Well...um i have an acoustic guitar and the strings got all smelly like iron, ho

Question:Please Help...^_^ Thanks!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Please Help...^_^ Thanks!

Guitar strings will react to the air and from sweat from your fingers over time. Just being exposed to the air they will oxidize over time. Make sure that you use a soft rag to wipe down your strings and neck before and after you play. Also keeping your hands clean will help. Using something like Fast Fret will help keep them from getting funked up so fast too.

If they sound OK still then you can keep on using them. If they sound dull then you probably need new strings. (Sometimes if you get a bunch of junk on the strings or if it is in a high humidity environment it will cause them to look bad.

You should eventually learn how to change your own strings. Make sure you only take off one at a time since taking them all off releases all the tension off the neck and can effect the playability of the instrument.

As far as using the ones with the ball on the end use the same kind that are on there now.

There probably very old and will affect the sound of your playing, invest in a new set, you can buy them for about $10.00 - $12.00, just don't buy the ones that have the ball on the end, I hate those....I had one snap off and it me it the face so I don't trust them, get the set that has to be tied on the end !!!!!!!!!!!

You need to get new strings.
They won't cost a bunch. Under 13$.

You can't play the guitar well because it won't be in tune without new strings.

these are a must purchase.

pay close attention to what type of strings are on the guitar and take a camera phone pic of the strings with you to the guitar store. This will help the tech there help you get the right ones.

you might consult a website for advice restringing the guitar.
if you don't already have one, then you might need a guitar tuner.

good luck,

When you play guitar, your fingers sweat and corrode the strings. Different people have different levels of certain chemicals in their sweat, so those nickel-wound guitar strings react differently to different players. In your case, the strings get "smelly like iron."

First of all, it sounds like you need to change your strings. Start there. If you don't know how to do this, find a guide online or take it to a local guitar shop -- they probably will restring your guitar for about $15, plus the cost of the strings (you can get them for fewer than $10). I recommend gauge-12 strings for a steel-string guitar; I recommend hard-tension strings for a nylon-string guitar.

Then go buy yourself some GHS Fast Fret: http://www.shopatron.com/product/product... You can probably find it at a local guitar shop.

Try to remember to wash your hands before you play guitar. Apply the Fast Fret to your strings before and after playing. Your strings should last much longer this way, although they will still eventually go dead and get "smelly like iron."

Buy a new set and YES, you do need the ones with the ball at the end. Don't listen to one of the post here.

If the string nearly smashed in his face IT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LOOSEN THE STRING, and then remove or cut it off . NEVER CUT A STRING WITH THE TENSION ON. You can lose an eye.

As a guitar player, string will smell like steel after a week. Normal. Wash your hands afterward.