I recently switched to Daddario, playing around 2 or 3 hours a day, they last 2 maybe 3 weeks before they really start getting nasty. I really have to be vigilent wiping the high strings off when I'm done playing, otherwise I get the dreaded sharp, grey color high strings. I have been using both NYXLs and regular XLs. I prefer the NYXLs but stocked up on a bunch of XLs for a pretty good deal.
How long do you go before changing strings?
- Thread starter DimMak
- Start date
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When they need to be. 
I'll get lazy and play a dead set for an extra few week or months...or just switch to a different guitar that has a fresher set.
I'm not super picky. It's not like I'm opening MSG and the dogs certainly don't care.
I've finally decided to make the move to everything Elixir now that prices and availability are reasonable again, so change that "months" to "years."
I'll get lazy and play a dead set for an extra few week or months...or just switch to a different guitar that has a fresher set.
I'm not super picky. It's not like I'm opening MSG and the dogs certainly don't care.
I've finally decided to make the move to everything Elixir now that prices and availability are reasonable again, so change that "months" to "years."
When theres no show or final recording planned then ill keep them on for months until they sound really weak or start to look "bad"
When they get changed tho, the whole guitar always gets a full clean/checkup from me so ill always start at 100%
When they get changed tho, the whole guitar always gets a full clean/checkup from me so ill always start at 100%
I've been using D'Addarios for over 20 years and I absolutely love them. the longest I've gone without changing string in between gigs is about 8 months. I usually change them every few months. I'm really anal about wiping down my strings after every practice and gig, too.
NoodleFace
Delicious Noodles
Once the high strings start to sound dead I change them.
With D'addario that could be 1-2 months depending on how much I play said guitar... with Ernie Ball it's about 1-2 minutes.
With D'addario that could be 1-2 months depending on how much I play said guitar... with Ernie Ball it's about 1-2 minutes.
Moongrum
Well-Known Member
Only when they break, then I replace all of them. I hate the sound of new strings.
Moongrum
Well-Known Member
Do you just wipe them with a guitar polish cloth, or some special string specific thing?
Yes, guitar polish cloth. I have several Fender yellow cloths as well as a white Peavey cloth which is thicker than the Fender cloth. I really like the Peavey one and it came with an amp cleaning solution that was given to me free from a local music store as it wasn't showing up in their inventory. It works great. I also have an Ernie ball one similar to a lens cleaning cloth.
On my electrics I change once or twice a year (elixir strings really are that awesome), but would definitely change more often if I was gigging with them.
My acoustic guitar, which I retune several times per gig (standard, drop d and dadgad and d open), needs changing more often. I've considered using non-elixirs, but they're so goddam convenient to play on. Low fret noise, slick, great pop when you play... I usually change the first and second string 2-3 times before I change the whole set, since they lose their "sheen" faster than the wound strings. Elixir plain steel singles aren't that expensive, fortunately.
My acoustic guitar, which I retune several times per gig (standard, drop d and dadgad and d open), needs changing more often. I've considered using non-elixirs, but they're so goddam convenient to play on. Low fret noise, slick, great pop when you play... I usually change the first and second string 2-3 times before I change the whole set, since they lose their "sheen" faster than the wound strings. Elixir plain steel singles aren't that expensive, fortunately.
I've finally decided to make the move to everything Elixir now that prices and availability are reasonable again, so change that "months" to "years."
I did this last year, and I do find the Elixirs last longer for sure, but not 3x as long (for 3x the price). Meaning if I buy 3 packs of D'Addario EXL strings, those 3 packs will last longer than 1 Elixir set in my experience. So I'm going back to regular strings. I'm going to keep Elixirs on guitars that I play very infrequently though, I think that's when it really pays off.
That's just my experience though.
