Jayme
New member
I use elixir strings for my acoustic gutiar, and because they are a bit expensive, I was wondering if there is a way to stop or prevent them loosing there brightness so quickly?
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tdukex
Man of the Muse
If you want bright strings don't play Elixers, play John Pearse or any other brand tht makes phospher-bronze.
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fretmeister
New member
Wipe your strings with a cloth after playing regardless of which strings you use. It should be a habit. I use the yellow string saver cloth from Musicians Friend, but an old t-shirt will do.
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boingoman
New member
I use regular strings and Fast Fret. It's a cleaner. About 5 bucks, lasts for a couple years.
Easto
New member
I wash my hands before playing any of my guitars.
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Imaduck
New member
Yeah, fast fret works very well. It won't save you're strings, but it'll give them a little more vibrance and beats just wiping them down.
Light
New member
Ask yourself this question; are Elixers lasting me twice as long as normal strings?
Because they do COST twice as much. If they don't last at least twice as long, then you should probably go to normal strings, such as D'Addarios or John Pearse, which cost less, and are brighter to begin with.
Whatever you use, you should wipe them down with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth when you are done playing.
Beyond that, most strings are rather cheap, so I just change them a lot. I do, however, get my strings for wholesale prices, so they cost me even less. My opinion on the matter may be biased.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Because they do COST twice as much. If they don't last at least twice as long, then you should probably go to normal strings, such as D'Addarios or John Pearse, which cost less, and are brighter to begin with.
Whatever you use, you should wipe them down with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth when you are done playing.
Beyond that, most strings are rather cheap, so I just change them a lot. I do, however, get my strings for wholesale prices, so they cost me even less. My opinion on the matter may be biased.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
crazydoc
Master Baiter
Don't put them on the guitar.Jayme said:
I wonder if there would be any advantage to detuning the strings one or two steps down when done playing each day, or if the constant variation in tension would actually wear the strings out faster?
It would sure be a pain in the ass to retune each time you play, but it might win the Philadelphia Inquirer's Cheapskate of the Year Award.
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Imaduck
New member
I'm going with wear down your strings faster. I know on my downtuning guitar where I change tunings constantly the strings wear out a lot faster. I guess if you only play your guitar once a month, it might be beneficial, but otherwise, it's probably a bad call, and yes, it's just plain cheap.
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Mr T
New member
I would recommend just buying cheaper strings like D' Addarios & change them regular. You can order them in bulk on-line for a good price.
minofifa
New member
i use elixers as well and i find that the extra cost is worth is. They last me at least 2 times longer than phospher-bronze stings on average. Although i think phospher-bronze strings do sound good in certain situations, i generally like the sound of elixers better (and of course they are easier to play).
I would say the most important thing is to wash your mitts before you get that acid all over the strings. Also keep your hands dry (of water and sweat) as much as you can. Give your strings a wipe down as mentioned.
Hope i don't get flamed for this BUT... it is to my knowledge that stings, being metal and all, go though constant oxidation reactions which ultimately leads to their degredations (kind of like rust forming).
This is also my personal and humble opinion but i think that fast free stuff is only a temporary solutions. I find that overall it gunks up my strings and i end up changing them soon than i would like. It does a great job in th short term though, its like a slip n slide! perhaps i should lacker it one 3 inches thick..
I would say the most important thing is to wash your mitts before you get that acid all over the strings. Also keep your hands dry (of water and sweat) as much as you can. Give your strings a wipe down as mentioned.
Hope i don't get flamed for this BUT... it is to my knowledge that stings, being metal and all, go though constant oxidation reactions which ultimately leads to their degredations (kind of like rust forming).
This is also my personal and humble opinion but i think that fast free stuff is only a temporary solutions. I find that overall it gunks up my strings and i end up changing them soon than i would like. It does a great job in th short term though, its like a slip n slide! perhaps i should lacker it one 3 inches thick..
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bixlmalta
New member
Why are people more concerned with how long srings last as opposed to how they sound? I never bought a set of strings that I worried about how long they would last. Actually your finger oils would help protect the strings. Oxygen is what kills them.
KEVIN1600
New member
The more you play the more you pay! I Change strings before every gig (on my Strat ).On my MARTIN 12 -28 not so much.(Always tune a 12 string down a 1/2 step and use a capo.)
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steve350
New member
I use Pyramid on my Rickenbacker 12 string. The set on it is 2 years old and still sounding good.
minofifa
New member
Because some of us are students and so we are on a student budget. True sound is very important but so is longevity. sound + longevity = value.
Also finger oils are acidic and so would aid in oxidation reactions. Oxidation raeactions are the addition of H+ molecules (acids) not oxygen.
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smattermonnat
New member
I've used the fastfret before and it seems to work okay. Has anyone in this forum ever tried "Fingerease"- the spray? Just curious what you think, I'm thinking of trying it.
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tdukex
Man of the Muse
smattermonnat said:
I bought some about six years ago, used it half a dozen times, and it is still sitting on my shelf. The same with fast fret. To me they are just gimmicks and no substitution for technique--not that mine is any good.
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Dani Pace
New member
wipe, wipe and wipe again
Forget the products like fastfret and fingerease, a good brand of vegatable shortening would probably work just as well and not gum up your fingerboard as much either. (just kidding about the shortning) Seriously though, those products are mainly string lubes and only make strings slick for a little while. Frequent wiping of the strings will do more to make them last longer. Think about it this way, strings that look bright and shiny will usualy sound bright, dirt and rust are the main culprit causing dull sounding strings as well as old age. MY solution, clean hands, clean fingerboard, frequently wiped strings, then when they get dull sounding...new set of strings, thats the system I've been using for years and it's still working.
Forget the products like fastfret and fingerease, a good brand of vegatable shortening would probably work just as well and not gum up your fingerboard as much either. (just kidding about the shortning) Seriously though, those products are mainly string lubes and only make strings slick for a little while. Frequent wiping of the strings will do more to make them last longer. Think about it this way, strings that look bright and shiny will usualy sound bright, dirt and rust are the main culprit causing dull sounding strings as well as old age. MY solution, clean hands, clean fingerboard, frequently wiped strings, then when they get dull sounding...new set of strings, thats the system I've been using for years and it's still working.
Jayme
New member
Mr T said:
I Need the quality of elixir for recordings! and i'm always recording!!!
