Best Strings for Koa Guitars

Are you using a koa guitar, and you need a replacement for your strings? Hence your search for the best strings that can work for your koa guitar.

Don’t be worried, as  I have recommendations perfect for your koa guitar. This recommendation is still subjected to your preferences, even though the recommendations is perfect for the koa guitars.

Best Strings for Koa Guitars

Here are the best strings I recommend for koa guitars:

1. D’addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings

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Manufactured in the United States, these strings are made by one of the most famous guitar strings brands – D’addario.

The strings are great; it is so balanced in their playability, production of sound, and volume.

It is coated, and that fact adds to the warmness and brightness of the tone it produces, and increases how well it holds tune.

Besides that the coating gives it a corrosion resistance properties, you can bank on how long-lasting the strings are.

The string is a little bit pricey tan its counterpart, but I don’t think it’s a price too much to invest in good sound for your acoustic guitar.

PROS

  • They are easy to play
  • Great sound
  • Balanced tone
  • It last long

CONS

  • It is a little pricey

2. Elixir Acoustics String Phosphor Bronze with Nanoweb Coating

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This string is built with phosphor bronze wrap wire. It has the ability to produce a rich and balanced tone, with great high-end clarity.

The strings are coated, and this gives protection to their strings with an ultra-thin coating.

An essential advantage of any coated string is the ability to withstand corrosion, which also translates to the guitar strings lasting longer than their uncoated counterpart.

But some guitarists prefer their strings coated, while others prefer the non coated ones.

For me, it will always be the coated ones, and this is because of the fact that it protects against corrosion.

Besides the fact that the coating helps against corrosion, it also helps the guitar tone to last and lingers well enough.

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And you won’t feel like it is a coated string, because the coating is ultra-thin. It feels just like the uncoated strings.

Some coated strings kinda feel heavier on the finger than an average string, but this elixir strings solves that with the ultra thin coating.

Now, you have to understand that the coating might have a dulling effect on the strings.

The strings may sound a little when first played, it might not be noticeable though.

You might have to play the strings for a few hours to have a good judgment of the tone it produces.

PROS

  • The strings last longer.
  • The strings get better the more they are played
  • The strings sound bright and nice

CONS

  • It is a little pricey than other strings.
  • The coating might have a dulling effect on the strings when it is still brand new. This does not reduce the quality of the tone produced by the strings though.

3. Dr. Strings Sunbeam – Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Round Core

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This light gauge string has a hand-wound on the round core which gives it the ability to sustain well. The tone lingers well on the string, giving the strings another whole vibe to playing it.

The tone stays bright and rich sounding even after long hours of use. Some strings tend to wear out or depreciate heavily in the quality of the tone they produce when you have played them for so long, but not that so long. You understand?

The flexibiity that this string comes with, makes it easy and enjoyable to play it on the acoustic guitar.

PROS                                      

  • Bright and rich sounds
  • Cheaper than most strings

4. D’addario EJ16 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Guitar Strings

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Manufactured in the United States, these strings are made by one of the most famous guitar strings brands – D’addario.

The strings are built wound with phosphor bronze wrap wire over a hexagonal high carbon steel core.

These constituents makes EJ16 resistant to corrosion, thereby increasing its lifespan. You won’t find the EJ16 corroding or rusting few days or even weeks after you start using it.

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Also, the phosphor bronze wrap wire warms the tone and brings balance to the tone the strings produce.

If you are a lover of blues or folk music, and you do a lot of fingerpicking, you definitely need to make this your choice. This EJ16 will be the best bet for you on your acoustic guitar.

PROS

  • Great for blues, folk and fingerpicking
  • Warm and beautiful sound
  • It lasts long.
  • It is affordable

5. Martin Authentic 80/20 Bronze Acoustic Guitar

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This acoustic guitar string is 80/20 bronze and it is custom light.

The strings have been treated to be reliable, last longer, and for great playability. This means you can bank on this string for your acoustic guitars.

Besides that the Martin brand produces great strings, this specific string are so good for some acoustic guitar, and this acoustic guitar is one of them.

Martin Authentic 80/20 strings has great tuning stability, with the ability to resist corrosion, making it last longer.

This tuning stability implies that you won’t have to worry about having to check if your acoustic guitar is tuned every hour.

Also, its corrosion resistance ability, you definitely don’t want to end up with a guitar string that rusts or corrodes after a couple of weeks of use.

PROS

  • It is easy to play
  • Tuning stability
  • It resists corrosion
  • The treatment and coating are not as heavy as many other strings’ treatment
  • The coating makes the strings last longer.
  • A great tonal balance

Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Guitar String for Koa Guitars

There are factors you need to look out for to choose a good string for your koa guitar. Here is a list of factors you need to consider:

  1. Quality

The quality of the strings to be bought is very important, as this will show in the sounds produced when playing the guitar.

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You must be able to affirm the quality of the strings, either from the mouths of other guitarists who have used the strings or from a physical seller or from online reviews and roundups like this.

  1. Price

Another strong factor to consider is the amount of money you have at hand. Strings vary in price, as they are produced by different brands.

Sometimes the worth of the guitar strings is shown in the price, but there are budget-quality strings you can get for any guitar that you have.

Also, if you are a beginner, you might not need to bother about the specific guitar strings you are getting, as you might not be able to pick the exact difference between all of them.

  1. How long it can last

You might not be able to prove this until you use it. So, to have a great view of how a string may last, you should ask other guitarists who have used the strings, or you can check the different reviews online.

Coated strings mostly last longer than uncoated strings. So, you can put that into consideration too.

  1. How well does it stay in tune?

You don’t want to have to tune your guitar strings every now and there. So, a guitar string that can stay in tune is good, and a factor you need to consider.

  1. Your taste in sound

No matter how good a guitar sound is, your taste in sound and what you desire matters a lot. And it can also influence the kind of strings that you choose which is very fine.

  1. The kind of guitar

The specific kind of guitar you are using can determine what kind of strings you should use on them.

The kind of strings that might gel with parlor guitars, might not gel so well with Taylor T5. The kind of strings that gel with epiphone dove might not gel with Yamaha APXT2.

Conclusion 

I hope you find the best strings for your koa guitar. I wish you the best.

Victor Loore
Victor Loore
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