Flexible material that provides vibrations in string instruments
29
votes
15answers
1k views
How often should I replace the strings on my guitar?
When and why should you replace your guitar strings?
27
votes
15answers
5k views
Changing the strings: one by one, or by taking all strings off at one time?
The title says it all. Should I change strings one by one, or take them all at once? Does this matter at all?
If I take all strings off, will it damage my neck in any way, because the pressure is ...
20
votes
6answers
2k views
Do guitar strings wear when not used?
Do strings wear because of the pressure applied to them or any other factor, or do they stay in quite the same shape as long as you don't use them?
18
votes
5answers
1k views
Recycling guitar strings
This one goes out to all my eco-friendly shredder pals. Does anyone know of an organization that takes guitar strings and recycles them? I run through quite a few packs per month on a heavy gigging ...
17
votes
2answers
1k views
Does leaving a capo on “hurt” the strings?
On occasion I've accidentally left a capo on (overnight). Does this decrease the life of the strings, staying in tune time, hurt the neck, or anything else that's bad?
16
votes
10answers
10k views
Why shouldn't I put electric guitar strings on my acoustic guitar?
I've always found even the lightest acoustic (bronze) guitar strings to be a bit too heavy to play comfortably. Electric (nickel) guitar strings tend to be lighter. But nobody uses electric strings on ...
15
votes
10answers
2k views
How often is it recommended to change bass strings?
With the risk of being a duplicate question of How often should I replace the strings on my guitar? I'd like to ask the same thing for bass guitar.
Bass strings are pricier than guitar strings, so I ...
14
votes
3answers
1k views
Boiling/washing used guitar/bass strings - is it worthwhile?
I've read that some people boil their strings from time to time to make them sound again like they were new (and save some money).
Is this really worthwhile, or are there any disadvantages to this?
13
votes
7answers
852 views
Coated Strings—Gimmick, or worth the money?
Never used them myself, but I had a friend who used to swear by the plastic-coated strings he bought for his electric to try and help keep them cleaner. While I realize this probably does do ...
12
votes
5answers
2k views
Why does the D string in a guitar breaks so often?
Well... that's about it. D strings (on acoustic nylon guitars at least) break way more often than the others.
I guess there's a physical explanation but I wasn't able to found anything on the ...
10
votes
7answers
645 views
How do I properly stretch my newly strung strings?
I came across this string stretcher device. It claims to properly and evenly stretch new strings and maintain tuning.
I never really made a point to properly stretch newly strung strings. Can anyone ...
10
votes
2answers
468 views
Tapewound strings on an electric bass
Recently tried Veillette and Rob Allen basses, both incredible instruments. Unfortunately, they're also incredibly expensive. Part of what I loved was the feel of the tapewound strings. What would ...
9
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I effectively secure guitar strings to the tuning pegs?
One of the bigger problems I face when restringing my guitars is properly securing the strings to the pegs.
How should I wind the strings around the pegs before tightening them to prevent the string ...
9
votes
5answers
177 views
What electric guitar string set should I use to go down to B?
me and my band are planing to play some slipknot and maybe korn (A) but we don't want to get 7-s guitars so what string should we use?
8
votes
5answers
2k views
How can I stop my electric guitar strings from rusting so quickly?
I suffer from hyperhyrdosis which means my hands sweat quite a lot. The problem is that because of this my electric guitar strings seem to rust quite quickly because of this. Is there anything I can ...
8
votes
1answer
935 views
Flat-wound vs round-wound strings
What difference can you expect when playing with flat-wound vs round-wound strings on an electric bass/guitar?
I know that they feel different - I am asking explicitly in terms of sound.
8
votes
2answers
136 views
Is it acceptable to play the same note sumultaneously on different strings on Cello?
For a piece I am performing with a local school orchestra, a final open A is to undergo an "insane" crescendo to a Fortissississimo, which our conductor interprets as "as loud as possible."
A fellow ...
8
votes
2answers
729 views
Restringing a 12-string guitar with heavier strings - is it possible?
