Electric Guitar Strings

Our electric guitar strings line includes the iconic Nickel Wound Slinkys, RPS, M-Steel, Stainless Steel, Cobalt, Pure Nickel, Coated Titanium RPS, and Paradigm.

Ernie Ball offers a vast selection of electric guitar strings, ensuring a perfect match for any player. Our electric guitar strings are constructed using a variety of high-quality metals, including nickel, cobalt, maraging steel, stainless steel, and titanium. These different materials allow players to choose a string set based on such factors as tone, feel, and durability. In addition to a standard 6-string set, we offer 7-string, 8-string, 9-string, and 12-string electric guitar string sets.

Many of the most iconic musicians play our electric guitar strings, including Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Slash, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Metallica, Jeff Beck, and John Petrucci.

Whether you are a beginner or a professional, you will find the string set perfectly suited to your playing. Lighter gauged electric guitar strings (thinner strings) are typically better for beginning musicians because they are easier to press down. That being said, many experienced players also prefer lighter gauged strings for their sound and playability. If you are looking to detune, rock some heavy riffs and rhythms, or simply add a bit more tension and volume, then thicker gauges are in order.

To find which Ernie Ball electric guitar strings are right for you, the key is experimentation. Figure out which strings sound best to your ear, feel best on your fingers, and enable you to create the music you want to create. As a starting point, consider our best-selling Regular Slinkys, played by artists across many genres on stages big and small. Regular Slinkys’ ever-popular 10-to-46 gauge, often referred to as “10s” or “10 gauge,” provides players with a nice balance of tension and tone.

Nickel Wound electric guitar strings are the industry standard. These strings have a nickel-plated steel wrap wire, providing a bright, balanced tone. For a warmer, vintage tone try Slinky Classics, which use a pure nickel wrap wire. On the other side of the spectrum, Stainless Steel Slinkys deliver a bright tone.

For an electric guitar string with enhanced output, try our Cobalt Slinky. Cobalt Slinkys’ unique cobalt alloy creates a powerful sound with crisp, clear highs. Ernie Ball’s M-Steel also packs a punch with its “super cobalt” alloy wrapped around a maraging steel hex core wire. M-Steel electric guitar strings provide clarity and strong lows as well as a reinforced ball-end on the plain strings. Powerful string. Powerful sound.

If you’re after enhanced strength and longevity, Ernie Ball has you covered. Slinky RPS electric guitar strings are the same as our Nickel Wound strings, but with reinforced plain strings (RPS). The lock twists at the ball-ends of the E, B, and G strings have a patented winding of brass wire, minimizing slippage and breakage. For enhanced string life, consider Coated Slinky. These strings are treated with nanotechnology that repels oils and moisture that negatively impact your tone. Coated Slinky are also reinforced on the ball-end of the plain strings with a titanium wrap. For the ultimate in strength and longevity, check out Ernie Ball’s Paradigm electric guitar strings. Equipped with leading technology in both tone preservation and string strength, Paradigms are no joke!

Ernie Ball also offers a wide range of single electric guitar strings. Single strings allow you to piece together a custom set to your exact liking. When you are ready to buy, head over to one of the 5,500 music stores that carry Ernie Ball products. You can discover these stores by visiting our Store Locator.