Strings

[red7flag]

My Pomeroy was starting to sound poorly. I thought I was having a buzz problem. Then, I started having trouble getting it in tune. I knew it was time to get change strings. While taking off the strings, I saw what bad shape the strings were in. There were places where the wound was gone. After new strings, WOW. The Pom is sounding the best it ever has. I will have to get more motivated to change strings more often, for sure. BTW, there is no buzz problem now.
Tony

[floyd26]

just out of curoisity how long do you think you had those on red? i try to change mine at least once a month if not sooner, alot of my guitar player friends say i'm crazy. keeping in tune and not to mention the volume are always a problem for me with dead strings

[8STRINGR]

Normally, I change once a month during the Spring and Summer months where I've been playing outside, exposed to the elements. Least often in the Fall and Winter months for events that are more "climate controlled". Also, it depends on how often I'm called to play, other than loosening up every day around the homested year round. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Jerry Byers]

I experienced the same thing with my strings. I put some EXP's on in July and last month it started to sound muted. I took a look at the strings, and I noticed that the winding was disappearing in some places on the G and D. The A and E strings had turned black from the 1st to 7th fret. I regularly clean the strings with that Dunlop stuff; I guess it was time to change them.

Normally, I change out the J74's every month. I got some EXP's and wanted to see how long they would last. I got about 3 good months out of them.

[Soupy1957]

Interesting that you should bring up the J74's. I just bought my first set after hearing all the praise in here. I strung my MK with em.

I had a fella tell me once that I should wipe down my strings after each session of play. I guess it removes the oils from our skin and such, which supposedly preserves the strings a bit.

I'd LIKE to be in the habit of changing my strings every month, but it really depends on the instrument. With guitars and mandos around, (at least two each), it can get a bit expensive to just change strings "on principle."

If I haven't played a particular instrument much over the course of the month (or two months) and since I ALWAYS keep my instruments in their cases when they are not being played, I find that I don't have to change them monthly.

-Soupy1957

P.S. I'll pass judgement on the J74's after a month or so, before I express an opinion, (since ALL strings sound great on an instrument in good condition, when new).

[Jerry Byers]

The one difference that I noticed between the EXP's and the J74's is that the J74's will go dead rather abruptly. The EXP's kind of fade off. The first thing that went was the pop in the A and E's. As it muted, it sounded very vintage. It was a great sound for awhile, until it sounded like somebody pressed the mute button. I put on another set of EXP's and pow, the sound was back; I forgot how loud this mando can be.

[Soupy1957]

I guess I'm confused. I couldn't really tell in the above comments in this thread, if you were stating that the "EXP" strings were strings that you approved of or not.

Who makes the "EXP" strings? I am not familiar with them?

-Soupy1957

[Jerry Byers]

The EXP's are EXP74 from D'Addario. They are the same as J74's with a micro coating. I'm not promoting either one, although I love the sound that J74's produce. I normally would not buy EXP's, as they are 3x the price of J74's, but I was given several sets.

Would I use EXP's again, sure. Am I promoting one or the other, not really. For most bluegrass, a good set of J74's will do you good.

[JGWoods]

6 months, sometimes a year, maybe even more. I rotate a lot of instruments- 2 fiddles, 4 banjos, 2 guitars, and 4 mandolins so they don't get a lot of playing time each. Stings last fine in the case...they do lose somenting from being tensioned, but not much.
Then again- I'm not a performer. I jam weekly and change the strings when I have a problem- can't be heard anymore, losing tune etc. so 6 months and more works for me.

[red7flag]

I have the same problem or blessing having too many intruments. Also, I find that changing mandolin strings a real chore, but much easier with some of the advice I have gotten at the Cafe. Usually a set stay in about 3 months. In this case, it has been longer, like five. BTW, I use J74s also. I have never had a set deteriate like these and I have had sets on longer. Yes, I know, hangs head. Usually when they start sounding poorly, I change them. I am having a picking deal here today, so I am changing sets that are close or beyond.
Tony
Tony

[mandocrucian]

I hate the sound of brand new strings - harsh, over jangly. I only change them when they break, or hear the ominous death rattle (play long enough and you'll recognize it) that breaking is around the corner. But if there's too much tuning disparity between a new string and an old one, I'll replace the old one just so they note the same up the neck.

The original strings are still on my lefty Mid-Mo and I've had it for four years! #And I do play it, but with a much, much lighter strum than RHed, (and not mashing down with the fretting hand transferred over from the start, on that side).

I usually use D'Addario J67s on my mandos. Hold up longer, plus I prefer the steel.

NH

[jmcgann]

When the frets start cutting into the windings, intonation (such as we have it, har har) goes south might fast. You'll notice when you take off the old strings there can be some pretty deep divots on the windings. That's gonna affect your tone big time.

J74 man from the git-go.

[Soupy1957]

I've had some sucess with Elixir Strings, (came on my Taylor Guitar, which was my first introduction to them). THEY are "coated" with some sort of protective film (Polypro? Plastic?).

They were SO "new" that the local stores didn't have any on their shelves yet. They indicated they were waiting to see if they caught on.

I understand that Elixir has Mando string sets, but I haven't seen them or tried them yet. I did note that Taylor said that the Elixir strings would "fray" over time, but I never had mine on long enough (maybe 3 months or so) to see that happen.

