Time for a string change?

[Maryellen]

Hello there,
Im pretty new to the mandolin, but have a feeling I am long overdue for some new stings. I dont know if it's all in my head but the sound coming out of my mandolin sounds pretty unusual and its tuned just fine. I guess i've had the same stings on my mandolin for about 4-5 months now. So how often should they be changed?

[DryBones]

I change mine when the A's go funky and won't stay in tune. YMMV

[Walter Newton]

It's a matter of personal preference, body chemistry, whether or not you use coated strings, etc...some pros change for every show! I personally change them after about a month.

[Sitka]

What Walter said.

I usually change my strings (even coated ones) after about 1 1/2-2 months. There are some on here that change their strings about once a year.

Micah

[Maryellen]

Well I guess it wont hurt to change the strings and see how it feels. If i dont like the new feel, well I guess I'll just have to play even more to break them in...no harm in that. Thanks for the help you guys.

[John Flynn]

Signs I use to decide I need a string change:
> Won't stay in tune.
> Dull sound. No "ring" to it.
> Lacks volume. Can't hear myself at jams.
> Wound strings get kind of a grayish color compared to new strings.
> I have a big gig coming up that I really want to sound my best for.

The time between changes varies widely with the time of year and how much I have played the strings. Even though they are supposedly "long life," I have blown through a set of EXP coated strings in a weekend at a festival in the summer, where I was playing for hours and sweating like crazy. But then I have gone for two or three months with non-coated strings on a mando I only played occasionally.

[mandroid]

I can feel the windings on the side that hits the frets on the D strings have been hammered almost thru.

[Sitka]

Even though they are supposedly "long life," I have blown through a set of EXP coated strings in a weekend at a festival in the summer, where I was playing for hours and sweating like crazy.
Of course I have a high acidic level in my sweat, but I went through a set in less than three days at the Roanoke Bluegrass Weekend which is in November.

Micah

[allenhopkins]

Somenting I use to check: loosen one of the wound strings (G or D); take the loosened string, somewhere around the second or third fret, and rotate it with thumb and finger so that you can see the part of the string that contacts the frets. If the light hits it right, you may see little sparkly "diamonds" on the string right above the frets. This is light reflecting off flattened, polished surfaces on the string, where the frets have worn the windings flat. Once the string is no longer round, its vibrations will not be as "true," IMHO. That, evident discoloration of the strings, and a "flat" sound with few ringing overtones, are signals to me that it's time for a change.

[JeffD]

At least three times a year, preferably four times a year.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I just changed the strings on my new Weber Mandolin. When i got it,it had heavier strings on which i changed right away & put on my usual D'Addario J74's. The 2 month old strings sounded ok open & up the neck a few frets,but after that they sounded a bit dull. I put some new strings on & played all the strings up to the 14th fret & they sounded perfect.So now i have a criteria for changing the strings,when they sound dull up the neck,change 'em.

[Dave Schimming]

I get a more "woody" sound when the strings have been played awhile, so I will keep a set on until the sound gets dull, which is probably about three months on average.

[dj coffey]

I'm using the EXP's, which should be good for 2-3 months. Because these are coated, they have a "slick" feel to them. I change them when I detect them feeling "sticky" or less slick in places. Usually it's in the 2nd month.

[Maryellen]

Thanks for all the helpful inormation. I decided to finally change the strings...a nice man at a music store helped me out and showed me how to be a string changing pro! And I do notice the difference now...pretty snazzy indeed.
Thanks again, you all are too helpful..I just love it.

[Joe Mangio]

Change em when they break.

[F5G WIZ]

Depends a lot on the time of year as well as how often they are played. I change a lot more in the summer than winter. I went through a set of coated 74s in one day back on the 4th of july. They just started to corrode. I've had a set of Monels on now for about 3 months. Starten' to get the itch to change them before the next gig. Back to J74's.

[Dave Schimming]

I put on new strings on all my instruments before going to the Winfield Walnut Valley Festival. Between the nightly jammin in the heat, cold, sweat, dirt, etc., over 10 days, the strings are shot before it is over. I wait to replace them again until back home.