Electric Guitar Trends

Steel guitar strings have been with us for a long time now. However, they have been changing over the years.

Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhart was known for using Argentine strings on his Selmer Maccaferri acoustic jazz guitar. These strings have silver plated wraps on the wound strings to create a unique warm tone, and are still in production today.

In the 1950’s the growth in the electric guitar market increased the demand for steel guitar strings. Companies such as Ernie Ball developed strings in lighter gauges, to improve playability. The winds on the strings were made primarily out of nickel, with a stainless steel core.

Around 1970, the rising cost of nickel caused string manufacturers to begin manufacturing and promoting steel wrapped electric guitar strings. Many electric guitar players liked the brighter sound of steel strings. Players’ pedal chains were getting longer and this also led to acceptance of brighter electric guitar strings to offset the tone sucking that pedal chains can cause.

In recent years, all string manufacturers have reintroduced pure nickel wrapped electric guitar strings. Since these were the standard in the 1950’s and 1960’s, they are marketed as having ‘vintage tone’.

While many electric guitar players crave a vintage sound, some feel that nickel strings do not sound as good as stainless steel strings when the gain is cranked up. Personally, I really like the pure nickel wrapped strings, but they are not big sellers.

Another ongoing trend in electric guitar strings is the use of coatings. For example, Ernie Ball recently introduced titanium coated strings.

Ernie Ball claims that these strings are better in every way from more traditional guitar strings. But guitar players are a conservative bunch, and time will tell if these gain acceptance.

Here are the current Top 10 selling electric guitar strings, according to MusiciansFriend.com: