Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Whoopsie. I'm realizing I haven't changed the strings on my Les Paul in maybe 3 or 4 years 
Saturday Poll: how often do you change your strings?
- Thread starter Harry Klippton
- Start date
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Wanna change mine while you're at it?
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
I love new strings but I hate changing them
grabo99
Well-known member
I have a Bigsby and I hate it so much
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
You need that Callaham doohickey
MichaelW
Well-known member
Another write in vote.....
- When they need it.
I have so many guitars and some don't get played that much. Even the standard Ernie Ball Rock and Roll 10's nickel wounds I use stay in good shape in my air conditioned house. I use Elixir Phosphor Bronze on my acoustics, and it's the same, I change them when they need it.
Usually when the E and A strings start to sound dead. I play clean or low gain mostly and I kinda hate the sound of dead or dying strings. Having said that, because I tend to rotate what I play and general play a couple of guitars for a few weeks at a time, it might be 8 months to a year on some guitars and maybe 30 days on others.
- When they need it.
I have so many guitars and some don't get played that much. Even the standard Ernie Ball Rock and Roll 10's nickel wounds I use stay in good shape in my air conditioned house. I use Elixir Phosphor Bronze on my acoustics, and it's the same, I change them when they need it.
Usually when the E and A strings start to sound dead. I play clean or low gain mostly and I kinda hate the sound of dead or dying strings. Having said that, because I tend to rotate what I play and general play a couple of guitars for a few weeks at a time, it might be 8 months to a year on some guitars and maybe 30 days on others.
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Oh yeah I ain't changing 
right now. It was 100% humidity and not raining when I woke up this morning. No AC to speak of. It'll pass
right now. It was 100% humidity and not raining when I woke up this morning. No AC to speak of. It'll pass
Feral Feline
Well-known member
The Poll didn't include the option: "Only when I break one"
At $275–$600 per set, you bet your asterisk I'm not changing strings unless one breaks.
At $275–$600 per set, you bet your asterisk I'm not changing strings unless one breaks.
szukalski
Well-known member
I am up with Michael on this, I have enough that I just rotate to another guitar when the lower strings lose their sparkle, or I break the high-E.
My acoustic generally has 5 strings because I break the high-E and can't be bothered to replace it. It's a backyard guitar anyway..
My game changer was the String Stretcha. Saw a video with Steve Vai's guitar tech who recommended it, and I haven't looked back since. Took a large annoying part out of the string change process.
My acoustic generally has 5 strings because I break the high-E and can't be bothered to replace it. It's a backyard guitar anyway..
My game changer was the String Stretcha. Saw a video with Steve Vai's guitar tech who recommended it, and I haven't looked back since. Took a large annoying part out of the string change process.
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
What the what
I used to work in a music shop and some of the strings were eye-wateringly expensive. Electric guitars strings are cheap! Try being a violinist in an orchestra. Or, as Mr Feline was implying (I think) an upright bass player. Some of the most expensive G-strings ever. Some of the pirastro gut strings wrapped in silver can be hundreds of dollars. My violinist friend hated having to change strings. For him changing strings was very much an "only when they break" thing. Not so much because it was a pain to change them, but because on a violin dead = good tone! New strings have annoying resonances to them - they're too lively. He said strings sound best just before they break. A bit like my voice...
When gigging I change my strings for each gig. In some bands where I played 3 sets it was a necessity, and I have quite gentle body chemistry. At home my strings can last for months. It's the dead wound strings I can't stand. I quite like changing strings and half of my guitars have Bigsbys. Once you get the knack for changing strings with a Bigsby it's actually very quick to restring them. The trick is to curl a little semi-circle in the end of the string where the ball-end is. I use a pen or even a jack plug to curl it around. Then it stays on the pin on the Bigsby relatively easily, especially if you maintain some tension on it with your hands while attaching it to the tuner. I hold the string up tight next to the tuner, measure around 1/2-3/4" of string past the tuner, put a kink in it there and then pull the string through the tuner until it hits the kink. That leaves you with just over one wrap around the tuner with the string which is all you need.
When gigging I change my strings for each gig. In some bands where I played 3 sets it was a necessity, and I have quite gentle body chemistry. At home my strings can last for months. It's the dead wound strings I can't stand. I quite like changing strings and half of my guitars have Bigsbys. Once you get the knack for changing strings with a Bigsby it's actually very quick to restring them. The trick is to curl a little semi-circle in the end of the string where the ball-end is. I use a pen or even a jack plug to curl it around. Then it stays on the pin on the Bigsby relatively easily, especially if you maintain some tension on it with your hands while attaching it to the tuner. I hold the string up tight next to the tuner, measure around 1/2-3/4" of string past the tuner, put a kink in it there and then pull the string through the tuner until it hits the kink. That leaves you with just over one wrap around the tuner with the string which is all you need.
