How often do you restring your acoustic?

4393 Views 24 Replies 19 Participants Last post by elindso, Feb 23, 2007

Cross

Discussion Starter · Feb 15, 2007

I'm curious to know from as many of you as to how often do you change the strings on your acoustic guitar? I got my Larrivee D-03 back in September and haven't changed the strings yet. They don't sound dull to me yet, which is why I never really bothered with them. However with my electric guitar strings, I change them as often as once every month.

And finally, here's the newb question - are there any sort of problems that I may encounter if I leave one set of strings on my acoustic for too long? (aside from the strings sounding dull)

Looking forward to hearing from some of you.

1 - 20 of 25 Posts

Jeff Flowerday

· #2 · Feb 15, 2007

Coated will last a couple weeks.

Uncoated last me a week at the most.

It really depends on how often you play it, how acidic your sweat is and how hard you play your guitar.

torndownunit

· #3 · Feb 15, 2007

I don't change them till one breaks. Then I change the whole set. For someone reason I don't like the feel of new strings on acoustics, so unless they are sounding really dead I just don't change them.

GuitarsCanada

· #4 · Feb 15, 2007

I think the strings on my acoustic have been on there for about 6 months now. Looking good for another 6 months.

Tarbender

· #5 · Feb 15, 2007

Depending how often I play my guitars usually dictates how often I change my strings. With the guitars that I don't play that often, I usually look to see what condition the fret board is in. If it looks dry, I'll swap the strings and give the fretboard a drink of Dr. Frets bore oil. Guitars that I use pretty regularly I change at least once a month - electric or acoustic. Nothing sounds better to my ear than fresh strings on an acoustic.

Mr. David Severson

· #6 · Feb 15, 2007

I will change my Acoustic Strings once a week. Now mind you I use my acoustic for the majority of teaching that I do and that can add upto eight hours in one day!

Electric strings will last me for about 2 weeks...

Big White Tele

· #7 · Feb 15, 2007

I have to change any time my hands sweat. Playing live, theyre dead after 2 hours. Normally they last 20 hours. They seem to sound the best after they have been on the guitar for a day or so.

OverRide

· #8 · Feb 15, 2007

I use to change mine at least every two weeks. I started using the elixir strings and they last me two months (or at least they still sounded good after the two months). They are double the cost, but last three times longer.

Gilliangirl

· #9 · Feb 15, 2007

Usually every four weeks, if I'm using D'Addario or John Pearse. If I'm using Elixirs usually every 7 to 8 weeks. I find the Elixir lights seem to die earlier than the Elixir mediums? Maybe it's just a perceived loss of volume?

Cross

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 15, 2007

Thanks for the input everyone. It seems that I would be able to keep my strings on for a good while - either until one string breaks or they begin to sound dead to my ears. To address some of the earlier comments, I do not play my acoustic as often as I do with my electrics, I noodle around here and there and it's strictly used for playing at home in the dead hours of the night. Thus I think I can stand to keep the strings on my acoustic for at least another few months, but it's good to hear from everyone. Thanks!

Robboman

· #11 · Feb 16, 2007

I change my strings when they start to sound unacceptably dull. The timeframe varies drastically. Most of you said how often you change in terms of weeks, or months, but what does that mean in terms of playing hours? I mean, strings don't wear themselves out on an unplayed guitar.

If I do the rough math in my head, I'd say my acoustic strings are pretty dull after about 20 to 30 hours. Way back when I first caught the guitar player disease, I could rack up that many hours in a few days. Of course, back then I was a teenager with one guitar and unlimited free time to play it.

Now, it could take several months to put 30 man-hours on any one guitar. I have a few, some don't get played very often at all, so they might go even a year or more between string changes.

exhaust_49

· #12 · Feb 16, 2007

I change my strings once every 6 months.

Tarbender

· #13 · Feb 16, 2007

I agree with Roboman... Thats why I inspect my guitars every month whether the've been played or not. I figure if the fret booard needs attention the strings have to be changed anyway to do a proper job on the fretboard. Are you going to scrimp on $7.00 or $8.00 a month on some thing you care about. Whether it cost you $100.00 or $1000.00 it's really a minor expense.

On my favorite acoustic guitar I change the guitar strings every other week because I like the way it sounds with new strings. That being said it's a $500.00 guitar that I would put up against any $2000.00 guitar. Next to taking care of the fret board, its best thing you can do for your guitar.

And I've never used Elixers except for the set my Taylor came with and I changed those for John Pearse and never looked back - best sounding strings for bright wood guitars I've ever used - bar none. Just my $0.02

Cross

Discussion Starter · #14 · Feb 16, 2007

Well - I just broke the string on my acoustic. One day after I even posted this thread LOL. Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Jeff Flowerday

· #15 · Feb 16, 2007

Cross said:
Well - I just broke the string on my acoustic. One day after I even posted this thread LOL. Thanks for all the feedback everyone!

Which string? Do you know were they Elixir?

Cross

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 16, 2007

Jeff Flowerday said:
Which string? Do you know were they Elixir?

It was the G-string. The Larrivee website indicates that that all -03 series guitars come OEM with Everly Cleartone strings. The ball-end of the string is green FYI.

Cross

Discussion Starter · #17 · Feb 16, 2007

Would anyone have some string recommendations for my acoustic? It's a Larrivee D-03WL (Claro Walnut)

Mike MacLeod

· #18 · Feb 17, 2007

I like new strings

I like the sound and feel of new strings. I change them every couple of weeks.

lolligagger

· #19 · Feb 18, 2007

I'm not too religious in my approach to string management, but I do try to make it a habit wash my hands before playing, and to wipe the fretboard down when I'm done. My string replacement schedule is based on tone feedback.

I do find that using an in-case humidifier shortens string life dramatically. I switch to D'Addario EXP's in the winter to help extend string life, but I admit to preferring standard D'Addario strings. I probably go 5 - 6 weeks tops for EXP's and 3 - 4 weeks max for standard D'Addarios. If I know that I'm going to be playing with others I might swap strings the day before. My strings are usually sufficiently dead when I replace them that I can appreciate the new ones.

I used to boil my strings in water to clean the gunk...seemed to help for a week or so but seeing my strings in the kitchen pots and pans kind of grossed out SWMBO so I stopped. I always keep extra strings on hand, just in case I decide to swap out. I don't want to be caught short.

Stephen W.

· #20 · Feb 18, 2007

Cross said:
Would anyone have some string recommendations for my acoustic? It's a Larrivee D-03WL (Claro Walnut)

Yep, try something totally different. This is the best time to experiment and learn what you like and don't like. It's a good idea to keep the package the new strings come in. Make notes about them like; The date you re strung the guitar. How they sound when you first put them on. When you first notice any changes in tone, etcetera. Put the notes in the package and use them for reference the next time.
Personally I use Newtone Master Class on my main guitars. But I just finished re stringing both Ruby and Fast Eddie with Firewires this morning. (Del Vezeau gave me two sets to try. He swears by them.)
Again, this is just my personal feelings but, I will not use coated strings. Especially Elixirs! A salesman once commented that coated strings just sound dead longer. :tongue: hehehe

Also, check your hand book (or the Larrivee) web site. I believe all new Larrivee guitars fret board's are coated. So if you try to use Lem Oil or a similar product it will not soak in. Just use a wood friendly cleaner to remove dirt. (Wouldn't hurt to run a pencil lead in the nut grooves either.)

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