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One set, 12-53, phosphor bronze

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.

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

Specifications

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

Light gauge, 12 to 53. Phosphor bronze wrap over a hexagonal high-carbon steel core, precision wound. Corrosion-resistant, in a recyclable VCI bag. Made in the USA, drawn at D’Addario’s New York facility. One set.

Three of those are figures, and the two strings already on this shelf publish none of them.

12-53 is the gauge. It is the standard light set for a steel-string acoustic, and it is the number that decides how hard the strings pull on the neck and how hard the player has to work. The classical set on this shelf publishes normal tension — a different system for a different instrument — and the electric set publishes nothing.

The hexagonal core is the construction detail that matters most and gets mentioned least. A round core is smooth and the wrap can creep along it under tension; six flat faces give the winding something to bite. That is why a hex-core string settles into tune sooner, and it is why the construction became the industry default. Three strings on this shelf publish a core shape, and all three are D’Addario.

Phosphor bronze is the voice: warm and balanced, in D’Addario’s own words. The maker pioneered the alloy in the 1970s and it is now what most acoustic guitars ship with. The alternative is on this shelf too — 80/20 bronze, bolder and brighter, created in the 1930s — and the choice between them is taste rather than quality.

What this listing does badly is quantity. One set at $9.99, where the identical string in a three-pack works out at $8.30 a set and the 80/20 three-pack at $6.66. The page for another string on this shelf makes the case for buying ahead: a set dies quietly, tone first and tuning second, and lasts one to three months at a few hours a week.

Availability

Read on the day this page was built: $10 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

What does a hexagonal core change?

How well the wrap wire grips. A round core is smooth, so the winding can creep under tension; a hexagonal core has six edges for the wrap to bite into, which is why a hex-core string holds its tuning sooner after fitting and why the construction became standard. Three of the six strings on this shelf publish a core shape — all three D’Addario sets — and the other three publish none.

Should I buy one set or three?

Three, if the guitar is played. The page for another string on this shelf puts the consumable argument plainly: tone goes first and tuning stability second, and a set lasts one to three months at a few hours a week. The arithmetic on this shelf is clear — this set alone is $9.99, the same string in a three-pack is $8.30 a set, and the 80/20 three-pack is $6.66 a set. One set is for a guitar that is restrung once a year.

Instruments it is stated to fit

More guitar strings

  • 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
  • Ernie Ball Regular Slinky nickel wound electric guitar strings 10-46

    Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46

    Nickel-wound electric strings in the 10-46 gauge — the set most electric guitars ship with, and the one to buy first unless you have a reason not to.

    Type
    Electric, nickel wound
    Gauge
    10 – 46
    End type
    Ball end
    Manufacturer reference
    2221-U
    Amazon reference
    B0002M6CVC (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0749699122210
    • The most common electric gauge there is, so setups and advice assume it
    • Nine dollars on the American store — the cheapest genuine upgrade to a stale-sounding guitar
    • The Italian price stood at roughly double the German one at the time of writing

    Best for: Any electric guitar, and the first thing to change on a second-hand one.

    ≈ $9
    Check price on Amazon
  • Gibson Les Paul Premium electric guitar strings, ultra light gauge

    Gibson SEG-LP9

    The only pure nickel strings on this shelf and the only ones with silk-wrapped ends, in ultra-light 9-42 for electric guitar — on a listing that prints one of its five bullets twice.

    Instrument
    Electric. This shelf also holds three acoustic sets and one classical nylon, and none of the three is interchangeable
    Gauge
    Ultra light, 9-42 — the lightest gauge published on this shelf, against 12-53 on the three acoustic sets
    Wrap wire
    Pure nickel, which Gibson states gives a smooth warm tone that still delivers a punch — the only pure nickel on this shelf
    Ends
    Silk-wrapped, stated to reduce ambient noise — the only silk ends on this shelf
    Made in
    American made, in Gibson’s words — one of four strings here to publish a country
    Core
    Gibson puts nothing in writing on this. Three strings on this shelf publish a hexagonal high-carbon core
    Quantity
    One set. Two packs on this shelf contain three
    Listing repetition
    Bullets three and four are identical: *Silk-wrapped ends to ensure the least amount of ambient noise*, printed twice. Five bullets become four
    Amazon reference
    B0002D0CC6
    EAN
    0711106532080
    • The only pure nickel strings on this shelf, which is a warmer alloy than the usual nickel-plated steel
    • The only silk-wrapped ends here, which Gibson states reduce ambient noise
    • One of its five bullets is printed twice, so there are really four

    Best for: An electric with a set-up for light strings, where a warmer nickel voice is wanted over a modern bright one.

    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the cupboard

  • 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
  • Jim Dunlop variety pack of twelve medium and heavy guitar picks

    Jim Dunlop Variety Pack Medium/Heavy (12)

    Twelve picks restricted to the medium and heavy range, across five materials. The pack to buy when thin picks have already been ruled out — bass players usually start here.

    Count
    12
    Range
    Medium and heavy
    Materials
    Tortex, celluloid, ultex, nylon, Max Grip, Gator Grip
    Amazon reference
    B0055VBYWC (identical on 6 markets)
    EAN
    0710137049970
    • Skips the thin picks entirely, which most players abandon within weeks
    • Nylon and celluloid included — two very different feels at the same thickness
    • Heavier picks are harder work for pure strumming

    Best for: Bass, lead playing, and anyone who has already decided thin picks flap.

    ≈ $8
    Check price on Amazon
  • Jim Dunlop variety pack of twelve guitar picks in mixed materials

    Jim Dunlop Variety Pack (12)

    A mixed pack of twelve picks in five materials and several thicknesses. Pick material and thickness change tone and grip more than most beginners expect, and neither can be judged from a photograph.

    Count
    12
    Materials
    Ultex, Tortex, Jazz III, Gator Grip, Max Grip
    Use
    Electric and acoustic guitar, bass
    Amazon reference
    DE B0752N9XTL · US B07H277CDP · GB B0752N9XTL · FR B0752N9XTL · IT B0752N9XTL · ES B0752N9XTL
    EAN
    0710137102491
    • Answers the thickness question in one afternoon instead of over months
    • Grip materials included, which matter more than tone for anyone whose hands sweat
    • No US offer at the time of writing

    Best for: A first month with a guitar, or anyone who has only ever used one pick.

    Check price on Amazon

All guitar strings