How often do you change your Guitar strings?

[AndyK12]

I've went several years between string changes on my bass when I did the flatwound thing. It'd always blow people away that my strings would get all funky and rusty and that's how I'd keep em. I hate that zingy sound.

I've since went to the nylon wrapped string and I dig those alot.

My guitars is once before every gig.

 

[Track Rat]

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.

Ditto.....

 

[second skin]

on the electric that i use with my band i change the strings before every show unless we play 2 days in a row then i'll leave them on. otherwise if we are just in a practice pattern then i'll change them when i break one.

and of course any strings get changed before recording something important.

 

[Randy Johnson]

It really depends on the response you want from the strings. I like mine a little old. Sometimes I like them brand new. It just depends on the sound. You will get that down from experimenting.

 

[Nightfire]

On my acoustic, I change them once every 4 months maybe. For the folk singer/songwriter type stuff that I write I like the strings to sound old and "dusty". Too bright and clear sounds a little to "pop" for me if you know what I mean

On the electric I change them once a month, unless one of them breaks before that then I change 'em all. The reasoning behind this is that if I replace only that one string, eventually I have billions of half started string-packs in my gig bag.


Mike

 

[GuitarsFromMars]

every gig...

 

[Slowjett]

I used to kill my strings weekly. I started useing elixir strings a few years ago and they just keep sounding good up until they get crappy after about a month. I have 1 practice session with the band a week and play shows on the weekends and some weekdays, plus I pick up the guitar daily.

Anyone tried the diadario EXP's?

 

[Zaphod B]

When I used to gig a lot, I would change them after every second or third night. Any more than that and I'd be risking string breakage.

Now, since I'm not gigging, I just change them when the tone starts to drop off. Since I'm sharing my time between several guitars, one set of strings can easily last several months on any given guitar.

 

[CIRO]

Hi

As I don´t have problems with (excessive) sweat and I hate the fell (not the sound!) of new strings, I change it between 30and 60 days (Ernie Ball eletric/Daddario acoustic).Obviously, cleaning it each time I play...

If I need it for recording, every 10 or 15 days it´s fine


Ciro
www.soundclick.com/ciromoreau

 

[suprstar]

I almost NEVER change my strings, I'm just lazy really.. When I finally do, it's like I bought a brand new guitar, I'm always amazed how different it plays and sounds. I have one guitar I dont play much with 2-year-old strings on it, and 2 Jacksons with strings that are prolly 6 months old. I usually change em if I'm going to play an important show, or if I'm going into the studio, or when they break.. I also have a cheap 5 string bass that I rarely play, with the same strings as when I bought it about 10 years ago. They're actually getting spotty and corroded looking And my acoustic is about 2 years old with the orig. strings.

 

[mcmd]

I seem to change strings every couple of years....just lazy...

...just checked my string inventory:

6 packs of generic electric 10's (for my strat, Ibanez)
2 packs of Gibson vintage reissue 10's ( for my '74 SG custom)
2 packs of martin bronze 10's ( will never use 'em)
2 packs of Elixir nano acoustic 13's (for my Taylor 410CE)
2 packs of Elixir nano electric 10's (for my PRS CE22)
1 set of D"Addario bronze 12's (for my Taylor 422)

...ebay maybe!

/mcmd

 

[nopainkiller]

I rarely ever break a string. The frequency at which I chane my strings varies depending on which instrument I'm into at the moment. If I'm concentrating on drums, I change strings like once every 4 months. Right now I'm playing alot of guitar, and I need to change when they get sticky and dirty, like every 2 weeks. I just change when all the muck from my fingers makes it impossible. I sweat hydrochloric acid, nicotine, THC, and bacon grease into that thing,

 

[ofajen]

I change strings when I can afford to. Probably about every couple of months for the acoustics, and slightly less often for the electrics. Bass strings stay on rather a long time, maybe a year, usually changing in June.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[BudgetMC]

Depends on how much I'm giggin'. There's a reason I'm known as the "G-String Poppin' Daddy"... I'll often break at least couple of strings per gig. The only way to keep it under control is to keep the strings fresh. I skipped a re-stringing just a while back and broke four strings in two sets.

 

[AASteveo]

I mostly just change them a couple days before a recording session. Or before a big show. Or whenever I want a little more inspiration out of my guitar. The feeling of new strings just makes me wanna play more!

And I guess I'll change them if I want to switch string gauge. Sometimes I like to put on 9's before a show so it's easier to play and I can jump around more without struggling to play the hard parts.

 

[C12azy13ananas]

I used to wait forever to change my string cause they were always a pain. Now that I have locking tuners on my strat I change them much more often. I love locking tuners!!

 

[Fusioninspace]

Depends on how much I'm giggin'. There's a reason I'm known as the "G-String Poppin' Daddy"... I'll often break at least couple of strings per gig. The only way to keep it under control is to keep the strings fresh. I skipped a re-stringing just a while back and broke four strings in two sets.

Ok, "G-String Poppin' Daddy" is now a permanent part of my vocabulary thankyouverymuch...

 

[Unsprung]

I voted "I won't change them unless they break," but as 60's_guy says, "whenever they sound dead," otherwise. With a collection like I've got, not all of them get played regularly, so strings tend to last longer. My Fender Tele is "a bit" overdue for a string change, being the one that's just a short reach away, while others I have to either get up and cross the room for, or go to another room to retrieve. My latest string change was on my Peavey JF2 EX, and not because it needed 'em, but because I wanted something different from what was on it when I bought it. I've got enough string sets laying around, right now, I should just make it a point to restring all of my guitars.

Matt

 

[Walter Tore]

I was blessed to be around in the era of the blues greats. They were easily accessible and one I got to be good friends with was roy buchanan. He made me play his old tele and I trembled as he sat and listened. He inspired me to continue playing guitar. One thing he told was to change strings when they break. I have stuck to that rule. I break a couple strings a year, and I play alot. I use only fingers, which I think helps with making them last. Walter

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=71994638

 

[dogonjon]

Big gig

Tomorrow I get to front the band and play lead. Our lead singer is on his honeymoon in France so I'm next in line to sing lead as well. Changed strings tonight to get psyched up and get those little puncture wounds on my fingers and fresh blood on my Les Paul, for luck.