Hello there, and welcome back to yet another guitar string review article. It’s been a while since I posted a guitar string review article here! As you may have noticed, I have been publishing new articles on various guitar gear recently, and here we are going to continue with an electric guitar string review, featuring Fender Super 250 strings!
Table of Contents
Last time we checked out the DR Strings Pure Blues PHR-11, which I loved so much on my lovely FGN Boundary Odyssey electric guitar in standard D tuning.
However, I noticed that I don’t often feature a standard guitar string set, which is supposed to be used in standard or E-flat tuning. So, I decided to feature a guitar string set, possibly played and experienced by most guitar players on the planet :).
TL;DR
If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you may already know that I’m a big fan of Elixir guitar strings. Unlike people who are completely against coated strings, I find them very successful and really enjoy the luxury of long life span and anti-corrosion qualities. This is important for me, because when you have many guitars, there are sometimes periods that you play one guitar exclusively and never touch the others.
Elixir strings absolutely make sure that the strings on the untouched guitars will not be impacted by the corrosion. I must say I’m very biased on this topic and hardly like a standard set of strings.
However, I’m not against standard, non-coated strings and try to test them on my own guitars in my own time so I can feature them here for you! Fender Super 250L, not so surprisingly impressed me! These strings are the factory strings on literally every Fender guitar that leaves the Fender factories (also on Squiers, some Charvels and Jacksons).
Fender Super 250 offers a wide array of options when it comes to different gauges that would fit into any music style. Super 250 strings are reliable, fairly priced, sweet-sounding and high-quality strings that can be easily considered an indsutry standard product and a true workhorse!
cigilovic.com totally approves Fender 250 strings to anyone who is seeking a set of reliable guitar strings for any application. Super 250 strings do not offer a groundbreaking new manufacturing in guitar string making or a sound you have never heard of, but they offer the sweet guitar sounds that we all know and love!
Thanks to Fender to also release 3-pack versions of these strings which will help you save up to 15% per pack!
As we always do, let’s start with a brief introduction to one of my favourite musical instrument companies, Fender!
About Fender
Founded in Fullerton, California, in 1946 by Leo Fender, the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has been shaping the sound of modern music for over seven decades. The company exploded into the spotlight with the release of the Broadcaster (soon renamed the Telecaster) in the early 1950s—the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar. Shortly after, the Stratocaster followed in 1954, and both models remain iconic to this day.
Fender has long been synonymous with innovation. Aside from guitars, they were instrumental in developing electric basses, introducing the Precision Bass in 1951 and the Jazz Bass in 1960, completely changing the role of bass guitar in popular music. Best Tools For Guitars at Stewmac.com
Over the years, Fender has expanded into amplifiers, effects pedals, and a wide range of accessories, including guitar strings. Their strings, like the Super 250 series, are designed to complement the tonal characteristics of Fender instruments, making them a popular default for Strat and Tele owners.
Despite changes in ownership over the years, Fender has remained rooted in a spirit of accessibility, innovation, and unmistakable style. From surf rock and blues to punk, pop, and metal, Fender has been there every step of the way—and continues to be a key player for players of all levels.
Fender Super 250 Strings
Fender 250 strings are probably one of the most frequently tried and tested sets of strings by guitar players all around the world. This is due to the fact that Fender 250 strings are the factory strings for all Fender electric guitars!
It may sound a bit of an overconfident claim, but you can actually validate this. Just go to Thomann, for instance, search for “Fender 250 Strings“, you will see loads of results from many categories. But if you filter these results using the category filter and just select “Electric Guitars“, you will find out that majority of these results are electric guitars by Fender.
This also makes Fender 250L probably the strings that I tested the longest term out of any set of strings. While working in the musical instruments industry as a guitar tester, I was often testing Fenders and Squiers all day long and recording sound demo videos. There was not a single set of Fender 250L strings that came out of the box in a bad shape!
Fender Super 250 series strings are made of nickel-plated steel with a hex core, and they come in different gauges. The letters you will see at the end of 250 will be indicating the gauges.
Here in this article, I will be featuring the Fender Super 250L, which is the light version. However, all the strings that belong to this Super 250 Series are identical except gauges in each set.
In order to give you a clear overview of the entire Super 250 guitar string series, I have just made a simple table for you.
