What are the best banjo strings? Well, that depends on who you ask, everyone seems to have a favorite. I’ve tried a lot of strings; D’addario, Martin, Gibson, GHS and Ernie Ball, and I was sure each new set of strings would make me sound better. I don’t know if using signature J.D. Crowe or Earl Scruggs strings can make you sound like the masters themselves, but it sure can’t hurt to at least try their strings.
Strings are inexpensive to buy and can make a big difference in your sound, so you might as well experiment with them. In this article I will talk about six of the most popular brands of banjo strings; D’addario, Elixir, Ernie Ball, GHS, Gibson and Martin. If you would like to purchase strings, you can click on the links and buy them at Amazon.
D’addario
One of the world’s leading string makers, and a lot of choice in gauges. With strings in phosphor bronze and nickel, and of course durability and great sound you can’t go wrong with D’addario. Here are a few of their most popular sets:
D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Wnd 9-20 Lite
D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Lite Plus
D’Addario Set Banjo Nickel Custom Med
D’addario J60 Light Nickel 5 String Set Banjo Strings (9-20)
D’Addario Set Banjo Phos Brz Lite
Elixir
A long lasting, coated string, these are very popular strings with guitarists and are gaining in popularity on the banjo scene.
Elixir Medium Polyweb Banjo String
Elixir Light Polyweb Banjo String
Popularity: 28% [?]