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How often change the strings??


Oldhippie

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...do you change strings also on a guitar you haven´t been playing for a long time??

What are your prefered strings brand ?

What strings would you never buy ? (brand)

Do you dry cloth the strings after every use ? (I´m lazy in that)

If you don´t use a guitar for a long time, do you tune the strings down a little bit?

How often do you change strings?

What else can you tell about strings?

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I use D'Addario 9's, have for many years. No need to change brands, or god forbid, gauge. I have a bunch of guitars and rotate thru them when I practice and play on stage, so I'm not putting a lot of wear on any one guitar. My strings last a long time. I don't wipe the strings down (I always polish the body and neck after playing though). I'm lucky, I don't have a problem with body chemistry dulling strings. I know guys who have to change strings monthly, or even weekly because the oils/sweat on their hands is very corrosive. I keep all my guitars in hard or soft cases, and always keep them in standard tuning; I never down-tune for storage.

 

I think the biggest factors with frequency of string changes is how often you play that particular guitar, and your individual body chemistry, so it's going to vary widely. String breaks are probably the next biggest factor, but most guys replace just one, and not the whole set. From what I can tell talking to other players, heavier gauge strings break more often, probably because there's much more tension on them. I play blues and bend like a madman with my 9's (Peter Green/Jimmy Page style bending) and break a high E or B once every year or two. I seem to hear Fender owners (the 'F' word) complain about string breaks more often than guys with other brands of guitars, the culprit usually being sharp/rough saddles, alhtough the longer scale means greater tension to tune to pitch, and that probably adds to it.

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Keep in mind that I only play for recreation these days.

 

...do you change strings also on a guitar you haven´t been playing for a long time??

Only if it has been over a year.

 

What are your preferred strings brand ?

Gibson pure nickel on electrics. Martin on my twelve string acoustic. Savarez on my classical.

 

What strings would you never buy ? (brand)

You would specify brand. I was going to answer used! (LOL)

Actually, I'll try anything once. Never found any that were particularly objectionable.

 

Do you dry cloth the strings after every use ? (I´m lazy in that)

Me, too.

 

If you don´t use a guitar for a long time, do you tune the strings down a little bit?

No.

 

How often do you change strings?

When I played in a band I would change them every week or two.

My hands are not very acidic so now I change them once or twice a year depending on how often I play a guitar.

It would be too expensive these days as I have 10 guitars and don't make any money playing any of them.

 

What else can you tell about strings?

It's hard to play a guitar without them.

 

What are your answers?

 

Willy

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I use D`Addario 9s as well, although two of my guitars have 10s.

I guess they are quite good for the money.

I do not change the strings of a not used guitar nor do I tune it down.

It seems, that I´m a lazy boy.

 

Have you ever tried the difference between roundwound, flatwound and others? I never did.

Do they feel different, or have a different sound??

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I think everything I own is strung with 10s, however I use a lot of different brands. Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys on the Strats and LPs, I just put Pyramid Flat Wounds on the Rivera P93( wound G string gives a really great old 50s/60s sound ), I have Rickenbacker Round Wound 10s on the Rick 650, and at the moment I have a set of Gibson Humbuckers on the Dot, that may change to Slinkys as I can't tell the difference other then price. Acoustics are all strung with D'Addario 80/20s.

 

I do wipe them down when done and when I restring I take the time to really clean the fretboard and body.

 

I change one or two guitars each month, which works out well as I joined the GC string club and get $5.00 off one pack each month. That works out to about 6 months per set. Unless I play out then the day before I will change whatever I am bringing with me.

 

The acoustics are scattered around the house and I tend to pick them up to play when I settle into different rooms so I keep them all in tune, the electrics are all hanging on the wall in the "music room" and I am likely to play one for several hours or all of them for 15 minutes each depending on how the spirit moves me.

 

-Harry

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Changing strings on a guitar seldom used:

Probably not unless I planned to start using it a lot again. They are always cased and kept in a closet where I store all my instruments they are not directly exposed to the climate conditions in the house

 

Brands used:

Primary guitars, I've switched from D'Addario XL .010to EB Cobalt .010

Most of the others are still strung with the XLs.

My Jazz boxes get D'Addario Chrome 0.011

Acoustics, I've been a long time user of Elixir Nanoweb, but recently have taken Cleartones into use on one of the Taylors.

 

 

Strings I'd Never Buy:

hmm, good question, I'd try anything for experimenting, but I'd probably still gravitate back to those I've used the longest

 

Wipe down Strings:

Often, yes, all the time maybe not, it's like flossing, you should do that everyday but..

