Acoustic Guitar Strings

If your fingertips give out before the song does, the strings are the first thing to change. They are the only part of the guitar you touch every single second.

Zager Easy-Play strings are made by the same workshop as the guitars, for players dealing with sore fingertips, arthritis, stiffness or plain hand fatigue. A smoother coated feel means less string bite; the tone stays warm and balanced rather than thin. They fit most steel-string acoustics and acoustic-electrics, not only Zagers.

Made by Zager in Lincoln, Nebraska · Last updated September 2026

Shop the sets

Every set in this collection. Fits most steel-string acoustics and acoustic-electrics, not only Zagers.

EZ-Play PillowTouch Coated Strings

$16
Sold out
EZ-Play PillowTouch Coated 12 Strings

From $63
Sold out
Zager Easy Play Strings

From $36
Buy
EZ-Play PillowTouch Coated Strings

From $48
Buy

Choosing acoustic strings

Coated or uncoated

[client to write] What the coating changes for feel and string life, and who should still choose uncoated.

Phosphor bronze or 80/20 bronze

[client to write] How the two alloys differ in tone and lifespan on an acoustic.

Gauge guidance

[client to write] Which gauge to pick for sore fingertips, arthritis, a parlor or a dreadnought.

String questions we get every week

How often should I change my strings?

If you play most days, every four to six weeks. If you play a couple of times a week, every three months is fine. The real tell is tone, not time: when chords start sounding dull and the strings feel grubby under your fingers, they are done.

Will lighter strings damage my guitar?

No. Lighter strings put less pull on the neck, not more. What can happen is that the neck relaxes slightly over the first week and the action drops, which occasionally causes a light buzz. A small truss rod adjustment fixes it in minutes.

Do Zager strings fit guitars that are not Zagers?

Yes. They are standard-length steel acoustic strings with ball ends, so they fit any steel-string acoustic — dreadnought, parlor, concert, jumbo or twelve-string. They are not for classical guitars, which need nylon.

I have arthritis. Which set should I start with?

Easy-Play strings were designed around exactly this: sore fingertips, arthritis, stiffness and hand fatigue. The coating gives a smoother feel with less string bite. If chords still feel like hard work after two weeks, the guitar's action is usually the next thing to look at rather than the strings.

What if I pick the wrong gauge?

Play them for thirty days. If the set is not right, tell us which gauge you want instead and we will send it. You do not need to post the old strings back.

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Get the gauge chart and Denny's first lesson

One email. A printable chart matching every common body size to a string gauge, plus the first lesson from the Zager library — the four chords most songs are built on.

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