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The cheapest set here, by threes

D’Addario EJ11-3D

Three sets of light-gauge 80/20 bronze at $6.66 a set — the lowest price per set on this shelf — in the bolder and brighter of the two acoustic alloys, created in the 1930s.

D’Addario EJ11-3D 80/20 bronze acoustic guitar strings, three sets

D’Addario EJ11-3D

Three sets of light-gauge 80/20 bronze at $6.66 a set — the lowest price per set on this shelf — in the bolder and brighter of the two acoustic alloys, created in the 1930s.

Quantity
Three sets — which works out at $6.66 a set, the lowest price per set on this shelf
Gauge
Light, 12-53 — the same gauge as the two phosphor bronze sets here, so the comparison is purely about alloy
Wrap wire
80/20 bronze, which D’Addario states gives a bold, bright sound with crisp projection — the other acoustic alloy, against phosphor bronze’s warmth
Core
A hexagonal high-carbon steel core, precision wound
Origin
Created in the 1930s by John D’Addario Sr. and the guitar maker John D’Angelico — the earlier of the two dates published on this shelf
Made in
The USA, drawn at D’Addario’s New York facility
Packaging
A recyclable VCI bag with a Players Circle code
Instrument
Acoustic. Not for the electric or classical guitars this shelf also serves
Amazon reference
B0783QYRV5
EAN
0019954255855
  • The lowest price per set on this shelf — $6.66, against $8.30 and $9.99 for the same gauge
  • The same 12-53 gauge as the phosphor bronze sets here, so the only variable is the alloy
  • 80/20 bronze is brighter and loses its brightness faster than phosphor bronze

Best for: A played acoustic whose owner has decided they want bright rather than warm, and wants a year of strings.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Quantity
Three sets — which works out at $6.66 a set, the lowest price per set on this shelf
Gauge
Light, 12-53 — the same gauge as the two phosphor bronze sets here, so the comparison is purely about alloy
Wrap wire
80/20 bronze, which D’Addario states gives a bold, bright sound with crisp projection — the other acoustic alloy, against phosphor bronze’s warmth
Core
A hexagonal high-carbon steel core, precision wound
Origin
Created in the 1930s by John D’Addario Sr. and the guitar maker John D’Angelico — the earlier of the two dates published on this shelf
Made in
The USA, drawn at D’Addario’s New York facility
Packaging
A recyclable VCI bag with a Players Circle code
Instrument
Acoustic. Not for the electric or classical guitars this shelf also serves
Amazon reference
B0783QYRV5
EAN
0019954255855

Three sets. Light gauge, 12 to 53. 80/20 bronze over a hexagonal high-carbon steel core. Created in the 1930s by John D’Addario Sr. and the guitar maker John D’Angelico. Made in New York.

The arithmetic is the first thing worth doing, because the prices on this shelf are misleading.

what you seewhat a restring costs
EJ16, one set, $9.99$9.99
EJ11-3D, three sets, $19.99$6.66
EJ16-3D, three sets, $24.90$8.30

The cheapest set on this shelf is inside the middle pack. A reader scanning three prices sees them in one order; a reader costing one restring sees them in another.

The second thing is the alloy, and it is the only real decision here. 80/20 bronze — eighty per cent copper, twenty per cent zinc — is bold and bright, with crisp projection. Phosphor bronze, on the two other sets on this shelf, adds phosphor and sounds warmer and more balanced. Both come from the same maker, at the same 12-53 gauge, over the same hexagonal core, so a player can change exactly one variable and hear what it does.

Two things follow. First, 80/20 is the original — the 1930s against the 1970s, and the earlier of the two dates published on this shelf. Second, it loses its brightness faster: the quality that makes it appealing when new is the one that goes first, which is an argument for buying three sets rather than against it.

The page for another string on this shelf makes the consumable case in its own words — tone goes first, tuning stability second, and a set lasts one to three months at a few hours a week. Three sets is a year.

What buying three of one alloy commits you to is the voice, before hearing it on your own guitar. The single phosphor bronze set at $9.99 is the cheaper experiment.

Availability

Read on the day this page was built: $20 at the American Amazon shop.

Read from Keepa on the day this page was last revised; stock and price both move without notice.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 2026-10-07. The live price is at the top of the page.

The questions players ask

80/20 or phosphor bronze?

