Popped a high E string

[Securb]

I rarely break strings and when I do it is usually an A or D due to my aggressive playing style. I popped a high E string today on my Strat one riff in, due to corrosion. The guitar hasn't been played in 6 months. I put a fresh set on the guitar and continued on.

My question to you guys with big collections of guitars is "how often do you change your strings?" Not on your main players but on the random axes in your collection. I am embarrassed to say I think the strings on my 12 string Ovation are at least a year old. I rarely play that guitar. I have 16 axes but I know some of you guys are in the 20s and 30s. How do you rotate the maintenance?

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Popped a high E string

When i want to play one i restring it. Otherwise i am wasting money on strings that don't get used.

 

[Securb]

Re: Popped a high E string

When i want to play one i restring it. Otherwise i am wasting money on strings that don't get used.

But what do you do if you are just busting out the guitar for a quick couple of runs? I typically play on the dead strings and move on. It is not so much the money (though that matters) but the time involved also.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Popped a high E string

But what do you do if you are just busting out the guitar for a quick couple of runs? I typically play on the dead strings and move on. It is not so much the money (though that matters) but the time involved also.

I do the same as you usually. I did restring 2 of mine the other day actually but i haven't played them since haha

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Popped a high E string

The 12 string has strings I put on I think 3 years ago. I really need to change the strings, it actually is fully corrodes and is extremely uncomfortable to play. I can still play it though.

Give everything else a couple months. A few times I've had to boil the strings, which did work for a while, but I wouldn't recommend doing it more than once (the heat and moisture from boiling water probably isn't helpful if it is a usual thing). It sure cleaned every nook and cranny of the strings though.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Popped a high E string

The 12 string has strings I put on I think 3 years ago. I really need to change the strings, it actually is fully corrodes and is extremely uncomfortable to play. I can still play it though.

Yo pepi, How many guitars do you own? And who's that bald **** in your profile picture?

And if you are going to the effort of boiling the strings why not just change them instead? haha

 

[alteredbeast]

Re: Popped a high E string

A few times I've had to boil the strings, which did work for a while, but I wouldn't recommend doing it more than once (the heat and moisture from boiling water probably isn't helpful if it is a usual thing). It sure cleaned every nook and cranny of the strings though.

boil the strings? dont they rust up? next time i cook some ramen maybe ill try it.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Popped a high E string

Yo pepi, How many guitars do you own? And who's that bald **** in your profile picture?

The ones I mainly play: Amira, and a telecaster. A third LTD sees action once in a while.

Other than that, I have the burnt Epiphone Les Paul which I don't play too much, probably because it REALLY needs a fret-job (it is my oldest electric that I still have, I think it is pushing 5 or 6 years now). I also need to do some fine sanding on the neck again, because it doesn't exactly feel right at the moment. I just resurrected an Ibanez RG120 because I need a traveling guitar soon, and I make hybrid pickups from OEM ones I had laying around, with even further modifications like multiple magnets (the neck has a ceramic spacer, and a x2 thick ceramic; the bridge has an A2, A5, AND x2 thick ceramic - I made it work).

Then there is my very first guitar that is a Yamaha classical which has to be almost 10 years old now, and it is still a great guitar that gets played. The Yamaha does need a string change though. Lastly I have the 12 string which my neighbor got for free, and I have been borrowing it for a year now, and I'm 99.5% sure he would just have me keep it since he used it once in a few years while I use it often.

The bald dude is Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was a West Point military graduate, WWI veteran (technically, he had the WWI Victory Medal), was the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and 5-star general in World War II, President of the University of Columbia, and was the 34th President of the United States from Jan. 20, 1953 - Jan. 20, 1961. As POTUS he ended the Korean War, created NASA, fought to end segregation in the United States, created the Interstate Highway System (much more important than it sounds), the economy grew big-time, and he kept US combat troops/forces out of the Vietnam War (though gave a few hundred aids/advisers to the South Vietnamese).

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Popped a high E string

boil the strings? dont they rust up? next time i cook some ramen maybe ill try it.

I could see it rusting if done more than once, but I've let them boil for about 30 minutes, and upon taking them out immediately wiped them down very thoroughly with good results.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: Popped a high E string

It seems to me that the worst string corrosion happens when a guitar sits unplayed for days or weeks. That is the challenge with a large guitar collection - to play them all frequently enough. I rotate through my guitars. I certainly have my "favorite" dozen or so that get the most use, but I try to play them all regularly. I also try not to put any guitar away without wiping down the strings and getting my sweaty fingerprints off the metal finishes, because I never know how long a guitar will sit before I play it again.

