[sean]

just a quick question how often should i change strings on my acoustic guitar .The strings on my guitar have been on it for over a year now but to my untrained eyes and ears they look and sound fine .

[Joshua]

Hi Sean,



Well, it depends...If you put new strings on a guitar, and don't touch it for a year, they'd probably still be OK, as long as they don't get dirty and grimy, and they don't get played, they'll last quite a while.


I'd suggest buying another set, 2 in case you break a string and need a replacement...


If you play daily like I do...Strings on an acoustic will last you about a month...If you wash your hands before you play, and clean your strings with a damp cloth after you play (all the time, everytime), they might last you even longer. (If you do it religiously, they'll last a good two months, if you use light or medium guage strings that is, if the guage is extra light, I wouldn't expect to get more than a month out of them before they sound bad or break.)



And if you REALLY want to get picky, you can put your strings on, and leave the excess string...And after they start to go bad, you can put them in a stove pot, and boil them for about 5 minutes, this will get all the dirt out of them, string em back on, and have like new strings, sound and appearance wise...After the 3rd or 4th boiling, they tend to sound kinda dead...So no...You can't make one set of strings last forever. :evil:


Another cleaning method (that I've heard of), is to put your old strings in a sock, tie the sock, and put it in the washing machine with a load of laundry...Let em dry out...And wallah...Same effect.



OK...To answer your question (LOL), if they look shiny, and not grimy...And you think they sound fine, keep them on! It wouldn't hurt to buy another set and see if they sound any different. (As to train your ear).



All the best!



Joshua

[sean]

thanks for the advice Joshua they kinda look grimy so i thin i will buy some more and ill try the boiling on the next set what a cool idea lol
i do try to play every day and aftor taking some tips from this web site i have made some real steps forward in the last 2 or 3 days i think with new strings i will sound better too

thanks again for the advice look like im going to enjoy comeing to this forum

all the best
sean

[Alex]

I have an Ibanez AEG10. I am not getting a new guitar in any time soon but if I wanted to play the same style as a Jeff Golub or Pat Metheny should I go for lighter or heavier strings when I restring