How long do your strings last you?

[kaanman36]

wow

I think you guys have sold me on trying a set of Elixirs.

[SenorDingDong]

Originally Posted by ArkaneDemon

I used to use D'Addario and I'd change them every two months or so. Now I use Elixirs (they came on my 2228) and I haven't had to change them in...half a year pretty much. They're sweet.

I want to use Elixer's so badly, but the have very weird gauges, as in they skip most of the sizes I use


I use a set of D'Addarrio singles, .10, .13, .17, .28, .38, .48, .60

They are holding up fairly well so far, its been a few weeks, and compared to the Ernie Ball single set I used to order, which the .60 would unwind after a few weeks, I am quite satisfied. Keeping my fingers crossed. I play around 3-5 hours a day, depending on the day. I usually change strings monthly, just to keep a nice feel to them. Usually most trings I have tried loose brightness after about a couple days. Damn Exlixer and making such jackass sizing

[LanguageOfStrings]

I use daddario and ernie balll on electric guitar. Sound dies after a week. I'm restringing all string after some string rip up, approximately 6-8 months, I would like to try Elixirs on electric guitar, too

[Velixo]

How do you guys clean your strings? Btw GOOD GAWD how can you people for like 5 hour straight?!?! What stuff do you play in that amount of time??

[MGasparotto]

I use eernie balls 12-56 and I find they have a really good tone for about 5 days. More specifically I find my G to sound like shit after about 2 weeks so I change em every 3-4 weeks ish. The e tends to snap after about 5-6 though. I play roughly 2-4 hours a day everyday

[Mysticlamp]

i use walmart strings and they pretty much last me 4-8 months

[rectifryer]

During tracking of a few songs, I realized the ernie ball strings die in about 10 hours of play for me. Thats about two songs tracked since I quad track and experiment till I like it.

After that the incoherent middy mud they emit is unbearable compared to the Thor like heavyness they hold initially.

[SwampAshSpecial]

Originally Posted by Mysticlamp

i use walmart strings and they pretty much last me 4-8 months

Mine tend to last around a month but the last week I notice a lack of sustain and they don't feel nice and new, so I don't tend to enjoy them so much...


and as for playing a long time, its all about building stamina dude - I thought that at first, but I can sit for 2-3 hours if I have the time and play without a problem.

[klutvott]

I change mine everytime i clean my guitar(2 times a year tops). I really just stopped caring if they sound like shit and as long as they don't break, i'm happy. Good tone is in the hands anyway

[GhostsofAcid]

About once a month, depending on how broke I am. More lately, since I've been screwing around with gauges and tuning. At the moment I'm using Ernie ball not even slinkies (12-56) with a low 70 in g standard. (I messed with f#, but the gauges are a tad thin for it.) This has kind of sold me against owning an 8 string as I've realized that this much low end is really not applicable/necessary for the music I play/write. I'll probably stick with b standard/drop a.

[jordanky]

I usually keep strings on my guitars three to four weeks tops. I use SIT Power Groove Pure Nickel .011-.049's on all of my guitars. Great strings, they never go dead, but I like to keep things as fresh as possible. It's a bad habit, but buying box quantities of strings helps soften the blow.

[Kr1zalid]

Originally Posted by MGasparotto

I use eernie balls 12-56 and I find they have a really good tone for about 5 days. More specifically I find my G to sound like shit after about 2 weeks so I change em every 3-4 weeks ish. The e tends to snap after about 5-6 though.

Originally Posted by EtherealEntity

D'addarios, also about a month. Ernie Ball were the same. I clean my strings after playing so they don't really get 'grimy', but the high strings turn dark and become unpleasant to slide on..

Originally Posted by NatG

I use D'addario, they last me about 2 weeks. I used to use GHS, which lasted me a month, but the feel with D'addario is much better and they have more tension.

