Hello everyone. I am starting a guitar program at my elementary school and have just purchased 30 3/4 sized guitars for students to use. I want to stock up on strings and feel like I should probably get coated strings to cut down on all of the oil and dirt coming off of the fingers of students.

My question is this: what is the "best" coated acoustic string out there? Elixir, D'Addarion EXP, Ernie Ball Coated?

Thanks!

Seeing how the school budgets are fit these days, I'd get uncoated strings and make the kids wash their hands and wipe down the instrument when they are done playing. uncoated strings are around $5.00 a set compared to $15.00 a set for coated. I don't like coated strings anyway, uncoated strings help build up the callouses on your fingers.

Marvin and Nevin are spot on with their answers.Teaching the kids to play with clean hands and wipe down the neck would be a very good introduction to guitar.Proper guitar care should be part of every guitar teacher's lessons.I have seen a lot of new guitars(especially acoustics) ruined by beginners who didn't know that you shouldn't wrap your guitar in a garbage bag and leave it in a car trunk on a winter day and then bring it into a warm,humid house.It would be so easy for guitar teachers to supply students with a handout sheet on the do's and don'ts of guitar care.

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Go with uncoated D'Addario's. Guitar Center gives discounts on bulk string purchases.

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I disagree. Some of the eager kids may comply but most won't. They may go through the motions but for all intents and purposes it won't get done. Kids are lazy. We were lazy at that age and they are even worse today. Coated strings basically sound good until they break so they last at least 5 times longer. I have never cared for D'Addario strings, either acoustic or electric. I buy Elixers for my acoustics in bulk quantities to keep the price down. You can get them on Amazon dot com for a reasonable price compared to music stores. Unfortunately you can't get them on Amazon dot ca.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

kobiman, everyone's opinion on this thread is workable, I just say thank you for starting a guitar program at your elementary school, most if not all of your students will love you for caring about them. I followed my guitar teachers instruction about guitar care because I was the only one playing my guitar so I had to, your situation is different but I think you will come up with a plan that will work. Just wondering if those guitar string companies may want to give you some kind of perk when they learn of your school program. After all you are helping to create future guitar players who will be using guitar strings long after they graduate from your program.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Elixir Nanowebs are the ones I prefer.

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GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Be sure to teach the kids how to change the strings... that's a lot of guitars if you have to do it yourself.

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I would use regular non-coated strings and just wipe them down after being played.

If you want to do the kids a favor, make sure the guitars are playable with the strings close enough to the neck. Also pay attention to the gauge of the strings that will work best for beginners on a 3/4 instrument. I would set up a few guitars to find out what works best. Just guessing; I would probably go with about the lightest strings I could find in a acoustic set with a wound G.

I set up a cheap Ovation for my girls with a set of 11's. I fitted a compensated saddle on it and sanded the saddle (from the bottom) until I got the action right. The guitar plays real easy now.

i agree with nevin and marvin. teach them to play with clean hands and wipe down the strings. if they don't, let them play bass. (just kidding).
i wish i would have had a teacher like you when i was in school. maybe, just maybe you could get some local guitarist to come in and show off a bit to entertain the kiddos and tweak the interest.
coated strings are too expensive. i can ruin a set just as quick as a cheaper set because of my construction work. it is sometimes impossible to get my hands completely clean. it never stops me from playing and it never will. it is what it is.
the kiddos need to learn the discipline of caring for an instrument that was paid for with someone elses money. it is a priveledge.
good luck. it sounds fun

Jeebus, thanks for the post. I actually have it set up with a local guitar teacher (who is also in a couple of blues bands) to come in once a week and teach lessons to the kids who would like to learn more. I also have it set up for him to come and showcase the guitar during the course of the school year. I agree with you that doing that would really get more kids interested. Thanks again for the post! I can't wait to see how this year goes.