How often do you change your Guitar strings?

  • Thread starter Thread starter monkie
  • Start date Start date

How often do you change your Guitar strings?

  • Once a Week

    Votes: 7 9.1%

  • Twice a Week

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 3 Times a Week

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Monthly

    Votes: 15 19.5%

  • More than 1 Month

    Votes: 35 45.5%

  • I won't change them unless they break

    Votes: 20 26.0%
  • Total voters
    77
monkie

monkie

New member
I usually change them about once a month or so, sometimes longer; depends. I'm not doing any special recording or live performances at this time, just practice like every other days. Didn't feel the need to change. When would be recommended that you should change the strings? What if your guitar just sits in the corner for months without being played, do you still need to change it if you are going to play with it?:D

What about Bass Guitar strings?
 
I'm on a three month rotation for any guitar that I routinely play. So my Seagull acoustic gets new strings on that schedule cause I play at church every other Sunday. But...

I have dozen or so guitars - I keep a cork board that has a place for each of my guitars. I put the package cover under the guitar name with the date that I changed strings last. It's good because I can keep track of what kind of strings I've tried on what guitar over time.

So I just checked, my oldest set (from 11/06) is on a 5 string Jackson bass. My newest set (from 6/08) is on a baritone I finished putting together in June.

Plus I just noticed I'm overdue on my Seagull! Hey, my system works when you actually look it :rolleyes:

I think three months is probably a month to long, but it becomes a matter of logistics and practicality.
 
It depends on the guitar. My Les Paul likes to keep the same strings as long as it can, as the strings age they get mellower and fatter sounding. If I break one string I'll change them all. My strat hates old strings and will break them in a couple weeks. If some one else plays any of my guitars I change strings. If I get to sweaty while playing or the guitar starts going out of tune it's time to restring.
 
Change your strings when they sound dead.

It's not as if your guitar strings are on a monthly cycle like your girlfriend is......right? :confused::rolleyes:
 
It depends on how much I'm playing, but at the shop we recommend no less than once every two months (which seems long to me, but some people don't play much more often than that). When I'm playing a lot, every week at least.

Oh, and you need one more thing in that poll for the guys who change them every day. Yes, there are people who do that.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I like the feel and sound of new strings. On a couple of my most played guitars a weekly change is normal, for the rest about monthly (+ or - a few days.) If one has been sitting in the case for more than a month I usually change strings before even trying to play it. Regardless of how long strings have been on, when they sound dull or feel rough, I change them.
 
I voted a Month... seems thats when they get a bit duller.
Depends on the playing time of course, the notches in the strings on the wounds from getting fret worn, and the solids are alright as long as the I keep the cling-ons off 'em.

Wiping them down consistently after jamming has really extended the life, I've found. I been pinching pennies everywhere and this is one place where a small amount of maintenance helps greatly.

I notice my son, doesn't always get to his maintenance on his guitars and the strings are often rusted in a week. (as mine used to be at that age. :p)

The sound of a new string without gunk to dampen the vibration, or the notched underside is very noticeable when recording.

In a noisy garage band environment, probably isn't as important.

Bass Strings seem to last forever...wait until their dead.

I can't imagine having 12 guitars, like Fusioninspace mentioned.a scheduled rotation...yikes!! :eek:
 
I change strings after two gigs. I guess that means after six hours of continuous play. I know I'll break one on gig three, so nine hours is too long to wait. Seriously.
 
Not often enough, probably.

I've heard 6 month string rotations recommended for basses, but I've also heard that Geddy Lee has been known to change his bass strings almost daily.

I generally change my strings (both bass and guitar) about once a year. Although I do have one bass that I don't think I've ever changed the strings on (in about a decade.)
 
I change strings a couple days before something important, like a show or recording.

Otherwise I really have no need to change em. I haven't broken a string in probably 5 years.
 
You should have added a not frequently enough option to the poll. I prefer my strings to be new and bright, but broken in enough that they stay in tune.

While I probably should change them more often, I usually don't get around to it until I've got something great to record and I really don't want to change them because I'm ready to do that take now... or I already did a great take with a lousy sound!
 
I change them when i feel it is necessary, which genuinely is once in the time i have been playing guitar (7 years) It takes a couple of weeks to get them worn in enough to play properly so i generally dont want to change them.

It might sound weird but i have only broken a string once in the time i have been playing, on my seven string it was the lowest one which was about 56 gauge and was about a week after changing the strings so i figure there must have been something wrong with it.

Other people have broken strings on my guitar, the a the d and the high e, but i never have.

Though i probably will change them again soon because they are beginning to corrode.
 
i change my strings:

1. When they're dead. Self explanatory. This could be from either a sound or feel perspective--sometimes they feel dead before they sound it.

2. When i find the G or B won't hold tune very well anymore. This is usually a precursor to them dying.

3. Two days before a gig or recording session. I find 2 days gives me enough break-in time so they hold tune and don't sound overly bright.....but not long enough to make them sound too worn. I just make sure not to play too much.

i think it largely depends on the strings, too. with regular playing, i can't get more than a couple weeks out of my strings. i usually play d'addarios but had my guitar in getting reintonated this week and decided to try a set of slinkys instead when they didn't have my usual set in stock. they sound and feel pretty good, curious to see how they hold up.

i've also tried (and loved) Snake Oil Brand strings. they have a *great* vintage tone, but unfortunately the ball end winding on the high e string doesn't play nice with the weird bridge on my strat. those strings lasted for several months with no appreciable tone loss. need to try em on my tele.


cheers,
wade
 
COOLCAT said:
The sound of a new string without gunk to dampen the vibration, or the notched underside is very noticeable when recording.
Click to expand...

So that's probably why boiling bass strings makes them sound semi-new again.
 
Almost Never

elixers last forever and ever and ever and ever :D
 
They're normally changed after I break them once a week or so. I thought it was the guitar I had as a kid, but my big hammer hands keep breaking them. it's getting expensive!
 
When I was playing full time, I could burn a set of bass strings in a week. 6 nights and a Sunday open mike.

Last year, I did an experiment by buying a set of Elixers for my Rick, and surprisingly, they still sound crisp and clear. That was a shocker! :eek:

Bought a set of them for my Ibanez, and they're still crisp! Usually I don't buy into all this new shit, but I consider this a good investment.:cool:
 
I'm an elixir user too - the Nanowebs, not the Polywebs. They're probably not 100% as crisp as a new set of strings are from day one, but 1.) add a moderately hot humbucker and a high gain pre into the picture and the difference becomes pretty negligible, and 2.) six months down the road (or longer - I've gone over 8 on my main player between string changes, and over a year on backups) they still sound about 90% fresh.

I only change them when I break a string.
 
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