As guitarists, we’ve all been in the situation where we’ve re-stringed our instrument, only to break one of the strings moments later. Investing in a whole new set of strings seems like a waste of money.
Thankfully, there are several places where you can purchase individual strings, rather than replacing the whole set all over again.
In this guide, I’ll point you in the direction of the best stores where you can buy single guitar strings so that you can get back to playing your instrument in no time!
Buying Single Guitar Strings
Although single guitar strings are harder to find than full sets, some reliable retailers stock individual strings.
There’s one key thing to keep in mind here. That is, the purpose of getting individual strings over a set. You only want it because you want to save money. This may sound obvious, but I’ve seen quite a few friends actually paying more (whether that’s towards shipping or other charges) while buying single guitar strings. You can’t possibly make a poorer decision than that!
So, how much should you pay for individual guitar strings? In my opinion, the reasonable price to pay for a single guitar string should be between $1.50 to $2.50 per string (lower for thinner strings, and higher for thicker ones). If you’re having to pay more, it just makes more sense to just get a brand new set of D’Addario or Ernie Ball strings for around $7 or $8!
And this is only applicable when you’re not having to pay anything extra (for shipping or anything else). If you’re paying even a $2 shipping/order processing charge (though it’s unrealistic), you’re getting a bad deal overall.
Breaking a string is a huge annoyance for guitarists, and it typically always happens when you’re on the cusp of composing a killer riff, or in the middle of a perfect recording take!
Below you can find the best places where you can acquire single guitar strings so that in the future you don’t get too frustrated when you hear that dreaded snap.
Local Music Stores
In many ways, the old methods are still the best. And if you can take the effort to head out and surely save up on exorbitant shipping rates for just a single guitar string, I’d definitely recommend visiting your nearest music retailer.
Going to your local music store has an undeniable charm to it. So why not head out and see if they stock individual guitar strings? The chances are, they probably do.
The obvious advantage of physically going to a store to look for an individual guitar string is that you can directly ask the staff whether the specific string you need is in stock. Even if they don’t sell strings individually, they might have some packs that have been damaged, which could get you a better deal.
Chances are they’ll be happy to offer you a complimentary string from their stock if you’re a regular customer or if you buy something else. (I’m not making this up, just ask my local Guitar Center!)
If you’re like me, the only problem with going to your local music store is that it’s very hard to leave! You might find yourself walking out with a brand new guitar or amplifier, despite having no intention of buying it when you walked in.
Don’t know where your nearest Guitar Center is located? Here’s a quick link to find out within a few seconds!
Strings and Beyond
Strings and Beyond is a reliable US-based retailer of individual guitar strings. Their prices are very competitive, generally costing around $1-2 per string.
Strings and Beyond stock an extensive range of guitar strings that include all of the most popular brands and gauges, in addition to some lesser-known brands, and uncommon custom gauges.
Their shipping service is renowned for its efficiency, but there’s a minimum cart value of $35 (as of now). Given that they sell more than just guitar strings, it might not be too hard to cross that threshold! Here’s an idea: if you play one type of guitar (such as the acoustic) and also another type of guitar (such as electric or classical) or another instrument (ukulele, for example), you can just get a single string for one and a new set or two for another, making shipping free for you!
If you decide to purchase strings from them, you shouldn’t have a long wait before they arrive at your door. It’s pretty fast in my experience!
The Strings and Beyond website is very easy to use, and they categorize their strings by brand so you can quickly toggle through the selection to determine whether the exact strings you need are in stock.
Just Strings
Similar to Strings and Beyond, Just Strings are a specialist online retailer that stocks a wide range of instrument strings. You can search for the particular brand, gauge the string you need, and check that they have it available for purchase.
The Just Strings website is very easy to navigate, and it only takes a few seconds to identify your required string. They claim to have the world’s largest collection of single guitar strings and looking at their website, that could well be the case.
Just Strings also offer an array of musical accessories and equipment. It’s a great place to search if you need an obscure piece of equipment that is hard to come by in popular music stores.
Amazon
These days, you can find everything you need on Amazon. With their excellent customer service, a plethora of product reviews, and exceptionally efficient shipping options, they provide a very useful service. This is especially true if you’re already a Prime member, since you get the benefit of free shipping even for smaller items like guitar strings!
Indeed, the availability of the string you’re looking for will depend on the specific make and type. Amazon does stock single strings, but not of every variety, so you’ll need to check that they are the right type.
There are plenty of options on Amazon for buying a multi-pack of an individual string, which is usually way more cost-effective than purchasing a single string.
You can still buy some single strings for less than $2 on Amazon, but it really depends on the specific gauge and availability. It’s super uncommon to buy only an individual unit of a single string.
If you must shop online, just get a 3 or 5-pack of that low E or B string that you frequently tend to snap!
Final Thoughts
Before you purchase a single guitar string, I advise you to make sure you’re getting good value for money. Although it’s annoying having to buy a full new set when you’ve only broken one, this might be a better option sometimes.
When you find the individual string you’re looking for, check its price against the price of a full set. That way, you can ensure that you’re not overpaying. When shipping is added on, you might find that buying one string is not cost-effective.
Nevertheless, the stores that I’ve listed in this guide are reliable and will likely stock the string you need. In the meantime, you can practice new chord voicings using only five strings!
