String Life??

[strump]

--------------

[Crab_Cake]

elixers last me about 3 weeks to a month.

 

My advice is to wipe off your strings after every time you play.

[Freeman Keller]

If it is the E and B that are discoloring try Elixers new "non rust" strings - they have plated the unwound ones. The coating is only on the wound strings. By the way, if you don't like Elixer's wound strings you can buy the ones you want as singles.

 

I get about 3 weeks with uncoated, 3 months with coated (usually Nanos). I have a set of Extended Play DR's on the old 000 right now and they are going on 5 months. I'm gonna change them 'cause I think I should, not because they sound bad.

[guitarist21]

 

Any recomended products to use?

 

 

A dry towel-type thing that won't leave bits all over your frets (i.e. not a paper towel or kleenex). I've used a few other products (Dunlop string stuff comes to mind in particular, it came in a blue bottle) but it didn't extend the life of the strings any more than making sure to give the strings a good wiping off after every time I play.

 

Ellen

[Alan Roberts]

Nano's usually last me 2-3 weeks. That's 2 gigs per week, plus and hour or two per day of practice time. I'd like to change them more often, but the cost makes it impractical.

[melandy]

I know it is annoying, but try washing your hands before you play. I've got a body chemistry that eats strings too. Chronic hand washing will cut down on the crud you put on the strings.

 

Gotta remember everytime though. Dry hands well too.

 

-A

[Sangemon]

I just changed the string on my Martie this morning after one month and one day. The old strings were Martin SP 80/20 .12's. I put on a new set of DR Rare Phosphor Bronze Mediums, (.12 - .54, I don't know why they call those mediums). I changed them because I could no longer get them in tune easily. They'd jump from {x} cents too low to {x} cents too high and I was fed up with chasing the tuning.

 

The PB's are definitely not as bright and zingy as the 80/20's were, but these sound a lot more balanced than the old ones did. And with a bit of stretching they've tuned right up.

 

Oh, and the 80/20's lasted 32 days, and I've played for at least an hour on each of those days.

[Chip Stewart]

 

I know it is annoying, but try washing your hands before you play. I've got a body chemistry that eats strings too. Chronic hand washing will cut down on the crud you put on the strings. Gotta remember everytime though. Dry hands well too. -A

 

 

+1 I wash my hands everytime before I play, and it definitely helps. I use Martin SP4100 strings, which have the B and e string bronzed. I play often enough that the strings aren't on long enough to have a corrosion problem.

 

I typically get 1 week of great sound, and an additional 3 weeks of good sound. After 1 week, a lot of the subtle harmonics are gone. To sound my best, new strings go on before every gig. If I'm just practicing without any gigs, new strings go on about once a month.

[Taylor Davis]

A set of nanos lasted 2 weeks and the polys 8 days. Other non-coated about 3 or so days. I was thinking it could be sweat causing this now that it's hotter or could be body chemistry. The e and B will turn black, they all lose volume and sound crappy...dead IMO. I've been playing for about 4 months (with any regularity) 1-4 hrs a day so I'm interested in others experience with this? Also when do all of you consider your strings to be dead?

 

FOR ME, strings last three or four months. I play almost everyday and play out at night.

I buy DEAN MARKLEY NICKEL STRINGS or any type of nickel strings if i am unable to get the deans.

Whenever i play I have "just washed" CLEAN HANDS and I begin with a clean fretboard and neck and strangs.

If i play for a while I'll use WARM SOAPY WATER on a cloth to wipe the neck strings and fretboard off after i'm finished for the night. then warm water on a clean damp cloth to get the soap and dirt off and dry well with a soft cloth getting each string and the fretboard/frets well.

DO keep your strings wiped off.

DO keep your hands clean.

If i use alternate tuneings and tune to OPEN G or OPEN A and tune back into standard(I tune a whole step down) then your strings will wear out faster. they'll sound dull and thunky and will not hold a sustained note. they will not stay in tune if they're worn out.

I use two guitars if i'm useing alternate tunings as in OPEN tunings: one in RELATIVE STANDARD and the other in the alternate tuning.

I expect the strings to last every-bit of three months and more before the string goes dead.

I KEEP A CLEAN AXE AND CLEAN HANDS. DAng caps lock oh there it is..

 

the end thanks for lettin' me share.

[Coastalbee]

I'm stingy and don't have a lot of money to spend on strings. I average an hour or more of play a day, and keep trying out different kinds of strings. Most of them last me about five or six weeks before they start turning my fingers black and/or sound like crap. The ones that lasted longest were D'Addario Extended Play. I changed them after three months mostly to try a different brand of strings, but they were starting to sound a bit off by then (or so I told myself). Had no 'black finger' problem with them, either.

 

If I'm strapped for cash or just can't get into town to buy new strings, I'll wipe them down with straight vinegar. This temporarily halts the black finger problem and seems to make old strings sound better for a few days.

 

Clean dry hands and wiped down after play strings certainly extends string life.

 

I got gifted with several sets of Martin mediums (I buy lights, normally) and am finding they don't last me as long as the D'Addario lights do. Also, the black finger situation shows up with the Martins within days instead of weeks, but doesn't seem to affect the tone and can be solved with a wipedown for a while.

[jamesp]

I prefer the sound of dead(ish) strings, so I run 'em until they start having intonation issues. That's usually two, three changes a year on the mandolins - maybe twice a year on the guitars.

 

Four months of four hour days would toast just about any string, ime.

[jandrew]

I currently have on my first set of DR sunbeams -- five weeks now and they

still sound very good. Other non-coated strings I've used have noticeably

deteriorated by this time. In fact, I've been experimenting with strings a

lot over the past 10 months, and these are the best sounding after five

weeks. If I were to give subjective grades over the five weeks, I'd say the

sunbeams started at an A+, then to an A- / B+ in weeks two and three, and

are still a solid B at the end of week five. D'addario and Martin SP were

definitely only a C grade at week five, and while I liked Dean Markely

Vintage bronze at first, they were a D grade in week four.

 

 

cheers,

andrew

[Hudman]

Elixir Nanowebs last me 3 - 4 months. I'm not sure why they only last people on this forum a few days or a couple of months. Makes no sense to me.

 

Non coated strings last me 4 - 6 weeks.

[jamesp]

 

Elixir Nanowebs last me 3 - 4 months. I'm not sure why they only last people on this forum a few days or a couple of months. Makes no sense to me. Non coated strings last me 4 - 6 weeks.

 

 

I don't envy them. One friend of mine, you hand him your guitar you can kiss your strings goodbye. He'll play it for an hour and my strings will sound (and feel) like I've played 'em for a year! Great player tho'. And super fast at string changes.

[Hudman]

 

I don't envy them. One friend of mine, you hand him your guitar you can kiss your strings goodbye. He'll play it for an hour and my strings will sound (and feel) like I've played 'em for a year! Great player tho'. And super fast at string changes.

 

 

 

I still have trouble believing coated strings only last people a week or two.

 

The plain strings may discolor if the person has high acid in their sweat, but that will do little to affect the tone of the plain strings. The wound strings are coated. There is no way the coating breaks down in a week or two.

[masterbuilt]

I have dry skin, even though I drink lots of water. I don't drink any carbonated beverages, just two cups of coffee a day. With my dry hands, I am able to easily get four months or so from a set of steel strings, even when I play a ton. My ukuleles are all sitting two years or more on a set of strings.

[Terry Allan Hall]

I get about 4-5 months out of a set of Elixer Polys, about 6-8 weeks out of a set of D'Addario EXPs, about 3 weeks out of regular D'Addarios (or other uncoated PBs) or literally about 45 minutes out of a set of Martin Marquis (Marquis and my body chemistry don't jibe! )

 

OTOH, I last changed the strings on my favorite P-bass in '92...dead strings on a bass gets "that sound" for me.

[outdoorgb]

I'm a firm beliver in using beer as a string preservative; applied from the inside out. I challange anyone to prove me wrong:thu:

 

BTW - DR Sunbeams are a good string. Running a set hard an a full size Yamaha.

[Crab_Cake]

FOR ME, strings last three or four months. I play almost everyday and play out at night. I buy DEAN MARKLEY NICKEL STRINGS or any type of nickel strings if i am unable to get the deans. Whenever i play I have "just washed" CLEAN HANDS and I begin with a clean fretboard and neck and strangs. If i play for a while I'll use WARM SOAPY WATER on a cloth to wipe the neck strings and fretboard off after i'm finished for the night. then warm water on a clean damp cloth to get the soap and dirt off and dry well with a soft cloth getting each string and the fretboard/frets well. DO keep your strings wiped off. DO keep your hands clean. If i use alternate tuneings and tune to OPEN G or OPEN A and tune back into standard(I tune a whole step down) then your strings will wear out faster. they'll sound dull and thunky and will not hold a sustained note. they will not stay in tune if they're worn out. I use two guitars if i'm useing alternate tunings as in OPEN tunings: one in RELATIVE STANDARD and the other in the alternate tuning. I expect the strings to last every-bit of three months and more before the string goes dead. I KEEP A CLEAN AXE AND CLEAN HANDS. DAng caps lock oh there it is.. the end thanks for lettin' me share.

 

I am sorry but WHAT? why are like 1/4 of your posts in cap locks?

[nylon rock]

About corrosion:

 

For a corrosion reaction we need (1) a metal that can be oxidized, (2) oxygen, and (3) water. The reaction can be facilitated by adding a salt to the water (such as sodium chloride, sea salt). The salt increases the conductivity of the water, and thus enhances the electron transfer. This is the reason why cars rust so much faster in the winter (plenty of water, salt on the roads). Another way to enhance the corrosion of metals is to increase the acidity of the solution; the increased availability of H+ ions not only increases conductivity, but also promotes the reduction reaction. Finally, temperature is also a factor: at higher temperatures metals corrode faster.

 

So, warmer weather speeds up corrosion. (Rule of thumb: 10 deg C doubles the rate of reactions.)

 

Also, by washing your hands before you play, you essentially coat your skin with soap which is alkaline and in this way you eliminate acid. Also you remove salt that is in your body chemistry.

 

If you were to coat your strings ever so lightly with a nano layer of oil, this would also help reduce corrosion.

 

That's about it.

[rickoshea]

personally I dont like the coated strings, but mine will last a month fine. As said - wash ur hands before playing and I like to rub each string down after a session with a small alcohol swab. You can buy these at the likes of Walmart ( if ur in the States ), or any pharmacy and they cost hardly anything. They work for me

[Taylor Davis]

 

I am sorry but WHAT? why are like 1/4 of your posts in cap locks?

 

Cause if ALL the words were CAPS then folkes might complain..

But seriously folkes, I enjoy interacting with you all.

[Bernie P.]

Give Fast Fret a try.This stuff really brings back the sound to old,dirty strings.Just wipe it on with a cloth.It's also good for the fretboard and wont harm the finish.Great product!

[jamesp]

Surely someone remembers String Tea? Back when we were young and broke we'd boil our strings when they'd go dead. As I recollect we'd get another couple hours of playing time out of them afterwards. But boy they were clean!

 

My friend with the toxic hands would sometimes dip a cloth in alcohol and run it up and down the strings to de-grungify them. Doing this made a horrible screeching sound much worse than nails on chalkboard. IIRC that didn't help much either.