I wonder what Franklin, White other Pro's do ?

[Niels Andrews]

I wonder how often they change strings? And do they try to play one guitar or have sever?[/i]

[Clete Ritta]

This from an old thread:

Steel and Strings
by Paul Franklin

I'd like to share my thoughts about steel guitars and string changing. I've found over the years that If you play your guitar (It doesn't matter what brand) 1 hour a day you should change your strings between 10 to 14 days. If you play more often than that you should change every week. If you didn't play a note on your guitar for three weeks you'd still need to change them. Just tuning to 440 and doing nothing stretches the life and flexibility out of the strings after a few weeks.

Professional Guitarists all over the world will agree that the most they can hope for is a weeks worth of use, out of a set of strings, because of the bends they make. This pales in comparison to the bending and constant stretching that pedal steels do. If you are breaking strings or having tuning problems, chances are you're not changing often enough.

I know that it is expensive so if you can't afford to change as often as you need, try changing the plain gauges each week & the wound strings every two weeks. Changing strings compares to changing the oil in your car. You wouldn't go 15000 miles per change and expect your engine to sound and perform right. Steel guitars are machines as well as a music producing source.

I know all the cliche's, "you don't like the sound of new strings" or "I don't change them until they break"! Modern manufactured steels have become state of the art. Strings are still being made the way they were 40 yrs. ago. They can't take the constant stretching from the pedals over a long period, and still keep their sustain and tuning. When I lived in Detroit I kept strings on forever until they either broke or started to have that awful zinging sound. I've been there...done that.

In the studio I change every 3 to 7 days. Guitarists change generally every day. Acoustic guitarists change for every 3 hr session. Sometimes they get a good set that lasts all day. That's how important strings are to the tuning and tonality of the instruments you hear on records.

It's important to have a well tuned instrument. I've seen all the posts about "How we should tune" but nothing about the strings that we are trying to tune.

[Paul King]

Judging by Paul Franklins comments I am doing right. I appreciate you posting those comments here. I did not realize that strings are still being made the same as the past 40 years. I would have guessed that had changed with modern technology. If Paul Franklin states I take it as the gospel.

[Roger Rettig]

Each time I've watched James Taylor in concert I've noticed that he changes his guitar after the first set (approx. one hour) and goes to his other Olson SJ. They're almost identical and, when questioned, he said: "It's just so I'm playing on a fresh set of strings..."

Of course, he has someone to do it for him and I bet someone or other is falling over themselves to supply him with free strings but the principal seems to be the same - change them often.

I hate doing it (especially on my D-10s!) but I'm always glad when it's done.... speaking of which, I need to start changing strings on everything ready for my next gig (three steels, two electrics and a Martin....

[Dale Rottacker]

The best thing I've ever read on string changing, and life of strings...this is something I can write on my calendar!!!

[Niels Andrews]

Thanks Clete for posting that thread, I missed it in my search. I am always changing strings and by reading other post., thought maybe I was over doing it. I was playing my lap which had brand new strings and then pilled the cover off my millennium which has old strings (3 months) and thought man this thing is dead.
I sympathize with Roger and am glad I have a Uni and not a D-10 or !2.

[Mike Neer]

I used to change my strings very frequently on all my guitars, but I will admit to doing it very seldom now, maybe once every few months. I play a lot--maybe 2, 3 hours/day and sometimes more. It takes a long time before I am able to really hear significant degradation of the strings. But I am playing lap steel.

[Jack Stoner]

I buy (George L's) string sets by the dozen. I change relatively often - about once a month since I'm no longer doing "road" work. When I was doing road work it was every 10 shows.

If I'm doing recordings I will try to change them the day before if they are not already new.

[Carl Mesrobian]

Looks like time to change strings and place another big string order Does anyone buy bulk strings uncoiled??

[steve takacs]

I read recently, on The Forum, that wiping the strings with a vinegar dipped cloth vinegar followed by a dry cloth helps to help increase the life of the strings.. Anyone else try this and if so what are your thoughts? steve

[Sid Hudson]

No to vinegar but here is what will work.

