string life

Phil Halton · From: Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

I'm interested to know what people do to maximize the life of a set of strings. I wipe the strings down well about once every hour of play, and apply finger-ease about every 4 hours of play--making sure to get the whole string--underside etc. That seems to take off any crud that starts to accumulate and makes the strings squeak as I run the "eased" cloth across them--which tells me they're clean.

While we're on the topic of strings, I seem to need three hands to change a string. Two at the keyhead, and one at the changer to keep the ball end in place. On my Carter Starter I used tape to hold the end at the changer, but I don't want to gunk up the changer on my New Carter that way. Any suggestions here?
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Larry Strawn · From: Golden Valley, Arizona, R.I.P.

Phil,

I've found my carter to be the easiest to hold the strings at the changer end than any steel I've owned. It has a slot for the string to go into instead of a peg to put the ball on.

I've found that by puting the changer end in, then running the end thru my tuning peg leaving the amount of slack I want to wind, then cutting the string leaving about 3/16" to bend back it will hold on the tuning peg as I hold a little tension on the string with my left hand and wind with my right hand, also it is short enough at the tuner end not to scratch my guitar when the end winds around.

This method works fine for me, and thinking about it I really can't think of any other way to put a string on. Very Happy

Larry
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Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

IMHO, lubes such as "finger ease" aren't suited for wound strings. Reason: They'll build up in the windings, and actually hold gunk in there (which may lead to intonation problems). Without removing the wound strings and cleaning them (e.g., by boiling them), it's hard to get stuff from between the windings. I just wipe mine off, and find they'll last many weeks...even months, sometimes.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

String life varies from player to player. If you have "sweaty palms" they won't last very long. The amount of playing will also have an affect on string life. I don't think there is any way to really say what the string life is since it's a "variable".

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Wash your hands! It will help keep your strings clean and help keep your body healthy.

Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

The lifetime and tone of the wound string can be affected by old it is (age from the time it was made until you put it on the guitar). If I buy strings that are fresh from the string plant they will last longer to my ears than if I get my strings from some store (or small mail order place) that have had them setting around for 5 - 10 years unopened.

When I was playing a lot, I would buy strings by the dozen sets and change them every month or two when the tone changed. Now that I play a lot less, some of the 'new' strings I have had for ~5 years. Put on a 'new' old set of strings a week ago, played them at a gig last Saturday and the wound strings are already dying. Need to order a few fresh sets.

Thanx,
Jim

Billy McCoy · From: Ft. Worth, Texas, USA

Hey guys,

I sweat a LOT....I have found that I can wipe my strings off before and after I play with a rag that has been sprayed with WD-40. Not TOO much...just a little will do. IT WORKS!!!

I just changed strings last night before a session and when I took off the old strings...they felt really clean and smooth to the touch. As you know, old strings feel rough because of the corrosion.

WD-40 dispells water and prevents corrosion.

It may or may not work for you....but it works for me.

Billy
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Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

Phil, When I change strings I hook the string at the changer end then stretch it over past it's tuner about another couple tuners longer, use a little more on the third string. Then, I cut the string and after inserting into the tuner shaft hole bend it over. Now with the string in the hole and the other end hooked at the changer use at least three fingers on your right hand at about the center of the string to pull up on it to take out the slack while you wind the tuner with the left hand. As far as making strings last longer, just wiping them down once in a while when your playin will help.

Roger Edgington · From: San Antonio, Texas USA

Phil,Everyones hands are a little different. Some people have a lot of acid and their strings rust as a result. My hands are naturally oily. I can play rusty strings for a while and clean them up. Mine never rust, they just get dirty. Lee is absolutely right. Wash your hands before you play. I wipe my strings off before and after a gig with a dry cloth. Guys with a lot of acid really have to stay after it.

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

What you see is a rubber door-stop, cut off to fit. Just press it into the slot and it holds the end of the string secure while you wind the new string. The chain has no functon except to hang it on the guitar if you wish to. I used to make up several at a time to give away to other steel players.

Phil Halton · From: Holyoke, Massachusetts, USA

Now, that's a good idea. I need two hands at the changer to feel what's happening and get the string to lock down the little bent up piece of excess string. Sighted people can guide the winding visually--I have to feel things.

With the wound strings, especially the last few, they resist coiling to the point where the pressure needed to keep them on the post with the first couple turns is enough to pull it right off the post--even with a good bend in the excess--at least for me anyway. Gotta get me a doorstop. Whoa!

