string change question

Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

changing strings the day before a gig, yay or nay ?? mine could use a change but worried about tuning issues.
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Dickie Whitley · Posted 16 Jun 2012 8:45 am

Karen, this is just me, but I'd do it at least two days before. Hopefully others will chime in here with more experience on the subject.

Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

yeah i'm leaning towards holding off. just replaced my 5th string tho because it broke, so the others are probably on their way out too. i dont want to break a string tomorrow, important gig.
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I change my strings on Monday.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

My personal opinion is that the day before is plenty.
I can usually have good luck even half an hour before a gig.

Change strings 1 at a time. Bring it up to pitch, tug on it with about 7 to 10 pounds of pressure ( About enough to lift a solid body electric guitar). Bring it back up to pitch. Repeat about 5 *. The string should be settled.
For your peace of mind, do this the day before a gig. Check it before you tear it down, and I bet it will be stable.
For the last 2 years, I have only had 30 hours in a row off my job. So I had no choice but to change and go
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Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

We're supposed to change them? Whoa!

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Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

ugh just tuned up old strings. may take my chances... in general how long do people wait in between sting changes ? i play a couple hours most days
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Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

ugh just tuned up old strings. may take my chances... in general how long do people wait in between sting changes ? i play a couple hours most days
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Emmons, Franklin, Mullen

Michael Robertson · From: Ventura, California. USA

Dealing with tuning issues a day before the gig is better than dealing with a string break on the gig.
Plus the sound of new strings the best.
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Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

When they sound dead, or when they break.
If you have an important gig tomorrow, get off the computer and change them now.
You'd play an important gig with dead wires?
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Karen Sarkisian · From: Boston, MA, USA

word. signing off.... Whoa!

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Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

I'll get to a gig early enough to change strings 1 to 6 on my E9th neck an hour or so before playing. Stretch them a few times, bring them to pitch, play them a little, re-stretch, then bring to pitch and they are fine for the gig.

You just have to get all the stretch out, that's all.
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Bill Moore · From: Manchester, Michigan

I don't want to have to change a string at a gig. If you play a guitar regularly, I think you will eventually come to sense when the strings are nearing the breaking point. But it's usually only a couple of strings that will break. If I have a gig approaching, and I am pressed for time, I might only change a couple of strings, maybe just the 3rd and 5th, or maybe 3,4,5,6.

I have several guitars, I usually rotate playing them. Lately, I've been writing down when the strings were changed. I just write it on a calender. For example, on one guitar, I changed all the strings on May 30th, I played it at a gig on June 1st. I also played it on a gig on the 9th. In between, I played it at home, and also played a couple of the others at home. I broke the 5th string yesterday on that guitar. When I change them all will depend on when I am planning to use that guitar at a gig.

Sometimes I change them all on the morning of a gig day. But I would rather do a it day or two before. I stretch them, and play for a while. The wound strings take a little longer to settle in. I think it's mostly a matter of having an organized way of doing it, keep track of when they are changed, etc.

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I don't like changing strings the day of a gig. I prefer a couple days to tweak out the stretch etc. Besides, I have occasionally gotten a few bad or dead strings in a set that had to be changed out.

It's a calculated decision. On the one hand, I usually like the strings that are already on there. Everything is tuned up and sounding good, but you hate to have one break at an inopportune time.

I have 2 guitars, so I'd say I change entire sets every 6 mos. or so with some of the plain strings in between. I took a tip from my friend Boogie Sherrard. He writes the date on the empty wrapper and leaves it in the case.

I guess several people, like Ned, don't find it as daunting a task.

Once I was at the Grand Ole Opry for the early show and I watched Weldon change entire sets right there on the Opry stage just before the show! Now that's confidence.

Doug Palmer · From: Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

I find it best to change the strings, bring them to pitch, play them for a few songs, retune them and let them settle over night. Then fine tune and adjust the next day. If you try to fine tune them as soon as you put them on you may have to do it again after they settle. BTW, I try to change my strings after 8 or 9 gigs. If you find yourself adjusting them often, it's time to change.

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

When I put a new set of strings on my guitar, I keep the paper "sleeve" that came with the strings. I write the date they were put on the guitar and keep it with my extra strings in my pack-a-seat. If I change out a few of the plain strings at a later date, I record that info on the sleeve, too.
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Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

At least a day before if changing a whole set. I actually like to change them 2 days before and just get the open strings up to pitch, except the 3rd string, I leave that at F# so it will settle in and not break as soon as I get it to pitch (some string brands I have tried break too easily). The following day, i stretch them a little more, get the 3rd string to pitch, and tune the pedals/levers.

This seems to work best for me and I never have the problems on a gig with "new string de-tuning".
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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Monday works best for me.
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Dickie Whitley · Posted 17 Jun 2012 10:32 am

OK b0b, you've talked me into it, or at least no later than Tuesday...... Cool

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Mondays are usually bad for me. That is my day to recover from the weekend gigs. Sometimes I don't even want to see my guitar on Monday.
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Brendan Mitchell · From: Melbourne Australia

I change mine regularly every 2 years , even if they don't need it .

Adam Sorber · From: Pennsylvania, USA

My guitars usually "settle" in tune within 5 minutes of playing after changing strings. I always exercise all the pedals and knee levers real good after a string change.
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Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

http://www.mullenguitars.com/guitar-tips.htm
Tip from the good folks at Mullen re: helping the strings to form to the rollers quickly. Also some other steel guitar tips for anyone interested.

BTW, your plain strings should tune up to pitch fairly easy using Adam's suggestion, if they're any good. Shouldn't be any breakage problem unless you tune it way above the desired pitch. I haven't seen any difference in tuning them up right away or waiting 'til they "settle in", which they won't do anyhow until you bring them up to pitch and stretch them out.

3rd strings are the hardest to get stretched out and stable, but they'll go up there if they're any good. Coming from someone who uses 12's for thirds on one guitar and 13's on another. Yes, 13's.

Whip Lashaway · From: Monterey, Tenn, USA

b0b, You're crackin me up! I have to wonder though about all these guitars and/or strings. When I was touring, I changed the strings after setting up for the show. I know stretching is a controversial topic but...I grab 4 strings next to each other and bring them to the middle and work my way across the neck and retune. After a couple of times, no retuning needed. I'm talking maybe a couple hours before a show at the most...no trouble. Couple of things, 1st, I play a Sierra, say what you will, my experience is they like to stay in tune. 2nd, I use even tension tuning system. I've talked about that before. Each gauge is selected to be at pitch when the pull is X pounds for each string. It works! My routine is to replace 1-6 when I start missing harmonics. Every 3rd time I change them, I change 7-12. Just my 2cents of what works for me. God Bless, Whip
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