The Gibson Les Paul is amongst the most iconic electric guitars to have ever been produced. And my preference for Les Pauls is no secret.
For most of my playing career, my favorite guitar has been my trusty 1990 Les Paul Standard. The trusty backup for gigs where I have to catch a flight is typically an Epiphone Les Paul Standard.
Les Pauls are renowned for their distinctive tone and diversity across genres. The exceptional tone that Les Paul guitars produce can be heard on countless recordings in just about every genre you can think of. Whether you’re a die-hard rocker, a country twanger, or a jazz aficionado, you’re likely familiar with the inimitable sound of a great Les Paul.
Whether you own an iconic Gibson Les Paul, an Epiphone model or even any other affordable Les Paul style guitar, in this guide, I'll help you find the ideal strings to pair your guitar, based on my extensive real world experience trying tens of different string sets on my Les Pauls.
The Best Strings for Les Paul Style Guitars
Table of Contents
1. D’Addario NYXL1046
If you are looking for some hard rocking strings for your hard rocking Les Paul, then look no further than the D’Addario NYXLs. The NYXL series is an across-the-board improvement over the regular EXL range of strings.
I put the NYXL 10-46 set on my Les Paul and was immediately struck by the slicker feel of the string under my fingers. If you’re not used to playing coated guitar strings, the comparative lack of fingertip friction takes some getting used to.
However, these strings offer an extremely comfortable playing experience. Bends and Angus Young-style vibrato felt very natural once I got over my fear that the slicker feeling of the string wouldn’t cause it to slip out from under my fingers.
The nickel-and-steel construction is pretty much par for the course for modern guitar strings. However, D’Addario claims that these strings are stronger and stay in tune better than any other set of strings.
I played four rock gigs in one weekend with the NYXLs on my Les Paul and I have to say, I didn’t break a single string. I have something of a reputation for breaking strings mid-show, so kudos to D’Addario for making guitar strings that can stand up to my playing.
These strings required minimal adjustment once I’d stretched them out pre-show. Like any guitar strings, temperature fluctuations in sweaty live music venue can cause some tuning issues, but I didn’t find these to be any more susceptible to detuning than any other strings.
For me, the real draw of these strings is their tone. It’s a pleasantly mid-forward sound very well-suited to hard rock playing, with no brittleness or unpleasant treble cutting in.
The obvious downside here is their price. The NYXLs are among the most expensive strings around. For guitar players like me, who play multiple nights per week, this is a worthwhile investment.
Why? Simply put, cheaper strings tend to break more easily, so I’d have to buy multiple sets of cheaper strings. One set of NYXLs can last a whole week’s worth of gigs. That winds up being much less expensive than re-stringing a guitar every night.
However, if you’re not putting your strings through as much wear and tear as I am, NYXLs may not be the best choice for you.
As I mentioned, if you are familiar with D’Addario’s EXL series of strings, the NYXLs are a clear and fantastic upgrade. They are quite a bit more expensive, but I believe the benefits and improvements are absolutely worth it.
Want a deeper take on these strings? Check out my full D'Addario NYXL review.
PROS
CONS
2. Elixir Nanoweb
Elixir strings are one of the best brands around today, providing excellent tone, fantastic feel, and incredible durability thanks to their different 'coatings'.
Elixir strings are heavily favored by modern rock and metal players. If you’re like me, and you play a Les Paul for heavier music, this might mean that Elixir Nanoweb are the strings for you.
I generally use this Elixir Nanoweb 9-42 set on my Strat, and 10-46s on my Les Pauls.
Upon plugging my Nanoweb-equipped Les Paul into my Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister with the gain turned up nice and high, I noticed that these strings boast a very well-rounded tone with slightly boosted mids. This helps your guitar to cut through the mix, especially when playing solos in a noisy metal band.
I tried out a few of my favorite heavy riffs, like “Master of Puppets” and “Holy Diver.” I love the amount of pick attack I can hear when playing these strings, and how much notes resonate and ring out with them.
