Strings

Newbie here. I started learning two months ago. I have two beginner guitars. One is an Epiphone pro-1, which I found to be to large for me (me son is getting it). And the one I've been using is a Breedlove discovery concert.

The Breedlove is much more comfortable for me but the strings on the Epiphone are much easier on the fingers. The Breedlove has d'addario exp 16 strings. Are they good for a beginner or should I get it restrung with something easier on newbie fingertips?

Also, do new guitars usually need to be adjusted as far as string height. (I can't remember what that's called).

i started teaching myself with books, but when I discovered Guitar Tricks I've been learning so much more!

Hi catmeier!

Smart move ditching the dread. Your poor son. Do you 'hate' him?

Light acoustic steel strings really don't come too much easier to fret or nicer to play than D'Addario EXP16s. I have them fitted to my Yamaha APX600. I alternate between them and EJ16s as EXPs are pricey here running between AUD$20~$25/set. I can buy EJ16s for about half that, and they play nicely too. EXP16s are cheaper in the US, but they still run about USD$13/AUD$19, so still not budget strings.

You could try extra light 10s in EXP15s, or EXP26s 11-52, but IME 12s on an acoustic and EXP16s in particular are truly still pretty beginner friendly, so it sounds to me like you might just need to give it time for your fingers to get used to fretting? Apart from other issues lighter gauges can induce, I find too light a gauge on the high strings particularly tend to feel like fretting razor wire to my fingertips.

Do use a string [u]lube[/u]. It'll help.I found Tone Finger Ease the best, but like GHS Fast Fret, it's absurdly expensive in AU (multiply x3) and a tiny can doesn't last me long, so I mostly tend to use either Dunlop 65 Ultraglide String Conditioner or TCM String Angel. Yep, that's what they call it! o.O It's an applicator impregnated with raw linsead oil which comes in a tin like GHS' Fast Fret.

Re string height? New and set up from the factory, it shouldn't need any height adjustment other than neck relief (truss rod adjustment) if it's a half decent guitar, and only then if the temp and humidity change from the location where it was set up necessitates. The nut should have been cut with the height for the model to match with the chosen saddle height IME. Other than changing or modifying the saddle, there isn't any end user available adjustment there. Same with the nut other than cutting or replacing. Acoustic saddles are usually size (height) selected and compensated specific to the model AFAIK.

Hope there's something helpful for you in the above.

P.S. Breedlove Concert. Nice looking guitar. Seems similar to one of my Corts (AF510) which is very nice to play despite its uber affordability.

Cheers!

mXc

Thank you so much for your advice. I will keep the exp16 strings on my Breedlove and get some of that string lube. I had never heard of that before. Of course, I didn't even know what fretting was until two months ago! The Epiphone is currently residing in the back of my son's closet. Just in case he ever decides to play around with a guitar. It is a monster, but cost to much to return so I just kept it.

Good day,

catmeier