Here, you will find every Fender Super 250 guitar string set by Fender. Note that not all the sets are easy to find in one shop sometimes. But eventually, you can purchase them in most locations across the globe! Check out the best guitar pickup company, Seymour Duncan here!
Fender Super 250 Strings – All Gauges
| Model | Gauge |
|---|---|
| 250XS | .008, .010, .015, .021w, .030, .038 |
| 250L | .009, .011, .016, .024, .032, .042 |
| 250LR | .009, .011, .016, .026, .036, .046 |
| 250R | .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046 |
| 250RH | .010, .013, .017, .032, .042, .052 |
| 250M | .011, .014, .018, .028, .038, .049 |
| 250H | .012, .016, .024w, .032, .042, .052 |
As you can see, fortunately, Fender is making all kinds of gauges that would fit into any style of music! On top of that, you may want to consider the 3-Pack versions, which feature three identical packs in one.
Obviously, the 3-pack version is a lot better priced. You can actually save around 15% when you buy these three packs, which is awesome!
Before we jump to the sound demo and review section, let’s first have a quick look at the tech specs in a table format.
Fender 250L Tech Specs
| Fender 250L | Tech Specs |
|---|---|
| Model Name | Fender 250L |
| String Type | Electric Guitar Strings |
| Gauge | Light (.009–.042) |
| Individual String Gauges | .009 (e), .011 (B), .016 (G), .024 (D), .032 (A), .042 (E) |
| Material | Nickel-Plated Steel |
| Core Type | Hex Core |
| Winding Type | Roundwound |
| Tone Profile | Bright, articulate, punchy midrange |
| Feel | Smooth, slightly slick surface |
| String End Type | Ball End |
| Tension | Standard for light gauge |
| Compatibility | Ideal for Fender-style guitars; compatible with most electrics |
| Coating | None (non-coated) |
| Playing Style Suitability | Rock, blues, funk, pop, clean rhythm work |
| Made In | USA |
| Packaged | Corrosion-resistant paper envelope |
| Average Lifespan | 2–3 weeks with regular playing |
| Price Range | ~5 to 6 EUR per set |
| Manufacturer | Fender Musical Instruments Corporation |
| Product Code | 073-0250-403 (sometimes shown as 250L) |
Before I provide you with my opinion, I’d like to share a quick demo video that I made with Fender Super 250L strings here.
I used my Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Marshall JVM410HJS, Two Notes Torpedo Captor X SE, Boss SD-1, as well as my RME Babyface PRO FS audio interface and Genelec 8020DPM monitors. I only used Lexicon Chamber reverb as my reverb plugin. Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
I just played some of my riffs, themes and improvised while testing these strings for the video. Note that the tuning is E-flat.
Fender 250L Strings Sound Demo (no talking)
Fender Super 250 Strings Review
As mentioned, Fender Super 250 strings are the factory strings for almost all Fender guitars, along with Squier, some Jackson and Charvel guitars as well. This easily makes these strings probably the most tested & tried guitar strings on the planet!
Super 250 strings, just like with any Fender product, are top-notch in quality. Personally, Fender is one of my favourite brands in this business, and I have the utmost trust in the company.
Some things annoy me about their choices of specs with the guitars they release every year. However, I understand that they are doing their best to appeal to a huge and ever-changing musician demographic.
I have been using my Fender American Standard Stratocaster for over 6 years now, and the guitar is already over 10 years of age. But it’s been the most stable electric guitar in my collection. Back to the strings! 🙂
The 250L set feels exactly how you’d expect a Fender-branded string to feel—reliable, straightforward, and slightly brighter than a pure nickel set. The nickel-plated steel offers a crisp attack with good sustain. Right out of the pack, they are clean and consistent with no visible winding flaws or corrosion.
In terms of durability, they are decent for a budget string. If you play daily, expect to get about 2–3 weeks of solid tone before they start to dull or develop corrosion spots. That’s in line with similarly priced sets from Ernie Ball or D’Addario.