Elixir’s Nanoweb coating is one of my favorites owing to not just their durability but mainly for the fingers-on feel that it offers. Sliding and legato are a breeze with these strings and they are perfect for shredding.
The “slicker” feeling takes some getting used to, but it does offer an easier playing experience for high-speed players. I even noticed my (absolute beginner) teenage brother's playing time increase drastically after I installed a set of these on his Epiphone LP. He praised the slick, ultra smooth feel of these strings a lot.
I tried really digging into these strings, James Hetfield-style, and they stood up to a serious beating. A whole weekend’s worth of gigs with one set of strings is quite an achievement. They did lose some of their clarity towards the end of the final show, however.
The Nanowebs settled in on my guitar very easily, too. A few minutes of stretching and they stayed in tune all night.
They do take some extra time to break in, and just like Ernie Ball strings, they have a slightly tinny sound for the first hour or two of playing. But once they have settled and been broken in, that crisp, clear, and smooth sound is all you are left with, at least until they become dull with age like any other string.
The coating on these strings makes them extremely durable, so bedroom players could easily use one set of Nanoweb Elixirs for months on end. Busier players like me will enjoy only restringing their Les Paul once per week, as opposed to once per show.
Read more: my full Elixir Nanoweb review.
PROS
CONS
3. Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky
Ernie Ball Regular Slinkies are one of the most popular strings on the market. They are fairly inexpensive, too.
Unlike the normal Regular Slinkies, the Cobalt Slinkies are a bit different in terms of tone and playability. The main reason for this is that they use an iron/cobalt winding instead of nickel.
Again, I use this 9-42 set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinkies on my Strat. I prefer the 10-46 set for my Les Pauls.
Cobalt strings are a bit brighter and have some more crispness to them. I wouldn’t call them chimey or sparkly, but rather they have an almost ‘fresh’ tone compared to nickel strings.
Soloing with these strings feels and sounds pretty great. I tried the Cobalts for a weekend’s worth of gigs, and they felt great for some of my more athletic lead lines. They cut through the mix very nicely, even with a drummer as overzealous as mine.
These strings are also noticeably louder than nickel strings.
Ernie Ball claims that these strings offer more sustain than their main line of strings, but I didn’t notice much difference. That’s likely because the combination of a Les Paul and Marshall amp offers plenty of sustain as it is. Check out footage of Gary Moore for evidence!
Strength and playability-wise, the Cobalt Slinkies are on par with the non-Cobalt versions. They have just the right amount of tension while still being flexible enough for easy playing. I played along with AC/DC’s Back in Black, switching between riffs and lead lines, and everything felt and sounded just right.
Guitar players used to the softer finger feel of nickel will have to endure an adjustment period, because the cobalt-iron alloy coating these strings is much harder than nickel. Nothing you’ll notice after a few gigs, but it takes some getting used to.
Cobalt is supposedly more rust-resistant than nickel. As with the NYXLs, these strings got me through a whole weekend of sweaty live performances, and I didn’t snap a single string, which is great longevity.
These cobalt strings also have an interesting benefit for a small number of guitarists. If you happen to be one of the few with a nickel allergy, these are the right strings for you. Or maybe you don’t know you have an allergy, but nickel strings irritate your fingers more than they should, try these out.
Read my full review: Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky
PROS
CONS
4. Dunlop DEN1046
If you are like me, you probably associate the name Dunlop more with guitar picks than strings. But they have been making strings for quite a long time and are actually a fairly popular brand.
The Dunlop DENs have great tone, stability, and are surprisingly well balanced. Each string plays at the same level of volume and dynamics. Both chords and individual notes ring out great.
This is what they claim to deliver...
My go-to “balance test” song is “Limelight” by Rush, which sounded fantastic with the Dunlops. I didn’t lose any note clarity in the top strings while playing power chords beneath them.
These strings do have a warmer, bassier tone than, say, Ernie Balls or D’Addarios. With my Marshall amplifier, this is fine, as Marshalls tend to be a more treble-forward amp. However, if you use an amp prone to muddiness, you’ll need to adjust your EQ to balance out this warmth.
