ElGinger Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 At my guitar lesson yesterday, I snapped a string. That tells me that I need a new set. When I took them off, I realized that they were an odd orange color where I had played, sort of like rust. They were not smooth, which means they had dirt on them. So I need to know: How to stop my magical color changing strings, and how to clean strings if they get dirty. I don't like to play after washing my hands because my calluses are soft, leading my to blisters. My strings aren't weird, I use D'Addario 9 gauge. Any help would be appreciated, thanks very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 It probably was rust. You need to wipe down the strings with a cloth after every use and change them when they start to show signs of dirt and loss of tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 What LPguitarman said. You really should wash your hands before playing though. You don't have to scrub the heck out of them under boiling hot water, but just enough to clean off the dirt and oil; not only will your strings last longer, but your guitar's finish and metal parts will too and your fretboard won't be covered in gunk. If your callouses aren't that tough yet, wait five minutes after you wash your hands before playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPguitarman Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Almost forgot. Welcome to the forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommyK Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Strangs are a consumable. When they sound or look ugly, change them. As a point of reference, most pickers change strangs more often than they change batteries in their smoke detector, but less often than they change underwear. Oh, and welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KL Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 What they all said. And welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Or you could go to coated strings then they don't rust and last longer personal favorites are the Elixir nanowebs some people don't likethem but those of us that do swear by themm[biggrin] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 The funny thing for me is that I swear by Elixir Nanowebs on my acoustics (I even put them on my cheap acoustic), but I'm not a big fan of them on my electrics. I have no big reason why though. Yeah I know, I'm one messed up puppy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 I agree. And I'm not that crazy about 'em on acoustics anymore either. New Guy - try to find strings with a high nickel content, brand isn't that important. They resist rust longer. I use 'em on everything. Do you live in a humid climate? I left Houston for Phoenix 10 years ago and my strings NEVER rust now. Oh, and welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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