What Is The Soonest You Change Strings?

jesussaddle

jesussaddle

Power User
I am about to change strings. It seems I change them so as to keep a steady reference for dialing in presets, liking a lot of good harmonics. It seems to me the singing quality is reduced at 20 hours or so of playing time. Sometimes if I don't wash my hands or wipe the strings it could be as soon as 12 hours of play. I feel a little spoiled with having fresh strings and its something I am also curious about. I believe this 12-20 hour usage is very much more often than average. Or is it?

I don't have a classical guitar, but I found this OCD guide for nylon strings. Maybe it applies to electrics. Or is it wasted effort? And maybe this fresh string need thing is due to my ears getting tired after a couple of hours of playing also. If there are producers or players, who may or may not gig and record professionally (hell, some of the best music never gets beyond the wall of a bedroom these days), I would like to know if you Axe Fx people do a lot of gigging/recording with older strings, or typically prefer fresh ones.

How to Extend the Life of Guitar Strings: 8 Steps (with Pictures)
 
Last edited:
i change my Elixir strings after about 3 months or so with an average of 12 hours of play a week. sometimes i wait longer.
 
I use ernie Ball slinky's, play at least 2 hours a day about...........In home studio, so just guessing because of recording and mixing.

I change strings about once a month. when I played out 5 nights a week, I did change strings every week, but that was 20+ hours of playing a week.
 
Actually with Elixers I would probably be in that ballpark. I use D'adderio 9.5's. I don't wipe 'em down thoroughly enough I am thinking. The other thing that's occured to me lately is my bridge pickup is a Fred. Its harmonics are sardonic. The Axe Fx inspires me to (sadly awful) rhymes, sorry. But could it be said that the Fred makes it more apparent when my strings grow slightly errant? Uh oh, Quantum o_o

I need a bridge pickup that is versatile that will cover similar territory, including nice cleans, blues rock, and gainy fusiony metal? I have a coil tap switch (or something... I am not sure if that is the right term). Any replacement suggestions?
 
Your pickup is disdainfully and skeptically humorous or derisively mocking? It exhibits bitterness or scorn? That's one asshole of a pickup. :)

Most unusual way to cash in on an SAT word, sir. I tip my hat.
 
D'Addario EXL 110's I change them out after 15-20 Hrs or when they don't have that new string brilliance any longer.
 
D'Addario EXL 110's
On my main guitar I change strings before every gig.
For the rest... it depends. I make sure I have a spare guitar.
When I play with my coverband I have one that's tuned in Eb, one in openG and a Strat.
I use these for a few or one song only so I change those strings every three months on average.
I always clean my strings with Fast Fret after a gig.
 
I change them when they start to go dead. I clean my strings with isopropyl alcohol after each gig or long practice session. When I was playing on stage 4 hours a night, 6 nights a week, I used to change the strings on my primary guitar (used on all but 2 songs) every other night. I got to the point where I could change strings and have them stretched and seated to stay in tune during a 15 minute break between sets. These days, playing 2 or 3 gigs a month, and spreading the workload across 5 or 6 guitars (depending what I take to the gig), I usually go a few months between string changes on any given guitar. Some longer, some less.

I always write the date on the string package and stash it in the guitar's case when I change strings so I can tell at a glance how old they are. A few nights ago while teaching a lesson to a student, I used one of my acoustic guitars that hadn't been out of the case in years. The strings still sounded OK, but they were a bit tarnished. I checked the string package, and that set had been installed in 1989. The guy I was teaching was one year old when I put those strings on that guitar, lol.
 
jesussaddle said:
Actually with Elixers I would probably be in that ballpark. I use D'adderio 9.5's. I don't wipe 'em down thoroughly enough I am thinking. The other thing that's occured to me lately is my bridge pickup is a Fred. Its harmonics are sardonic. The Axe Fx inspires me to (sadly awful) rhymes, sorry. But could it be said that the Fred makes it more apparent when my strings grow slightly errant? Uh oh, Quantum o_o

I need a bridge pickup that is versatile that will cover similar territory, including nice cleans, blues rock, and gainy fusiony metal? I have a coil tap switch (or something... I am not sure if that is the right term). Any replacement suggestions?
Click to expand...

I really like the Fred pickup but it can be a little weird at times. The Mojoe is in the same ballpark but tamed down somewhat with slightly more gain. I love the tone of the BK Rebel yells but they seem a little less dynamic when using the volume knob compared to the Fred.
 
when I used ernie balls or d'addarios it would only take a few hours because I have mutant corroding sweat. I use elixirs now and they hold up fine for a few months. Especially the polywebs with the anti rust.
 
I used to change my strings very often which was almost weekly or 2 weeks max. I created my presets based on the fresh strings so when they lost life so did the preset and I had to replace them to get that sound back. Then I decided to just let them go and started reconfiguring my presets to sound good after the 1 week timeframe. Now its one every 3 months that I change them and the first few days my presets are overwhelmingly sharp and brittle but settle after a week and sound the way I want now. If I am going to record, I just make sure the strings are at least 3 days old first. Just have to reverse your thinking and preset configuring. At least that worked for me. I use Dean Markley Blue Steel.
 
Normally, I only change my strings when I notice an issue, but they stay on AT LEAST a month.

I use DR tite-fit 11's


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
On my Duesenberg I still have the original strings. Bought the guitar in like february 2013 and it's been my #1 since. Play about 5 hours a week, sometimes less. They may not be super-bright anymore, but they are still quite snappy. This guitar is supposed to sound slightly darkish. They're Duesenberg branded .10-.50 Heavy bottoms. Good strings.
Usually on my other guitars it's every 6 to 9 months.

It depends quite a bit on the chemical properties of your fingers fluids.
I myself have the sort of fingers that leaves the guitar cleaner than they were before I start playing. Black strings shine after I played them.
I know some people that have their fingers turn strings black and corroded within a couple of minutes.

I never let them play my guitars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom