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Post by pnut on Aug 30, 2013 19:26:28 GMT
Varies with guitar and string, my Atkin OM with dadario ej16s about every 6-8 weeks, same strings on my Guild Dred about 3months, for coated strings eg exps or elixirs on the Guild probably about 4-6 months, don't tend to use coated on the Atkin now, though have had exps on there (think it came with them). I find the boomey dred sound used more for strumming with a plectrum tends to be more forgiving of old and dead strings where as smaller guitars especially ones aimed at finger picking can sound a bit crap with dead strings. Voila my 10ps worth for what's its worth
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Post by jackorion on Aug 31, 2013 6:47:52 GMT
Every two weeks if I can but never more than a month on an instrument I'm regularly playing...
Anything more than that and the strings just sound grim - undefined bass, poor tuning stability - and they feel worse!
Nothing like new strings to make you fully realise the potential of your guitar! I never understand how people manage to use the same strings for a YEAR...
Plus old strings are much more wearing on frets and it makes it harder to clean all the finger gunk off the fretboard if you don't change your strings often...
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stringdriventhing
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Post by stringdriventhing on Aug 31, 2013 9:34:07 GMT
I hate the sound of new strings and hate changing strings, so I leave them on longer than I should. Probably 6-8 weeks on the guitar I gig with. Longer on my others that get less use.
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brianr2
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My main instrument is: Brook Lyn guitar
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Post by brianr2 on Aug 31, 2013 11:09:09 GMT
As a somewhat anal statistician, I have kept records since January 2012, when I first started playing.
During this period, I have: * played for a total of some 1200 hours, averaging about 60 hours per month. As I repeatedly explain to my domestic line manager, in terms of pleasure per £ this makes playing guitar - and thus buying new instruments! - incredible value for money. * 27 sets of strings, averaging 45 hours per set. Initially, I used Elixirs but saw (heard?) the light a then moved on to Newtones, which I much prefer and seem to last just as long. About half of the replacements were due to breakages. I fiddle around with several different tunings and this takes its toll, even with my relatively gentle fingerstyle.
Must take up train spotting...
Brian
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Post by sigmadel on Sept 2, 2013 8:13:57 GMT
It depends what Im using and how often they are played . With D adarrios about 2-3 months but with the sets of Elixers I put on both my guitars they still sound good 8 months on , I wipe my strings down though every time I play with a jewellers silver polishing cloth , this removes a lot of gunk build up, and is amazing at keeping those frets with a brilliant shine to them . I have a couple of sets of Newtones recommended by Martin and others but while the Elixers refuse to die Im keeping em on
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Post by slasher on Sept 5, 2013 11:13:50 GMT
I use Elixirs (12's on the 000 and 13's on the dread) They last for ages although I play at home every day and out once or twice a week. I was talking to a pal at a session a few months ago. He has a nice hand built guitar but it did not sound too good. The A and low E strings went "thump" instead of "twang". I had heard this guitar-make previously and they had always sounded good (It was a Yairi). He had the same uncoated strings on his guitar for nearly two years! I can't see the point in spending lots of cash on a fine guitar then skimping on strings.
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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 5, 2013 12:22:56 GMT
I can't see the point in spending lots of cash on a fine guitar then skimping on strings. Never was a truer word spoken, Slasher. When you take all the costs into account, ours is (usually) a relatively inexpensive hobby. Well compared with anything that requires petrol, anyway (ie, Motor cars, Formula 1, Motorbikes, Arson). Mind you, when I needed to buy some strings urgently the other day in a shop I was charged £19 for a set of Elixirs. I thought that was a lot, but it was only raw emotion caused by having to prise my wallet open. I have 4 guitars that I play regularly (and another 6 I hardly play at all) and I reckon I buy 15 to 20 sets of elixirs a year. So that's maybe 3 or 4 months on average between changes. There's a difference when I put the new ones on, but the old ones won't be totally dead.
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Sept 5, 2013 12:49:23 GMT
I reckon I buy 15 to 20 sets of elixirs a year.
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Post by Mike Floorstand on Sept 5, 2013 19:36:08 GMT
I love the sound of new strings, though I have a theory that they sound better brand new, but a day after stringing up, so sometimes I restring then put the guitar in its case for a day before actually playing it...
I buy strings in bulk with the intention of changing every couple of weeks but in reality never do, so there are small piles of unopened string packets all over the house. It's not that I fear the act of restringing, more like resentment - the time spent restringing could be spent playing!
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Post by andyhowell on Sept 6, 2013 14:10:45 GMT
Damn, just broken a string! Change it is then :-)
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Post by sigmadel on Sept 7, 2013 19:07:32 GMT
Scorpiodog have a look on amazon I got a set of elixers for the 12 string for £14 and a set for the 6 for £9 but you have to look around . I'm sure too they had bulk buys which reduced the price even further . Its just your luck what deals are going and if they have the gauge your after .
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Post by scorpiodog on Sept 9, 2013 10:14:52 GMT
Thanks, Sigmadel. I, too, buy in bulk, but the day I went into the music shop was because I needed to change my strings before going to IanLP59's Summer do, but found I had left them at home. Choice was, do a 70 mile round trip to get my cheap strings or fork out £8 more than I would have paid normally. But thanks for the tip.
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mattyfez
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My main instrument is: Martin DRS-1
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Post by mattyfez on Sept 9, 2013 17:46:31 GMT
Probably between 1 and 3 months, it depends! I've been experimenting with different strings the past year, if I don't like them I will generally whip em' off sooner, otherwise I change when I feel they've lost thier mojo.
I generally abuse new strings a little bit with some heavy strumming for a few songs to break them in a bit too.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Sept 9, 2013 21:25:09 GMT
................................. I generally abuse new strings a little bit with some heavy strumming for a few songs to break them in a bit too. Me too mattyfez - works wonders to stabilise tuning as well. Keith
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Post by batucada on Sept 10, 2013 7:12:37 GMT
It depends how much the guitar is played. My main guitar which is played daily if only for a short while usually every 6 to 8 weeks.
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