Guitar Strings are Too Expensive, So I Looked into Cheaper Strings

Hello everyone! I'm Kito, a guitar instructor in Nagoya, Japan. The yen has weakened considerably over the past year. I thought it was 100 or 110 yen to the dollar just a little while ago, but as of March 2023, it is now 130 yen to the dollar.

Export-oriented business might be good in some cases…
For string players and people who do computer music who use or buy a lot of imported instruments, it's a matter of life and death. I feel like giving a lariat to myself back then, wishing I had bought ISA ONE while it was available at 50,000 yen.

However, I have no control over the exchange rate! I am going to introduce you to some great guitar strings at a great price.

1.Playtech / EGS-0942 Electric Guitar String

I use acoustic guitar strings and electric guitar strings at the school where I work. When it comes to guitar strings, some people are very particular about them, but I think most people use ELIXIR or something like that.

The price is an amazing 350 yen (including tax)! It is truly amazing that you can buy guitar strings for about half the price of one coin.

I'm sure there are a rather large number of people who prioritize “how long will it last” as the axis for choosing strings. I've been using EXLIR because it lasts longer... But in the case of Optiweb, they currently cost about 1,650 yen. This means that for the money to buy one set of ELIXIR, you can buy 5 sets of Playtech strings.

Of course, there are many people who value good sound and ease of playability, and I personally use Richard Coco. However, if you play a lot of guitar on a regular basis, you may have a desire to play with the crisp sound of new strings.

I know this because I usually play guitars with these strings on them, and of course the tone is different from that of 1,000 yen strings. However, if you ask me if they are hard to play, the honest answer would be "not much different".

2.JIM DUNLOP / DEN0942

I would like to introduce JIM DUNLOP electric strings, which are also famous for Tortex and other picks. The price is920 yen (including tax), which is a very good price! For the money you pay for one ELIXIR, you get about 2.4 sets, which is almost half the price at Richard Coco.

I feel that string preferences can be roughly divided into D'Addario and ERNIE BALL groups. Personally, I like soft-touch strings like ERNIE BALL and RICHARD COCO. But in the case of JIM DUNLOP, my impression is that they are not so hard that soft string lovers can't stand them.

3.Ibanez / IEGS6

I didn't know Ibanez also sold strings. I have an image that Gibson and Fender also sell strings, and I have bought some of their products, but when I looked into it again, I realized that many different manufacturers also sell strings.

The price is almost one coin, 1,980 yen (tax included)! I have not tried playing it yet, but I wonder what kind of sound it produces. I see a photo on the package that probably looks like J-Custom.

Ibanez has a wide lineup, from George Benson models to Paul Gilbert models, but considering the package, I think it probably has a dry tone with an early rise.

4.ARIAPROII / AGS-800HB

These are also electric guitar strings sold by ARIAPROII, another guitar brand. I was surprised to see that they produce more strings than Ibanez.

I think ARIAPROII is a typical brand especially in the 80s and 90s. I have heard that many people including professional musicians used ARIAPROII at that time. Recently, it seems that ARIAPROII is making a breakthrough as a high-end guitar brand under the name of APII.

The price is 410 yen (including tax), which is close to PLAYTECH's price! It's quite inexpensive, and I'd love to give it a try!

5.YAMAHA / FS520 Acoustic Guitar String LIGHT

In the end, I chose acoustic guitar strings. Of course, the cheapest acoustic guitar strings are also from Playtech at 280 yen, but these are quite reasonable at 880 yen (including tax). ELIXIR acoustic guitar strings cost around 2,000 yen now...

Do you think these strings are a good match for Yamaha guitars? It seems that some reviewers have matched the manufacturer of both the strings and the guitar. With a total of 12 reviews, it has a fairly high rating of 4 stars!

This time, we have introduced some great-value guitar strings! I learned that there are some great-value strings not only from Playtech, but also from other guitar brands.

You can buy them for less than 500 yen depending on the strings. So, I think it's worth spending around 2,000 yen to try out a variety of them.

The “sound & person” column is made up of contributions from you.
For details about contributing, click here.