Bright or warm, and that is genuinely all. 80/20 bronze is eighty per cent copper and twenty per cent zinc — bold, crisp, with projection that fills a room, in D’Addario’s words. Phosphor bronze adds phosphor to the alloy and sounds warmer and more balanced; it is also what most acoustic guitars ship with. Both are on this shelf at the same 12-53 gauge from the same maker with the same hexagonal core, so a reader can change exactly one thing. The practical difference beyond tone is that 80/20 loses its brightness faster.

Why is the cheapest set in the most expensive pack?

Because the arithmetic on this shelf runs the other way from the sticker. A single set is $9.99. The phosphor bronze three-pack is $24.90, which is $8.30 a set. This 80/20 three-pack is $19.99, which is $6.66 a set — the lowest on the shelf. A reader comparing the three prices on the page sees 9.99, 19.99 and 24.90; a reader comparing the cost of one restring sees the order reverse.

Instruments it is stated to fit

More guitar strings

  • D’Addario EJ16-3D phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings, three sets

    D’Addario EJ16-3D

    Three sets of the string most acoustic guitars ship with — phosphor bronze, light 12-53, hexagonal core — at $8.30 a set against $9.99 for a single.

    Quantity
    Three sets — $8.30 a set, against $9.99 for the identical single set on this shelf
    Gauge
    Light, 12-53
    Wrap wire
    Phosphor bronze, stated warm and balanced. D’Addario pioneered the alloy in the 1970s and it is now the acoustic standard
    Core
    A hexagonal high-carbon steel core, precision wound
    Corrosion
    Stated corrosion-resistant, in a recyclable VCI bag
    Made in
    The USA, drawn at D’Addario’s New York facility
    Versus the 80/20 three-pack
    Same gauge, same core, same maker, $1.64 more a set — the difference is the alloy, and the alloy is the voice
    Instrument
    Acoustic. Not for the electric or classical guitars this shelf also serves
    Amazon reference
    B000OR2RNM
    EAN
    0019954951856
    • The default acoustic string, bought three sets at a time, which is how strings are consumed
    • $8.30 a set against $9.99 for the same string alone
    • $1.64 a set more than the 80/20 three-pack here, which is the same gauge and the same core

    Best for: A steel-string acoustic that gets played, whose owner wants the standard string and does not want to reorder.

    Check price on Amazon
  • D’Addario EJ16 phosphor bronze acoustic guitar strings

    D’Addario EJ16

    A single set of light-gauge phosphor bronze, 12 to 53, precision wound over a hexagonal high-carbon steel core and made in New York — the string that became the acoustic standard.

    Gauge
    Light, 12-53 — one of four gauges published on this shelf. The two already here publish *normal tension* and nothing
    Wrap wire
    Phosphor bronze, which D’Addario states gives a warm, balanced tone. It pioneered the alloy in the 1970s and it is now the acoustic standard
    Core
    A hexagonal high-carbon steel core, precision wound — one of three strings on this shelf to publish a core shape
    Corrosion
    Stated corrosion-resistant, in a recyclable VCI bag
    Made in
    The USA, drawn at D’Addario’s New York facility — one of four strings here to publish a country
    Quantity
    One set. Two packs on this shelf contain three, and the price per set falls accordingly
    Instrument
    Acoustic. This shelf also holds classical nylon and two electric sets, and the three are not interchangeable
    End type
    Ball end. The classical set on this shelf is tie-end, and its page notes that a knot has to be learned
    Amazon reference
    B000EEJ8CS
    EAN
    0019954121143
    • Publishes a gauge — 12-53 — where the two strings already on this shelf publish none
    • Publishes the core shape, which is what holds the wrap in place and decides whether a string settles
    • One set, where the same string in a three-pack works out at $8.30 a set

    Best for: A single restring on a steel-string acoustic, where the gauge should be the standard one.

    Check price on Amazon
  • D'Addario Pro-Arté nylon classical guitar string set

    D'Addario Pro-Arté Normal Tension

    A normal-tension nylon set for classical guitars. Normal tension is the middle of three grades, and it is the one to fit unless the instrument or the player asks otherwise.