Because these strings are uncoated, I had to change them between shows, as they felt stiffer and more breakable. This isn’t a major hassle, but for busy gigging weekends, I prefer more durable coated strings.
They also don’t seem to corrode any faster than other uncoated strings. Not all guitar players put their strings through as much wear and tear as I do, so if you’re primarily a bedroom or studio player, you’ll get way more longevity from these than I did.
I was quite surprised by how quickly and easily these strings are broken in. Simply string up your Les Paul, stretch them out, and they’re good to go.
These Dunlop strings don’t feel quite as “slinky” as other strings. They feel slightly stiffer, which isn’t how I prefer to play my guitar.
PROS
CONS
5. GHS R+RL Nickel Rockers
GHS has been making great strings for a long time now. Their Boomers are perhaps what they are best known for (my review), with guitarists like Eric Johnson and Zakk Wylde being among their most well-known endorsers. The Nickel Rockers are no different and are made to the same high standards GHS is known for.
GHS Nickel Rockers
When it comes to classic rock and country playing, I prefer pure nickel strings. I rarely get the chance to use them live, because nickel is a more delicate material, but I love their warm vintage tone.
With the Nickel Rockers, I first tried out Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog.” That’s a riff that demands ease of playing as well as plenty of classic Les Paul tone, which these strings offer in spades.
Another fun secret: Edward Van Halen used pure nickel strings on the early Van Halen albums, so I like to break in nickel strings with some lead breaks taken directly from their debut album. “I’m the One” in particular simply leapt off the fretboard. These are awesome classic rock strings.
I like the Van Halen test because it demands clarity and attack from every note. With these strings, every note rings out very clearly and equally. Chords are also clear and the notes don’t bleed into each other.
Pure nickel does have the drawback of not being as strong as nickel-plated. They can’t take quite as much punishment as nickel-plated and steel strings. You are definitely going to want to hold back a bit when picking and bending. I had to change strings before every gig on the weekend when I tried these, and still managed to snap the B string at the saddle during an overzealous bend.
Pure nickel strings are also softer and not as tough on your fingers. This is all relative: nickel’s “softer” feel is noticeably different from other metals, but it’s still a thin piece of metal wire digging into your fingertips.
Like a few other brands these days, GHS strings come in airtight packages (sealed with Nitrogen) to prevent corrosion. I very much appreciate this given nickel’s tendency to corrode more easily than other materials.
This is supposed to prevent corrosion while the strings are still in their packaging. I have never opened a pack from other brands with strings already corroded, but this is a nice touch. It removes any worries you might have of your strings not being as fresh as possible.PROS
CONS
6. DR Strings Pure Blues
The DR Strings Pure Blues tell you what they are about right on the package. If you are after a blues sound, these are the strings for you.
As soon as I put these strings on my guitar, I started messing around with old-school BB King licks. The tonal clarity from these strings with a warm, tube amp at the edge of breakup is seriously inviting.
While these are pure nickel, their sound isn’t overly warm, with plenty of bell-like clarity. I had hours of fun playing simple melodic Paul Kossof licks. It’s a great tone for bluesy lead playing.
You do lose some volume with the Pure Blues, however, but that is one of the drawbacks of pure nickel strings. Turning up the volume on your guitar or amp fixes this easily. Alternatively, you could do what I do, and use the volume knob on your guitar to control your output, acting as a de facto boost.
As you can expect from pure nickel strings, the Pure Blues are also softer to the touch. Just like the GHS strings, this makes them perfect for beginners or people with sensitive fingers.
These strings are a touch tenser than I usually expect from nickel strings, but that’s probably the source of the extra brightness in their tone. This tension meant it took more stretching than usual to get these strings to hold their tuning stability.
They do feel a bit stronger than the GHS strings. Bending them further than a whole step doesn’t feel like they are going to snap at any moment. Which is great considering the extra effort it takes to bend them.
