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Question #15
How often should I replace the strings on my guitar, and when
I do, what strings should I use?
Answer
You always like to hear an answer like this...it depends. It
depends on how much you play, whether you use cleaner to help
the strings last longer, and on the chemistry of your sweat....
hmm. I have students that change their stings often, clean them
daily, yet the strings are corroded after a week. I tell them
that they have toxic sweat :)
You should change your strings at least every 2 months, but this
can vary so much from player to player. Professionals will change
strings for every gig. Then there are people like my dad who play
once a year. His strings are 10 years old. I think it's time to
change them.
DO NOT change your strings only if they break. You need to change
all of the strings, at the same time, on a regular basis.
Brands and gauges of strings are all a matter of personal taste
(you just can't get a straight answer out of me). As a starting
point, I would try these: For electric guitars try the brands
Ernie Ball or D’Addario. For the gauges (thickness) of the strings
I would start with .009 for the 1st string, and .042 for the 6th
string. If you pick a set where the gauges are .009(1st) and .042(6th),
usually the gauges for the other strings will be very close from
brand to brand. If you find that the strings are breaking a lot
or are just to thin for your tastes, move up to a .010 for the
1st string and a .046 for the 6th string. Remember that every
time you change gauges of strings, you might have to adjust the
neck of your guitar and possibly the reset the intonation. If
you are a beginner, then this means taking your guitar to a qualified
repair person and asking them to "set up" your guitar for the
new strings. There are heavier and lighter strings, but those
are the most standard gauges.
For a steel string acoustic guitar, I would use Martin brand
strings as a starting point. If you are a beginner, I would use
Martin Extra Lights. While these strings will not have as good
of a tone as a heavier string, they will be easier to play. At
first, easier is better. Once you have been playing for a period
of time, you might try moving to Martin Lights. The heavier the
string, the better the sound. The lighter the string, the easier
it is to play. So it will be a trade off between the two. For
the most part, I do not suggest using Martin Medium strings. They
are to heavy for most people, and put a great deal more stress
on the neck of your guitar.
Changing the strings on a nylon string (classical) acoustic can
be a little more difficult. First of all, you have to learn to
tie the string at the bridge, although there are ball end strings
made for classical guitars. For the most part, the ball ends tend
to break off and you will have to tie them anyway. Classical strings
are not sold in gauges like steel strings, instead they are sold
for various tensions. I would start by using a normal tension,
and try Fender or D'Addario brands.
One important thing to note is that you should never put steel
strings on a classical guitar, and never put nylon strings on
a steel string acoustic. Each guitar was designed specifically
for a certain type of string. Using the wrong type of string could
cause damage to your guitar.
Once you have been playing a while, you can start to experiment
with different brands and gauges. Sometimes pros will put together
a custom set of strings to meet their personal taste.
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