Playing the guitar is a hobby that can be beaten by no other in my opinion, but it’s undeniable that some expensive byproducts come with playing the instrument. From the guitars themselves to effects pedals and guitar modifications, it’s hard to pick up the guitar and not spend a bunch of money on different products. A prime example of this is guitar strings – I couldn’t even begin to count how many times I have replaced my guitar strings!
It's important to get your guitar restrung regularly and always have guitar strings spare in the event of a string snap during a performance, but whilst guitar strings are cheap, the cost adds up over time. For this reason, I think it’s a smart idea to always buy guitar strings in bulk – this can greatly reduce the price that you pay per string pack.
Never shopped in bulk for your guitar strings? You’re missing out on some serious savings, so let’s change that now! I’m going to be discussing why you should buy bulk guitar strings, what to look out for in the best retailers, and some recommendations of my own. Read on to find out more!
Bottom Line Up Front: Bulk guitar strings can be bought from reliable online string retailers such as Ernie Ball on Amazon and at websites such as Strings Direct. Bulk strings come in many different sizes and types from standard Ernie Balls to advanced Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronzes – make sure you do your research to ensure you find the perfect bulk strings for you, and don’t forget to read those reviews!
I mentioned earlier that buying bulk guitar strings is a fantastic way to save money on your guitar string purchases, but should everyone buy bulk guitar strings? In my opinion, yes – it’s almost always a good idea to buy guitar strings in bulk. Bulk guitar string packs come in many different quantities, from packs of five to packs of a hundred and beyond! This makes it pretty flexible – just because you buy strings in bulk doesn’t mean you have to own a lifetime supply of them!
Let’s say that you have recently picked up the guitar, and you’re starting to improve more and more. You have no plans to pack up the instrument, so you might as well start considering buying your guitar strings in bulk. After all, you should be restringing your instrument approximately every three months, so that’s at least four packs that you’ll get through in the next year alone!
Understandably, you might not want to buy a huge amount because who knows, you might get a new guitar shortly that isn’t compatible with the strings. However, a ten-pack of strings will easily save you some cash and keep you prepared for the future.
Perhaps you’re laughing at me describing packs of ten as bulk – don’t worry, there are plenty of options out there for much larger packs of guitar strings. If you have a particular guitar that you use exclusively and you can’t see yourself changing your guitar preferences for years to come, why not purchase in this quantity, you’d save a load of cash. Alternatively, perhaps you provide a restringing service or refurbish and sell guitars – bulk strings of various types could save you a pretty penny.
The only scenario in which it would be better to buy single packs of guitar strings is if you are brand new to the instrument. Sure, bulk buying can save you money in the long run, but if you’re unsure whether you’re going to enjoy playing the guitar, it’s a bit risky to make such a bold purchase.
Not everyone has the budget to buy in bulk. This is a bit of a paradox as buying in bulk is a great financial decision for low budgets, yet the high quantities make the product much more expensive than single packs. If you’re on a budget, I’d recommend putting money aside every month until you can afford bulk, it’ll save you money in the long run!
You should now have a better idea of why it’s often a great idea to purchase guitar strings in bulk – now, let’s take a look at the original question – where can you buy them? Much like most products these days, there are a wide variety of options for purchasing bulk guitar strings, and most of them exist online.
The first place that I would recommend searching for bulk guitar strings is at official string brand websites. I’m talking Strings Direct, D'Addario… websites like these have a fantastic reputation for selling high-quality products at reasonable prices, and you’ll likely come across some bulk string bargains too! However, it’s worth mentioning that these sites won’t sell huge quantities of bulk strings – I’m talking more like a pack of five or ten.
The next place I’d recommend is arguably a better option these days – Amazon. Take a quick search on Amazon and you’ll immediately find a ton of different bulk string options. You’ve got branded examples such as Ernie Ball strings and Jimi Hendrix strings, in addition to a ton of cheaper off-brand options.
Amazon is particularly good here as the prices are generally cheaper than official string retailers, whilst providing a fantastic feedback system and large product range. Ali Express can also be a great option, particularly if you’re looking for quantity on the larger side.
It's also worth investigating your brick-and-mortar options – I was buying bulk guitar strings online for years, but only in recent months did I stumble across a guitar resale warehouse in my local city, and they had TONS of guitar strings in bulk boxes. I found the same deal that I found on Amazon but for even cheaper, although I think that was a stroke of luck!
