How many gigs can you get from a set of strings?

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

I have been lucky enough to be playing 3-4 nights a week lately, and I have been going through strings like crazy. I find that I can get AT THE MOST 8-9 gigs from a set of strings (2 or 3 gigs on my old Telecaster) At almost $10 a pop, it is starting to get expensive. I wipe my strings down every 3-4 songs, and at the end of the night, I clean them with something called "chops". It is a spray like "Finger Ease" to make your guitar strings slick, only it's meant to be sprayed on your fingers, NOT the guitar neck. Kind of expensive at $15/can, but it lasts forever, as a little goes a long way. I use GHS Pedal Guitar Boomers, as they seem to be the most consistent in their guages; when I re-string, I almost NEVER hafta tune my pedal stops; in fact sometimes my nylon tuners freeze on the rods from lack of having to tune!

How do you know when your strings need changing?

Mine will be fine for about 7-8 gigs, then they will go dead ALL OF A SUDDEN, sometimes in the course of 1 or 2 songs. Aside from the usual symptom of sounding not quite in tune, and lacking sustain in the upper registers, what happens with me is I start to miss notes when I'm speed picking. Not really MISSING the notes, but their output becomes inconsistent, so it SOUNDS like I am missing notes. I then start going for my safe "go to" licks below the 12th fret that I know will sound OK. Then it's time to change.

How 'bout you?
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

The stuff you're spraying might be making things worse. I'd try rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth, as it will dissolve the finger oils.
Everybody has different skin chemistry, so there is no normal life. You COULD try Lester Flatt's three-set rotation. One set on the guitar, one set soaking in lacquer thinner, one set drying.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

When I was working the road I changed every 10 shows on my Pedal Steel. They can go more but I didn't want to chance breaking a string on a show. Playing locally, its about the same.

Larry Allen · From: Kapaa, Kauai,Hawaii

Since I switched to Live Steel strings I am getting 2-3 months (3-4 nites a week) and when I change them they really don't need to be!..Larry Whoa!

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Excel steels & Peavey amps,Old Chevys & Motorcycles & Women on the Trashy Side

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

My target is about 500 hours per string set.

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

when I was on the road playing honky tonks all over the nation, I changed the strings only when they broke...nobody cared anyway, and saved me some money too... I would change the whole set maybe twice a year... I think I used something called "fast fret" or something like that, to clean the strings after every show...
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www.steelguitarsonline.com

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

Lane Gray · From: Topeka, KS

Try washing hands every break,, maybe some alcohol based hand sanitizer between songs once or twice.
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2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects

Olli Haavisto · From: Jarvenpaa,Finland

Beer?
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Olli Haavisto
Finland

Steve Spitz · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

Part of the equation is your tolerance to continue using the strings after they begin to sound less than optimal. I might not change my strings to play a very low profile gig , maybe outside in the hot humid summer, but would change them for a session.

Lanes comment about skin chemistry is spot on as well. While I play plenty C6, the plain strings on that neck get crusty from the crud that comes out of your skin. Also the humidity here in New Orleans is a string killer.

If your fortunate enough to have several guitars, and you feel equally comfortable on all of them, I'll sometimes rotate them and use which steel has the freshest strings,
But that may be impractical for some.

For me , too many variables go into the how long question, but my ears usually let me know. I rarely have one break before I change them, and I don't purposely change them to avoid breaking.

I'd be curious to know what tips you all may have to extend string life, I've tried blitzcloth and rubbing alcohol. I knew a guy who used marvel mystery oil on a flannel cloth. I remember Leon Chambers ( RIP, I sure do miss that guy ) used baby powder on the strings of his Jazzmaster.

Anyone else have something ?

Mike Wheeler · From: Delaware, Ohio, USA

Y'all may already know this, but I've seen many pickers (guitar and steel) religiously wipe down their strings after playing a set....but they only wipe the top surface. They never seem to do the bottom side of the strings...where all the crud actually collects.

Back in the 70's, when I was gigging 4 or 5 nights a week, I learned to wipe down both sides, and I heard the difference, and remember how the strings lasted a good bit longer. Maybe not months longer, but many weeks.

As said above, some peoples' hands put off corrosive chemicals that ruin strings rather quickly, others don't. We just do what we gotta do to make the music live for the folks in the audience. No one can ask for more than that.
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Best regards,
Mike

Rich Upright · From: Florida, USA

"I'd be curious to know what tips you all may have to extend string life, I've tried blitzcloth and rubbing alcohol."

Blitzcloth is OK, but they are almost impossible to find, unless you buy them online. Alcohol doesn't work; it just liquifies the dirt into your wound strings.

The best thing I have found is something called "Chops". I bought it at Sam Ash, after first trying it in the store. It is like "Finger Ease", but made to be sprayed on your fingers. It is expensive as hell ($15 per tiny bottle, but it will last forever, and looks like you just blew a loogie on the rag. I wipe my strings down every 2 or 3 songs, then I clean them at the end of the night by putting a little Chops on a rag (1 drop is all you need)and grabbing the string & running the rag up & down. Using this method, I can get 8 or 9 gigs from a set, and 2 or 3 on the Telecaster. If I didn't clean them, they would be shot before the first gig was over.

"Part of the equation is your tolerance to continue using the strings after they begin to sound less than optimal."

If I'm playing with a sucky band, or playing in a dump full of drunks, I will use the old strings. I try to schedule a change so the best gigs have the newest strings, butnot always possible.
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A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag.

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I never wipe my strings and I only change strings when they get a little contrary to tune or stay in tune or go dead. Some people have more acid in their body and require wipe downs and such. I have a friend that picked up my fiddle on day and played a little and the next day, my strings had hair growing on them and I had to change strings and those had been on my fiddle for 4 or 5 years and it got lots of playing.
With all that, my strings probably get a new set about every 5 to 6 months. I think you all are wasting your money changing out every 2 weeks or so. JMHO
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

This has made me decide to change my strings. They've been on the guitar for 18 months and I play most days. As an ex bass player I know that the wound strings have gone a bit dead, but now the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings have started making that over-bright sound which folk describe and is unmistakable when it occurs. So I shall overcome my mean streak and change them all.
(I was waiting until something broke, but that strategy isn't working.)
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Jamie Mitchell · From: Nashville, TN

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