I also found that harder picking and more extreme bends tended to knock these strings off-pitch.
For a more in-depth coverage on these strings, read my full review.
PROS
CONS
Choosing Strings for a Les Paul - Key Points
Gibson Les Paul Standard (2019)
When picking strings for a Les Paul style guitar, there are a few key factors you will need to consider, including (but not limited to):
- Gauge (thickness)
- Materials
- Genre suitability
String Gauge
Les Paul’s are renowned for their versatility. Although they were initially designed for jazz players by the renowned jazz virtuoso who lent his name to the model, they have become synonymous with rock and roll.
Although the likes of Jimmy Page and Slash are the players arguably most associated with the instrument, you can hear the Les Paul in just about any genre.
I’ve used mine for a broad range of gigs, including country, punk, blues, and even an Irish folk group!
Deciding on which strings to install on your Les Paul will affect both its tone, and its playability. It is, therefore, necessary that you begin by establishing the predominant style that you intend to play on your guitar.
If you are likely to use your Les Paul mainly for playing low-end, heavy riffs that require you to dig into the strings, then choosing a set with a heavier gauge is likely your best option. This is doubly true if you plan on using drop tuning, which will decrease the tension of your strings, requiring a heavier string to balance this out.
Don’t get me wrong, some guitarists like to use light-gauge strings for heavier tones because the contrast produces interesting effects. The issue is, you’re likely to snap lighter gauge strings when playing more aggressively.
Most (Gibson & Epiphone) Les Pauls come set up for and pre-installed with 10-46 gauge strings. I’ve used 11-54 strings in rock bands in the past, and some players (like Jimmy Page) prefer even lighter strings like 9-42 for ease of lead playing. Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top uses 7-38 gauge strings!
Big strings don’t necessarily mean big tone. Really, it comes down to your picking and fretting technique.
For most guitar players, 10-46 or 9-42 is the sweet spot.
String Material
The materials used to construct the strings will generally consist of a mixture of steel wire and nickel. Strings that have nickel plating are smoother under your fingers and are well suited to technical styles of playing on a Les Paul.
Some string manufacturers use unique processes to make their products stand out amongst regular offerings. These include innovative coating methods and windings that are designed to further improve longevity.
Pure nickel strings have a warmer, more vintage sound, while pure steel strings tend to have a brighter, more treble-heavy tone. Most guitar players prefer nickel-wound steel strings for a best-of-both-worlds situation.
Genre Appropriateness
Once upon a time, I was a devoted player of 11-54 strings, with a whopping .22 G string. I made this choice because two of my favorite guitar players, Dan Hawkins of The Darkness and Malcolm Young of AC/DC, famously used very heavy strings. I was in a hard-hitting, road-dogging rock band, and I needed hard, heavy strings to match.
However, a few years ago, when the band I was in broke up, I decided to try out a range of string gauges to find one that really works for me. These days, I play a much broader range of music.
For hard-rocking live gigs, I still love Ernie Ball’s Beefy Slinky strings, nickel wound around steel.
However, as I’ve branched out into other styles, I’ve found myself increasingly favoring D’Addario’s nickel-wound XS strings, with their lighter coating and increased durability.
At home and in the studio, I still love pure nickel, but I’ve broken far too many nickel strings live over the years.
Closing Thoughts
My Les Paul is still, by far, my favorite guitar. To me, it symbolizes everything I love about playing music. I remember spending my first ever paycheck at my first ever job out of college to put a deposit on it, and paying off the rest with my next one.
It’s been a great joy to bring my Les Paul to a range of gigs in various genres, and find it up to the challenge in every arena. Putting the right strings on this guitar is key to this. They have to feel good under my fingers and sound good through the amp.
By now you must've got a good idea about the kind of strings that an average Les Paul will handle well, so what's left is choosing a set based on your style of playing. Hopefully, like me, you’ll find the right strings for your Les Paul and enjoy the experience of playing as much as I do.
Replacing strings on new LP STD. Great content- thanks!