Why you need to change your strings?

[Bertram Henze]

I know everybody else hates it, but I kind of enjoy restringing my instruments. The whole process, taking off the old ones, polishing the frets, oiling the board a few times a year... yep, I love new strings.

I enjoy the process, too. It's like performing appendectomy on your sweetheart.

[lflngpicker]

Great question and I think the pros and cons are always worth discussing. I personally think a new set of strings well stretched and tuned sound the best and optimize the instruments performance like an oil change on a car. I generally change strings more frequently if I am using the instrument to perform. When a given guitar or mandolin is not gigging with me, I tend to baby the strings along for a year or so.

Eventually, the strings will be harder and harder to get into proper tuning and will have dead spots up the fretboard.

When performing, change the strings every third concert. Otherwise, change strings when they are hard to tune. Of course, when the string begins to sound badly or begins to shred on a fret, it is time to change them. These are the guidelines I have created for myself.

[jshane]

I like the sound of new strings-- and I guess that's fortunate because for most brands I cannot get them to intonate properly after about 3 to 4 weeks. It isn't subtle... at least not to me. It isn't AS apparent during single-note playing, but try doublestops, or chords (not chopping) and it is gratingly bad. I have recently been sing Elixir nanowebs and they have been lasting maybe 8 weeks or maybe a bit more.

[stevedenver]

I love new strings, and, the chime and overtones. To my ear, i hear a piano like, bell type sustain.
Just put on curt mangan 11s. Yesterday. Never tried before.

Nice quality and big sound, not too bright. Recommended.

I typically play JT75, sometimes JT 74s. While the heavys are tougher for high fret work, i choose them for what i think is a greater tuning stability


I change at least every 6 weeks, as i play a lot, and do this to reduce unexpected breakage.

For those who hate changing, imho tomastiks really do last 7 months or longer.

Yes its a pita due to those loop ends, and f style tuners taking so many turns to get a few wraps. Its an opportunity to inspect and polish too.