Dark Spark
I've had this guitar for about 3 years. It was actually my brother's but he never played it and it somehow has 3 broken strings and 1 missing one, the other two are fine. My brother is in college and I'm pretty sure he doesn't want it anymore.
I want to learn how to play the guitar and was wondering how to know what kind of strings I should buy. I don't know what kind of guitar it is, only know that it's acoustic (not sure of the brand). I would like to buy 6 new strings for it, as if it was brand new guitar. How do I figure out which ones to get? Also, are there any good online music stores that I can get it from?
Answer
Acoustic (non-electric) guitars come in two main types, steel-string and classical (nylon string). There are many differences in the construction and the strings are NOT interchangeable between the two types. In particular, putting steel strings on a classical guitar is a big no-no because it destroys the guitar very quickly (steel string exert a lot more pull). And a steel-string guitar sounds terrible with nylon strings (assuming you can even get them on there). So you need to be very careful what you buy. Some old cheap guitars show a mixture of steel-string and classical features and it can be a little hard to tell what kind of strings they need.
I would suggest posting a picture, showing the guitar to a knowledgeable person to find out which type it is, or just taking it down to the music store with you. If it needs steel strings, there are a lot of different types, but a light gauge phosphor bronze set would be a reasonable choice. The brand is not particularly important. The folks at the store may be willing to install the strings if you ask.
Steel strings should be changed every 1-3 months depending on how quickly they begin to lose tone (which varies between players). Oh, and buy a spare set - beginners tend to break strings.
Acoustic (non-electric) guitars come in two main types, steel-string and classical (nylon string). There are many differences in the construction and the strings are NOT interchangeable between the two types. In particular, putting steel strings on a classical guitar is a big no-no because it destroys the guitar very quickly (steel string exert a lot more pull). And a steel-string guitar sounds terrible with nylon strings (assuming you can even get them on there). So you need to be very careful what you buy. Some old cheap guitars show a mixture of steel-string and classical features and it can be a little hard to tell what kind of strings they need.
I would suggest posting a picture, showing the guitar to a knowledgeable person to find out which type it is, or just taking it down to the music store with you. If it needs steel strings, there are a lot of different types, but a light gauge phosphor bronze set would be a reasonable choice. The brand is not particularly important. The folks at the store may be willing to install the strings if you ask.
Steel strings should be changed every 1-3 months depending on how quickly they begin to lose tone (which varies between players). Oh, and buy a spare set - beginners tend to break strings.
Old Acoustic Guitar Help?
kate
so ive had this guitar for about 6 years or something. It hasn't really been used at all.
1- Can I put any kind of strings on it?
2- Does the age or size of it change the sound or anything?
Answer
Assuming you have a steel string acoustic, you need steel string acoustic strings. I would highly recommend you buy light gage strings. There are many brands on the market so just pick one of the cheapest at this point in time. Light gage strings will be much easier for you to play until you get calluses on the tips of your fingers and build up strength.
The size of the guitar can greatly influence the volume as well as the bass response of the instrument.
Age of the instrument certainly affects the sound over time but the best sounding instruments are PLAYED over time. The vibrations of the tonewoods and the age of the tonewoods form a synergy to produce sweet resonant tone.
You should have someone look at the instrument that can adjust:
- Neck Relief
- String action
- Intonation
Possibly the frets need to be dressed and leveled.
The tuners should function smoothly and the nut material should be lubricated to minimize binding.
Always remember to tune UP to pitch thereby pre-loading the worm-gear tuners to achieve the best tuning accuracy and stability.
Assuming you have a steel string acoustic, you need steel string acoustic strings. I would highly recommend you buy light gage strings. There are many brands on the market so just pick one of the cheapest at this point in time. Light gage strings will be much easier for you to play until you get calluses on the tips of your fingers and build up strength.
The size of the guitar can greatly influence the volume as well as the bass response of the instrument.
Age of the instrument certainly affects the sound over time but the best sounding instruments are PLAYED over time. The vibrations of the tonewoods and the age of the tonewoods form a synergy to produce sweet resonant tone.
You should have someone look at the instrument that can adjust:
- Neck Relief
- String action
- Intonation
Possibly the frets need to be dressed and leveled.
The tuners should function smoothly and the nut material should be lubricated to minimize binding.
Always remember to tune UP to pitch thereby pre-loading the worm-gear tuners to achieve the best tuning accuracy and stability.
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