What's the longest time you've gone without a string change?

graham rodger · From: Scotland

Longest time without a change?apart from the obvious breakage of strings 3 and 5 etc.
And how long will a set keep tune over an extended time?
I play steel at gigs only bout 3 times a year and practise only an hour a week or so,other stuff going on.A set has lasted me as much as a year at times and not presented any real tuning problems.I tune by ear and not with a Peterson tuner etc.
Sometimes I see a little flat on top of strings when on a long time.
Your experiences guys?Way back when you started?and now?

Jake L · From: Grapevine, Texas

Normally about once every 2 weeks or so.
Jake

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

Once per month on average, I play about 45 weeks per year, average of 2 nights per week, mostly weekends but also Mid week fairs, outdoors etc. I sit at the steel for most of the night and pad chords also. A good set should last that, but i change the 3rd string every other weekend just to be on the safe side.

I will change about every 2 weeks if i'm doing a lot of outdoor gigs in summertime because of humidity and sweat.
They say a set is good for 8 hours of playing, but i think we all stretch that some. I use about 15 set's per year!
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Larry Baker · From: Columbia, Mo. U.S.A.

WoW! you mean that you have to change strings even if they aren't broke? Who woulds thunk it!!!
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Dick Sexton · From: Greenville, Ohio

What's the longest time you've gone without a string change?

About 13 years...

Playable, but dead when I took it out of the case. Me, not it, I'd forgotten most all of the things I'd ever known about playing steel.

Now, every two or three weeks or just before an important gig.

Mike Cass · Posted 9 Aug 2012 12:45 am

about 1 year. I keep loosening them and snapping them against the fretboards as Buddy showed me. Chet Atkins thought quite well of that trick as well as he mentioned in a Guitar Player interview from the 70's Smile

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I've seen Buddy do the "snapping" trick. I've also heard of Chet washing strings and then reusing them. I guess if times are tough these measures work.

I generally change about once a month, unless I'm on tour then its about every 10 shows. I don't like having a string break during a show. If I'm recording I may change them before the session as fresh strings record better.

EDIT: I should have responded to the original question. Longest I've gone is 3 months and that was a period when I wasn't working with any bands.

Craig Schwartz · From: McHenry IL

Its always a pleasure to hear and play new strings , they seem to ring new for only a couple of weeks and turn into what were used to hearing for the rest of the 6 month period or when they fully flatten out, It seems when I loose interest of the sound I`m hearing, I`ll put new strings on, and that brings me back to life with it P.D.Q. (pretty darn quick)
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Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

Be curious to hear what Sid Hudson has to say about how Live Steel strings compare to "normal" strings in how long you can leave them on for the same reliability/tone as with normal string decay...
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Sid Hudson · From: Virginia, USA

Steve, unlike many of you guys, I don't play gigs with bands anymore.

I do occasionally play a steel show now and then. So, the majority of my playing is in my music room at home.

I do practice about 25 hours per week. Now with all this being said, I have been changing my strings between 100 to 150 actual playing hours.

Because my room is climate controlled and humidity is relatively low my strings last a long time. For most of you that play in bands, outside jobs, humid clubs etc… time frames will vary.

For me, my strings rarely go dead because of the environment in which I play.
Instead, after exceeding 100-150 of actual playing time I notice that the intonation of the plain strings start to go away on me up in the Hughey frets.

As I have said many many times before, humidity is the #1 enemy of a musical string.
#2 would be acid (salt in your hands)

In my opinion the single best thing you can do to keep your strings alive for a longer period of time is to wipe them down with a product called “Fast Frets” every time you get up from the guitar whether it be taking a break or packing up for the night.

I don’t sell the stuff but any music store does. I think it sells for around $7.50 per can and a can will last about 12 months.

If I had to choose one thing that I am most pleased with regarding the design and outcome of Live Steel Strings, it would be the tone.

My goal from the beginning was to design a string that:
Stayed in tune better (return from pulls and lowers properly) 2. Lasted longer. 3.Minimize Breakage. I am confident I achieved those goals based on personal experience and many hundreds of customer reviews.

Tonal qualities never entered my mind during the design process but it has turned out to be the single best surprise to me of this entire endeavor.

Sid
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Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I have an original set on my BIGSBY 4-neck...4/1956.
They still sound great.