Originally Posted by Greatoliver

I used to use D'addarios, but I did find that I would have to change them every month, as after about 2 weeks they lose their tone... Plus, the plain steel strings feel horrible after a while

All QFT above... I'm still using D'Addarios and like what everyone said, it's tone will last max 2 weeks, but tend to change them after 2 months or 3. I used some Ernie Balls before which don't last long at all.

Originally Posted by Velixo

How do you guys clean your strings? Btw GOOD GAWD how can you people for like 5 hour straight?!?! What stuff do you play in that amount of time??

I'll wipe my strings with just a clean, dry cloth, after playing my guitar and my strings do last longer. I don't think people really played 5 hours straight, it's more like 30 min of practice, rest 5 min, continue for another 30 min, rest, etc etc... You can practice a lot of things in 5 hours.

Originally Posted by kaanman36

wow

I think you guys have sold me on trying a set of Elixirs.

After reading the whole thread.....

[Ephajim]

D'Addarrio boomers, i clean after playing (1 - 3 hours for 4 days a week) and i've not changed them for about 7 months now.

[Shnooze]

I only change strings when I feel like my lifes in danger If I Don't.

So pretty much everyday

[All_¥our_Bass]

I use elixirs, and get at least 6 months out of them, I've gone as long as a year though.

[7StringedBeast]

Two weeks, doesn't matter which brand...all sound like shit after a few days of use.

[All_¥our_Bass]

^Acid sweat I presume?

[AcousticMinja]

Another elixir user here. My strings have lasted me around 7 months on one guitar, still sound awesome. The other one about 3 months and still awesome.
My bass I use elixirs as well...those things don't die. They're still bright and alive and have been on there for about 4-5 months.

But regular strings...I use D'addarios and they last me about a month and a half or two. Ernie ball strings last me quite a long while, too.
Oh, and Octave4Plus strings have lasted me a few months as well...with heavy playing!

[PinkyandBrain]

it depends on how much you play it, mine have last from a week to 3 years

[Lagtastic]

I use D'Addario, and clean after playing. If I'm playing for hours and hours I clean sometimes when I take a break. If I am at home playing alone usually about 20-25ish hours of playtime. Sometimes that's 3 days, sometimes that's 10 days. If I'm drinking while I play it's less time than that. At a gig (not currently in a band) I use fresh strings for every show, always bringing 2 guitars. By the end of a gig I've had at least 8 beers and the beer sweat has totally destroyed the strings, so they have to go. Gigging is a great way to build up D'Addario points!

[stevo1]

I used to use d'addarios, But they would only last me like 2 weeks before turning all black and grimy, even with regular cleaning. I finally decided to go to Ernie balls again, and theyve lasted me like a month and a half so far. They still sound great, Theyre still shiny and smooth.

[RTheodoppalus]

My current strings are D'Addario now only because they are the only string company outside of Ernie Ball that provides a variety of strings sets with a wound 3rd string. Their tone usually last a good week, depends on how much I sweat on stage on Sundays. The strings themselves last a good month or two, which is when I change them. I have used and loved Elixir strings before and would love to use them again, but I wish they were more flexible when ordering single strings.

[templton89]

i have veeery acidic sweat, normal strings turn black after a day or two and start building up rust after a week,

that's why I played nothing but elixirs in past 2 years. Light Heavy Set + 0.68 from their baritone set. They sound fresh for about a month, then gradually start wearing off and only after 2-3 months they start feeling like crap

but keep in mind - my sweat would probably kill dinosaurs, so elixirs are doing an amazing job.

[7StringedBeast]

Originally Posted by All_¥our_Bass

^Acid sweat I presume?

I have no problem at all with acid sweat, it takes good 2-3 weeks for the strings to start getting rusty, but that never happens cause I change them often and use Fast Fret on the unwound strings every time I stop playing.

My problem is playing a lot and loving the sound of fresh strings. If I am recording I change strings every 4-6 hours of recording.

[johnythehero]

Wow, I feel out of place .
I only change my strings when I break a string or just feel like it needs it (so like once or twice a year )