Dead Strings

[chasAK]

Dead strings have a unique sound: quick decay and punchy!

chasAK

[MissouriPicker]

On 6/9/2015 at 12:00 PM, kidblast said:

^-

 

I have three acoustics that I play pretty regularly,

 

I change the strings on them about once every 8 or 9 months.. (I started keeping track of the dates of the string change just to see how long they would go..)

 

But they still sound perfect even after all that time, so the strings don't even NEED to go, it's mostly to condition the fretboard and give it a good buffing.

 

They are amazing strings in regard to life span.

I typically change mine once a year (a few times sooner than that).  My loosely followed “rule of thumb” is to change strings when I replace the battery.  I’m pretty gentle on the strings.  99% of the time it’s just my fingers and a thumb pick on the strings.  I mostly use Martin SP Lights.  

[E-minor7]

On 9/6/2020 at 8:46 AM, E-minor7 said:

Yups - he still does it now and again. It provides a mysterious blend between new, fresh and old played in, which is excellent for certain situations and guitars.                                                                      

Just boiled a set of EJ-16s from the 1963 J-45. Back on the old slope they went. Now let them fade a little and, , , ,  woody velvet bliss.

Btw. presented the guitar to my pal last Friday - we had a kitchen jam here. Wanted to hear his opinion on the old cherry. Told him there was something odd about the thing - but he couldn't figure though playing it for about 5 mins. I of course referred to the plastic bridge, which went over his head. He said the 45 had soul., , , and was right. This was before the boiling. 

 

 

[E-minor7]

On 9/7/2020 at 10:57 PM, MissouriPicker said:

I typically change mine once a year (a few times sooner than that).  My loosely followed “rule of thumb” is to change strings when I replace the battery.  I’m pretty gentle on the strings.  99% of the time it’s just my fingers and a thumb pick on the strings.  I mostly use Martin SP Lights.  

Do you use Martin SP Lights on the Bird and the Dove - I guess so.

On 9/7/2020 at 8:37 AM, chasAK said:

Dead strings have a unique sound: quick decay and punchy!

Dead strings lead an interesting life of their own. .

[MissouriPicker]

2 hours ago, E-minor7 said:

Do you use Martin SP Lights on the Bird and the Dove - I guess so.

Dead strings lead an interesting life of their own. .

Yeah, I pretty much use them on everything.   I started using them several years back when GC had them for $3 a set, so I bought a bunch and have kept buying them.   Every now-and-then I use a pack of Martin Retros.  I think I’ve got a set of Retros on one of my Gibson’s now, but not sure which one.  For me, if the strings make my guitar sound like a guitar I’m good with it.  

[docr]

There is one aspect missing in this discussion - the mechanical attrition and fatigue of the string material. Long used stings show notches caused by the frets, typically the D- and G-string and in the worst case the bronze wire winding gets loose. Anyhow, notches will influence the vibration behaviour of the strings and the strings are more difficult to tune. And this effect can not be prevented by any coating -  polymers are galvanic processes.

But of course there are a lot of stories about old strings, more from Bass players.

Changing strings is work, but the fretboard can be cleaned if necessary and the sound of fresh strings makes fun. And string industry needs to sell new strings 🙂

[uncle fester]

I typically use the d'addario strings and go between PB and 80 /20s, and have started to just change them when they start to fail, not due to sound.  It's typically the G string which goes first and I'd say 3-4 months in is when I'll notice a notch in it... usually at the 3rd fret.   I feel the 80/20s fail before the PBs.

I do love the sound of new strings when I put them on, but rarely do I pick up a guitar play it, and say these strings need to be changed...  I just try to make whatever i'm playing sound as good as possible with the magic in my hands.  sometimes that magic is better than other times.

Edited September 9, 2020 by uncle fester

[chasAK]

I agree that there does come a point when deed strings have intonation problems. I like the sound of broken in new strings.  As they start going dead I kind of like the punchy sound. I change them when I get tired of the dead sound and want to liven things up a bit, or when they start having intonation problems.