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Mike Mantey · From: Eastern Colorado, USA

You can grow a third hand or upgrade to the newer style slots, no more problems holding strings when changing them.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I use a small rubber wedge on my Franklin (it has the pegs like the PP Emmons) that I bought a long time ago in St Louis. There were a couple guys from Illinois that had a booth setup and were selling these wedges along with several other items. That's all I remember about it. I bought several of them and gave one to Paul Franklin, Sr.

John Roche · From: England

I use silicon spray on the strings when i finish a gig,
just spray a little on a rag and wipe the strings, mine look like new after two months. you also get a very smooth ride when you play the next gig, in fact i have put some on my picks with great results...

Billy McCombs · From: Bakersfield California, USA

Gene Jones, that door stop looks like it works great, I have got to get me one Thanks!
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78 Emmons PP,Great tone.82 Emmons SKH #56

Jim Bates · From: Alvin, Texas, USA

I use a piano tuners rubber mute, which is a rubber wedge on a wire handle (or w/o handle). A music store or a friendly piano tuner could get you one for about 50 cents.

Thanx,
Jim

Roger Rettig · From: Naples, FL

I wish my Emmons guitars had slots like that Mullen!!!! My old Pro 111 had a similar arrangement. I have a small piece of foam rubber that holds the ball-end in place until I get some tension on the string, but that swallow-tail idea seems more secure to me.

The real nightmare in my life? Holding the ball-end of my B-string in place on my Glaser B-bender-equipped G&L ASAT Classic while I attempt to locate the already-trimmed end into the tuning post - AAARRGGHHH! I've been known to destroy three 2nd strings at one sitting!

RR

Bob Knight · From: Bowling Green KY

Don Sulesky · From: Citrus County, FL, Orig. from MA & NH

Being from the design world in engineering I never buy something I can make myself.
My father taught me this 50 years ago.When he was a mechanic on a fleet of trucks many of the tools he needed to do his job were not invented yet so he made his own.
Anyway to get to the point I took a small piece of pine and shaped it into a small wedge and covered it with a piece of sticky back felt from the craft department of Wal-Mart for changing strings on my Emmons.
Works like a charm.
Also when I wipe down my strings I use rubbing alcohol. No gunk in it and it cleans off the sweat from your hands.
Don

Billy McCoy · From: Ft. Worth, Texas, USA

Hey Bob,

I used to think that as well. (don't put chemicals on the strings). WD-40 penetrates the string at the molecular level. When wiped clean, I cannot tell the difference other than they are silky smooth and sustain is great!

Sustain is breached when corrosion sets in and diminishes the volume of the string itself...thus the vibration of the string becomes un-even...creating a situation where string has less sustain and is harder to keep in tune.

I hope that makes sense. I used to try to NOT use anything...I just sweat too much! Strings would not last me through (1) gig. Since I have been wiping them down with WD-40 (just a little bit will do), strings last for months before I start having problems with sustain or tuning. I have yet to break a string as well. (Jagwire strings)

I have tried the rubbing alcohol and finger ease and silicone...and even tried boiling the wrapped strings. None of those seem to work for me.

b
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Studio and Stage

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Don Brown, Sr. · From: New Jersey

My thoughts on string life is: If you restring your steel, and find it (then) sounds like a brand new one, you've left um on far too long. The amount of time, definitely depends on so many factors, it's probably quite different from one person to another. I'd think that most players, change an individual string as it's needed.

For me on string changing, the fastest and easiest I've found, (similar to Larry's approach) is to uncoil the new string, place the end near the holding peg (pin or whatever else you choose to call it) then stretch it out past the tuning peg it goes on. Slide your finger to the point where you want to cut it off at. Take your trusty old side cutters, and cut it off there.

Now here's the trick I use. I have my tuning peg already oriented so the hole in the tuning peg, is parallel to the steel. I then slide the string in from the left (far) side of the tuning peg, so that the cut end is facing me. I then turn the tuning peg, slightly more, so that as I pull the string up and over the top portion of the tuning peg, it doesn't slide out, and creates it's own bend in the string. Then hook the ball end over the pin, and slide my left hand down to about the center of the string to hold tension on it, while cranking it (using a string winder) with my right hand. Just before it's up to tension, make sure it's centered over the finger, and roller, and crank it on up.

I know that sounded really complicated, but it's really fast. Also, I learned to cut off the strings before hand (except for the wound ones) then repackage them and there's no having to go through the measurement, nor cutting the string when one's needed. Take it out of the pack and put it on and you know it's the right length.

Note: On the wound strings, I never cut the ends until it's nearly up to tune. I found if I didn't, the winding has a tendancy to come loose, and you can get a string buzz.

Important Note: "If you precut them, make sure you are gauging them from the correct tuning peg that, that string is used on." Need I say why? Embarassed

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