Questions tagged [strings]
Flexible material that provides vibrations in string instruments
490
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3
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Do you ever play a barre chord without you index finger on guitar?
I would think the only finger you'd ever use to play a barre chord is you index finger. is this right?
As in the finger you'd use to make the barre.
- 185
8
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3
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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 ...
- 190
39
votes
15
answers
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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 ...
- 493
4
votes
1
answer
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What string gauge should I use for my 7th string on a guitar
As per this question, I bought myself a very nice Ibanez 7 string which I have tuned as A-D-A-D-G-B-E (giving a very nice fat sound which works with the kind of music the band plays)
I didn't think ...
- 36.8k
2
votes
2
answers
543
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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?
- 2,003
8
votes
1
answer
3k
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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 ...
- 313
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votes
19
answers
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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 ...
- 453
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3
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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 ...
- 793
11
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7
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147k
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Can I use nylon with steel string guitar?
I was wondering if it possible to put nylon strings on a steel string guitar.
Is it possible? If not why?
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1
answer
507
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Soft sound strings for Fender bass
I'm looking for "soft sounding" strings for my five-string Fender bass (American Deluxe V).
Default Fender strings are not for me, unfortunately. What kind of strings can give me this sound?
- 514
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1
answer
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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.
- 707
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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?
- 531
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2
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1k
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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 ...
- 2,003
8
votes
4
answers
12k
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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
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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?
Anwar Chandra
8
votes
7
answers
8k
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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 ...
- 1,456
10
votes
2
answers
277
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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 ...
Kyle Sevenoaks
31
votes
5
answers
3k
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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 ...
- 11.5k
7
votes
5
answers
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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,...
16
votes
11
answers
23k
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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 ...
6
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2
answers
4k
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How does the angle of strings above the headstock affect tone and stability?
The situation:
I'm about to widen the slots in a new nut for a 12-string guitar. I'm using .015 strings (up from .011 or so), and tuning the guitar down significantly; my test-run with .014 strings ...
- 4,595
10
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5k
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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 ...
- 4,595
14
votes
10
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50k
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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 ...
- 793
8
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5
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18k
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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 ...
- 597
22
votes
12
answers
23k
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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
7
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6
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67k
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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 ...
- 8,072
3
votes
1
answer
4k
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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,...
- 793
5
votes
2
answers
3k
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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 ?
- 1,456
13
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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 ...
Silly
4
votes
5
answers
10k
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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 ...
holms
11
votes
1
answer
1k
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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 ...
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votes
3
answers
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What's the difference between the "smooth" strings and the "rough" strings?
On my acoustic, the first 4 strings are "rough" - that is they are covered in a type of metal corkscrew. The last 2 strings though are completely smooth, and don't have a corkscrew finish.
Why are ...
- 1,865
9
votes
1
answer
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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?
...
- 2,037
31
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15
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21k
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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 ...
Kaji
29
votes
6
answers
33k
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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
18
votes
5
answers
43k
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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 ...
- 2,037
69
votes
21
answers
105k
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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 ...
- 8,072
35
votes
6
answers
37k
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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?
bobtheowl2
11
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5
answers
777
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What electric guitar string set should I use to go down to B?
My band and I are planning to play some Slipknot and maybe Korn (A) but we don't want to get 7-s guitars so what string should we use?
Luiscencio
71
votes
21
answers
49k
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How often should I replace the strings on my guitar?
When and why should you replace your guitar strings?
- 1,915