 I would be interested in hearing some of the bass stories. I am not familiar with them. When I was a bass player I would clean my strings with alcohol (not Jack Daniels). It would get me a couple more weeks. I would typically do it twice before I got new strings. I played a lot back then but don’t even have a bass anymore. Unfortunately I have not been playing my j45 much lately.

chasAK

[docr]

13 hours ago, chasAK said:

I agree that there does come a point when deed strings have intonation problems. I like the sound of broken in new strings.  As they start going dead I kind of like the punchy sound. I change them when I get tired of the dead sound and want to liven things up a bit, or when they start having intonation problems.

 I would be interested in hearing some of the bass stories. I am not familiar with them. When I was a bass player I would clean my strings with alcohol (not Jack Daniels). It would get me a couple more weeks. I would typically do it twice before I got new strings. I played a lot back then but don’t even have a bass anymore. Unfortunately I have not been playing my j45 much lately.

chasAK

 

There are more stories about bass players who never change strings or are using only old strings. The most famous must be James Jamerson - if you search for Bass players with old strings. Notches are no or a smaller problem for bass stings. The wildest story I have read some weeks ago (but do not remember where exactly) was that a bass player has sent a broken old string back to the manufacturer and asked them if it couls be welded.

I am using only flatwound bass strings, D´Addatio Chromes are my favorite.  And they last very long ....

Doc

[chasAK]

Thanks, never heard of such things. Sent back to be welded, that's crazy! 😮

chasAK

[Mr.Woody]

I'm now a firm believer in the dirty strings theory (or science). This Thursday will be 1 year with the same set of strings on my J-45, and I've really grown fond of the sound. They are NOT dead sounding, but nice. I'm a music major and play guitar every day. Since day 1, I've been using the GHS fast fret product to clean the strings. Maybe not EVERY time I play, but most times I play. BUT I've never really wiped them  down after using it. 

A couple days ago, I finally decided to use a terry cloth towel to wipe the stings down after using the fast fret. The towel didn't show any signs of dirt/filth, but the strings suddenly sounded and felt brand new. The string squeak that faded after the first few weeks of playing was suddenly back along with more top end.  I guess the fast fret made sure the strings didn't get TOO dirty, but it didn't really clean them out like the terry cloth. I'm hoping to make a video comparing them to a video when they were first put on. Not sure there will be much of a difference now.....  really amazed.

Edited October 5, 2020 by Mr.Woody

[TomG76]

This is a very helpful thread. I know it's old, but maybe that's appropriate.

I've got coated strings on my J-50 right now and they look great, but I don't care for the feel and my fingers are bouncing all off them. Not keen on the tone either.

Meanwhile I've never changed the strings on the Epiphone Dobro I got several years ago. They look ugly but I dig the tone.

I do have an anti-bright sound bias with acoustics though. 

[Murph]

It's so old I was using Elixir's...

[E-minor7]

                      Dead strings = Revived thread. 

I lOVE the sound of my 1963 ceramic saddled SJ (see avatar) with old steel. It's simply best there - dry and full of soulful mystique 

 

The keeper ~ 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      , , , , , , and vulnerable, yes. . 

 

[egoidealmusic]

I love that this thread started as a lament about dead strings but has become a celebration of dead strings!  I'm with you, every time I try out new strings I think "I'll have to wait 3 months before I can tell."

 

Thery're not quite old enough, but I'm very much digging these well worn in Sunbeams.  Thanks to the forum for suggestion!

[fortyearspickn]

Yeppers....  A  Zombie  Thread  about  Zombie Strings.  

Of course, simply being on the guitar doesn't get them to that aged, vintage sound.  They have to be played on.  I shoot for 3 years.  Partly because I detail by guitar when I change the strings and hate to let that process go too long.  Only time the fretboard gets cleaned and oiled and the rest gets a coat of polish.