Changing strings 'theory'

[retrorod]

While the subject of changing strings topic comes up fairly often on this forum....I still don,t 'get it' Riddle me this! If you own 6-10 acoustic guitars, and you play them....."every so often"...meaning some could go unplayed for months....some weeks....some days...in a semi-rotating schedule. Are the strings still considered old and needing changing after a year or two???? (considering they have not tarnished and rusted).

 

I stay supplied with strings....has anyone had them get rust spots in the pack? Some of the sets that I have get dark spots on the E and B primarily if stored too long.

 

My theory is (like most other things).....thet don,t make them as good as they used too. Raw materials are inferior. Plus, I still don,t like new strings...

 

 

 

[capmaster]

To my experience, there's no way excluding development of dark spots on nickel surfaces for longer periods in any given environment. There are still some E1st and B2nd strings made in 1986 in my arsenal. Since the Grovers on Gibson guitars made during 2011 to 2013 tend to eat up strings by breaking them at edges around the peg hole due to poor chrome plating, I use them up since about three years. Of course, there are some dark spots. I treat them using a cloth with contact cleaner, CRC Kontakt 60 in my case, which works nicely.

 

In contrary to many of my pals, my sweat doesn't eat up strings. As long as they look, sound and feel nice, I don't change them. I also next to never happen to break a string through playing. The very bottleneck road - no pun intended - is stringing up, due to the poorly burred cutting edges of the contemporary Grover machine heads.

[GuitarLight]

I presently own 7 acoustic guitars. Obviously they can not all be played as much as they should, but I do make sure I rotate them occasionally so that they all get used periodically. Each of my 7 guitars ( and I once owned 27 guitars) are what I consider to be "Play ready" at any given time of the year. I have installed Elixirs on all of them. I am not here to sell you on Elixir nanoweb strings, but I can tell you that if one of my guitars sits in its case with a new set of Elixirs on them for an entire year... unused...and I open the case and play that guitar..it sounds quite nice..and the strings look great, they do not tarnish. With general use, normal playing, for me, a set of Elixirs lasts me about 6 months or longer, unless I really hammer them hard, but generally do not hammer or stretch strings.

 

Until Elixirs came along, many years ago...I only ever owned ONE acoustic guitar..a Guild D-50 and I played it for two, three, or four weeks until the strings were shot, and then changed them out.. With the advent of Elixirs, I soon realized that I was able to own multiple acoustic guitars, and keep them in an ever ready state of playing when ever I pull one out. Elixirs, because of their longevity, have probably sold more guitars than many fine guitar adds all put together in a pie! My Elixirs never last me less than 6 months. And if the guitar is not played "real often" they can possibly go up to two years or more..and they still sound good out of the case.

 

As for storing my Guitar strings, I will often keep 7 packs in store (because of 7 guitars to string). I take the precaution of storing them in a tightly closed, very large jar, or clear plastic pretzel jar, and add lots of desiccants, and a digital hygrometer...then seal it tight with a single piece of black electrical tape around the outer lid seal. I can view the humidity through the container...it normally ranges 10 to 20%...and stings in that jar will last me 5 years, and perhaps even last indefinitely at that low humidity range.....then when I need a pack of fresh strings for a guitar...I open the jar, and take out one pack, and quickly reseal it. I also date each pack inside it by writing the date which I bought that particular pack, and then use the oldest sets first as I need them.

 

Of course if you are one of those who hate Elixirs, this will not work for you. But if your are an Elixir fan, or you become one...your problems are over...you will then be able to own 20 guitars...and they will ALL sound great when ever you decide to pull that old guitar out that hasn't been played in a year or more. I have enjoyed the company of many fine high end guitars over the last 14 years...only because of Elixirs.

 

If you do not choose the Elixir route, that is fine, but you will be destined to changing stings quite often for a lifetime...and weather you own seven guitars, or twenty seven guitars....that will be soon become a chore bound to deter you from acquiring the multiple fine guitars you both crave....AND DESERVE! Good luck! ...GL

[BluesKing777]

Many years ago, I played in a rock band for a while, and changed strings nearly every gig.....but when I started plaing in electric blues bands, the next thing you know...we were broke, so strings were only changed when they broke and I also started to play way softer! . [unsure] [unsure]

 

 

So luckily I like playing with new strings...and I also happily play old strings.

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

 

I am experimenting with Elixirs on some.

[6stringTom]

I've seen a rust or tarnish mark on strings that have been on instruments a long time. I think it is most likely when the person fails to wipe off the strings after playing. I'm another of the lucky guys whose sweat is not caustic to strings, though, so maybe I'm guessing wrong about the cause of rusty strings.

 

As far as strings in the wrappers, I suppose anything could have happened during distribution or in the music store (and acoustic guitar stores typically humidify, and for good reason). I have a few unwound strings from about 1968 that are still untarnished. I recently used one, and it sounded just fine. These were Darco's.

 

I don't see how we could possibly know if strings are better or worse today based on individual experience. However, if I were hazarding a guess, I think they might be better. Materials science and manufacturing techniques have advanced a lot. There's also a lot more competition today. There are certainly more choices with phosphor bronze and various coated strings now available.

