Best Dobro Guitar Strings
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Fixing new strings on a Dobro/Resonator guitar can mean the difference between great music and appalling noise. With the appropriate strings on a Dobro guitar, the sound produced is cleaner, brighter, crisper, and has none of the screeching effects of cawing ravens. Not only do good strings improve the tone of a guitar, but they also inspire the guitarist and breathe life into the music produced.
This article covers the wherefores of the strings, how to select the most appropriate one for your Dobro guitar; and reviews some of the best Dobro guitar strings available.
What is the Best Dobro Guitar String to Buy?
Nylon or Metal?
The first thing is to know what kind of Dobro guitar you need strings for. Acoustic guitars, electric guitars and classical guitars all require different types of strings. Nylon strings are more appropriate for classical guitars, and metal strings go better on acoustic and electric guitars. Nylon strings feel like plastic and are soft to touch, while metal strings are hard and cold. Using incompatible strings can break the neck and bridge of your guitar.
String Gauge?
The next thing is the gauge of the string. This simply refers to how thick or thin the string is. Thicker strings are heavy, thinner ones are light. Heavy strings produce more sound and more sustain than light strings. They do not break as easily as light strings. Light strings, on the other hand, are for more delicate picking of strings and produce finer tones. They are also easier on the hand. However, it is best to stick to the factory gauge of the string to be replaced. Otherwise, the truss rod will need to be adjusted.
Related: Dobro Case
7 Best Dobro Guitar Strings Reviews
1) Dunlop DOP1656 Phosphor Bronze Resonator Strings
These Dobro guitar strings are made of phosphor bronze. It is a complete set of six strings with low-tone sounding bass strings and sonorous treble strings. They are well-balanced and produce clean and clear notes. They are best for every style of guitar playing. Being bronze strings, electric and acoustic guitarists will find these strings most indispensable.
It is packaged with three layers of protection against moisture that may rust or break the strings, and it is packed sealed in a Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor bag that ensures that the strings remain in the best of conditions until they are delivered to the purchasers. The gauges are 0.016, 0.018, 0.028, 0.036, 0.046 and 0.056. These strings are best used with square neck guitars, as they may bend or break the neck of standard designs of half-round guitars.
2) Elixir Strings 80/20 POLYWEB Coating Resonator Strings
These strings from Elixir are constructed with bronze in an 80:20 copper to zinc proportion. They produce warm and clear tones that are bright and projected. They stand out from other strings because they are more durable and long-lasting than most of the other strings. This is because, unlike most other strings, all strings from Elixir are fully coated. This coating helps to protect both the outer surface of the string and the spaces between the windings from the build-up of gunk that occurs when the string is uncoated.
Further, the steel strings are also fitted with anti-rust plating so that the entire set has a longer-lasting tone. Their poly web coating gives the strings a soft and smooth feel that does not get in the way of playing. The resonator gauge of the strings is 0.016 0.018 0.028 0.035 0.045 and 0.056.
3) GHS Tim Scheerhorn Phosphor Bronze Resonator Strings
This set of strings is Tim Scheerhorn’s signature Resonator guitar strings. They are drawn, designed and built to his specifications. This is a set of strings oriented and geared towards acoustic slide guitar playing. Also manufactured by GHS, they are primarily built for durability and optimal tone. They are made of bronze and best for resonator guitars. They are longer-lasting than basic strings.
Moreover, the higher gauges on the first three strings produce more sound of a higher volume and less noise from the string itself. This set of strings aims to surpass expectations. The tone and overall gauging of the strings promise to provide lasting clear and vibrant sounds for all styles of Resonator guitar playing.
4) Black Diamond Phosphor Bronze Resonator Strings
Black Diamond Resonator Guitar Strings are most appropriate for acoustic guitars. They produce great, clear and precise tones and are also quite durable. One might argue that they are as long-lasting as Elixir guitar strings. Like most other strings on this list, they are metal and made of bronze. These strings come in two forms: the coated ones and the plain uncoated ones, depending on what catches the fancy of the buyer. The coating helps to prevent rust and is easy on the fingers.
An added advantage of the coated strings is that the coating is done in black, and so goes with every conceivable color of any guitar in terms of aesthetic compatibility. Black Diamond strings have been around for a long time, and they continue to deliver in terms of great quality and tone.
5) GHS Americana Resonator Strings (17-56)
Manufactured by one of the premier manufacturers of not only guitar but also strings of other instruments, these GHS Americana Resonator strings are truly a musical work of art. They come in a standard set of six and are designed for use on acoustic guitars. When strung, they produce a tonal balance that is thrilling and pleasing as well as articulate and clear. The strings have a slight tilt towards the top, which makes for very easy feeding of the string through a guitar that has a pinless bridge design.
The packaging of the strings is also a plus to the GHS Americana Resonator Strings. While most guitar string manufacturers package a whole set of strings together, each one of the strings in the set is packaged differently from the others. This helps to minimize breakage in transit.
6) Octacore Resonator NPS Guitar Strings 16-56
This Resonator guitar string contains a set of six individual guitar strings. It is manufactured with high-grade steel that is coated with nickel. The edges of its Octacore are sharp and are good for gripping, preventing slippage. The nickel coating provides a good combination of brightness and warmth, clear refined tones appropriate to the individual strings.
This set of six strings has a medium gauge of 16-56 thus 0.016 0.018 0.028 0.035 0.045 and 0.056. The coating and plating on the strings not only helps to prevent rust but also ease the thrumming of the strings on the fingers. The strings are packaged in such a way as to protect them, and keep them from water, humidity, and rust and to ensure that they are in the best condition possible.
7) GHS Resonator/Dobro G-Tuning Bright Bronze 16-56 1600
These dobro type guitar strings from GHS is designed with a craftsman-like devotion to the art of string design. The strings are made of high-quality bronze and are designed for use in acoustic guitars. The materials are made carefully and selected, and the core-to-cover ratio, tension of the wire, winding direction and wire alteration of these strings all coalesce together to improve, enhance and enrich the tone and sound quality of these strings.
The string comes in a standard set of six strings with gauges .015 .017 .026w .034 .044 and .054. Each string in every string set is coiled and put in string packets that offer maximum protection from humidity, which eventually leads to rusting of the strings. Though the strings are not coated, they are guaranteed to be durable and long-lasting.
Choosing the Best Dobro Guitar String
In conclusion, polymer-coated guitar strings are preferable to plain, uncoated strings. Strings with lighter gauges are best for beginners. Heavier gauges are best for heavy strummers and slide playing. Dobro guitar strings with hex cores have a higher advantage than Dobro guitar strings with round cores because hex cores have more grip and make winding more accurate and precise. Silk and Steel strings are the most desirable strings in acoustic guitars.
On a final note, wiping the guitar strings with a soft dry cloth after every use will go a very long way in preserving them, and protecting them from rust and eventual breakage. Household detergents should not be used on the Dobro guitar as they may be too harsh and damage not only the strings but the timber of the guitar also.