Guitar strings - Gauge

Gauge

A wound acoustic guitar string (phosphor bronze wound around steel) with a ball end, 0.044" gauge

Bowed instrument strings, such as for the violin or cello, are usually described by tension rather than gauge. Fretted instruments (guitar, banjo, etc.) strings are usually described by gauge?the diameter of the string. The tone of a string depends partly on weight, and, therefore, on its diameter?its gauge. Usually, string manufactures that don't describe strings by tension list string diameter in thousandths of an inch (0.001 in = 0.0254 mm). The larger the diameter, the heavier the string. Heavier strings require more tension for the same pitch and are, as a consequence, harder to press down to the fingerboard. A fretted instrument that is restrung with different string gauges may require adjustment to the string height above the frets (the "action") to maintain playing ease or keep the strings from buzzing against the frets. The action height of fretless instruments is also adjusted to suit the string gauge or material, as well as the intended playing style.

Guitar

Steel strings for six-string guitar usually come in sets of matched strings. Sets are usually referenced either by the gauge of the first string (e.g., 9), or by pair of first and last (e.g., 9?42); measurements in inches are the de facto standard, regardless of whether Imperial units are used in a country. Some manufacturers may have slightly different gauge sequences; the sample data below comes from D'Addario string charts for regular, round-wound, nickel-plated strings.

Electric guitar

The following table displays the gauges in inches: (Note: strings in dark gray boxes are wound. All others are plain.)

Name	1 (E)	2 (B)	3 (G)	4 (D)	5 (A)	6 (E)	7 (B)
Extra Super Light (8?38)	.008	.010	.015	.021	.030	.038	--
Extra Super Light Plus (8.5?39)	.0085	.0105	.015	.022	.032	.039	--
Super Light (9?42)(54)	.009	.011	.016	.024	.032	.042	.054
Super Light Plus (9.5?44)	.0095	.0115	.016	.024	.034	.044	--
Super Light / Regular (9?46)	.009	.011	.016	.026	.036	.046	--
Regular Light (10?46)(56)	.010	.013	.017	.026	.036	.046	.056
Regular Light Plus(10.5?48)	.0105	.0135	.018	.028	.038	.048	--
Medium (11?49)(64)	.011	.014	.018	.028	.038	.049	.064
Light Top / Heavy Bottom (10?52)	.010	.013	.017	.030	.042	.052	--
Medium / Heavy (11?52)	.011	.014	.018	.030	.042	.052	--
Heavy (12?54)	.012	.016	.020	.032	.042	.054	--
Extra Heavy (13?56)	.013	.017	.026	.036	.046	.056	--

The following table displays the gauges in millimeters:

Name	1 (E)	2 (B)	3 (G)	4 (D)	5 (A)	6 (E)
Extra Super Light (8?38)	0.2032	0.2540	0.3810	0.5334	0.7620	0.9652
Extra Super Light Plus (812.7?39)	0.2159	0.2667	0.3810	0.5588	0.8128	0.9906
Super Light (9?42)	0.2286	0.2794	0.4064	0.6096	0.8128	1.0668
Super Light Plus (9?44)	0.2413	0.2921	0.4064	0.6096	0.8636	1.1176
Light (10?46)	0.2540	0.3302	0.4318	0.6604	0.9144	1.1684
Extra Light w/Light Bass (9?46)	0.2286	0.2794	0.4064	0.7366	0.9144	1.1684
Medium (11-48/49)	0.2794	0.3556	0.4572	0.7112	0.9652	1.2192~1.2446
Light Top / Heavy Bottom (10?52)	0.2540	0.3302	0.4318	0.8128	1.0668	1.3208
Medium Plus w/Wound G String (11?52)	0.2794	0.3302	0.5080	0.7620	1.0668	1.3208
Heavy (12?54)	0.3048	0.4064	0.5080	0.8128	1.0668	1.3716
Extra Heavy (13?56)	0.3302	0.4318	0.6604	0.9144	1.1684	1.4224

Acoustic guitar

String gauge is subject to personal preferences of the musician, but acoustic guitars are typically strung with a heavier gauge than electric guitars. The need for projection due to lack of amplification is one of the main reasons for this. (Note: strings in dark gray boxes are bronze wound. All others are plain. These are for steel string guitars, not classical nylon/gut strings. The gauge values are in inches.)

Name	1 (E)	2 (B)	3 (G)	4 (D)	5 (A)	6 (E)
Extra light (10?47)	.010	.014	.023	.030	.039	.047
Custom light (11?52)	.011	.015	.023	.032	.042	.052
Light (12?54)	.012	.016	.025	.032	.042	.054
Light/Medium (12.5?55)	.0125	.0165	.0255	.0335	.0435	.055
Medium (13?56)	.013	.017	.026	.035	.045	.056
Heavy (14?59)	.014	.018	.027	.039	.049	.059

Bass guitar

Bass guitar strings are sometimes made for a particular scale length and come in short, medium, long and extra long (sometimes called super long) scale. Typical bass guitar strings come in the following gauges:

Name	6 (C)	1 (G)	2 (D)	3 (A)	4 (E)	5 (B)
Super Light (40?95)	---	.040	.060	.075	.095	.125
Custom Light (40?100)	---	.040	.060	.080	.100	---
Regular Light (45-100)	.032	.045	.065	.080	.100	.130
Regular Medium (45-105)	.032	.045	.065	.085	.105	.135
Medium (50?105)	---	.050	.070	.085	.105	.135
Heavy (55?110)	---	.055	.075	.090	.110	---