 

Tune down:

no, never. Getting them to settle down when you want them back in pitch is a PITA. I do check them regularly to make sure the neck relief is still correct.

 

Frequency of change:

directly related to how much use they get. I have about 16 guitars, so... chasing string changes once a month would be expensive and unnecessary

 

Other things about strings:

I'll go with Willy's answer! [thumbup]

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I change them on all 8 guitars twice a year; once in Winter, and once in Summer.

 

I use EB Reg Slinky, but don't have an aversion to using any 10-46 brand.

 

I never wipe them down.

 

I always wash my hands before playing any of my guitars.

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Keep in mind I am not a pro and play only at home.

On my Gibby Les Paul and my Epi Sheraton, a set can last 6 months to a year based on a 2 or 3 times playing a week;I use d'Addario 10s and usually wipe them down.

On my 2 Jazz Boxes I use d'Addario flat wounds 12s and 13s and they last easily over a year.

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...do you change strings also on a guitar you haven´t been playing for a long time??

I usually don't let a guitar go very long without playing it ....maybe a month at most.

 

What are your prefered strings brand ?

Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinkys (9 - 42)

 

What strings would you never buy ? (brand)

I'm pretty much done with flat wounds.

 

Do you dry cloth the strings after every use ? (I´m lazy in that)

Most of the time. I keep a clean cloth with each guitar.

 

If you don´t use a guitar for a long time, do you tune the strings down a little bit?

Never.

 

How often do you change strings?

Whenever it feels right. Could be every couple of weeks or so if I play it everday ... depending on how it sounds.

The cobalts don't seem to lose their ring as soon as some of the normal steel strings.

 

What else can you tell about strings?

Dead sounding tone is the first indication I use to change them.

I look at strings like changing oil on the car. Oil is the cheapest way to protect your engine and guitar strings are the cheapest way to keep your guitar sounding good.

 

 

 

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I like Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (.10) on 24.75 scale guitars and Super Slinkys (.09) on 25.5 inch scale guitars.

 

I've had good luck with Dunlop and Fender strings also (Fender Super Bullets work well with traditional Strat trems).

 

I don't get along well with D'Addarios. I don't have especially sweaty hands or anything, but they go dead on me crazy fast. Not sure why. They're fine when they're fresh, but they lose snap and sparkle on me within a week - even with minimal play.

 

Now that I just play around the house, I probably change strings on my most played guitars once every 3 months or so and the rest maybe once a year. Like Whitmore Willy said, back when I was gigging I had to change strings on my stage guitars every couple of weeks.

 

I don't typically break strings, so I almost always change 'em 6 at a time.

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Changing strings is something I have learned not to think about. The reason being is because I know the strings will tell me when it is time.

 

That's the problem. They gradually lose treble and tone, so most players don't notice it. When you change strings and the new ones sound really bright, you waited too long, even if your 'strings didn't tell you it was time.'

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Power Slinkies on my Les Paul, Dot Studio & Strat Copy with the bottom two subbed with a 48 & 52

 

Usually D'Addario XL 11's on my Tele however the last set was a cheapo set I got off ebay which unexpectedly came with a wound G and sound fantastic (£3.00 a set) so I'm going to stay with those from now on.

 

Martin Bronze 13's on both my acoustics

 

A set of El Cheapo ebay specials on the bass (under £6.00 a set and play really nice)

 

If they ain't broke then they don't get changed (actually I prefer played in strings)

 

Usually cleaned (Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes) after each session (except the bass)

 

 

 

 

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...do you change strings also on a guitar you haven´t been playing for a long time??

Now a days only when they really need it. Recently I did change strings on my AS73, which I haven't played in a very long time because they had lost all tone.

 

What are your prefered strings brand ?

D'Addario EXL120 for my electric guitars, except my AS73 which I use EXL110s. D'Addario EJ16 for my acoustics. When I'm working on a guitar doing a setup for the first time I will usually string it with Martin M140.

 

What strings would you never buy ? (brand)

I'm don't recall a brand that just totally sucked and that I would never use again. Maybe I would not buy coated strings, but that is because of the cost

 

Do you dry cloth the strings after every use ? (I´m lazy in that)

Yes, doesn't seem to be a big deal.

 

If you don´t use a guitar for a long time, do you tune the strings down a little bit?

Yes, because I believe it is better for the neck and keeping it from developing a hump where the fretboard meets the body; especially on my acoustic, since the truss rod does not extend to the very end of the fretboard.

 

How often do you change strings?

Only when they really need it due to the cost of strings.

 

What else can you tell about strings?

One brand does not fit all players. Sometimes body chemistry will dictate which string you'll have to buy.

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