Strings

Session 5

Session 5

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Just finished putting on some fresh strings, whatever you do don't tell Adrian. Since I play 4 guitars, I keep a list of each guitar the date I change the strings, and when I have them setup. For changing strings approx. every 3 months, for setup once per year. Any way there have been some who have witnessed getting black gunk on their fingers after playing new strings. I had never had that happen to me until in February this year when I purchased some strings from an online shop. I always buy locally from my local shop , but it was closed due to covid at that time. I am thinking it is caused by old stock that has been sitting around or fake strings from China. I have purchased quite a few strings, and also this past summer purchased sets from a local dealer, not far from where I stay in summer. I had no issues from the Long&Mcwade store which is a huge business Canada wide either, so this is my thoughts on this subject. What's your thoughts on this?
 
3 months? Wow. I put 5-6 hours on a set, then they are gone. I don't set a timer or anything, its just feel - after 5-6 hours they lose elasticity and are starting to flat-spot, which causes intonation problems and sometimes buzzing. I just know when a set is shot. I keep a 12-pack of strings so I can change them any time.

Setups happen when the guitars need it. Also a feel thing. Sometimes in the Spring, sometimes in the Fall, sometimes both. Just whenever I can feel something is off.

I've had the black gunk problem only with D'Addario's (or any of the OEM sets they supply to others). Since I don't actually like their strings and use GHS Boomers I never have that problem. Obviously always best to buy from only a reputable dealer.
 
There is lot of fake stuff out there, im sure Chines made fake copy of me too by now, but remember guys ,the original one is here and fake one is somewhere out there.

I use to buy strings on ebay but I stopped, now i get them from local shop its more expensive but less likely to be fake and last longer.

On one of my guitar ,string is rusted and i cant be bothered to change :)
Is where my palm sits for them chuga chuga stuff. :)
 
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Session 5 said:
I only use D 'Addario Nickel wound 10-46s. I have used them faithfully for six years, with not 1 string break. I get long life out of them and only change them when they get flat. I play at least 2 hrs a day for approx. 3 months before they go flat.
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Start down picking and you’ll change them quicker :)
 
I've also noticed the cheaper unwound strings tend to rust a bit, on my shed instruments after a few months.
Really makes the fingers drag. They feel just like Guitar Center demo strings.
Has to be the swamp dampness being an outdoor environment. That's my excuse.
The indoor guitars don't suffer the same problem.
I use the bulk 12 packs of Musicians Friend generic strings.
Seriously cheap, averaging around $2 - $3 for a dozen plain strings, wound slightly more.
They're good for the $$$, no black fingers, but they do rust after a couple months in the shed.
Only the plain ones though, the nickel wound ones don't rust.
 
I've noticed, just recently, this same syndrome.

I'm not sure why? But in my tiny little brain thinking it has something to do with the state of the world right now.

Maybe stock sitting around longer? Thought it was my fretboards, still happening.

Oh well, only have like twenty more sets to get through before needing more. SMH
 
Session 5 said:
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Man, I just don't like D'Addario strings. They are always zingy-sounding (to me) and wear out abnormally fast.

I used Gibson strings until they stopped making them themselves, then tried everything and settled on GHS - they are the most consistent, even-sounding and long-lived that I have tried, and I think I have broken exactly one in a decade of using them.
 
I grab EB, whatever is handy. The LnM brand seems ok too. I have on occasion gotten some black film, I just shrugged.
I change em when they get flat spots and sound dull. With lots of choices, it is ushally quite awhile betweem changes, I use a different one usually each week for a couple hours at rehearsal. At home I keep the one Ibby handy in my office for ideas etc but I dont play much at home.
 
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gball said:
3 months? Wow. I put 5-6 hours on a set, then they are gone. I don't set a timer or anything, its just feel - after 5-6 hours they lose elasticity and are starting to flat-spot, which causes intonation problems and sometimes buzzing. I just know when a set is shot. I keep a 12-pack of strings so I can change them any time.

Setups happen when the guitars need it. Also a feel thing. Sometimes in the Spring, sometimes in the Fall, sometimes both. Just whenever I can feel something is off.

I've had the black gunk problem only with D'Addario's (or any of the OEM sets they supply to others). Since I don't actually like their strings and use GHS Boomers I never have that problem. Obviously always best to buy from only a reputable dealer.
Click to expand...

I get a lot of life out of my Ernie Ball Cobalts. Here's when I know they are giving up.

My Schecter and my Jackson are NEVER out of tune. No matter how hot - or how cold - they are always spot-on. No matter how much I dive bomb. I never had to touch the fine tuners. Once they start going flat, you know the string is giving up. At Saturday's performance, the Schecter started going slightly flat - after 3 months of daily use.
 
Robert Herndon said:
I get a lot of life out of my Ernie Ball Cobalts. Here's when I know they are giving up.

My Schecter and my Jackson are NEVER out of tune. No matter how hot - or how cold - they are always spot-on. No matter how much I dive bomb. I never had to touch the fine tuners. Once they start going flat, you know the string is giving up. At Saturday's performance, the Schecter started going slightly flat - after 3 months of daily use.
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That's a lot of use. I've put a set on Saturday morning and by Sunday afternoon ripped them off if I played a lot over the weekend before. I do think the feel of the strings is more important to me than anything else. If they don't feel right then I don't play right.
 
gball said:
They are very consistent but don't seem as balanced in feel to me. Most people I know swear by them TBH.
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To me they are not the best , but better than the rest ..;)

XL Nickel
 
Robert Herndon said:
I get a lot of life out of my Ernie Ball Cobalts. Here's when I know they are giving up.

My Schecter and my Jackson are NEVER out of tune. No matter how hot - or how cold - they are always spot-on. No matter how much I dive bomb. I never had to touch the fine tuners. Once they start going flat, you know the string is giving up. At Saturday's performance, the Schecter started going slightly flat - after 3 months of daily use.
Click to expand...


This is the same thing I find Rob with D' Addario nickel wounds 10-46s . My guitars stay in tune, I play 2 hours a day when the strings go flat I change them out, after 3months of playing, and have never had one break in 6 years of playing, I will stay with a good thing, no reason to change here.
 
poop --- we are supposedto change these?

No I do change guitar strings every 3-5 years as needed.
Bass strings...................those are changed when I get the bass.......and they stay for the life of the bass here in the DOOM ROOM ......
 
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