My basement rehearsal space can be humid, so I try not to store guitars there for long periods of time. I keep my guitars in parts of the house that have better climate control. I think this makes a big difference.

I change strings based on the condition they are in. If I break a string (almost always a high E) I usually put on a fresh set. But I get a couple months of heavy use out of a set of strings, or a few years of occasional use. I also found that some brands of strings wear out quickly for me, while D'Addario's last literally forever on my guitars.

I do put on fresh strings for gigs, but I only play out a couple times a year.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Popped a high E string

I have 9 guitars and they all get played...some more than others. I just buy a hell of a lot of strings..enough to be sure that they're changed ever couple of months at least

 

[Securb]

Re: Popped a high E string

I don't feel as bad most of you have the same habits as me. I am going to make an effort to restring at least 4 this weekend. My Ibanez Roadster get attention first which is a beautiful guitar but never makes it into heavy rotation.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Popped a high E string

I rarely break strings and when I do it is usually an A or D due to my aggressive playing style. I popped a high E string today on my Strat one riff in, due to corrosion. The guitar hasn't been played in 6 months. I put a fresh set on the guitar and continued on.

My question to you guys with big collections of guitars is "how often do you change your strings?" Not on your main players but on the random axes in your collection. I am embarrassed to say I think the strings on my 12 string Ovation are at least a year old. I rarely play that guitar. I have 16 axes but I know some of you guys are in the 20s and 30s. How do you rotate the maintenance?

My body chemistry is string-friendly so I don't have the plain strings corrode. However, my frequently pickup changes put stress on the strings. And the wound strings degrade.

I change the wound strings when they sound dull. I always have plenty sets that I buy when I can get them cheap so no big deal. I change the plain strings if I have plenty plains left over.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Popped a high E string

I guess I'm like uOpt in that my chemistry also seems to be very string friendly. My strings seem to get dull from physical wear and tear, not from chemical erosion. So the more I play a guitar, the more often I need to change strings. I have guitars that haven't had a string change in five years that still sound as good as if the strings were brand new. I have about 3 dozen guitars and most get played, but some only get pulled out once a year. But, honestly, even my most played guitar only needs to get a change once or twice a year (not gigging right now, just play at home).

 

[Chocklit_Thunda]

Re: Popped a high E string

Yup... I don't corrode strings when I play... I've had the strings on my guitars for about 1 and a half to 2 years now... I don't gig so it's fine if I break a string and change them after that long.

My bass that I bought still has the stock strings from when it was bought by the previous owner... They're loose but still play alright... it's a 2007 model.

My 12 string was set up professionally and then left in the case for 10 years by it's previous owner and still sounds good. even the octave g is fine.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Popped a high E string

EVH used to boil his strings back in the poor days.

Never done it myself. Dunlop string cleaner cleans them...too much really. They sound harsh and scratchy until you sweat/oil em up again.

I do not have the number of guitars sitting around to be an issue aanymore. But i change my strings anywhere from 5-6 days to every 5-6 weeks depending on what strings I am using. Pure nickels usually last me about 3 days before the wounds get grooved up.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Popped a high E string

I hate changing strings, although I love the tone of fresh strings. Fortunately, my body chemistry is not particularly hard on strings and I have enough rotate. Back when I only had 2-3 guitars, I'd change about once a month. Now, 1-2 times a year for my main guitars, even less for others since the strings don't degrade if you don't touch them.

 

[Bludave]

Re: Popped a high E string

I keep a small pad in the case & log when I changed the strings last & when I set the guitar up last as well as when I did the last setup but I usually do complete setup when I change the strings...

 

[hydro]

Re: Popped a high E string

I like my strings to get worn in and a little funky. I change them when one breaks, to avoid having one brighter than the rest; or when the guitar itself gets filthy and needs a good cleaning or a setup.

To me, new strings always need a good breakin period and can sound sour, especially on acoustics.

A buddy of mine who plays bass told me that reggae bass players would never change their strings, so they had that super rolled off, slightly dead thumpyness.

 

[Securb]

Re: Popped a high E string

Yup... I don't corrode strings when I play.

I typically don't either it was more of a problem when I was playing out weekly in leather pants sweating like a pig. Now it is not a big problem which is why I am so laxed changing out sets. I guess I need to just change them now when they break, I am recording or occasionally gigging.