All Questions
Tagged with strings maintenance
42 questions
4
votes
1
answer
99
views
Silk classical guitar string gauge is too big for bridge holes
My classical guitar has a plastic bridge with pre-drilled or precast holes gauged for standard nylon classical strings.
I got some silk strings which are a bit higher gauge and don’t all fit by just ...
- 41
0
votes
3
answers
674
views
Safe to remove ball from end of ball end string?
I (sort of) recently got a new violin and as the tailpiece does not match my earlier rental I now have a mismatched ball end E string from my extra set. Looking at the string it definitely seems like ...
- 161
4
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to replace string on Donner standard series
My son just got his first guitar. I know NOTHING about guitars. One of the strings broke and we can’t figure out how to replace it. The videos I’ve found on YouTube make it look easy and spend about 5 ...
4
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is it Ok to leave a guitar with a broken string?
Just broke the high E on my guitar and won't be able to get new strings for about 2 weeks. will leaving it as it is damage the guitar at all?
the guitar is an Ibanez rga42fm with a fixed bridge
All ...
- 41
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do you stop gunk from building up on guitar strings?
On a steel-string acoustic guitar, how do you prevent gunk from building up on the strings? Every time I play, the strings, particularly the B and E strings, will literally (okay maybe not literally) ...
- 262
1
vote
2
answers
444
views
Will about 10 loose hairs in a violin bow make any difference when I use it?
It's something like the image above, just less loose hairss. While I was looking at it, I tried playing the violin, and some hairs got loose.
Do I just cut them off or yank them off? This little book ...
- 11
14
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Why do people in tutorials destroy/cut their old strings when restringing?
I'd like do try out different gauges on an electric and an acoustic guitar, but if I don't like them I would like to put the old strings back on. Is that even possible or are they ruined after ...
- 400
0
votes
2
answers
226
views
My G String wears out all the time
I use Elixir HD light on my Yamaha SLG200S. I notice my G string is usually the first to develop kinks / gets frayed. Of course, when I change, I change the whole set. Is there a setup issue with ...
- 103
0
votes
2
answers
63
views
Help me pick the perfect string!
I busted my strings while trying to tune by ear.
This is my guitar.
As for the type of music I am looking to learn, I'd say it would be rock and blues. I also love Tommy Emmanuels which is to say ...
- 1
2
votes
1
answer
166
views
Are intonation issues in a cheap acoustic guitar fixable?
so I am a beginner guitarist, and I have one quite good guitar, and a cheap one.
I`ve tuned it to standard tuning, and when I play the 5th fret on the E string on the cheap one, it goes like 1/4 of a ...
- 21
0
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Are hard tension strings (around 85 lbs total tension) generally safe for classical guitars without truss rod?
I know some classical guitars absolutely definitely can't handle extra-hard tension strings because they can cause the bridge to break or the neck to bend, so only guitars specifically designed for ...
- 16.4k
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What's the difference between bronze-wound and silver-wound bass strings?
The most common materials to wound bass strings are bronze and silver. Most string makers offer options with either. Seems that bronze strings last shorter or can go bad easier, so there must be a ...
- 16.4k
0
votes
1
answer
139
views
Is there a way to safely polish guitar strings, without affecting intonation too much?
String manufacturers offer polished strings that reduce the finger noise and are great for recording. Sometimes strings that don't have polished versions are polished "by hand" by string distributors, ...
- 16.4k
1
vote
2
answers
107
views
Is there a way to know what is the tension range a specific classical guitar is designed for?
I have two old classical guitars with no way of knowing who made them, or finding a specification sheet, or something similar. I normally play with high or ultra high tension strings, but I don't know ...
- 16.4k
3
votes
1
answer
153
views
My bridge is out of place
My bridge keeps tilting and causing buzz. Is there some way to fix this?
11
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Do pegs for stringed instruments require holes?
We bought some new pegs for a cello but they came without holes. As a result, it seems impossible to tighten the strings as they keep slipping. But there must be some use for pegs without holes, ...
- 213
3
votes
1
answer
195
views
Does Edge Picking Break Strings Faster?
I started learning to play acoustic guitar several months ago, and have been mainly using Fender medium picks. I have noticed that the picks very quickly develop a sort of bevel on one side because I ...