[MissouriPicker]

I'm not a good one to offer advice on changing strings. I typically go for months, at least. A year or longer is quite possible. While I every-now-and-then wipe-off my guitars, I rarely, if ever, wipe the strings. I don't know the effect on strings that are on a guitar that is only played occasionally. I imagine they do lose some tone/volume over time, even if not used. I have seen strings blacken while they are still unopened. I used them. Don't remember for how long. I've got a friend who might use them longer than I do. Ask him how often he changes strings and he says "whenever I break one." He's a fingerpicker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og7dMS-nyqA

[Smurfbird]

I was changing them quite often when I was testing the different strings out. Elixirs or some coated brand sound pretty good on my late-60s Hummingbird, especially now that they've been on there for six months. I'm hoping they retain the sound they have now for as long as I can go.

 

I don't quite understand why anyone who plays a Gibson would be looking to change strings so often. Generally, Gibson owners prefer a less bright sound and no better to way to get a less bright sound than playing worn in strings. Now, folks playing Taylors, who love the shimmer, would be naturals for new strings all the time. The question then is where does this put folks who play Martins? (I'm eyeballing an M-36 and LOVE their D-17M model.)

[blindboygrunt]

I presently own 7 acoustic guitars. Obviously they can not all be played as much as they should, but I do make sure I rotate them occasionally so that they all get used periodically. Each of my 7 guitars ( and I once owned 27 guitars) are what I consider to be "Play ready" at any given time of the year. I have installed Elixirs on all of them. I am not here to sell you on Elixir nanoweb strings, but I can tell you that if one of my guitars sits in its case with a new set of Elixirs on them for an entire year... unused...and I open the case and play that guitar..it sounds quite nice..and the strings look great, they do not tarnish. With general use, normal playing, for me, a set of Elixirs lasts me about 6 months or longer, unless I really hammer them hard, but generally do not hammer or stretch strings.

 

Until Elixirs came along, many years ago...I only ever owned ONE acoustic guitar..a Guild D-50 and I played it for two, three, or four weeks until the strings were shot, and then changed them out.. With the advent of Elixirs, I soon realized that I was able to own multiple acoustic guitars, and keep them in an ever ready state of playing when ever I pull one out. Elixirs, because of their longevity, have probably sold more guitars than many fine guitar adds all put together in a pie! My Elixirs never last me less than 6 months. And if the guitar is not played "real often" they can possibly go up to two years or more..and they still sound good out of the case.

 

As for storing my Guitar strings, I will often keep 7 packs in store (because of 7 guitars to string). I take the precaution of storing them in a tightly closed, very large jar, or clear plastic pretzel jar, and add lots of desiccants, and a digital hygrometer...then seal it tight with a single piece of black electrical tape around the outer lid seal. I can view the humidity through the container...it normally ranges 10 to 20%...and stings in that jar will last me 5 years, and perhaps even last indefinitely at that low humidity range.....then when I need a pack of fresh strings for a guitar...I open the jar, and take out one pack, and quickly reseal it. I also date each pack inside it by writing the date which I bought that particular pack, and then use the oldest sets first as I need them.

 

Of course if you are one of those who hate Elixirs, this will not work for you. But if your are an Elixir fan, or you become one...your problems are over...you will then be able to own 20 guitars...and they will ALL sound great when ever you decide to pull that old guitar out that hasn't been played in a year or more. I have enjoyed the company of many fine high end guitars over the last 14 years...only because of Elixirs.

 

If you do not choose the Elixir route, that is fine, but you will be destined to changing stings quite often for a lifetime...and weather you own seven guitars, or twenty seven guitars....that will be soon become a chore bound to deter you from acquiring the multiple fine guitars you both crave....AND DESERVE! Good luck! ...GL

 

I hope you wash those jars out thoroughly, in case the strings get slightly tainted with what was previously in them.

 

Geez GL . That's the nth degree right there. They're only strings man.

[Allie]

I've tried many different brands and always come back to elixirs.......manly for the sound, but they also last three times as long as any others that I've used. my 2cts.

[fortyearspickn]

I use Black Diamonds I keep in a Glass mayonnaise jar on Funk & Wagnall's back porch, with two desiccant packs inside, and with duct tape to seal it. Then I spray the outside of the jar with WD40. It takes 6 months for the slipperiness to wear off so I can open the jar.

Seriously, RRod, I agree. I hate changing strings and don't like the sound when they're new. I aim for 6 months but wipe the stings and fretboard off after each use. I much prefer the sound and feel of old strings, as long as they're clean. Wiping off keeps them that way. I would be reluctant to put some string treatment on them and risk getting it on the fretboard. I would worry it could affect the glue holding on the binding or the frets. "Of course, I'm OCD. "

 

[vacamartin]

I buy 'em when I see a good deal online......and since I like to change them out every few weeks or less, there is no need to worry about string deterioration.

[retrorod]

Am I reading this right, you don't change your strings for 1 to 2 years or are you stock pileing strings for 1 to 2 years?

 

Well....Both... sort of. Some of my guitars get little play in a year or two. Some get more often. I don't have "acid sweat" of the hands. If I put a fresh set of strings on, for example, and the guitar gets played maybe10-12 times in a year(moderately) ....are the strings considered old in a year? Some people play a new set of strings for 6 days out of a week and then change them. No "right or wrong" answer....just curious?

 

Simply a 'subjective' point of discussion. I have not played a set of strings to the 'breaking' point since my youth. At that time, I can remember playing a string(usually G or D) until the wrap started unwinding....time to change

 

I try to keep backups in stock for when the MOOD strikes to change on a guitar. Some of those 'reserves' can get some age on them before being 'enlisted' into action....jes saying!