To restring before a gig or not?

[Presc]

What's everyone's "policy" for restringing prior to a gig?

I've got a gig on Friday, and I'm at that awkward point where I'm worried my strings are getting a little bit old, but won't have adequate time to "play in" a new set before the show.

I like to have a fresh set on there but like to log an hour or two to make sure everything's fully stretched out and there are no surpises.  How about everyone else?

[joshmac]

Dont care about if they sound "new" as long as they hold their tuning. I put on a set an hour before showtime sometimes and then stretch them out for a good 10 mins or so

[Tone Deaf]

New strings before every gig for me. You should be able to stretch them adequately during installation that you shouldn't need much play time on them ahead of time.

[Bro Blue]

As long as they are properly put on and stretched it shouldn't be a problem.

[larry50]

Sometimes depends on the guitar.  Some guitars sound better with "deader" strings. 

[A_Gitarman]

I used to change 'em a day or two before every gig, but have gotten to the point lately where I won't swap 'em until they start to feel cruddy or sound dead, which usually ends up happening after 2 or 3 gigs.

[DeadNight Warrior]

 

I'll usually change 'em at least on my main a couple of days before, unless I happen to have already changed 'em a few days before that. My backup tends to have fairly fresh strings on it all the time anyway, coz I'll change 'em nearly as often but use it nowhere near as much.

I'm not too bothered about them sounding brand new, more tuning stability and having them not break. I have to do a bit of unfortunately violent whammy work in the band, so I'm more just wanting a set on there that hasn't yet taken a massive beating.

 

Which reminds me, I still need to order some spare whammy bars, having been introduced to (at practice, thankfully) the reality that whammy bars can indeed break. Haha.

[D Carroll]

If they scare you, change them.