Flatwound users: How often do you change your strings?

[Wes Marshall]

My guitar (Guild X-150) always sounds so nice with new strings, but they go
bad so slowly, I can't tell when the nexus of getting enough use for my hard
earned bucks (D'Addario flatwounds cost a lot) passes into poor sound.
I've only been at this a short time so I am looking for advice.

Thanks

[Joe Finn]

I think it depends on how much the strings get played. If you play three or
four hours every day on them you may want to change them every other week.
Maybe more frequently in the summer. If I plan on recording for me new
strings are a must. If you can keep the strings really clean and dry they
will last a little longer. ...joe

--
Visit me on the web. www.JoeFinn.net
"Wes Marshall" <mars...@onr.com> wrote in message
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[rob]

On Mon, 06 Aug 2001 18:54:05 GMT, "Wes Marshall" <mars...@onr.com>
wrote:

I use to use D'Addario Chromes .12, and I play about two hours a day
every work day/night and 4-5 on weekends. I change the strings about
every two weeks. I recently changed to roundwounds on my new Guild
AA ( .12 D'Addario Jazz Lights) and couldn't be happier. But I still
only get about two weeks use out of them. Now, I also don't wipe
strings down after each use, and I leave my guitars on stands. rob
taft

[Kevin Van Sant]

On Mon, 06 Aug 2001 21:04:37 GMT, robt...@nospam.com (rob) wrote in
message <3b6f030d...@netnews.worldnet.att.net> :

I use TI flats, I also leave my guitar out on a stand and never wipe
the strings down. I change my strings about 2 or 3 times a year.
That's with about 4-8 hours a day of use. But, as I've said here
before, I prefer the sound of the strings after they've aged a little
bit. I don't change them until the guitar becomes hard to tune, and
even then I have mixed feelings about it because they usually sound
great at that point. I have to admit that I've started to warm to the
sound of new strings a little bit more the last couple of times I
changed them. But still, 3 times a year is the most I ever do.

_________________________________________
Kevin Van Sant
jazz guitar

http://www.onestopjazz.com/kvansant
to buy my CDs, listen to sound clips, and get more info.

http://www.onestopjazz.com
for a comprehensive index of internet jazz resources

[Jay Carlson]

I like the TI's too, but I think I prefer the D'Aquisto flat 13's the most.
I play a lot, and I change 'em a few times a year whether they need it or
not. Jay
www.vijazz.net

[Bpellack]

I use TI 13-53 flats and change them every 10 weeks or so, playing 2 hours a
day.

I also prefer the warmer tone I get with "broken in" strings. I always clean my
hands befor playing and wipe strings when finished and always put my Sweet 16
in its case when finished.

I also "polish" all new strings before putting them on. By using a high quality
"semichrome" metal polish you can remove a ton of oxidation from brand new
flatwounds and leave a fast "slippery" and quiet surface on the strings.

BP

[Florian Schmidt]

In article <5m2umt4h764kbigme...@4ax.com>, "Kevin Van Sant"
<kvan...@pobox.com> wrote:

> I use TI flats, I also leave my guitar out on a stand and never wipe the
> strings down. I change my strings about 2 or 3 times a year. That's
> with about 4-8 hours a day of use. But, as I've said here before, I
> prefer the sound of the strings after they've aged a little bit. I
> don't change them until the guitar becomes hard to tune, and even then I
> have mixed feelings about it because they usually sound great at that
> point. I have to admit that I've started to warm to the sound of new
> strings a little bit more the last couple of times I changed them. But
> still, 3 times a year is the most I ever do.

i change my strings about whenever i got money to do so.. this means about
2 or 3 times a year like kevin.. i would love to do it more often though,
cause after a while u can' trust em no more. they might break when needed
the least.. though it's been a long time since i've seen a string break on
one of my electric guitars.. the classic acoustic is another story.. right
now i only have the upper three strings on it (G B E), cause they
break more often..

well good thing to practice chord voicing on only these three strings..

i play about 2 or 3 hour a day. no heavy practice, just fiddling...

--
florian schmidt
http://mini.gt.owl.de/~floh
remove "NOSPAM." from email adress to reply

[Tom Walls]

In article <hJBb7.202$ZY1.254...@news.onr.com>, mars...@onr.com
says...

I play about 20hrs a week, use D'Addario Chromes and change them about
every 6 months -- but I suspect I don't really need to change them that
often. YMMV. I believe the biggest variable is in the amount your hands
perspire and your perspiration's chemical makeup. Some dudes will funk
up a set of strings in no time flat. I -- OTOH -- am chemical free(for
going on sixteen years);<).
--
Tom Walls
the guy at the Temple of Zeus
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/zeus/

[Uwe Lange]

I only change the plain b and e string because they are not in tune when
they are older.
The wound strings I change one time a year. I use TI 13 flats and a Ibanez
GB10.

"Florian Schmidt" <mista.NOS...@gmx.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:20010807.101748...@gmx.net...

[Jedd Haas]

I find a set of strings lasts between a week and a month, depending on how
much I'm playing; or three gigs, max. SIT flatwounds, 12-50.

--
Jedd Haas - Artist
http://www.gallerytungsten.com
http://www.antijazz.com

[Jimmy Bruno]

Once every two months

[Dan Adler]

I only use D'aquisto flatwounds. They are completely different than
any other strings I have ever tried - some people will probably hate
them (I've gone through periods of hating them myself). The thing
about them is that the wound strings are sooooo dead like you wouldn't
believe. I can see why some people hate it, but I love it and when
amplified, the sound is amazing. I've tried every other brand from
d'addario to ghs to thomastik and nothing comes close in terms of
deadness for my personal taste.

In terms of how often to change - I find that this summer with the
humidity and heat in NY, I've already changed the strings twice
because they get sticky and I get stuck sliding on them. I've tried
all sorts of oils and lubes, which helps short term (for the gig) but
just makes things worse long term (later that week).

You can hear the sound on my website sound clips page.

-Dan
http://danadler.com

[George4908]

>I only use D'aquisto flatwounds . . .

>The thing
>about them is that the wound strings are sooooo dead like you wouldn't
>believe. I can see why some people hate it, but I love it and when
>amplified, the sound is amazing. I've tried every other brand from
>d'addario to ghs to thomastik and nothing comes close in terms of
>deadness for my personal taste.

Now there's a stellar endorsement!

[Jay Carlson]

Dan, I'm with you. I loooove my D'Aquisto flat 13s! Big, thick, soft but
rich sound. Those strings, on my archtop, with a PAF pickup, going through
tubes, is,... well it's really nice, I'm at a loss for words.. Jay
hear my CD @ www.vijazz.net

Dan Adler <dan....@gs.com> wrote in message
news:e599a926.01080...@posting.google.com...