Best Steel Strings for a Beginner?

[Mandobart]

I've played guitar (and many other stringed instruments) for over 40 years now. I prefer heavy strings. My adult daughter has recently asked for one of my old guitars to learn on. She plays piano quite well and sings very well (classically trained), but has never played a fretted instrument. Unlike me she doesn't work with her hands, so I need to set her up for minimal pain.

What steel strings are easiest on beginning fingertips? Extra lights? Silk and steel? I've never used coated strings, are they kinder to soft fingers? Thanks!

[El Duque]

Hey Mando, fellow WA'er

I was watching my Mary Flower 8bar blues dvd and she talked about her setup.

She liked the elixir "polyweb" light gauge cause they were easy on her hands.

other than that I know nuthink.

[Paddy1951]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I've played guitar (and many other stringed instruments) for over 40 years now. I prefer heavy strings. My adult daughter has recently asked for one of my old guitars to learn on. She plays piano quite well and sings very well (classically trained), but has never played a fretted instrument. Unlike me she doesn't work with her hands, so I need to set her up for minimal pain.



What steel strings are easiest on beginning fingertips? Extra lights? Silk and steel? I've never used coated strings, are they kinder to soft fingers? Thanks!

What kind of guitar will she be playing?
I have found Martin Custom lights to work well on smaller bodied guitars.

The specific guitar kind of dictates string choice. Scale length can influence your choice as well.

Volume should not be a concern at this point.

[JonPR]

If she's playing a normal full scale length steel string, I wouldn't go any lighter than 10s. And even 10s might lack too much tone and volume.

I personally go for 11s (Martin custom light, with a 54 6th). I spent years (decades) with 12s on acoustic before accepting that my hands would never be strong enough to bend notes the way I wanted, so I went to Martin custom lights. Then, a few years after that, I discovered one of my main heroes, Bert Jansch, used the exact same strings, which pretty much sealed it for me!

I play mostly fingerstyle, though, I don't go out thrashing the thing in front of a live band.

I don't think it's worth worrying about coated strings or anything like that - I've never noticed any significant difference in feel, and hardly any in tone - only in cost . Silk and steel have a softer feel on the wound strings, and less tension, so that could be a good option (the plain ones will be just as painful for a beginner though). More here: https://music.stackexchange.com/ques...-steel-strings

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Paddy1951

What kind of guitar will she be playing?
I have found Martin Custom lights to work well on smaller bodied guitars.

The specific guitar kind of dictates string choice. Scale length can influence your choice as well.

Volume should not be a concern at this point.

Originally Posted by JonPR

If she's playing a normal full scale length steel string, I wouldn't go any lighter than 10s. And even 10s might lack too much tone and volume.

She'll be playing my ancient Applause 6 string. Has a fairly narrow neck. It's pretty bullet-proof; took it underway on my submarine many times. She lives in a condo so low volume is better. The lower the better. My thoughts were as a beginner its better to be able to play notes cleanly, with minimum of struggle/pain than to have banjo-killer volume or angelic tone.

[pf400]

I suggest that you take the guitar to a Guitar Tech and ask for light gauge strings (eg: Martin Lifespan Lights) BUT tell the Tech that, if light gauge strings won't intonate very very well (she has a musical ear), to move up to the next higher gauge.

One could argue that the new player should pay her dues, learning on a medium gauge set, for the developmental stage of her guitar path. This will ensure good callous and strength build-up. I say this providing the action is good and the neck is not too thick, and the guitar is a comfortable size for her.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I've played guitar (and many other stringed instruments) for over 40 years now. I prefer heavy strings. My adult daughter has recently asked for one of my old guitars to learn on. She plays piano quite well and sings very well (classically trained), but has never played a fretted instrument. Unlike me she doesn't work with her hands, so I need to set her up for minimal pain.

What steel strings are easiest on beginning fingertips? Extra lights? Silk and steel? I've never used coated strings, are they kinder to soft fingers? Thanks!

Hi John,
You may let her try one of yours with the mediums, but start with it tuned down a whole step, and work backwards until you have a clue that it’s comfortable for her.

It’s a crap shoot, of course, because there’s no precedent to judge by, but you can look at a tension chart to determine where that ‘comfort’ point was, and string the Applause appropriately.

Howard Emerson

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I've played guitar (and many other stringed instruments) for over 40 years now. I prefer heavy strings. My adult daughter has recently asked for one of my old guitars to learn on. She plays piano quite well and sings very well (classically trained), but has never played a fretted instrument. Unlike me she doesn't work with her hands, so I need to set her up for minimal pain.

What steel strings are easiest on beginning fingertips? Extra lights? Silk and steel? I've never used coated strings, are they kinder to soft fingers? Thanks!

HI M

I taught for over 39 years locally, and for beginners at their first string change I always asked parents to purchase Elixirs.

Beginners are notorious for not wiping down strings (so strings die quickly) and beginners lack the ability to discern tone…especially on inexpensive guitars. Elixirs cost about 2½ times as much and last at least 10 times as long.

As for weight, I normally started students at .011-.052 (Custom Light) Phosphor Bronze Nano-web Elixir strings. As they toughened up, we moved up to Light gauge.

I also started them fingerstyle, and strumming (with pick). For picks at least a 1mm which I cut a speed bevel into a rounded corner (on my bench grinder). I taught them to play the rounded corner of the pick, not the sharp tip for a fuller and less raspy tone.

Style can be added later, but a good solid, nice sounding guitar tone at the beginning is better for them and their family/friends.

I found by giving the guitar a quick setup, lightening strings, and thickening the pick, they tended to practice longer and learned faster rather than spending their time wrestling with their instrument.

[hayvis]

Newtone Heritage are specially made low tension strings (primarily for vintage guitars that can't take the tension). They should be nice and easy for her to play.

PS. And you won't have to sacrifice gauge.

[Mandobart]

Since I found I had a set of Silk and Steel lights at the house, and I'm unlikely to use them on anything else, I strung her up. Brought it over to my daughter's condo. We had a nice easy intro to guitar session last night.

[rick-slo]

I would go with Elixir light gauge strings. Coated strings really reduce the formation of fingertip calluses for beginner guitarists
who start to play a fair amount. Guitar action setup is of course also very important for fretting ease.

[FrankHudson]

I'll second the suggestion of Elixir strings, even the Polywebs. Kinder on the fingertip skin. And when I played an inexpensive Ovation model, Polywebs also brought out the best in it IMHO.