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how often do you change strings?

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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
Topic starter  

i'd say about once a month or 6 weeks, for my main guitar (acoustic).


   
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(@metaellihead)
Honorable Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 653
 

About once every two months, but that varies on how much I play a particular guitar. One of the three is out on loan though...

-Metaellihead


   
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(@taylorr)
Prominent Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 736
 

Not nearly enough. I think my last set was on for about 5 months... They were so grimy it was gross. It actually made me not want to play. I thought it was stuck in a rut for a while but then I was just like, whoa, these strings are old. So I changed them and now I think I am progressing quite a bit at guitar (and music) at the moment.

Change when its needed. Sometimes when its not.

aka Izabella


   
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(@noteboat)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4921
 

Whenever they need changing. You notice the intonation going, and it's time.

My main acoustic tends to need it every 2-3 weeks.

My main electric, every 3-4 weeks...although it gets about twice as much playing time as the acoustic, I suspect the strings last a bit longer because I can use a very light touch on the electric the way the action is set, and the acoustic gets more 'handling' time as I use that more often in teaching.

My main classical is oustanding - the bass strings every 4 months or so, and the treble strings are being changed today (for the first time since last December). After the initial string stretching, which can take a couple weeks, plain nylon strings don't gather dirt... so they keep going and going until they've either been dented enough by the frets or nicked enough by my nails to affect the intonation.

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(@alangreen)
Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 5342
 

Every three months on every guitar, whether they need it or not.

The 12-string's a pain.

Best,

A :-)

"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk


   
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(@dan-t)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5044
 

I'd say about once every 2-3 months.

"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge


   
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(@andrewlubinus89)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 181
 

Whenever I can afford it :(

-not often

A hoopy frood knows where his towel is....


   
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 geoo
(@geoo)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2801
 

Changing strings scares me. I do it as little as I have to. It usually ends up in an embarrassing trip to the guitar shop so they can show me how AGAIN.

But I guess its equaled out to about once every three months.

Geoo

“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)


   
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(@teleplayer324)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1506
 

about every 10 days to 2 weeks depending on how much I play. I will usually change a set sooner if I have a gig

Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.

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(@dogbite)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

when I was gigging and rehearsing up to twenty hours per week I found I had to change strings every two weeks and sometimes much less.

now I am band less so i change them when i detect a tonl loss; usually once a month.

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(@slejhamer)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3221
 

Acoustic: I switched to coated strings (D'ad EXPs) and they definitely last longer. I'm approaching 2 months with the current set right now; they've lost the initial brightness and have mellowed considerably, but are not "dead" sounding. Previously I used Martin silk & steel and they'd be dead within 3 weeks.

Electric: probably every 2 to 3 months.

I'm diligent about cleaning them too; either with a plain microfiber cloth or with some 91% isopropyl alcohol on a cotton ball. Keeping them clean and dry makes a big difference, in my opinion.

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@smokindog)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5345
 

Every three months on every guitar, whether they need it or not.

The 12-string's a pain.

Best,

A :-)

Thats about right for me too. Maybe 6 weeks on the tele but the others 3 months unless the tone is suffering :D---the dog

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(@sin-city-sid)
Prominent Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 735
 

When the sound like crap or break.


   
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(@crank-n-jam)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 1206
 

I usually wait until I notice a big change in tone. I think I often wait too long though. I just changed the strings on my Epi LP with the Gibson Humbucker strings and they made a HUGE difference in the tone. Now, I'm pretty sure that's mainly because the strings on it before were dead as door knobs. It sounds much, much better now. 'Course, I honestly think the old strings had been on there for like 6 months or something crazy like that. I'll go sit in the corner now ... :)

Jason

"Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution"


   
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(@m07zm4n)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 184
 

1-5 Month
~1: a string breaks...
~2: if I am really motivated
~5: no matter what the motivation says because finally even I do reallize that they sound like crap...

NO MORE THEORY!!
um...
KNOW MORE THEORY!!!!

<------>
motz
<------>


   
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