Your acoustic strings matter; the gauge and materials used to make them can have a huge affect on your tone. So choosing the right set for your guitar, playing style and tuning needs will pay dividends in enhancing your sound. But how do you make the right choice?
Renowned UK company Rotosound makes its own electric and acoustic guitar strings in England and offers a comprehensive range that allows you to make the best choice for your tone. Rotosound’s range of acoustic guitar strings helps you to get more from your guitar.
Before choosing the type of acoustic guitar string to fit you’ll need to consider what string gauge to try; this is the relative thickness of the strings.
Rotosound offers a wide choice of gauges across its acoustic guitar string ranges including Super Light 9-48, Extra Light 10-50, Light 11-52, Medium Light 12-54, Medium 13-56 and three gauge choices for 12-string sets.
Rotosound offers four distinct types that each offer specific advantages for your playing and tone
As a general rule, heavier gauge strings will offer a louder acoustic sound due to a higher tension and will allow you to tune your guitar down without your strings becoming too slack and negatively affecting your tuning stability.
Lighter gauge strings will have less tension on standard scale guitars and make bending easier. Shorter scale guitars, such as travel guitars, tend to benefit from heavier gauge strings to compensate for their smaller size.
It’s important to consider the type of acoustic string you want for your guitar too; Rotosound offers four distinct types that each offer specific advantages for your playing and tone.
Jumbo King
• This is Rotosound’s all-rounder and most popular acoustic guitar string
• The cover/wrap wire of Jumbo King strings is made from phosphor bronze, an 92/8 bronze alloy (92% copper, 8% tin) to offer a well-balanced tone that’s great for general acoustic playing in a wide range of styles.
• Available in Super Light 9-48, Extra Light 10-50, Light 11-52, Medium Light 12-54, Medium 13-56 and Super Light, Extra Light and Light 12-string sets.
Tru Bronze
• These are Rotosound’s strings with a mid-scooped character to create a ‘hi-fi’ tone that accentuates the lows and highs of your guitar.
• The cover wire is made with 80/20 bronze (80% copper, 20% zinc) for clarity and resonance.
• Available in Extra Light, Light and Medium Light.
Nexus Acoustic
• These are Rotosound’s longest-lasting acoustic guitar strings thanks to a cover wire made from polymer-coated phosphor bronze; the result is a mellower sound that lasts four times longer on average.
• The company has created a more natural feel for a coated string compared to competitors by precoating each string before winding which provides a more natural feel over competitors' coated sets and reduced finger noise.
• Available in Extra Light, Light and Medium Light sets.
Super Bronze
• A unique design from Rotosound and pioneered in 1974 where only the string core touches the saddle to offer a tonal character that sparkles but also sings with sustain.
• The cover wire is made with 92/8 phosphor bronze windings for a brighter tone.
• Available in Extra Light, Light and Medium gauge sets.
To find out more about the range, head to Rotosound.