- 185
1
vote
1
answer
124
views
Problem with guitar bridge
I have an old classic guitar. The bridge is made of very soft wood (or it got softer after a time, no difference). The problem is that the strings bend down in places they make contact with the bridge....
- 113
3
votes
3
answers
904
views
Piano: Will my piano strings break if my cat walks on them?
I own Yamaha baby grand piano. And today, I forgot that I left it open after practising until I caught my cat treading on the strings. My cat isn't that heavy (he weighs 5kgs), but he plodded on the ...
- 31
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Does the cold affect Acoustic guitar strings?
We had snow the other night and I forgot to grab a box of stings I had just purchased out of the truck of my car. Do you think the cold could hurt the
strings ?
- 41
2
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Sound of guitar strings based on temperature
Does the sound of guitar strings change depending on the temperature? If you place the guitar in the freezer and later take it out will the sound be different? If you place it in the heater or blow ...
- 3,900
4
votes
6
answers
5k
views
Violin String snapped, and so did spare. Will I damage my violin if I leave it with 3 strings?
So, my A string snapped last Saturday and as a result I re-strung it with one of my spare strings. I should note that at this point, after tuning it, the sound was coming out a little strange (or ...
9
votes
0
answers
607
views
Restringing guitar – is it safe to remove all strings at once? [duplicate]
Considering the present truss rod adjustment is good (Vintage Gibson SG with very old strings), is it generally acceptable to remove all the strings before restringing? It's just so much easier to ...
- 91
6
votes
4
answers
18k
views
How do you identify string gauge?
A friend broke a string on her bowed psaltery (a small zither-like instrument) and needs to replace it. Problem: what gauge? The source of the instrument is unknown and it didn't come with spare ...
- 1,942
2
votes
0
answers
75
views
Is there a way to lengthen the lifespan of my strings? [duplicate]
I have acidic fingers and my strings wear out rather quickly. I am using Elixir which is a lot better than most other brands, but after around two weeks it loses the clean sound, becomes hard (or ...
- 121
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Correct process for replacing guitar strings
The steps I follow whenever I'm replacing guitar strings come from a diverse set of advices that I got in person, online or whatever, and I never asked any professional about them.
I do it like this:
...
- 617
3
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Steel-string parlor guitar - effect on tuning stability when changing string gauge?
I have an acoustic guitar that's currently strung with .012 gauge strings. I'd like to change that to lighter strings (around .010) and lower the action a bit. (This is my secondary acoustic, and I'd ...
- 4,635
2
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Using bass strings on guitar
Would it be safe to use a 0.065 bass string as a B string(tuned to Bb) on a 7 string guitar with a scale length of 26.5?
- 213
4
votes
1
answer
266
views
Should I take the weather into account when I replace guitar strings?
I have been told that the strings in a guitar should be replaced at least every six months (I know this can be subjective).
I have a classical guitar which has been several years with the same ...
- 327
5
votes
3
answers
691
views
Is it possible for the unwound strings to 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. A couple of weeks before that I ...
- 191
2
votes
2
answers
558
views
Is there a chance for heavy violin strings to harm the instrument?
Is there anything like that that heavy or other kinds of violin-strings should break down the instrument?
- 2,013
8
votes
4
answers
12k
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?
- 285
9
votes
7
answers
8k
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 ...
- 1,486
8
votes
5
answers
42k
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 while,...
17
votes
11
answers
24k
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 ...
22
votes
12
answers
24k
views
How do I properly stretch my newly strung strings?
I came across this string stretcher device.
It's called The Stretcha.
It claims to properly and evenly stretch new strings and maintain tuning.
I never really made a point to properly stretch ...
- 361
4
votes
1
answer
4k
views
After re-stringing acoustic guitar my action feels way off.
I recently bought an acoustic guitar, and it had this beautiful action on it. I've restrung it recently (same gauge strings) and now there's a very noticeable difference in playability. Is this normal,...
- 813
12
votes
2
answers
1k
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 ...
- 236
9
votes
1
answer
302
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?
...
- 2,077
30
votes
6
answers
33k
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?
Alexandre Nizoux
70
votes
21
answers
110k
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 ...
- 8,122
71
votes
21
answers
50k
views
How often should I replace the strings on my guitar?
When and why should you replace your guitar strings?
- 1,935