Overall, you can buy bulk guitar strings in all manner of places, from online stores to brick and mortars. I would highly recommend doing your research and investigating where you can find the best deals because the whole point of bulk buying is to save as much money as possible!
You should now be convinced that not only should you buy bulk guitar strings for cutting costs as a guitarist, but there are plenty of options for where you can buy them. Now, perhaps you’re a step ahead of me and you’ve started to find a ton of different string retailers online. Wait just a minute – let’s cover a few basics about bulk guitar string shopping, it’ll help you weed out the losers and bring out the hidden gems!
This first point is undeniably the most important – every guitar is different, and depending on the type of guitar and the type of music you play, you’re going to need a different set of guitar strings. Perhaps you need nylon strings for a classical guitar, a 12-pack of steel strings, or maybe just standard electric guitar strings in a low gauge.
It might seem a bit obvious, but you should seriously look out for this when shopping for bulk strings. A few years ago, I was a
This was my fault as it was specified in the product description, I simply was not paying attention. Thankfully I managed to resell those strings, but it was a pain in the butt and I would not recommend it!
Look carefully at the strings and ensure they are the right type and gauge for your needs. I would recommend doing this before you do anything else because it can give you an idea of a website’s stock and give you an idea of whether you’re shopping in the right place. Many websites specialize in classical, acoustic, or electric guitar strings, so make sure you’re searching on the right sites.
It’s also worth investigating whether you can “mix and match” your bulk strings – I’ve seen this sales model a couple of times before, and it’s really handy as it allows you to buy different string gauges or types to accommodate different guitars that you own. It’s pretty rare, but if you see it, I would jump at the opportunity!
Now that you’ve found a website that sells the type of guitar strings you need, it’s time to consider how many packs you’re looking to purchase. As I mentioned earlier, different places offer different quantities, with some places' maximum being five packs whilst others have a minimum of fifty! In general, though, you’re most likely to find packs of ten, and this will easily save you a couple of dollars on each pack.
Guitar strings do not cost a lot of money to produce, so you will often find well-known guitar string brands on bulk sale websites for a fraction of the price. You could be talking as low as three bucks for a six-pack of Ernie Ball guitar strings, yet they’d fetch ten dollars if you were buying them individually!
The next thing that you should always consider when purchasing guitar strings in bulk is the costs of shipping them. Now, anyone who has ever bought guitar strings online will know that shipping for them is generally cheap. Sometimes retailers slip them into envelopes to provide free shipping, but when you have to pay, it’ll only be a couple of bucks. However, remember that we’re dealing with large quantities of strings here – it’s a different kettle of fish.
Theoretically, you still shouldn’t need a large package to deliver a pack of ten or even twenty string sets. Whilst this is sometimes the case, I’ve noticed that a lot of bulk string sellers insist on packaging them up in large boxes. Whilst the boxes keep the products in good condition, it’s all a bit unnecessary in my opinion because the cardboard itself takes up more space than the guitar strings. Regardless, it’s something you need to consider.
Always check shipping costs before you get over-excited about bulk strings – I couldn’t count the number of times I’ve seen extremely cheap strings, only to discover the box it arrives in is equally costly as the strings themselves. Another option is of course to pick them up from your local music store, and if they take open deliveries, this is something I would highly recommend.
The final thing that you should look out for when purchasing bulk guitar strings is the reviews – this goes for just about any product purchase out there, reviews are great ways to reveal the quality of a product! Now, when it comes to bulk guitar strings, there shouldn’t be too many companies out there trying to rip you off. However, they do exist, so you should still stay vigilant!
Whether it’s the price, the quality of the strings, the delivery times, or the packaging, guitar string reviews should give you an idea of exactly what to expect. If you’re purchasing from a reliable brand then this won’t be as important of a step, but if you have discovered what you hope to be the new best bargain guitar string shop, I’d advise that you do your research first!
Last but not least, don’t forget to leave a review if you end up buying bulk strings! You can help fellow guitarists like me by leaving an honest review, it can make all the difference throughout the painstaking research process!
You should now have gotten to the bottom of why many people consider it smart to buy bulk guitar strings, and what you should look for when purchasing them. You might have jumped straight online to look at what the web has to offer, only to be intimidated by the sheer number of options. I can relate, I had a similar experience when I first shopped for them. Luckily for you, I’ve put together the following recommendations, you should check them out to narrow down your options!
