strings

[lackinelectric]

any help on making them last longer

[bobthecow]

make sure that you always wash your hands before playing, and always clean them off with string cleaner after playing. Also, avoid going from the heat to the cold or vice-versa, or you will risk condensation which will cause them to rust.

[Bounty]

make sure that you always wash your hands before playing, and always clean them off with string cleaner after playing. Also, avoid going from the heat to the cold or vice-versa, or you will risk condensation which will cause them to rust.


I use fast fret and so do a lot of other peopl on this forum. I just bought a new can yesterday 6.99 (usd) and it lasts quite a while. This will help some.

[ez-one]

Like what was said alredy, wash your hands before you play (removes acids and oils that will crode strings) use a string cleaner when you are finished playing. There are several commerical string cleaner/lubracants, Tone FingerEase, Kyser Dr. Stringfellow. I use stringfellow myself, always use a lint free cloth for wipeing and cleaning.

[Pekker_Head]

Or get some good strings. My GHS Boomers been playing for about 5 months, never washed my hands or anything and they still sound good.
Though you have to wipe them off or the oils from your fingers can get into your fret board and cause the wood to warp.

[ez-one]

Pekker Head, you ought to try changing your stings, you will be surprised at how much better the new ones sound, strings loose tone and quality slowly over time, so you really don't notice it, If you wait long enough at some point they will start to corrode, or finally break, or what I find is usally the B string starts to sound dead, Just becasue they are still on the guitar and making sound does not mean that they are still good. I use Elixir Nanoweb on my electric and Elixir polyweb on my accoustic that are speically coated for longer life and more expensive that standard strings and I still change them about every 3 months. Regular guitar stings like Boomers and the others I would change at least every two months but probably more often than that.

[Chet Ubetcha]

As everyone already said, the most important thing is to wipe your strings down after every time you play. Keeping your guitar in its case when it's not being used will help with the corrosion.

[123_Rizz_uk]

Does wiping the strings down still apply to coated strings like elixir anti rust coated strings ?

[Dmackenzie]

wiping down your strings is a practice that can never hurt...

[disobedience]

....Though you have to wipe them off or the oils from your fingers can get into your fret board and cause the wood to warp.


Where did you get this information from? I've never heard that in my life.
The oils in your fingers help to lubricate the fretboard.

[ez-one]

I use Elixars on all of my guitars, because of a nickel allergy. I clean them everytime I play. They do have a coating to make them last longer, but I figure that the oils and acids in your skin is still going to affect them. Might take longer, but since cleaning them only takes a sec. why not do it anyway.

[Dmackenzie]

I too have been using Elixirs for two years now and I'm bound never to go back to a normal string. The goretek coating really protects the string from my sweaty, sweaty hands.