Just how long do these Jagwires last anyhow?

[Dave O'Brien]

I put a new set on my U-12 (so they get an extra workout) a few weeks ago and am getting nervous about breaking the 3rd and 9th. How long have yours lasted assuming your playing 8 sets every weekend plus a little noodling during the week?

[Dan Chroninger]

Dave
I have played 20-30 jobs beside a little playing at home and never broke a jagwire string I use TW nickel on an MSA Millenium

[Craig A Davidson]

The set on my push-pull has been on since the first week of December and they are still going strong. The set on my Bud has been there since November.

[Dick Wood]

I put a set on my Dekley and after 6 months of playing about an hour a night I broke the 3rd and after 7 months the 6th.

Our band plays almost every weekend and I've only broken maybe 3 third strings in 4 years.

I change a set after three weeks.

[Tony Prior]

I put a new set on my U-12 (so they get an extra workout) a few weeks ago and am getting nervous about breaking the 3rd and 9th. How long have yours lasted assuming your playing 8 sets every weekend plus a little noodling during the week?

Hey Dave, pretty much impossible to answer. Of course some will say 6 months, a year..longer, shorter..

Here's the deal, and you already know this, what kind of a player are you ? Assertive, speed picker, lots of AB pedal action ? or are you a laid back kinda player ?

A tire will last 20 years if you only drive 10 miles a day, but it still is only going to last 50,000 miles whether you drive it in one week or 10 years. A better tire, 60,000 miles..but watch out for those nails in the road...

Jagwires do have an improved ball end which I imagine gives a better life but here is my answer for a regular assertive player who is doing 8 sets a weekend...

change the string every week, it will never break unless you actually have a very bad string, which can happen.

You will however learn the answer for yourself and probably right in the middle of a set and your favorite song.

$4000 Instrument, 50 cent string...

It's a very odd discussion that keeps coming back, here we have an Instrument with a known "physics" thing going on, pulling that 3rd string to it's limit and beyond, we know it is going to break just from continued stress but yet many of us hold out for the record..."1 year".."6 months"..etc...

why ? because of a brand of thin metal wire ?

I suspect Jagwire didn't make this string to last a year, they made it for improved endurance with the satisfaction of knowing it won't POP during a performance. A better string to give better performance under typical situations. Not a better string to last for a year of typical performances.

I have not broke a string on a gig in many many years..I change 3 and 5 every other week ( E9th) when playing out regularly. When I am practicing everyday, I change string 3+5 every week and certainly the day before the weekend gigs. Its' the process that matters, not the string. The process is what prevents the strings from breaking on the gig.

Each guitar is different, each player is different, the string may be the same but the results will vary based on instruments , string replacement technique and players execution.

Don't wait for it to break because it will, and it may draw blood !

Regarding the Telecaster, same thing I change the strings every week.

You are a working musician 8 sets a week, that's a lot of AB Pedal. Your Steel is your tool, keep your tools in top shape.

But, you already know this....

t

t

[Steve Hitsman]

I have to change less in the winter when the air is dry. In the high humidity of summer, they don't last as long. Incidentally, I use SIT's.

[Rick Campbell]

A tire will last 20 years if you only drive 10 miles a day, but it still is only going to last 50,000 miles whether you drive it in one week or 10 years.

This is explains why you're such a good speed picker and can burn the next out of a Telecaster.

7 days * 24 hours = 168 hours

50,000 miles / 168 hours = 297.6 MPH

"Speed, Speed, Speed, that's all he knows (Gober talking about Gilly Walker on Andy Griffith show)

[Tony Prior]

A tire will last 20 years if you only drive 10 miles a day, but it still is only going to last 50,000 miles whether you drive it in one week or 10 years.

50,000 miles / 168 hours = 297.6 MPH

Well, I was driving a Z06 Corvette there for awhile...

But that didn't do anything for the 3rd and 5th strings

t (existing in the slow lane now)

[Roger Edgington]

Dave,Before switching to Jagwire strings I would break a third about every month or so. I now use 11.5 thirds and they last as long as the rest of the set.

[Stephen Silver]

I use Jagwires, a .12 for the third string and I have never broken one. I have broke a .18 5th string a few times though.

Back in the day of 5 night a week gigs I changed my strings every week. These days, once a month does it.

[Kyle Everson]

If you change your strings before they're worn out, you accomplish two goals. a) your chances of breaking one decreases dramatically, and b) your guitar's potential tone is increased dramatically. This applies to whatever brand of string you use. I alternate between Jagwires and Boomers and didn't know about the Jagwire ball-end before now; that's kinda cool. The more you change strings, the more you can maintain your instrument to prevent breakage; i.e., oiling rollers, checking fingers for anomalies, etc. No matter what you do, if you're playing out a lot, you're gonna break one every now and then. I carry extra .011s (or .012s) and .017s (or .018s) because those are usually the ones I break. Luckily, I rarely have to use them. I usually change my strings every two weeks, but I play two guitars throughout the week based on mood, so I guess that translates to once a week.

[Tony Glassman]

If you change your strings before they're worn out, you accomplish two goals. a) your chances of breaking one decreases dramatically, and b) your guitar's potential tone is increased dramatically. This applies to whatever brand of string you use. I alternate between Jagwires and Boomers and didn't know about the Jagwire ball-end before now; that's kinda cool. The more you change strings, the more you can maintain your instrument to prevent breakage; i.e., oiling rollers, checking fingers for anomalies, etc. No matter what you do, if you're playing out a lot, you're gonna break one every now and then. I carry extra .011s (or .012s) and .017s (or .018s) because those are usually the ones I break. Luckily, I rarely have to use them. I usually change my strings every two weeks, but I play two guitars throughout the week based on mood, so I guess that translates to once a week.