    Material
    Nylon
    Tension
    Normal
    Instrument
    Classical and concert guitars
    End type
    Tie end — for a classical bridge
    Amazon reference
    B000EEL6J6 (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0019954121266
    • Normal tension is the safe default: enough volume, without loading the neck
    • Sold on all six Amazon stores at near-identical prices
    • Tie-end strings take longer to fit than ball ends, and the knot has to be learned

    Best for: A classical or concert guitar — and no other kind.

    ≈ $13
    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the cupboard

  • DMSKY black acoustic panels, 18-pack of 12 by 12 inch tiles

    DMSKY 18-pack 12 × 12 in

    Eighteen polyester-fiber panels rather than foam tiles, with edges chamfered at 45 degrees so they butt together without a gap, and adhesive already on the back.

    Quantity and size
    18 panels at 12 × 12 × 0.4 in — 1 cm thick, the thinnest on this shelf
    Material
    High-density polyester fiber, not foam. DMSKY states it has better ductility and wear resistance and does not deform easily
    Edges
    A 45° chamfer, which DMSKY states leaves no gap between panels — the only edge treatment published on this shelf
    Mounting
    Adhesive already applied; the backing is peeled off
    Absorption
    DMSKY states the effect is better than ordinary material and publishes no NRC figure. No panel on this shelf publishes one
    Thickness
    0.4 in. One panel on this shelf publishes 5 cm (2 in), and its page notes that thickness is what reaches lower frequencies
    Fire
    DMSKY puts nothing in writing on this. One panel on this shelf publishes a fire claim
    Color
    Black
    Coverage
    18 square feet in total
    Manufacturer reference
    None published
    Amazon reference
    B08PVTC9G4
    EAN
    0798797224944
    • Polyester fiber rather than foam, which DMSKY states resists wear and deformation
    • The only panel on this shelf with a published edge treatment — a 45° chamfer so panels butt without a gap
    • At 0.4 in it is the thinnest panel on this shelf, and thin material does nothing to bass

    Best for: Killing flutter echo on a small wall where the panels have to meet each other cleanly.

    Check price on Amazon
  • Donner DK-1 universal sustain pedal with polarity switch

    Donner DK-1

    A damper pedal for digital pianos, keyboards and MIDI controllers, with a polarity switch on the body. That switch is the difference between a working pedal and a keyboard that appears to be broken.

    Type
    Universal sustain / damper pedal
    Connector
    6.35 mm (0.25 in) jack
    Polarity
    Switchable
    Use
    Digital pianos, keyboards, MIDI controllers
    Amazon reference
    B01M9DYQL0 (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0600346316812
    • The polarity switch makes it work with any brand, not just one
    • A 6.35 mm (0.25 in) plug, which is what nearly every keyboard pedal socket uses
    • A light pedal can slide on a smooth floor while playing

    Best for: Any keyboard or controller that did not come with a pedal — which is most of them.

    ≈ $51
    Check price on Amazon
  • Dragonpad USA 6-inch dual-layer pop filter with clamp

    Dragonpad USA 6 in studio filter

    The only filter here that publishes how it works: two layers of nylon mesh with an air gap between them, six inches across, on a metal gooseneck with a tension screw.

    Layers
    Two layers of nylon mesh with an air gap between them, which Dragonpad states reduces popping and lisping without dulling the sound — one of two filters here to publish a layer count
    Diameter
    6 in — the only filter diameter published on this shelf
    Gooseneck
    Metal, which Dragonpad states is strong enough to hold position and still easy to adjust
    Mount
    A universal bracket with a tension screw, stated to fit virtually any microphone or stand
    Stated purpose
    Plosives and lisping, and keeping saliva off the capsule — Dragonpad notes that saliva contains corrosive salts
    Clamp capacity
    Dragonpad puts nothing in writing on this. One filter on this shelf publishes shafts up to 18 mm (0.71 in)
    Material
    Nylon mesh. One filter here is metal, one is foam and one offers all three
    Weight
    14 g (0.5 oz) in the product record
    Amazon reference
    B00XQFOSZE
    EAN
    0634972184415
    • Publishes the mechanism: two layers of mesh with an air gap, which is how a pop filter actually works
    • The only published filter diameter on this shelf — six inches
    • No clamp capacity published, so the stand question is still open

    Best for: A close vocal where the filter should be big enough to stay in front of a moving head.

    Check price on Amazon

All guitar strings