The first recommendation I have when it comes to buying bulk guitar strings is to head straight to Amazon and check out what Ernie Ball has to offer - that is if you're an electric guitarist! If you are, I do not doubt that you will have come across these strings before - they're incredibly popular and I've seen them in just about every guitar store.
They're well known for being long-lasting and comfortable to the touch, but they can fetch up to twenty bucks per pack! Not when you buy from the Ernie Ball store on Amazon though - they sell 12-packs for well under 100 bucks, and you can even customize whether they are regular, hybrid, or super strings.
If you ask me, we’ve started this list with the strongest candidate. If you’re an electric guitarist and want to save a few bucks buying bulk, you just cannot go wrong with Ernie Ball!
There’s no denying that Ernie Ball strings are iconic to electric guitarists, but if you’ve reached a professional musicianship level, you might find they don’t cut the mustard. Whilst the quality of the strings is great, they simply do not have the durability that is required to make it through a lengthy performance.
I love Ernie Ball strings for practicing at home, but when I’m performing live, I tend to stick to something more reliable such as these D’Addario 10-46 NYXL Regular Light Electric Guitar Strings.
The NYXL design of these strings makes them significantly more durable and malleable than standard nickel strings – ultimately, this means that they stay tuned for much longer, meaning you don’t have to worry about retuning so much during performances.
I've tried these strings before and they sound great, so I might be tempted by this deal - you can get 25 packs for just over 200 bucks. That may sound expensive, but it comes in at well under ten bucks per pack and these are specialist strings after all!
If you're an acoustic guitarist and you were beginning to feel left out after all this electric guitar talk, don't worry - I've got you If you're an acoustic guitarist and you were beginning to feel left out after all this electric guitar talk, don't worry - I've got you covered. However, these Elixir strings from String Direct aren't just any old strings - they're Nanoweb phosphor bronze strings!
Much like the previously mentioned NYXL strings, phosphor bronze strings have excellent tuning stability in comparison to standard acoustic strings, and even more importantly, they are incredibly durable. This means that the natural aging process of your strings will be a lot slower, due to them being resilient to the sweat and friction from your fingers.
If all that wasn't enough, these strings are even coated with Nanoweb, a thin protective coating that makes strings feel like on the fingers and bright on the ears. There's no denying that at nearly $250, this product feels pretty expensive considering that it's only a 12-pack.
However, remember that phosphor bronze strings last way longer than normal acoustic strings, so even if you're paying double the price, you'll certainly get your money's worth!
Well, that’s just about everything that I have to offer in terms of buying guitar strings in bulk! I’ve probably overloaded you with information by this point, so I’m going to round things off smoothly with a nice FAQ. Hopefully, it will give your brain a refresher and prevent you from leaving this guide with any burning questions!
Answer: Bulk guitar strings can be any form of multi-pack purchase, although average quantities are twelve packs with some going as high as twenty-five, fifty, or even 100!
Answer: Bulk guitar strings can generally be bought online from reliable marketplaces such as Amazon and Strings Direct, although if you’re lucky you might find a deal in your local Guitar Center.
Answer: Yes – whilst I was only able to cover a few varieties today, everything from nylon strings to 12-string guitar strings should be available for you to buy in bulk.
Answer: As long as you don’t plan on giving up the instrument any time soon, bulk guitar strings are a smart purchase for anyone who can afford the long-term investment.
I sure hope that you enjoyed reading this guide to buying the best bulk guitar strings as much as I enjoyed writing it! There’s no denying that guitar strings can be a confusing topic to navigate, but if there’s one thing for sure, buying in bulk will always save you a few bucks!
If you’re a casual guitarist then I couldn’t recommend getting yourself a 12-pack of Ernie Ball strings much more – they’re fantastic strings and at such a great price, you just cannot beat them. However, it’s understandable if you need something more specialized such as the Elixir Nanoweb Phosphor Bronzes or D’Addario NYXLs.
Whichever strings you ultimately choose, always make sure you read the reviews and do your research, because you never know when there’s a better bargain around the corner. Thanks for reading, and enjoy strumming on those guitar strings knowing that you went above and beyond to get the best value for money!
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