How often do u all restring your guitar?

[Wonderless]

heyhey. im new here. so wanna confirm if im posting on correct thread. anyways, can i know how often u guys restring ur guitar? i went to guitar 77 not long ago and the guy said its 2 weeks if u practice everyday. is that a little to fast? if i don restring often will it damage my guitar?

 

[Shinodax]

i restring every 3 to 4 weeks depends on the amount of rust n the tone.if u don wan to restring so often maybe u might wan to try to use string lubricant or coated string which also cost more.

 

[Phil]

Hi,

There is no hard and fast rule about how often you need to change the strings.

The general rule of thumb is that the strings need changing when they are showing signs of rust.

Rusty strings not only sound bad, they also feel bad. Imagine doing some slides on those thin, rusty strings. Not a nice thought eh?

There are also many factors to consider, such as if you're using coated or uncoated strings.
Coated strings like the Elixirs, Cleartones, D'addario EXPs etc, have a special polymer coating that resist rusting/corrosion much better than the normal un-coated strings. They are a bit more costly as well.

And then there's also the factor of whether you wipe down your strings every night and apply some sort of protectant on it, products such as String Life, Fast-Fret, etc. Which are readily available in most guitar shops.

For my case, I play daily, and I wipe down my strings every night and apply Fast-Fret. When I do use coated strings, they can last for about 3months without seeing any signs of rust. But I usually change the strings sooner than the allotted 3 months because I simply can't stand it when it sounds dead.

With normal strings, they can last about a month or more.

I know some people who change after each performance, or change the strings weekly; as soon as their strings lose their 'ring'.

As demonstrated, there really is no hard and fast rule. Don't bother what people say regarding how often you need to change the strings. You yourself be the judge.

 

[Cheez]

Not all coated strings last the same duration. I find Elixir last a minumum of 3 months (sometimes even longer). D'addario EXP last much shorter than that. Even though Elixir cost more, it's more cost effective in the end (not to mention less hassle of having to re-string every month).

And yes, always wipe down strings after each play.

 

[Wonderless]

okay so u all wipe ur strings with a wet clothe first and den dry it with like an old clothe? or jus use tissue can alr. lolol anyways the coated and uncoated strings got alot of difference in terms of prices?

 

[november]

yeah, same question here! how do you guys normally wipe your strings? Just any normal dry cloth will do, or do you have any preferred specific kind of material?

 

[RyanZ]

I wipe the strings after playing with Dr Ducks. Works great for me. You can also use product like fast fret. Just wipe it with a dry cloth.

 

[JustAnother1]

I usually restring my guitar every 3 weeks and i've got sweaty palms as well which can really be a torture at times.

 

[theunknown]

i restring when i feel like it or i happen to pass a guitar shop and buy strings on impulse. for me the time range has been from 2weeks to 5 months.

 

[subversion]

depends on how long the strings last...

 

[jskadiang]

Wonderless: Don't ever use tissue, it tears all over the string and leaves lots of lint on your guitar. Also, don't use a wet cloth, just a dry cloth and some string cleaner. Alternatively, I recommend EB Wonder Wipes, cheap and makes the strings last way longer.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

I play everyday and my strings usually break before they get ugly. I re-string sometimes as far apart as once in 2-3 months. I use a soft, dry hankerchief to wipe them down every time I play, and keep my guitars in their cases when I'm not playing. No need to spend on string life fluids, or coated strings (I use uncoated D'addarios and Ernie Balls). Seems to work for me.

 

[Phil]

okay so u all wipe ur strings with a wet clothe first and den dry it with like an old clothe? or jus use tissue can alr. lolol anyways the coated and uncoated strings got alot of difference in terms of prices?

No, don't ever use a wet clothe. Just use a lint-free dry clean clothe.

Coated strings usually cost twice as much as normal strings.

 

[jeffrey0603]

I change it whenever i have extra strings. I cant take rusty strings and dull sounding strings.

 

[j_m_s]

I change around every two weeks or so on my two main Electrics. They get around 2 hours of play time daily, so yeah.

After every time i play i do a quick wipe down with fast fret. Absolutely love it. I'd die without FF.

 

[tyzjames]

well my first pack of everly b-52s lasted me more than a month but the 2nd pack seemed to rust pretty fast, had to change them after a week. I try as much as possible to change the strings once they show signs of rust cause i'm afraid it'll damage the frets if i continue playing. just bought a pack of ernie balls titanium hope they're good..

 

[Gravity.]

i restring every month.. unless no money buy new strings.

 

[Wonderless]

lol okay thanks for advice guys. last thing. how much is the string cleaner? average pricing.

 

[HeyJoeILoveYourSis]

With the magic of Elixir's, my strings don't get rusty or play lousily even after 3 months. Usually get my guitar restringed if one of the strings snaps.

Cheers,
WWH

 

[superpotato_30]

I restring about 3 weeks for each guitar. ( Own 2 )..

I restring them due to the dieing of tone and that normally happens way before the strings rust. Yes i use Fast Fret too after every practice and no i hate coated strings though i have a little bit of sweaty palms. The tone hurts my ears.