Kyle, are you the guy that used to play a Marlen Speedy West guitar in the SF Bay Area around 35 yrs ago?

[Kyle Everson]

Kyle, are you the guy that used to play a Marlen Speedy West guitar in the SF Bay Area around 35 yrs ago?

I've been there a time or two.

[Nick Reed]

I've heard there are only about 3 different actual string manufacturing outlets. Same product, just packaged differently. So the bottom line is STRINGS 'R STRINGS. I've tried the Jags and other so called premium brands. Can't really say I'm able to tell a ounce of difference in them soundwise or lasting longer compared to the lessor priced John Pearse or GHS's.

[Sherman Willden]

Tony Prior noted that he changes two of the non-wound strings often. Do the rest of you change the non-wound strings more often than the wound? Are the wound strings more susceptible to going bad because of dirt in the grooves? If you are only replacing certain strings within a specific period of time how long do you wait to replace the others?

Thank you;

Sherman

[Ernest Cawby]

When I used SITS I would breask a 3rd string every 3 weeks, I could tell when it was about to breat it would sound funny.
I have been using Herbies Jags for almost 3 years, on several guitars NEVER BROKE A STRING YET. This new Professional I gat from Jimmy He put on Cobro Coils, they sound real good and bright, I could live with them if I did not like the jags so much. If I ever change it would be to go to the
Cobrs coils.
I had a set of Jags on my pro 1, after 5 months they went south, sounded real dead. Never have had a Jag string to break on 5 different guitars. I may not hit the strings as hard as some do, no fast picking, could make a difference.

ernie

[b0b]

If the 3rd string is starting to sound funky, change it. Might be a good policy to change it after 3 or 4 weeks anyway, given your busy schedule.

I've never broken a wound Jagwire string. I've broken 2 or 3 high G#'s, but they were pretty old and I could always hear it coming. When any one of the plain strings starts to sound old, I take it as a cue that the whole set is overdue. I usually change them well before that point, though. Lately I've been changing strings every 5 or 6 weeks on my main guitar.

I don't even think about breakage with Jagwires. It's so rare. My main concerns are tone and tunability. Any brand of strings will go dull and/or develop false harmonics after being tuned up to pitch and played for several months.

[b0b]

I've heard there are only about 3 different actual string manufacturing outlets. Same product, just packaged differently. So the bottom line is STRINGS 'R STRINGS.

That's simply not true. Try measuring the core size of wound strings with a micrometer, or weigh the strings on an accurate scale. There are very real differences. Different brands use different alloys, different ball end windings, different core size specs, etc. The fact that you can't hear a difference says more about your ears than it says about the strings.

[Tony Prior]

Tony Prior noted that he changes two of the non-wound strings often. Do the rest of you change the non-wound strings more often than the wound? Are the wound strings more susceptible to going bad because of dirt in the grooves? If you are only replacing certain strings within a specific period of time how long do you wait to replace the others?

Thank you;

Sherman

I change 3 and 5 because they get the most regular abuse, 5 obviously lasts longer than 3 but it's still just a cheap piece of wire. Both pulled all the time by A and B. that's why I change them both at the same time when playing out often. I only have one Steel so when I am in the daily practice mode there is no way of telling how much life is left when it comes time to gig. Like many here, I have not broke a 3 or 5 on a gig in years. One may break at home because I don't change them AFTER the gig , I wait until the day before. Sometimes 3 breaks sometimes it doesn't. I use various brands of 3 and 5. The sets I now use are Cobra's. I have used Jagwires, they are fine. For me it's about how many sets can I get for a good deal because I am going to change them often.

I don't put new strings on the Steel or the Telecaster for longevity of life , I put them on to maintain consistent tone. Bob above mentions strings going bad from use and age , which they do. I am wondering how some of you have strings on your Steels for so long and they still sound fresh and give good tone. I change the entire set probably every 12 weeks thereabouts...I love the sound of fresh strings.

Telecaster strings get changed every week if I am playing out. It's about keeping tone the same for me.

t

[Dave O'Brien]

OK - I've done 60 sets now on this set of strings. That's 15 gigs on a Universal 12 (so no rest for the weary). I'm gonna change em before the next gig but never ever broke a third string. Maybe I'll put on Ernie Balls and see what happenes. LOL.

[Pat Comeau]

Maybe I'll put on Ernie Balls and see what happenes. LOL.

Better wear a face shield

[Dave O'Brien]

Good one Pat!

[Roger Rettig]

I'll change the 3rd and 5th every week if I'm on a busy schedule (I'll be playing every night from mid-April to early-September).

I change the 3rd because it does have a propensity for breaking before the others, although this has occurred less since I went to the ".0115 string.

As far as the 5th is concerned it does get a thorough working-out, being raised and lowered constantly, but my fear is breaking one in a mid-set!!! I can easily steer around a missing 3rd string, but that 5th string is at the very heart of the E9 tuning - one's options are severely curtailed when it breaks!

As a general comment, though, I like my strings to be reasonably fresh - there is less chance of suspect tonality and false harmonics; it's difficult enough to be exactly in tune sometimes, so I like to remove as many risk-factors as I can.