-Soupy1957

[wichitamando]

I tried the Elixirs once and thought they sounded dead right out of the package. Lately, I've been using the EXP74's. I seem to be getting 3-4 months out of them. Usually only got 1 month out of the J74's. (I think I have pretty acidic fingers.) I used the JS74's (stainless) for a while and got 2-3 months out of them. Then, I decided that I didn't like the tone.

Just my .02

[SternART]

Thile & Marshall are using the Elixer nanowebs.....I've been experimenting with them, my experience was the opposite of wichitamando,
I found them to be evenly balanced maybe a tad on the bright side....took me awhile to get used to them, slippery....was sliding a fret
past where I was headed......seem to last pretty good. Chris & Mike are using a custom set, I think the A string is a notch beefier.
I change strings pretty regularly.....especially if I notice a drop off in sound quality or tuning issues. Grisman changes strings for
every gig.

[8STRINGR]

I may have suggested this in a thread before (referring to strings) but try using GHS A 270's the next time you change your strings. I was a long time user of GHS PF270's until a mandolin luthier suggested switching to the A 270's. Not as "Bright Sounding" but more "Mellower"sound and tone. Still cuts through when you want to really hammer 'em on breaks. They also hold up better for me as meantioned in the more controlled climates. Unless you don't mind the sweat on em.#I think I change them often just knowing that I stock up on 'em. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif # http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Soupy1957]

Just outa curiousity, what is the price on the GHS A 270's? Are they readily available in most stores? (Like "Guitar Center" for example).
-Soupy1957

[mandomadman]

I've literaly changed strings 100's of times over the years. Every other night when I was gigging for a living (guitar). Changing strings is just part of being a picker. If you play alot I feel one should change um often. If you have high ph levels you'll probably want to do it more often as well. Strings usually die slowly and you may not really notice them getting worse.The fact is, the longer they are on regardless if your playing the instrument or not, they ARE getting worse.I'm in the crowd that finds on certain intruments that new wound strings sound to metalicy for the first few days and find after those first few days for about a week they sound their best, after that they are going down hill. If the set of strings you have on are old and you break one on your mando, replacing that one string with a new one will throw the intonation out on that pairing! Loss of tone,volume,intonation and feel mean it's time for a change. If your reading this and have'nt changed strings in some time,please consider changing them, as you might find yourself falling in love or something like that with your instrument again.:O

[OlderThanWillie]

I hope I don't sound like I'm repeating myself (I am) but (like Mandocrucian) Peter Ostroushko changes his strings every three years or so. On the other hand, Audie Blaylock changes his strings after every set.

[allenhopkins]

Question for Elixir users: don't the frets wear through the plastic coating almost immediately? And then isn't the string not uniformly round (which normally produces tonal and tuning problems)?
I've never used Elixir mando strings, but I did put a set on my Taylor XX-MC guitar (back when they were introducing Elixirs, and offering a free set if you wrote for them). I didn't find them as initially bright as standard brass or phosphor strings, but they seemed to last a long time before they went dead. And I see now that Elixirs are standard "factory issue" strings for Taylors. I hypothesize that the reason is that they won't go dead so fast in the showroom, where dozens of people might test out an instrument every day.

I'd be interested in others' experience with Elixirs.

[Soupy1957]

"Question for Elixir users: don't the frets wear through the plastic coating almost immediately? And then isn't the string not uniformly round (which normally produces tonal and tuning problems)?"

If there was any "out of round" condition due to compromise of the coating, I would think that I would have seen the "fraying" that I was told would occur when the coating wore out. I never saw any fraying. (I have not looked to see the interaction between the fret and string before, during, or after use, so I don't know the answer to your question.

I CAN tell you that they hold tone a good while, (weeks/months)with "average joe" playing; if they would degrade rapidly for professional musicians, I can't say.

-Soupy1957

[Ivan Kelsall]

I got a new Guitar some 5 months back & it came with Elixir
strings on it as standard. Those strings are still on it,still sound excellent & show no signs of wear at all.I'm itching to try a set of D'Addario J15's on it,the ones i normally use,but it sounds too good,so i'll leave it & see how long it takes for them to show some wear & loose their tone. I was thinking that the coating could help cut down on fret wear a bit also - no metal to metal contact.

[adgefan]

I've not used the coated Exilir strings myself, but friends have, and after a while it is like their strings are covered in feathers from the fraying. Maybe it's not a bad thing - but it looks very odd.

I've used EXP74s for the last couple of years and really liked the longevity, but I think I'm coming back to the idea of non-coated strings. As already mentioned, the EXP74s tend to have this muted period before they finally die which is very annoying but not quite bad enough to justify changing them when they cost so much. So it's easy to play for a few weeks with really weak tone.

Just tried some Sam Bush strings which were great (except for the 14 A which was too light) and am now trying out J75s. These have increased the volume, improved the balance between the A and D strings and generally sound very good. Only problem is, they hurt like hell! Going to have to build up some stronger callouses, I think.

[GBG]

First Quality Music sells a product I really like-One Step String Cleaner, which is a treated flannel cloth that I use to wipe the strings with. It is dry, no residue, and I think it prolongs string life. It sells for $2.50.