Acoustic Guitar Strings
"Silk and steel" Acoustic Guitar Strings, available through a number of manufacturers, are made of
silver-plated copper wire wound over a silk and steel core. A lot of my fellow bluegrass and fiddle tune
pickers think I'm crazy, but I love silk and steel strings. Alright, the fact is I don't play in a bluegrass band,
and when I jam it is usually only with one or two people who aren't playing too loud. But volume and
projection are related to, not only the gauge and type of string or the size of the guitar, but picking
technique as well. In fact, not only do I use silk and steel strings, but I use them on small guitars! I play
only 00 and 000 size guitars: I quit playing dreadnaughts years ago. Yet, I get plenty of volume. In fact, I
have my little 1930's Slingerland May-Bell (a small 12-fret to the body parlor guitar with an arched top
and a round soundhole) strung with silk and steels and she has cutting power like you wouldn't believe!
But here's why I love silk and steel strings. First, they are in lighter gauges than their respective steel
string counterparts. For example, GHS medium gauge silk and steels run from .011 to .048 inches, where
Martin light gauge phosphor bronze strings range from .012 to .054 inches. The result is that silk and
steel strings put much less stress on the top and neck of a guitar. I wouldn't dream of putting regular
steel strings on my Gibson L-C Century from the 30's, because it has an extremely thin top. Silk and
steels are also my choice for my Carson J. Robison (A Gibson-made "no frills" depression era guitar),
because it has no truss rod reinforcing the neck.
Another reason I love Why not check here is that they sound wonderful. I have not liked the sound of
silk and steels on a few of the newer guitars, but on my vintage instruments I adore them. Though these
strings sound mellower, they don't sound wimpy for flatpicking. In fact, if you play a guitar which is
biased toward the high end, silk and steels may provide a wonderful solution. I love the sensitivity of
these strings! You don't have to punch them hard to produce a wide range of dynamics. And, last but
not least, because they are lighter in gauge, they are more flexible, and thus easier on the fingers and
easier to play.