A simple question for stringed instrument players
 

Do you think it's better to replace all your strings at once or as they break?

I haven't changed my strings in months, and I just broke my A string. I have a new pack of strings sitting on my dining room table that I bought a month ago.

I feel I should note that I have a Floyd Rose on my guitar.

I usually wait about 3 breaks of the high "e" string before replacing the entire set. One time I want to try those "glossed" strings that apparently last longer and prevent fretbuzz, but they're almost triple the price of regular strings.

I'd change them all a few months after one breaks, if I cared about things like that. But I don't, so I just replace them one at a time. I swear that one of my strings is growing mold on it at this point.

Strings do go mouldy if you don't replace the strings. My spare acoustic has greenish strings. It's a look.

Replace them all at once. They tend not to break if you've got better technique, or replace them every 4-6 months. I know people who replace them much more frequently than that, but I'd guess you're not a gigging musician.

Fucking hell, I'm reduced to replying to a fucking guitar thread.

i rarely break strings but i'd say if you're gonna change one you might as well put a whole new set on.


how often should you change bass strings? the strings on my bass which i am holding right now are the strings it came with and i bought it over two years ago...

..... change 'em all at one time. How are you breaking strings? That's kinda hard to do: tuned too high? nicked up frets w/ notches maybe? Strumming too hard on opened notes? Picks too heavy / thick?

The question is kinda subjective, but if you're asking others.....
do you have a bunch of spares... can afford to keep changing? It depends on if you're recording or gigging. If nothing, it doesn't matter how old they are as long as you can take the stinky finger from corroded strings!

Some mom & pop stores sell individual strings for a buck or two.

how do you break strings? i used to break strings all the time because i played so hard and i play with heavy gauge picks. that and tuning too high.

i don't really know anything about basses other than how to play one which is why i asked about the strings

With bass strings, if they're covered in shite, stick them in boiling water for 20 minutes or so, and they'll get that bright sound again. If you're not worried about that then don't bother. And you're probably not playing jazz, so I doubt you're that worried.

I just play without the E string until another one breaks and about then is when I need to replace them all.

I also contribute nothing to this thread.

thanks glice! you saved the day!

the factory strings on basses are usually shitty, i figure if you're going to use the same ones for a long period of time you might as well spring for some really nice ones.

hmmmmmmmmm, boiling bass strings works but can be "dangerous" for some materials and can weaken them a bit coz of the heat-induced dilatation/+ cold-induced re-shrinking---does this make sense? anyway, you could go for this thing:
http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/ba...ning_tube.html
which is kinda cool and works really well.

I like the strings on my guitar to be so old that they sound like they're made of wood. I can't stand the bright brassy sound of new strings.
Gut strings are a different story, of course.

i actually found some string cleaner upon further investigation, i'm good. i'm not about to use it though, i hate bright bass

Do you have a large version of your avatar, ?????????? ... I need it for later.

well, it's not that it will make your strings brighter than they used to be originally...I prefer to have clean strings and fiddle a bit with tone/eq to get the sound I want rather than relying on the dirtiness of the strings he he ;).
I'm so not rock and roll....

edit: to satanass

Fucking A.

I break strings all the time. I guess I have bad technique or something. I guess it's from what Freshchops said about playing open notes too hard. And I'll replace them one at a time for a while. But eventually I'll give up the ghost and just replace them all. I have some guitar playing friends that are fairly more tech savy than myself and they all have different opinions on the issue. They all love that brassy sound so they tend to change regularly. One of them changes strings like every couple of months or whatever on principle. Yet another hasn't changed strings on his acoustic in something like four years. Still sounds slick.

I know a guy who uses a floyd rose, they look neat. I believe he told me the string longevity is reduced in them though.

It's best to change them all at the same time unless you have one that just breaks a lot.

I agree with cha' there. The older the better to me in most cases but I don't like if they start to stink. That's when I change them. Ya' know, when they start to smell like old rusty keys? I love when they sound warm and full instead of bright and brittle. Brand new strings are so brittle and harsh. It doesn't help that I'm playing on really hot ass pick-ups.

I agree with "nicfit"'s point about new strings vs. messing w/ tone. This works too, and is important when you need sustain. ya can't expect to hold strong notes with older strings, but as they get older, the brightness tapers off and the strings sound fuller (a'la full of your finger grime).

depends. i'll go a bit without the high two strings if the others are fine. but not too long.

i don't break strings very often... i used to all the time when i was a nub.