The Steel Guitar Forum

I've noticed by looking at the ones that b0b has listed for sale on the forum that each set has a little bit different string combination. How do you choose the "right" set?

Dave

You can check with the builder of your guitar to see if there are recommended gauges for your instrument.
If you bought it used, perhaps the seller can tell you what gauges he used. Then select a set as close to those gauges as you can. If you put on a new string which is a different gauge from the original, you will usually have to retune the pedals/levers associated with that string.
The same thing holds true if you change from a wound string to an unwound string, or the other way around.
Any of the good name brand strings will work well.
Different players like different brands. Cobra coil,
GHS, Jagwires, etc. I use Ernie Balls, have for years, and they work for me...
Larry J.

Brand selection has a lot to do with how they hold up. I have nearly no string breakage with jagwire strings and the sound quality lasts really well. I know some players change strings after every session but most of us don't fall in this catagory.

I think you will find the differences in strings probably has more to do with the player than the guitar they are playing. Obviously these differences will be small as they have to be within the working range of the mechanics of the guitar. But we all like a slightly different sound and feel of the guitar that fits our style. Having said that, when you look at the differences in the string sets, none of us are very much different than everyone else. Probably the biggest difference is what material you want your strings made of.

I suppose we could talk for days about the little differences string guages make but I'm not sure it's worth it for most of us. I've gone through a couple of phases of playing around with different string guages but when I was done I felt like I had been trying to reinvent the wheel.