Edit: yes more string changes, but that's what locking tuners are for
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MetalDestroyer
Heaven's Football Bat
Wash your hands before playing and wipe off your strings after playing. Also wipe off the edges of your fretboard if you have acid hands - if you start getting green stuff in and around the fret tang it’s a nightmare to get off. You want to wipe away the hand oil while it’s wet and thin, before it sets and becomes buildup. I switched back from elixirs to daddario nyxl because they feel better and just wiping down the strings took my string life from a couple weeks to a couple months.
gabito
Advanced power chords user
It depends on how much I play the guitar, but it can be anything from 1 or 2 months to 6 or more on a guitar I use often... Usually the latter.
I'm lazy, I don't care. I'll change strings if I have to record though.
I'm lazy, I don't care. I'll change strings if I have to record though.
So true. I often think that the reason people use them at all is because of the huge roster of artists that they endorse.
High Plains Drifter
... drifting...
I've got a few FR guitars that still have the original strings... the oldest from 2015, so... almost 14 years on several of them. As long as they're not corroded or worn out, I maybe once a year or so give them a cleaning and just wait until one of em breaks... usually e or b.
On most of my hard-tails I'll change strings shortly after acquiring... especially if they feel old or dirty or if I really just don't like em ( the feel or the tone) or obviously if I don't like the gauge. But yeah, other than that I don't change strings often lol.
Maybe worth noting that my guitars are all stored in a climate/ humidity controlled environment and I almost always play with clean hands. My hands are also quite dry most of the time. If those factors changed, I would guess that I might feel the need to change strings more often... dunno.
On most of my hard-tails I'll change strings shortly after acquiring... especially if they feel old or dirty or if I really just don't like em ( the feel or the tone) or obviously if I don't like the gauge. But yeah, other than that I don't change strings often lol.
Maybe worth noting that my guitars are all stored in a climate/ humidity controlled environment and I almost always play with clean hands. My hands are also quite dry most of the time. If those factors changed, I would guess that I might feel the need to change strings more often... dunno.
I use them until they sound dead enough to me, not until they're rusty crusty some of these savages out there.
I will echo that on the EB strings, bass Slinkys are the worst offenders in my experience. I did have one set crap out within one rehearsal, I couldn't believe it.
That said, their Cobalts last a lot longer on guitar. I have them on a few of my sevens, I love them.
I will echo that on the EB strings, bass Slinkys are the worst offenders in my experience. I did have one set crap out within one rehearsal, I couldn't believe it.
That said, their Cobalts last a lot longer on guitar. I have them on a few of my sevens, I love them.
I did this last year, and I do find the Elixirs last longer for sure, but not 3x as long (for 3x the price). Meaning if I buy 3 packs of D'Addario EXL strings, those 3 packs will last longer than 1 Elixir set in my experience. So I'm going back to regular strings. I'm going to keep Elixirs on guitars that I play very infrequently though, I think that's when it really pays off.
That's just my experience though.
Edit: yes more string changes, but that's what locking tuners are for
I follow a regime closer to @MetalDestroyer and make sure to keep myself and guitars pretty clean, and perhaps due to diet or genetics I don't tend to melt strings and hardware in general, so spread across the entirely too many guitars I tend to play off and on I get a pretty significant lifespans out of coated strings. Is it "3 times" I don't know, but I haven't had to know, so I'm cool with it.
Different strokes.
Amen to that. I mean if something happens at a gig it happens but if you're at home why would not have clean hands when you pick up a guitar? I hate picking up crusty guitars that have crud on them. That shit is disgusting lol
High Plains Drifter
... drifting...
Yeah, man I agree. I'm OCD about a lot of things in general and that for sure relates to germs, bacteria, etc. And that carries over to aspects of how I interact with my instruments as well as their condition. I find that my fret-boards and frets need more attention or effort to maintain than my strings. Some guitars where the fret edge meets the board are just so laden with gunk, corrosion, personal stuffs related to skin flakes, sweat residue, etc... fuuuck... makes me gag.
So many guitar and pawn shops are just the worst with that shit too. Wanna actually persuade someone to buy a guitar? Maybe give those strings and fret-boards a little TLC so that potential purchasers aren't sliding their fingers through another dudes perspiration, piss, and booger infused marinade.
