Another Reason For New Strings

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dani Pace
  • Start date Start date
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Dani Pace

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Beyond the obvious reasons we like new strings, they sound better, play better, stay in tune better, etc...

Old strings become pitted and wear the frets faster than new smooth ones.

This isn't a thread for debate, just passing along another tip. Any other ideas or tips welcome.
 
New strings are just so much easier to play, they are more flexible. Strings get stiffer with time.
ViP
 
Well, they do get more brittle with time. Take an old, oxydized plain (not wound) string and bend it in half, put a really sharp crimp in it. Sometimes it'll snap like a twig. A new string will bend like this without snapping. The new string is more flexible. The old string is more brittle.

Whether or not this makes a difference in feel while its under tension and tuned to pitch, I have no idea. But I've had old strings simply break like twigs after I've taken them off of a guitar during a restring. Granted they were very old strings and very oxydized (am I spellinig that right? Oxidized, Oxydized, Oxidyzed...eh, they all look wrong).

I think that new strings are easier to play simply because they're free from any oxydization, which makes them slicker to the touch when sliding up and down. Plus the better tone tends to motivate and inspire me much more than old, dead strings so I tend to play better on new strings. Plus they're shiny and pretty and I'm always impressed with shiny things :)
 
Old strings feel rank. They're harder to bend. I think the treble response is reduced though I can't prove that. Also think volume is reduced.
 
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