Find a very low viscosity of white mineral oil.
Put small amount on clean rag and wipe both sides of the strings just after you are done playing.

Wipe it off when you begin playing.

White mineral works for this reason: The number one enemy of a string is humdity. (remember the last time you played outdoors?)

By wiping strings with white mineral oil it temporarily seals the string from humidity.

[Cal Sharp]

You can detune the wound strings enough to be able to snap them against the fretboard to dislodge some of the detritus between the windings and restore a little brilliance.

When I was on the road I had a bus guitar and a home guitar. I let the bus guitar go a long time between new strings, especially during fair season. I changed the strings more often on the home guitar if I had sessions coming up, but not for a $50 gig at Gabe's.

[chris ivey]

keep in mind that paul and tommy's job is to create master session quality tone and pitch to the tune of $1000 a day or whatever. if you are not in that category you can probably get by with a change every 6 months plus breakage repacement. you're the only one that will know.

[Sid Hudson]

You can detune the wound strings enough to be able to snap them against the fretboard to dislodge some of the detritus between the windings and restore a little brilliance.

Lol!!!!!!!

You know Cal, that's not that far fetched.

Most guitar players slap the strings against the frets to achieve what you described.

I have actually thought it would be a good idea to take a board the width of the fret board, glue a piece of felt on the bottom of it (so it wouldn't scratch the fretboard) slide the board under the strings so you would have a hard surface to snap the strings against.

I think this would work very well.

[Jack Stoner]

I've seen Buddy Emmons loosen the strings on his guitar and "snap" them against the fretboard.

Apparently works but I wouldn't abuse a guitar like that.

[Barry Blackwood]

Using the "snapping" method, I would think you would have to change fretboards after every string change...
As far as changing strings, it's the player's choice. Changing just before a session could cause obvious problems. Except for that upcoming gig at Carnegie Hall, I would follow Cal's method - change them after the fair season has passed.

[George McLellan]

The snap the strings method is demonstrated on one of Jeff Newman's maintenance videos.

Geo

[Carl Mesrobian]

After cleaning with vinegar or oiling, I'd think the strings would want to corrode from vinegar (acetic acid) or become gummy with oil, which would attract MORE dirt.

[chris ivey]

I've seen Buddy Emmons loosen the strings on his guitar and "snap" them against the fretboard.
Apparently works but I wouldn't abuse a guitar like that.

yeah..some people have no respect for their steels....

[Rick Myrland]

Do you all change both the E9 and C6 at the same time? I've been thinking about changing C6 ever-other time I change out E9, so in other words, changing E9 twice as often since it's played so much more frequently. Thoughts?

[James Kerr]

I only ever change strings when they break, that translates to Never, the set on my Pedal Steel are more than 20 years old. Lap Steels, Dobro never get changed.

How often does a Pianist or Harpist change a set, never I would imagine

James.

[Sid Hudson]

A Piano and Harp are not fretted instruments and therefore intonation does not come into the equation.

The human hand does not touch a piano string and only a small area of a harp string.

If you play an instrument that is fretted with your finger or a bar and the strings are old, you are out of tune. Some can’t hear it, many can.

[Buck Reid]

Along with the advantages of changing strings often that have already been mentioned... I find I make considerably fewer tuning adjustments to the pedals or levers.

[James Kerr]

A Piano and Harp are not fretted instruments and therefore intonation does not come into the equation.

The human hand does not touch a piano string and only a small area of a harp string.

If you play an instrument that is fretted with your finger or a bar and the strings are old, you are out of tune. Some can’t hear it, many can.

I see you are a String Retailer, that just might colour your judgment, we can't have subversives going around saying don't change perfectly good strings, can we.

[David Wren]

Buck's comment rings a bell with me... whenever new students of the pedal steel ask me about when to change strings, I tell them to change the strings anytime they notice the pedal pulls coming up flat.. rather than adjust the pedals....

.... of course that's a bare minimum, and every benefit of changing strings often listed here I completly agree with.