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Very new to the guitar. I borrowed an Oscar Schmidt OC11 without an E-6th string and I bought a heap load of different weighted strings so I could try different types. However, the strings I bought are for guitars with bridge pins.

I just broke a string trying to make it work and I am even more worried about breaking the guitar.

Should I return the strings or can I make them work?

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up vote 11 down vote accepted

Just to be clear, what you have are ball-end nylon strings, right? Because if you're planning on putting steel strings on a classical guitar, I'll have to advise you against moving forward. The instrument is not built for steel string tension.

If they are nylon strings, on a standard classical guitar, Frets.com has a tutorial on the right way to restring your classical guitar, if you have the right strings. But, if you're just putting in a ball-end nylon string, you should be able to run it through the hole in the bridge just fine and get your classical guitar on without doing tying.

That's if it's ball-end nylon strings. If not, stop and get other strings.

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Big fat +1. DO NOT attempt to put steel strings on a classical guitar (as the Oscar Schmidt OC11 is) unless you're performing an experiment testing the playability of a guitar that has folded like a cheap card table. – Alex Basson Dec 22 '12 at 3:56
Well, they are definitely not nylon. The package says phosphor bronze. Here are they are: amazon.com/DAddario-EJ16-3D-Phosphor-Acoustic-Strings/dp/… From the Amazon page, it looks like two of the six are steel. – Jim Dec 22 '12 at 14:54
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Those are not the strings for this instrument. – VarLogRant Dec 22 '12 at 22:57
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I promise you, those strings are steel at the core, with phosphor bronze wraps to add mass without much affecting flexibility. It is neat stuff, but you have to build the instrument to account for it. Heavier bracing in the body and a truss rod in the neck. The tension between the bridge and neck on an electric guitar is about as many pounds as you are, so they need it. It'd probably sound amazing for the few moments before it falls apart on you. – VarLogRant Dec 22 '12 at 23:15
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An acceptable acoustic guitar starts at $100. Strings start at $4. Match the strings to the guitar, not the other way around. – VarLogRant Dec 23 '12 at 13:57
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