Well after getting a new set of strings and a full setup the other day, I am noticing my brand new strings going to heck already. They are loosing their shiney silver lustre and turning greyish black and getting rough already.
What do you guys do to stop this? Is there a good product out there? Fast Fret?
You may have very acidic sweat. The strings shouldn't be visibly oxidized after only a couple days. Try coated strings, like Elixirs.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
I wipe down the strings after each time I play. Take a lint free cloth and just wipe down the neck at the end of practice. Also, make sure to wash your hands before you play particularly if you were eating before hand.
Pop music is about stealing pocket money from children. - Ian Anderson
wiping your strings and guitar after playing is always a good idea.
leaving fingerprints will tip off the Feds.
you can prolong string life by wiping them with a cotton dishtowel.
it removes oils and acids. some strings oxidize before others.
it is natural. it does not mean the string is shot.
when the sound changes and becomes duller it is time to change.
another tell is total string fatigue. snappo!
strings have a life. it depends on how often you play.
gigging twenty hours a week. your strings need to be changed often.
playing a one hour practice session a few times a week strings can last much longer.
I once changed my strings every week.
now it is every month and a half.
I bought expensive cryognicly sealed top of the line strings once, and replaced them after one week. Sounds like what you're talking about. They turned black and felt like mold was growing on them. For my acoustic, I use Martin strings, electic, Ernie Ball. If they're sealed in plastic, I don't bother. If they're in a paper envelope, that's what I get.
I hate to be arrogant, but as a chemist with a degree in nutrition, if your sweat is so acidic that it is eating away the strings after a couple of days, you should call Guiness and get in the Book of World Records.
I do agree to wash your hands before you play.
As far as wiping strings, good idea as well.
If you still have a problem, you should elaborate on what you have as far as pick, string guage, how much do you play, where do you live(humidity), method of keeping guitar while not playing, do you have a dog or cat that pees on the strings when you're not around, ect.
Brain-cleansing music for brain-numbing times in a brain dead world
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Are you playing an acoustic or an electric? If you're playing acoustic, try using Elixir strings -- they're more expensive but I find they last a good deal longer.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
I went out and got some Fast Fret last night.
Used it as directed, and it got all the gray/black gunk off the strings and made the fretboard nice and clean too. Seems like a good purchase so far. For $4 how can you go wrong?
Not sure what the problem is. Maybe its because I live in Houston with pretty high humidity, or maybe I sweat too much or something. The strings I got were decent quality.
The elixir strings have a polymer coating on the bass strings that renders them fairly impervious to sweat. I like them on my acoustic but have never had any desire to try the electric strings elixir makes.
Well we all shine on--like the moon and the stars and the sun.
-- John Lennon
Do the opposite of in the bathroom ........ wash your hands and then wipe when you are done ...... :lol: Seriously, I wash my hands before playing and I wipe down the strings good when finished.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
An early GN author wrote that you should change your strings every "40 hours or 40 days, whichever comes first". Coated strings last longer. Bass players multiply that by 10.
