String Change - How often?

Subject: String Change - How often?
From: tandrink
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 10:10 AM

I knwo there is a Perma-Thread on how long it takes to change strings. What I want to know is how long do you leave your strings on before you change them.

I play (guitar) for about an hour a night and I'd say I change strings about 4 times a year. Is there a benchmark for time between string changes?

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: Raptor
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:15 AM

You have to find what works best for you.
Depending on how hard you strum, If you wipe down strings after you play, If you wash hands well before playing,where you store guitar (in case or out),what sound you like,Etc...
Find what works for you there is no set formula.
Old strings tend to sound flat and dead to me when I need to change them!
Raptor

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: Steve in Idaho
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 11:24 AM

I play a couple of hours each night - for the most part - and I change strings every couple of weeks. Usually I can tell by the inability to keep the guitar in tune, capoing really requires a bunch of re tuning, or the strings look black from over use. Old Mose will take the strings and make it impossible to tune up if the strings are bad. One session Mose would get in tune and about half way into the song the Low E would fall off like it had never been tightened up. OK OK Mose - I get the message!!!

I take pretty good care of my strings, wipe them off, store Mose in the case always, and it is always a joy to hear Old Mose ring like a bell when I put the new ones on! And with the low price of bulk order strings - why not?

Steve

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: Justa Picker
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:01 PM

Approximately every 2 weeks.

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 12:25 PM

Every time the wrapping starts to wear through at the frets and it sticks into your fingers :) or sometimes just before then. JohnB

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: tandrink
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 03:26 PM

Anyone else have some thoughts?

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: 53
Date: 06 Dec 01 - 06:44 PM

session players get 2 to 4 hours on a set of strings, when we did our cd, i changed strings after every song, now itry to change them at least every 2 weeks, cause i try to get every not out of them possible. BOB

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: mooman
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 04:33 AM

With a set of regular strings after a 4-5 hour gig, after every gig. Normal playing with a regular set of strings, every 6 weeks or so. With an hour's fingerpicking a day using Elixirs, no less and perhaps more than every six months (I might change the top two unwound in the meantime).

Summary: for me, although they are expensive, the Elixirs actually save money for me and I like the feel and sound as well on my instruments although I agree they are not to everybody's taste.

mooman

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: 53
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 03:06 PM

good answer mooh. BOB

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: GUEST,BOOB Killer
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 06:01 PM

Message deleted - personal attacks are not welcome here.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: 53
Date: 07 Dec 01 - 08:41 PM

least i have the guts to say who i am, you must be like one of the faceless cowards in the world ashamed of you identy. BOB the guest killer

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 12:46 AM

Jerry Garcia changed strings when they broke. I remember reading he used Black Diamonds. I watched Steve Goodman put on a set of new strings and then go right out to play.

I change them every other week when we are playing heavy in the band. Once a month otherwise. I change banjo strings once a week now. I used to get a month out of them but Vega Long Neck strings are out of production. All I can find long enough now are GHS Banjo strings which are even more awful than their guitar strings.

Good think auto harp string improve with age.

Don

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: CRANKY YANKEE
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 03:25 AM

I change them for every performance or every couple of hours when I'm recording. My old D=28 (1963) just sounds so good with new (or boiled) strings, it really inspires me when I'm performing.

Don't throw away the strings that you take off, bronze wound strings can be re-vitalized simply by boiling them for three minutes in clean water. I don't know why this works, but it does.

Don Meixner:
I have a "one of a kind" long necked banjo made in 1925. The pot was made by Fred Bacon, himself, when he was still living in Hartford, Connecticut, before he founded the "Bacon and Day" company of Groton, Ct. He made it for a friend named Todd Farnham of Tiverton, Rhode Island who made the neck. Todd, now in his 90's is also a friend of mine. Todd is one of the worlds greatest luthiers. He made guitars, banjos, mandolins and dulcimers. His wife died about six months ago and he has since moved to Florida to live with one of his neices. The last time I saw Todd, which was just before he left Tiverton, he went rummaging around in his basement and came back upstairs with thi s banjo and he GAVE IT TO ME. He said that this neck was the first thing he ever made,. when he was still an amateur. I was struck dumb for about two minutes (a very unusual posture for me) and finally blurted out my thanks saying, "This is the nicest present anyone has ever given me". He said, "Just play it a lot, and think of me and I know I'll be thinking of you, Joyce and Donna. Joyce Katzberg, my Daughter, is also a close friend of Todd's. He gave her a "Dobro" that he made in 1929, and gave my wife Donna, his wife's mountain dulcimer. He also made the case because he couldn't find one that fit a long necked banjo. It's made of Brazilian Rosewood covered with leather. The point of all this meandering is that this is just about the greatest sounding banjo I've ever heard, and, I DON'T CHANGE IT'S STRINGS UNTIL THEY BREAK. I use guitar strings on it. They are just about long enough if you, very carefully, pop the ball out of the end. I use a .010 for the first and fifth, .013 for the second .017 for the third and AN UNWOUND .022 Hawaiian guitar third for the fourth string. So, all of it's strings are unwound, and, unwound strings, if kept clean, just don't go dead. I tried an unwound guitar third once on my guitar, but, it didn't sound very good. The unwound fourth on the banjo does sound good. Try it, if you don't like it, go back to the ones you have been using. What can you lose?

I quit using my Gibson Mastertone banjo. In fact, I loaned it to a friend who wants to learn 5-string banjo. I'll probably wind up giving it to him if he really does learn.

Norton I: Where do you get your bulk strings, and, could you give me an adress?

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: Hilary
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 06:40 AM

Re boiling strings, apparently it just melts away the grease & removes the dirt & debris with it. I haven't tried it. . H

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 07:25 PM

Wanted to try boiling strings, couldn't find a long pan! Seriously, its what is right for You,or what you can afford. I once was shown a Gibson archtop that had been in a cellar for years.The strings were black,but the guitar sounded great.(played hell with the fingers though.)Tried to rescue the box,sadly failed.

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: 53
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 07:30 PM

joe i didn't mean to smart off at that guest , i'm sorry BOB

Subject: RE: String Change - How often?
From: DougR
Date: 08 Dec 01 - 09:02 PM

Bob: you might find some comfort from the fact that you are not alone, and certainly not the first one to do so.

DougR