Ernie Ball Earthwood Silk and Steel Extra-Soft Acoustic Guitar Strings, 10-50 Gauge (P02047) | Extra-Soft, 10-50 Gauge, P02047

I have no idea yet how long these strings will last - I'm given to using elixir coated strings normally, and those have quite a lifespan. But I used Earthwoods quite a lot when I was younger and they tended to last me 3 or 4 weeks, so perhaps I'll get as much out of these. They're about 2/3rds of the price, at any rate. But I bought these to get me back up and running after a carpal tunnel release surgery on my fretting hand - those medium Elixirs were pretty harsh. And these extra-soft strings are so much gentler. They're the first silk-wound strings I've used, and they have a very elastic, snappy feel and sound. They pluck with a strong attack and a gentle warm tone. The strings are lower tension than any I've used, but they don't buzz where other light-gauge strings I've used have. They've got a very dynamic, expressive quality to them. I play a small Alvarez parlor guitar and they feel pretty perfectly suited to the guitar. The treble strings play really crisp, clear notes, great for melodies, and the bass strings are warm and snappy. These strings are much more comfortable to strum and pick fingerstyle too, which is nice. They feel more yielding. Anyway, I'll probably be using silk and steel strings going forward, even after my hand is all healed, just because they're pleasant to use.

Initally I was pretty skeptical that these strings would make an appreciable difference but they have been a game changer for me. Noticeably less force is required to fret them. They also seem more forgiving of imprecise finger placement, in most respects, than the medium bronze strings that came with the guitar or the light bronze strings I tried before these. [I will discuss the exception to that below.] I have a small “travel guitar,” a 7/8ths acoustic. Because the scale length is 23.5”, or 597mm, like a Taylor GS mini, using strings with less tension was something I was concerned about. I’ve found these do have enough tension to keep the tuning machines locked and hold the tuning. I had to lightly stretch them and retune several times, as suggested for silk-steel strings, but they settled in with no problem. Because they were looser than the previous strings the action was too low (I think that’s the correct terminology) which was easily corrected by loosening the truss rod about a half turn using the “truss rod tool” (hex wrench) that came with the guitar. Any buzzing resolved, except for the low E string which is generally fine but still has a greater propensity to buzz if I am not fretting cleanly and will still give a harsh buzz and rattle if I hit it a bit too hard strumming. That has persisted despite any further, reasonable adjustments I’ve tried to make. I am certainly NOT an expert, but I strongly suspect that drop D tuning would not work very well for a 23.5” scale length guitar with these strings. Once they were strung, all the adjustments made, and they were tuned, I could record and compare them against recordings of the original strings. As one might expect, there is a noticeable difference in the sound of the instrument. They are slightly quieter, but I was surprised how much of the depth of tone was preserved, particularly in the middle range, and wouldn’t call the high notes overly tinny although the open B and high E string do create a thinner sound than before. On the whole, I’d say these strings sound nice but give a lighter timbre than the medium bronze strings the guitar came with. While they aren’t completely as mellow and warm, I still like the sound. This small guitar still sounds like a much larger guitar (and not like a plinky toy, which was one of my worries). For my purposes, the trade-off in the voice of the instrument is well worth it. They have made learning easier. I’m in my late 50’s and just picked up the guitar a few months ago. After about a month and half, I started having some trouble with finger pain, beyond tenderness in the tips of the fingers, as well as some soreness in my wrist. I was beginning to worry I’d have to stop or severely limit my practice or I’d be risking arthritis or tendinitis. These strings have made a huge difference and, while my fingertips are still a little sore when I practice for a long session, the other problems in my left hand have resolved. Bottom line: I would definitely recommend trying these for someone who is also learning the guitar, or who has hand problems which might benefit from being able to adequately fret with less pressure. They are alright on a short scale guitar and, though there is some decrease in volume and a lighter tone, they still sound pretty good. I don’t think an experienced guitarist who was performing would want these on a shorter scale guitar, but they have helped me a lot and I wish I had started out with them. Cheers!

I've been playing guitar since I was a kid, and then moved on to bass guitar for a while and played in a folk band. Now I'm getting back into guitar in my retirement so I wanted something that would save my fingers until I could build up some callouses. Actually I didn't know these sort of strings even existed until I started looking around on Amazon for a set of a strings for a second hand guitar I bought (Washburn, love it). Each string is nicely packed and tells you which string, and the gauge of each string. Nice touch! Strings went on easy enough, no drama there. I used to 10-50 extra light. Having played with them a bit, the lower four wound strings feel like classical guitar strings. They are definitely softer and easier on the hands. The highest two strings are unwound, and feel softer too, but maybe because my hand isn't recoiling from the strings as much? Playing the guitar both unplugged and through an amp, the strings are definitely more mellow and laid back. They don't ring out like other strings. They also seem to be slightly lower tension than my other strings, so the neck bends a little straighter with these, so I can get fret buzz off them if I play too hard. So if I replace these strings I might go up to the .11 gauge strings. Washburn recommends .12-.52 but these strings jump from .10 to .11 to .13 (no .12 on the first string). Certainly not a deal breaker but strange they don't offer a .12 gauge version. These strings are definitely noisier than the coated strings I took off the guitar. You can definitely hear your fingers squeaking around. So my overall thoughts are, these are very good strings for someone who is a beginner or coming back to guitar and want a softer version until they build up calluses. Others might just like the classical guitar feel of them and willing to give up a bit of the top end "ring", or the quietness of a coated string, to have the features of this string. Am I glad I made the purchase? Yes, absolutely, I can play longer now while I build up calluses. Would I buy them again? Well, I think I would! I'm willing to give up some sonic details for a softer string. I'll probably try to the next gauge up, getting the best of both worlds, a higher gauge and a softer string! Plus, these strings are fairly inexpensive, which seals the deal!

I have tried a dozen strings types and brands and all of them have great characteristics! All of them! I play a dreadnaught so I need 80/20 strings for the brightness that goes well with a big guitar but some of the loud, bright strings start to hurt my fingers after a couple hours of playing. If I get extra light strings, I lose volume. The Ernie Ball Silk and Steel strings in Medium Light are fantastic! Easy on my fingers and have a nice right tone that is perfect for large guitars. All strings are a mix of benefits and compromises and these, for me, are in the sweet spot of tone, playability, quality and price. Things to know: The 80/20 strings seem to dull a little faster than a phosphor bronze but they are bright and crisp. Some say that the = silk and steel may not be as strong as pure steel strings but I have never broken a single string but I am 80/20 Finger style/flat picking and finger style is easier on the strings. I would HIGHLY recommend these to beginner players that are building up callouses or any playing that wants playability over volume.

I tried these on a Gibson acoustic and was amazed at the sound and feel. The strings have a very silky feel and fretting took very little effort! The value was very competitive with a quality feel. Tuning was a breeze and retention on the strings didn’t take much effort. Great product, thank you

Just so you understand what kind of player I am, I used to play extensively when I was younger. I had even considered a career in music. Got older, got a job, a family, and the guitar went under the bed, never to be seen again. (actually, I ended up giving it away), When I retired, my wife bought me a Used Martin Custom Shop. Unfortunately, due to mild arthritis and tendonitis, I can only play for about 30 min at a time. I tried the Earthwood Ultralight stings. They were easier to play, but they didn’t have the deep warm tone you expect from a Martin. I stumbled across these while looking at other guitar stuff and figured I’d give them a try. Stringing - Unlike a lot of other folks, I did not break any strings while I was restringing the guitar. I was very careful tightening the strings and I kept an eye on My Fender Clip-on Tuner. I did notice, however, that it seems to be very easy to nick/flatten the wound strings if you’re not careful. Playing – WOW!!! I can full bar an F chord again!!! Remember how hard it was to master that damn F Bar chord when you first started playing? Well, I was feeling that pain all over again. These strings solved that. And the tone is EXCELLENT. My guitar now has that deep warm sound you expect from a Martin. The volume is a bit lower, but not noticeably. But I figure that’s not a big deal since the players these strings cater to, probably aren’t playing to auditoriums full of people anyway. In summary, Great strings for beginners and anyone who challenges playing Eathwood”s Line of Light Strings

I have two guitars, one with another brand and then a guitar with the EB lightweight strings. In a nutshell, I may change the other guitar to EB as well! I have these strings on a Jasmine S34 cutaway with bone bridge/nut and wood bridge pins. Between the strings and changing the plastic parts for wood & bone, the guitar really came alive (it's a $120 guitar). I am learning how to play, and the EB strings help me to play longer (they are lighter guage) and sound honestly just as good. I use this guitar to learn Hawaiian Slack Key/alternative tunings. I play almost every day, and I have had no issuees with the strings at all. After the initial break-in time, they stay pretty close to in tune, and are really help to make this little guitar sound way nicer than it's pricetag. They are bit smaller guage than my others, so it makes playing a bit easier/don't have to use as much finger pressure. Higher notes stay in tune and don't really create that much buzz with my hamfisted playing. I have had no problems with any string breakage, etc. After playing on these strings for a while, I am starting to find my favorite strings...and these could be it.

I just started getting back into playing my guitar again recently and wanted to finally change the strings, but to something easier on my fingers. After quite a bit of research I landed on Elixir light, but they were still surprisingly difficult to play without discomfort and higher tension needed. I then started searching for a lower gauge and easier tension strings and came across these. I'm really glad I did. From the first strum, you can tell it requires less tension and the tone is actually better than the Elixir for about half the price. It's a warm slight metallic while Elixir was a strong metallic. They are perfect, hoping they are durable and that will be the cherry on top.

As with all Ernie Ball strings, these were a solid in finger comfort and shart sound.

Works

I have diminished strength in my fretting hand due to previous strokes. These strings, along with low string action make the instrument payable. Great product.

Son las cuerdas metálicas más blandas que se pueden encontrar, manteniendo una sonoridad excelente que no esperaba.

Bonnes cordes