How often should I Change my Guitar Strings?

Question:What's most important for changing strings especially for cost purposes is the condition of you're strings. buy some fast fret or finger ease and wipe them down with it after you play. If you have a case, put you're guitar back in it's case after you finish. Don't leave you're guitar just laying around anywhere, especially in places that can cause them to corrode. This will preserve them alot longer. Then you can just listen to see if they are losing their tone. If you do all of this you can get away with changing them every two months or so.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: What's most important for changing strings especially for cost purposes is the condition of you're strings. buy some fast fret or finger ease and wipe them down with it after you play. If you have a case, put you're guitar back in it's case after you finish. Don't leave you're guitar just laying around anywhere, especially in places that can cause them to corrode. This will preserve them alot longer. Then you can just listen to see if they are losing their tone. If you do all of this you can get away with changing them every two months or so.

Matter of taste. Some guitarists want a new set every couple of weeks, and in fact there is a tiny tonal advantage to newer strings. Then again, some guitarists (most notably Michael Hedges) have preferred to keep the same strings for a couple of years. I don't change mine until (a) the instrument won't tune, or (b) the oxidation starts to flake off on my fingertips.

It depends on how much you play, i know of professional musicians who put a new set on before every gig. The windings on strings gets filled up with dirt /sweat from your fingers which deadens the sound. I know some guys in a pinch will take the strings off and boil them to clean them out, but this is not as preferable as replacing them. I personally don't find strings are very expensive at all so that is not even a consideration. The problem is, especially if you play by yourself, how do you tell when its time. If there is not sustain to the note you play (it goes dead very shortly after you play it) its a good chance you need to change your strings. If you can't remember the last time you replaced the strings, it is probably time. A new set will make your guitar sound like an entirely different guitar, the notes will be louder and clearer. Hope this helps.

It depends on how much you play....some people leave them on for at least six months..... especially if your only playing at home for your own entertainment.....if you play professionally before every performance.....others change them every three months or so. I have one guitar that has strings that have been on for a year. My classical, which has nylon could be changed about every three months. Like I said in the beginning everything depends on how much time you have on them....and if you play professionally !!!!!!

performing live I would change them every performance unless they were nylons then they would be changed every couple of months, on my electric at home I change them every month on my acoustic guitars I usually change them as they require, like when they wont tune anymore or the sound gets way off, the worst is when the low E goes flat thats a good sign that its time to change them. I have played guitar for 40 years

Brand new strings sound bright and lively. When they don't anymore, I start thinking about changing them.

When they start looking like they aren't new (dirty, corroded, etc) then they're dead, as far as I'm concerned.

I play with Elixirs, they last longer. Wipe your strings off after every use. Use GHS Fast fret before you play, wash your hands before you play. All this can make your strings last three or four times longer than normal. Unless you're like me, and sweat like a yak. I get onstage and within three songs my guitar is soaked - amazingly enough, now that I do this, my strings last longer than two or three gigs.

Saul