB and put them on to see what would happen. After a couple of days I could see it wasn't going to work out so I replaced them with a set of these 11s and the guitar locked right in tune.OleJazzer

I've used probably every kind of stings out there and always came back to these. And not just any les paul strings, the signatures. They are extra light on the treble end for bending and thicker on the bass side for more volume. Les picked these himself and they will make any cheap guitar sound good. They are so smooth you will be amazed. Many strings I play with feel like sandpaper compared to these. And the best part is they come vacuum sealed so they have an indefinate shelf life, so stock up! I live in Key West and the humidity kills everything except these. I will never play another guitar without these. Stock up!! You wont be sorryThaddeus-PGMWh

Red silk stockings? Not the wrong review, stay here. These strings have a wound ball end dressed in red silk, just for show? NO they help anchor the string, they help to prevent slippage of the windings and they look fantastic. These strings are not cheap but you do get what you pay for. They sound great and have a high degree of corrosion resistance – I have never broken one. Apart from my Strats and my Tele I use these strings on all other guitars. If you have a guitar costing hundreds if not thousands of pounds why would you put cheap strings on it? They are getting very rare so buy a set now and try them.cerieds1957