Members rbomb Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 How often do you change your own strings or do you just have the guitar shop change them for you. My local shop changes them for free (assuming you buy the strings there). I look at like changing the oil in my car. Yes, I could do it, but it is just easier to have them do it and I don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I usually change mine after about 10 hours of playing, and before a gig. It's something that every guitarist should learn how to do, and to do well...all you really need is a wire cutter, and a pegwinder to make your life a little easier. Takes about 15 minutes to do well on a Strat-type guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bilbo Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 You'll put your eye out with that string! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tiger roach Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Its easier to change them than to take them to a shop. That is pretty cool that your shop does them for free though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whpprsnpprr Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yeah every guitarist, especially gigging ones should learn how to do it. It is very easy to do but it's also very easy to do wrong resulting in tuning problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mind Riot Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 The nearest music shop to me is a Guitar Center that's an hour drive away, and those yahoos couldn't change their own shoe strings without putting out an eye or choking someone to death. Besides, I like doing things myself. Including my own car maintenance and repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members markas214 Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I change them every couple weeks. I always have a few packs around and when the guitar loses it's brightness it's time to grab a set. I don't mind spending 15 minutes changing them myself. Even if the local shop offered I'd still do it myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 If you want a book that can show you the right way to wrap the strings around the peg (which is where 90% of tuning problems come from), buy a book called "The Complete Guide to Guitar and Amp Maintenance" by Ritchie Fliegler...it has pictures that will show you exactly what to do, and a LOT of other helpful stuff as well. $15 well spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EdMan63 Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I don't change my strings that often but I have always done it myself. I haven't done it on my '62 yet and it has the vintage style tuners so that will be a little different. I think it's fun. Allows me a little non pressure fun time with my guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whpprsnpprr Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Unless I'm gigging or recording I use them til they start breaking. I love when they get old and grimy. You can really grip them and the tone seems beefier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by whpprsnpprr Unless I'm gigging or recording I use them til they start breaking. I love when they get old and grimy. You can really grip them and the tone seems beefier I couldn't be further on the other edge of the spectrum...I can't stand old strings...they feel dead and lifeless to me, with no sparkle, and I find they start REALLY sounding like {censored} when you can feel the grooves where the strings have worn off on the frets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orourke Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I like fresh strings so I change them pretty often - between 5 and 10 hourse of use. On my Gibsons I like to take all of the strings off, clean the guitar, then put on a set of DR nickle .10s. The neck on my '99 LP Classic is pretty rubbery and needs to be adjust 3 or 4 times a year, so it's important that I know how to do set-ups myself, otherwise I would be lugging that guitar to my tech every few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whpprsnpprr Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by MojoFilter I couldn't be further on the other edge of the spectrum...I can't stand old strings...they feel dead and lifeless to me, with no sparkle, and I find they start REALLY sounding like {censored} when you can feel the grooves where the strings have worn off on the frets... I'm going to assume that you play a cleaner tone...tasty style...picking maybe? I'm in the big dumb rock category...cranked through a halfstack gain up all the way lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MojoFilter Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 No, dude, I'm right there with you...big dumb rock was part of my cover band's gig...I just couldn't stand the sound or feel of really dead strings. New, with maybe 45 minutes playing time to stretch them out and keep them in tune was always best for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratopedia Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I serially need to work on my stringing. I don't do none of the those wraparounds. Just slide it into the hole and twist away; which evidently looks bad compared to the well wrapped ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I dislike changing strings, so I rub them down with a GHS Fast Fret stick to prolong their life. Many of my guitars are strung with strings that exceed well over a year old.But my test is when the color on the high strings goes from a shiny silver to looking like, or spotted with, the color of a graphite pencil line on a piece of white paper, I change them out. I will sometimes slip a piece of white paper under the strings to get a better visual of the amount of corrosion.But if I gigged, I'd definitely want to put on fresh strings since that top jangly brightness disappears after a fairly short amount of play time.But as often as I've changed strings, I can still never remember my blood type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members again with this Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by whpprsnpprr Unless I'm gigging or recording I use them til they start breaking. +1 Then I change the whole set, but I prefer new strings- like the second day after changing them after they settle down a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members air guitar Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I change my strings myself. One reason is I don't like anyone touching my guitars. And I have a Peterson VS-1 strobe. So I can tune and set the intonation as good as anyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members whpprsnpprr Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by MojoFilter No, dude, I'm right there with you...big dumb rock was part of my cover band's gig...I just couldn't stand the sound or feel of really dead strings. New, with maybe 45 minutes playing time to stretch them out and keep them in tune was always best for me... Wow well I'm wrong again lol. Aside from the 12 million times a day when I'm wrong, I'm usually right about people lol. That's cool though...different strokes. When I professionally record, the engineer insists on new strings and heads or he won't even be bothered. I totally understand his ethic and I respect him on it, but it's frustrating because I hate new strings!!! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by GAS Man I dislike changing strings, so I rub them down with a GHS Fast Fret stick to prolong their life. Many of my guitars are strung with strings that exceed well over a year old. But my test is when the color on the high strings goes from a shiny silver to looking like, or spotted with, the color of a graphite pencil line on a piece of white paper, I change them out. I will sometimes slip a piece of white paper under the strings to get a better visual of the amount of corrosion. But if I gigged, I'd definitely want to put on fresh strings since that top jangly brightness disappears after a fairly short amount of play time. But as often as I've changed strings, I can still never remember my blood type. 2 words:LOCKING TUNERSthey're not just about tuning stability.they make restringing a breeze.takes 1/4 of the time!i used to dread restringing.now i look forward to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rbomb Posted October 18, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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