How often do you restring?

DeadandBuried

DeadandBuried

New member
I'm sure this question has been asked on here many times, but how often do you guys restring your guitar(s)?

I have 4 actively used electrics and 1 actively used acoustic.

3 of the 4 electrics are used for teaching and are usually restrung monthly, same for the acoustic. I find I get about 15 hours average use before the strings start to lose their brightness. Use Ernie Balls for the electrics, D'addario for the acoustics.

The other one is always restrung before gigs and recordings, so at least every 3-4 weeks.

I heard one guy I went to institute with restrung his guitar THREE times a week?! THREE?!?!
 
Re: How often do you restring?

I usually do it every month or every other month... totally enough for me, I keep strings fresh for a while using string conditioner, always wiping them after prolonged playing and storing my guitars in their case
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Depends, my acoustics get more playing time than my electrics so while probably about a month or so on the acoustics my electrics probably get only one or two a year.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Forgot to add I'm also a guitar tutor so I get good hours use a week out of these strings, usual lifespan works out 4-5 weeks.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

It depends on many things. I'm lucky with string wear as my fingers don't seem to corrode the strings too much. On a level, yes, but a sip from some string conditioner (I prefer the Dunlop set) and they are shiny and cool.

On an average I guess I change strings every 2 month. Depending on guitar and actual set of strings, it varies a lot. I have axes played regularly that have strings older than 9 months and still keep on going. Also there are some that I'd like to change after a few weeks. It depends. I always change the whole set when one of them breaks.

off: Have you guys ever broke the unwound G string? Since 1989 I've never broke a G, regardless of manufacturer and size. They seem to be immortal to me.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

i play out about three times a week and usually use the same guitar for a few weeks after a string change. i keep a backup guitar but play the one with the "new" strings until i break one
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Is it just me or... Are poorer quality guitars more sensitive to dull strings? Makes a BIG difference to change on a few of my cheapos, but other guitars can roll on with dirty/old strings and sound fine.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Not nearly as often as I should. Couple of my basses are going on 3 years or more without a restring, and even my skinny-stringers often go over a year without a string change unless I'm constantly playing them (which is happening less now that I have three kids to look after, so less time in the man-cave goofing off).

However, I have some pretty serious acid-hands, so when I am playing regularly, even with coated strings, I could need a string change every month. Elixirs on my acoustic tend to need attention the most; the plain strings' coating just doesn't last. I used to use DR Extra Life Silver Stars on electrics, which gave the plain strings a pretty serious coating and lasted a long time, but they've changed the non-colored coatings over to "Dragon Skin" which I haven't tried yet.
 
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Re: How often do you restring?

i barely play my acoustics so put elixers on them. the strings are over a year old and have maybe ten gigs on em. they dont sound or feel as good as other non-coated strings but i cant be changing the strings before each gig since they are corroded
 
Re: How often do you restring?

They still haven't finished the strings I gave them last time.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

If I was getting-in say 10hrs/wk on a single guitar then I'd change about every 2wks.
In reality i go back and forth between units and get only a few hours in most weeks lately,,,,,,so it all depends.
 
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Re: How often do you restring?

Not as often as I like to. Work has been brutal lately and I haven't been making much money.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

In one guitar's case, 2 years.

That's correct: 2 years.

I just restringed my Gibson Firebird which had Optima Gold strings. I put those Optimas on in October of 2014.

I played the guitar regularly (I do have other guitars) throughout those two years.

Gold does not tarnish.

So why did I finally change the strings? Because while the tone was still great, the wound strings were indented enough
by the frets that they felt sorta "dead".

Still, I could have kept them on longer if I wanted to.

http://www.optima-strings.com/24k_gold_electrics.php
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Yeah i dont do mine that often. I normally rotate somewhat between my 20 or so guitars and just restring as i need.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

Every week to once a month when I am gigging regularly with the guitar. I can go years at a time with the bass.
 
Re: How often do you restring?

I am string killer.

I get about 7 to 10 days out of Dunlops with wiping them down religiously with their Cleaner.

About the same out of Dads. Closer to 5-7.

3-5 days out of Ernie Balls usually. I have noticed recently that the Dunlop cleaner actually seems counterproductive with them. They get really harsh sounding with the Dunlop cleaner. Just wipe them down with a cloth now. But they are soft and I wear the wounds out pretty quick. Especially the D
 
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