I'm considering using a 12-string guitar I don't play all that much as a testbed: Is it possible to restring an acoustic guitar as a baritone guitar, or even just string it so I can tune it down a few ...
7
votes
6answers
3k views
Is it good/bad to play guitar with low tension string?
When I started playing my acoustic(at an early age) I tuned the guitar just by matching notes. Like, matching the note of 5th fret of 6th string to open fret of 5th string and so on.
I didn't used ...
7
votes
1answer
132 views
How do I use string gauge tables?
I have seen that string manufacturers publish tables of string gauges and tensions.
For example, this one.
How can I use these to choose a set of strings for my instrument?
7
votes
2answers
13k views
How does string gauge affect a guitar's sound and playability?
Guitar strings are available in a variety of gauges.
What effect does my choice of string gauge have on the sound of my guitar?
What effect does it have on playability?
7
votes
2answers
73 views
How can I keep my low end level constant across my strings?
I'm a bassist. I play a Warwick Corvette std 5 string with MEC pickups. I use D'addario strings.
Ok now my problem, I play in a band and we play progressive thrash metal (kinda like Metallica meets ...
7
votes
1answer
220 views
What interval should frets be placed for the Tar (Persian Lute)?
I have recently come into possession of a Tar.
But I have no idea how to place the frets on this instrument, which are made of gut (feels a bit like twine) tied around the neck. How do I determine ...
6
votes
4answers
982 views
Is grease good or bad for guitar strings?
I was once told that playing a guitar with greasy fingers was actually good for the strings. However, this seems a bit counter-intuitive. Is there any truth behind this claim?
6
votes
1answer
85 views
Strings stick to pickup poles when the tremolo is depressed.
Sometimes, when I depress the tremolo quite far, the strings magnetically stick to the pickup poles...
Is this normal? Is there a way I can prevent it, aside from not depressing the tremolo so far?
...
6
votes
4answers
4k views
Does anyone make nylon strings for a standard acoustic guitar (non-classical)?
This may seem crazy, but I really love the sound of nylon strings, and I DO NOT want to buy a classical guitar though.
I was wondering if any manufacturer makes nylon strings for a "normal" acoustic ...
6
votes
2answers
281 views
Alternate violin strings for gypsy music?
I will be playing traditional/gypsy music on my classical violin, and would like to have a sound that is stylistically appropriate (deep/rich/warm/old/woody as opposed to brilliant/sweet/ringy).
Can ...
5
votes
3answers
921 views
Which strings should I use for DADGAD tuning on my acoustic guitar?
I have recently switched to DADGAD tuning, before that I was using light tension strings ( 12 16 24 32 42 53 ).
But because of DADGAD, to compensate for the lack of tension on the neck, I wanted to ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
What are the repercussions of using really thick gauge strings on my electric guitar?
I have a Jackson King V JS32T electric guitar in blue, see the linked text for specs and the look of it. Anyway, it came with 0.09-0.42 strings and I've been using 0.13-0.56's on it for a little ...
5
votes
4answers
3k views
Why does my Stratocaster guitar sound worse with new strings?
My 4-month-old strings sounded much better than the new set that I just put on. I am using the same brand of strings that I used before. My guitar sounds like crap now. What's wrong? Should I stretch ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Will steel strings wear out my nickel frets ?
I have bought some coated strings because I wanted to try that out. After my purchase I noticed that the package says the uncoated strings are stainless steel.
Since my frets are made out of nickel ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
My high E string broke after one week of replacing my guitar strings. Could that be an installation issue?
I'm not sure if it's even possible for the string to break based on how it was installed. The only reason I can think of is that it was installed on a loose tuning peg, which it wasn't (I made sure to ...
5
votes
4answers
224 views
new strings always relaxing. how do I speed up this process?
every time I replace guitar strings, the strings will always relaxing for a few hours to become stable.
how do I speed up this process?
5
votes
1answer
66 views
what's the difference between light rosin and dark rosin?