Most of the others are over ten years old and sound really warm to me........

They lack that metallic 'twang' that is so often prevelant on pedals steels.

graham rodger · From: Scotland

Wow at Ray Montee,Brilliant.Part of the reason I asked was cos strings are expensive and really hard to get in the UK for universal 12 string.Almost always have to order them from abroad,the there is taxes etc,and buying singles is costly,is pound for dollar and more,sometimes lots more.
Like you guys if an important gig comes up,get the new ones on and break em in before etc.I definately get my moneys worth and tweak the amp etc for tone and tweak stops and barrels a little for better tuning.More of a hobbyist with the occasional gig and not much of a player YET!ha.
Guitar strings tend to last no time at all with fret indentations damaging strings but I'd say fretless instrument strings last a LOT longer apart from all the pulls deadening them.I bet Ray Montee's oldest strings sound Retro dead!Cheers folks for input.

Larry Bressington · From: Nebraska

Wash your hands at every 'Break' will help keep string's living, and even wipe em down during a set outside, and again after the set. Don't shake anybody's hand, just give em 'Howdy doodie' smile or a knuckle touch!!
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graham rodger · From: Scotland

Just watched some of Ray Montee's steel playing on youtube,hat off to you!
Amazing music,still got originals on magic!
Gonna post another thread about what do we do when we run out of metal!

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

I know I've gone as long as a couple of years without changing strings on a pedal steel a time or two. I used to date the wrapper and put it in the case, but not lately.

I rather like the wound strings that are played in and mellowed out.

Generally, when I start having major tuning problems or a rash of breakages, then I know I'm past due for a string change. This works out to be every 6 to 8 mos. on average. When I used to get calls for steel shows etc. I would pay more attention to string life span.

Professional musicians that make their living playing music change strings frequently. It's sort of like if you drive your car making deliveries every day, you need to change the oil, plugs, rotate the tires, etc. more often but lately I'm just going to the grocery and making occasional short trips.
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Cal Sharp · From: the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN

Once a year or so. I figure after a month they're not gonna get much deader. Buddy told me once that he didn't even like new strings on the C neck, too bright until they were on for a while.
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Sid Hudson · From: Virginia, USA

It has crossed my mind that opening a florist would be a better choice.
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Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Some Steel Players have a lot of acidity in their system and if it comes out of the skin in your hands and fingers it can ruin strings quite quickly. For myself, I never had this problem and would only do a total string change about once a year. I usually would go to Blackie Taylor's music store and let him do it.
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Mike Cass · Posted 9 Aug 2012 9:18 pm

not to hijack here, but Sid, I put a set of Live's on a customers p/p a few weeks ago and really liked the sound of them. I noticed that they held pitch quite well for new wires and they feel nice as well. Good job, imho.

MC

Per Berner · From: Skovde, Sweden

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

i'll go years if i can. just change them when they absolutely won't tune anymore. and i play every week of my life.

then again, i don't play 'master' sessions (paul hogs them all!!) Cool

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

About once a year, or when I think "boy this steel sounds lousy", at which point I realize that the strings are REALLY old. - Jack

Zane King · From: Nashville, TN

I would rather have a route canal than change a string! Whoa!

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Alain-Yves Pigeon · From: Quebec, Canada

Dunno if this is true but I read or heard somewhere that Paul Franklin changes his strings every day. True, he does lots of sessions...

But I've seen on the Buddy Emmons site that he does not like to change his strings and he waits 'till they break to replace the broken one. There must really be something about old strings because, as a former cello player, I remember having read that Pablo Casals, the most famous cellist of all times, also kept his strings 'till they broke and these were gut strings. And closer to present days, James Jamerson, the famous Motown bass player, has kept the same set of strings for 16 years. He would change them if they broke. There sure must be something about dead strings that we simple mortals don't understand! True, changing a string is a pain in the @$$... whatever the instrument!

Best to all.

ayp
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Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

My strings have always looked, felt, tuned and played GOOD!

Something I discovered eons ago is this.........
Don't let ANYONE play your guitar!

As mentioned above.....the different acidity that one might have in their hands, from another, can really chew up the life of a set of strings.

I've found my stingey attitude has prolonged the life of many of my strings over the years. Just a tho't one might want to ponder?

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