Cheap guitar string 3-pack sets that are actually good
When you play guitar, you buy a lot of strings. There's no reason to spend any more than you have to.
In places like Guitar Center, guitar strings are usually sold as single packs and it's not often you find 3-pack sets. I don't know why this is but that's the way they sell strings.
More often than not, most guitar players prefer to buy string sets in packs of 3 simply because you can actually use them before they rust. Sure, you could get a 10-pack or even a 25-pack, but will you use all those strings before rust sets in? Nope. This is why you buy in sets of 3.
Quick list of generally available 3-pack sets:
- D'Addario EXL120 9-42 3-pack
- D'Addario EXL110 10-46 3-pack
- D'Addario EXL115 11-49 3-pack
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky 2223 9-42 3-pack
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky 2221 10-46 3-pack
- Ernie Ball Super Slinky 2220 11-48 3-pack
- Cleartone 10-46 3-pack (not exactly cheap but some players really like these)
- Fender 250 9-42 3-pack
- Fender 250 10-46 3-pack
...and for the acoustic players:
- D'Addario Phosphor Bronze 10-47 3-pack
- D'Addario Phosphor Bronze 12-53 3-pack
- D'Addario Phosphor Bronze 13-56 3-pack
- Ernie Ball Earthwood 12-54 3-pack
Is it worth it to buy coated strings?
Coated strings are only good for guitars you play infrequently.
You don't buy coated strings for longer string life, because with regular play they don't really last any longer than non-coated strings do.
You buy coated strings for guitars that spend most of the time in storage. The #1 reason to buy coated is for corrosion resistance.
For electrics, sure, you can get coated electric string 3-packs in 9-42 sets or 10-46 sets. You will pay more for those. But again, I'd only get those for guitars that aren't played often and stay in storage most of the time.
For acoustic strings, you could get coated strings but don't really need to. The D'Addario Phosphor Bronze is already corrosion resistant and cheap to buy, so just get a 3-pack of those.
Published 2019 Jul 22
