guitar strings ?
guitar strings ?
i've recently began to play the guitar.. well not play, but attempt to ! picked up a 2nd hand guitar in a pawn shop for 50 quid http://www.cashexpress.fr/ and i've been told the strings need to be changed. how do i go about doing this and why do they have to be changed ? well one of them is now broken but it wasnt at the time so why would they need to be changed ? and if they do, how often is the general time frame ? dont know much about guitars considering im a beginner !
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Instructor
- Guitar Legend
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- Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 4:25 pm
They have to be changed if you want to have the best sound possible from the guitar strings that they can get. You don't have to change them, only change them if youre not hearing the results that you like. I mean you don't have to tune your guitar either, you can go off on some experimental plonking thing and as long as you like it till they are all broken.
In general though, the reason we change them is to give it the best sound we can. Strings get dirty and dull and sometimes break, and when one's bad, the others are probably not far, so we tend to change them all at once so you dont have 1 bright dtring with 5 dull sounding ones.
Instructor
In general though, the reason we change them is to give it the best sound we can. Strings get dirty and dull and sometimes break, and when one's bad, the others are probably not far, so we tend to change them all at once so you dont have 1 bright dtring with 5 dull sounding ones.
Instructor
So in answer to the op (something I'd be eager to know too) - how often do you think one would change strings on average, based on a newbie practicing 5 hours or so a week?
Also - what can us newbs do (any sort of maintenance / cleaning etc) to keep our strings in tip top condition for as long as possible?
I have noticed mine (esp bottom e and b) get mucky sometimes.
Also - what can us newbs do (any sort of maintenance / cleaning etc) to keep our strings in tip top condition for as long as possible?
I have noticed mine (esp bottom e and b) get mucky sometimes.
Get a string cleaner like Fast Fret or Kyser string cleaner and give them a wipe down after each session and they'll last significantly longer. I tend to leave my strings on a fair amount of time but with a bit of experience you will hear it when they lose tone and elasticity. If you want that new string snap all of the time then you would need to change strings fairly regularly. Once you get tired of forking out for new sets you'll probably put up with a duller but still playable sound.Hotwire wrote:So in answer to the op (something I'd be eager to know too) - how often do you think one would change strings on average, based on a newbie practicing 5 hours or so a week?
Also - what can us newbs do (any sort of maintenance / cleaning etc) to keep our strings in tip top condition for as long as possible?
I have noticed mine (esp bottom e and b) get mucky sometimes.
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Ive found D`Adarrio strings to be virtually indestructible and are good intonation for ( true note )They do accoustic and electric.About £6.50 a set for electric...acc are dearer.
Sam wrote:i've recently began to play the guitar.. well not play, but attempt to ! picked up a 2nd hand guitar in a pawn shop for 50 quid http://www.cashexpress.fr/ and i've been told the strings need to be changed. how do i go about doing this and why do they have to be changed ? well one of them is now broken but it wasnt at the time so why would they need to be changed ? and if they do, how often is the general time frame ? dont know much about guitars considering im a beginner !