These strings deliver a snappy, articulate tone with some nice bite in the upper mids. On a Stratocaster, they bring out that chimey top-end and scoop-friendly EQ curve you’d expect for funk, blues, or clean rock rhythms. Music Plugin Deals at Pluginboutique.com
They’re not as smooth or warm as a pure nickel set like DR Pure Blues, and they don’t have the sheer output of something like a high-output stainless steel set. But they hit a sweet spot for players who want a brighter tone without going full-on treble-happy.
The light gauge makes them easy to bend, great for expressive soloing or vintage-style leads. Beginners will appreciate the comfort, while seasoned players may want to use them as a fallback or backup set.
These strings aren’t going to win awards for innovation or boutique quality, but they are the absolute workhorses. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
The problem with Fender Super 250 strings is that, as I mentioned, these come with any Fender guitar out of the factory. And this makes them look and feel like an inferior product in the eyes of a guitar player.
Most guitar players often like boasting about how they immediately change the factory strings because these strings are always crap. Well, this is not true at all with Fender 250 strings.
I think they are one of the best, standard, reliable and fairly priced guitar strings that somehow Fender keeps using on their entire electric guitar catalogue. So I suggest don’t underestimate these strings and always keep some in your string stash. Ads - Check out these ads to support this web page
Especially, getting a 3-pack version will save you a pretty good amount of cash in the long run, and you always rely on these strings, so it’s a good idea to stock them a little bit :).
Of course, with any non-coated strings, Fender Super 250 strings will also go dull and get corroded quicker than coated ones. But you can easily use them up to a month, even if you are a bedroom player who plays regularly.
Verdict
If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you may already know that I’m a big fan of Elixir guitar strings. Unlike people who are completely against coated strings, I find them very successful and really enjoy the luxury of a long lifespan and anti-corrosion qualities.
This is important for me because when you have many guitars, you sometimes play one guitar exclusively and never touch the others.
Elixir strings absolutely make sure that the strings on the untouched guitars will not be impacted by corrosion. I must say I’m very biased on this topic and hardly like a standard set of strings.
However, I’m not against using standard, non-coated strings at all. I often try many guitar string sets by many different brands to have an idea and experience them on my own guitars in my time. This way, I can give you a long-term review of these products instead of just listing various strings here without any experience added to these blog posts!
As I tested and played hundreds of electric guitars and most of them being Fenders and Squiers, I can easily say Fender Super 250L strings are the #1 when it comes to how often I tested these.
They come with any Fender electric guitar right out of the factory, and I have never seen a faulty one out of the box! They immediately give you the vibe of a brand new Fender guitar, and I think they are pretty good, for they are worth it, pricewise.
At the same time, I think being so common with all these Fenders and Squiers, guitar players often think that these strings are crap because they are factory strings. I totally disagree with this! Fender Super 250 strings are pretty much one of the most reliable, sweet-sounding sounding and high-quality strings for the price tag on the market. IK Multimedia Tonex - Cutting Edge Guitar Tones!
Super 250 strings are also available virtually anywhere on the planet, which makes them even more reliable for gigging/touring musicians. On top of that, Fender produces 3-pack versions of Super 250 strings, which will help you save up to 15%!
I can totally suggest anyone who is looking for an industry standard guitar string by possibly the best guitar brand in the world. I suggest you first give these a go (maybe with a single set unless you have never tried it on a brand new Fender guitar) then if you like them, go ahead and get the 3 pack versions of your favourite gauge.
Where to Buy Fender Super 250 Strings?
Luckily, with Fender’s excellent logistics, Fender Super 250 strings can be purchased virtually anywhere on the planet whether you go for online music store or physical ones.
I got myself a 3-pack version from Thomann and still have a spare set left after a year (as I have loads of other strings in my string stash!). Note that, Thomann sometimes run campaigns and apply some discount on hundreds of products on their website. I think I even bought this a lot cheaper than it is now, great value!
Check out Fender Super 250 Strings on Thomann here
You can also check out Reverb, as they host a lot of sellers from different locations around the world, which may help you with shipping costs. Also, you may not find the entire Super 250 series available on a single store every day. So it’s good to check out Reverb from time to time.
Check out Fender Super 250 Strings on Reverb here
Last but not least, if you prefer Amazon, chances are you will always be able to purchase the most popular Super 250 string gauges there.
Check out Fender Super 250 Strings on Amazon here
Thanks for visiting my blog and supporting me so far! I will hopefully see you in the next review here!
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