I see two basic kinds of rosin available, light rosin and dark rosin. What's the difference between these?
5
votes
2answers
411 views
How is string height adjusted for a neck with a compound radius ?
From what I understand, during a guitar setup, the string height is adjusted to follow the fretboard radius.
How is string height adjusted for a neck with a compound radius ?
5
votes
1answer
167 views
Should I replace unwound strings on my acoustic guitar as often as the wound ones?
The wound strings wear off quite fast, and start sounding dull even faster, so I replace them quite often. But whenever I do so, I replace the unwound strings as well, even though at that point, they ...
4
votes
4answers
5k views
Which steel strings are more suitable for fingerpicking on acoustic guitar?
I want to ask acoustic guitar experts, what strings can be suitable for fingerstyle playing on steel string acoustic if I play with my fingers - no nails or fingerpicks. Currently I'm using GHS ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
right handed bass into left handed bass
I can't easily find a left handed bass guitar. Can I restring the bass to be for a leftie (reverse the ordering of the strings)?
I think that you can do this with an electric guitar, for sure with ...
4
votes
4answers
679 views
What are the optimal string gauges for drop C tuning on electric guitar?
What are the optimal gauges of strings for Drop C tuning (C G C F A D) for electric guitar? Since this involves lowering the pitch of all the strings, heavier string gauges would be helpful; I need to ...
4
votes
7answers
1k views
What electric guitar strings are the most rust-resistant?
I constantly have to return to the music store with the same problem: My strings keep rusting within a day of playing.
I used Ernie Ball and the first four strings rusted on me, then I tried ...
4
votes
4answers
417 views
Which one has more impact on the sound, the string or the body?
Which exactly affects more on the sound of the guitar? is it the guitar body? or the string?
How much the sound improves if I use good string on an old guitar?
I know it really depends on the ...
4
votes
3answers
131 views
Is it possible for the unwound strings wear faster than the wound strings on a Guitar?
I have had my guitar for about 7 months or so now (this is my first) and i just learned a few weeks ago that you are supposed to change the strings every so often. well a couple of weeks before that i ...
4
votes
1answer
788 views
How do I change the strings on a double bass?
I have seen my double bass teacher change strings a few times, but I have a set of solo strings that I would like to learn how to put on by myself. I haven't been able to find much clear advice on the ...
4
votes
3answers
175 views
Are there any (experimental) guitar strings whose cross-section is not a circle?
The answers to this question have led me to wonder: if you string a guitar with a differently-shaped string, would it have interestingly different sonic properties? And of course, since I can't just ...
4
votes
5answers
451 views
Violin strings breaking in fingerboard area
My violin's strings have been breaking every 3 to 4 weeks. I only practice about 10 hours a week.
It is not normal for strings to be breaking constantly and though the problem could be an incorrect ...
4
votes
1answer
67 views
Why does my violin's A-string show signs of damage after only a week?
I changed my A-string on my violin due to accumulated damage (over 1 year of playing) about a week ago. Now the new A-string has tiny dings and what looks like slight unraveling. The damage seems to ...
4
votes
1answer
96 views
The details behind proper string slack for new strings
So this question covers string instruments with tuning pegs (eg. guitars, bass guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, etc). When you are installing a new string and you pull it tight for the first time, you ...
3
votes
3answers
156 views
Which electric guitar strings have the least (pitch) bend
When playing my electric guitar, the pitch of notes varies depending upon how exactly the strings are fretted; this is particularly a problem with strings that are barred by the first finger, since ...
3
votes
3answers
375 views
How to keep guitar strings from breaking so quickly?
I have a takamine g350 acoustic-electric guitar (not that it really matters for this quesiton), and my strings tend to break every two or three weeks. I do like to experiment with different tunings, ...
3
votes
6answers
1k views
Incessant Buzzing on Third String (Classical Guitar)
I've had an ongoing issue with my classical guitar. The third string (nylon) always buzzes on first, second, and third fret. While we're at it, the sixth string (wound metal over nylon core) buzzes on ...
