How Often Do You Change Strings? Options

[Kristofer Dahl]

I shower every Christmas 😬

No seriously, it's been way too long. Those elixir strings just never die.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Mertay]

Guys the thing to be careful about Elixir is the coating disappears as you bend under the string.

And since the string never turns you never feel it under your finger tips. But since the places of string not under the frets aren't affected, you don't hear a change in tone or feel.

So always with your fingernail check if you feel a dip where the string touches the fret. If yes then it means it started to wear your frets.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

This post has been edited by Mertay: Mar 6 2021, 04:48 PM

[Kristofer Dahl]

Guys the thing to be careful about Elixir is the coating disappears as you bend under the string.

And since the string never turns you never feel it under your finger tips. But since the places of string not under the frets aren't affected, you don't hear a change in tone or feel.

So always with your fingernail check if you feel a dip where the string touches the fret. If yes then it means it started to wear your frets.

...and after a while they sound like crap even if they don't break. So no excuses for me..!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[klasaine]

I never liked any of the coated strings. There's something off about them.
*I also don't like "new" strings in general. I hate the brightness. Anytime I change strings I need to beat the $h1t out them for about two hours.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Kristofer Dahl]

I never liked any of the coated strings. There's something off about them.
*I also don't like "new" strings in general. I hate the brightness. Anytime I change strings I need to beat the $h1t out them for about two hours.

Agreed coated strings don't sound quite as good. But the problem is that normal strings don't sound good for very long at all with a decent amount of hand sweat. 💦

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[klasaine]

Agreed coated strings don't sound quite as good. But the problem is that normal strings don't sound good for very long at all with a decent amount of hand sweat. 💦

True.
I don't sweat that much in my hands and/or it's not that acidic(?).
Probably a good thing that I dig the sound of dead strings. I also hate changing strings. I have absolutely zero sentimental or emotional attachment to 'putting on a set of strings'. The brief period of time that I had a tech and a roadie was glorious.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Gabriel Leopardi]

While changing strings, I watched this vid. I found it interesting. I always decided string gauges based on the tuning that I would use for that guitar but never because of the sound... this can be an open minder.

The comparison starts at 11:36...




What do you think?

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Mertay]

...
What do you think?

I replied back to Caelumamittendum about 0.9 vs 0.10 each having an advantage.

One of them is with my guitar 0.10's sound acoustically a bit louder but also a bit fuller as probably ibanez's have a skinny neck, the thicker strings compensate it a bit and I like that.

But the thing is my pickups bump that low's too much Low E string specially is harder to adjust and I can't really nail it with pickup height adjustment. Thicker sounding pickups respond very bad imho to thick strings (mine is a tonezone on mahogany body, an air norton but upside-down like petrucci used in ibanez years...so its a thicker tone than off the shelf ibanez). 0.9 solves that and also adds a bit mid.s similar to what can be heard in the video.

To me the ideal solution would be changing the pickups, cause the best guitars I played sounded good acoustically too. I did thought about it but since its a shredder guitar figured wasn't worth the hassle. Maybe someday if I buy a specific guitar for shred, then will put PAF's in it for use of low-gain sounds.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

This post has been edited by Mertay: Mar 7 2021, 05:07 PM

[Storm Linnebjerg]

I honestly don't hear much of a difference on my Ibanez guitars between 8's, 9's and 10's. I've used them all, though only 10's when tuned down half a step.

I find it much easier to get good bends, vibrato etc on 8's, so for me playability in the 8's outweigh anything that might be found in 9's and 10's.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Gabriel Leopardi]

I replied back to Caelumamittendum about 0.9 vs 0.10 each having an advantage.

One of them is with my guitar 0.10's sound acoustically a bit louder but also a bit fuller as probably ibanez's have a skinny neck, the thicker strings compensate it a bit and I like that.

But the thing is my pickups bump that low's too much Low E string specially is harder to adjust and I can't really nail it with pickup height adjustment. Thicker sounding pickups respond very bad imho to thick strings (mine is a tonezone on mahogany body, an air norton but upside-down like petrucci used in ibanez years...so its a thicker tone than off the shelf ibanez). 0.9 solves that and also adds a bit mid.s similar to what can be heard in the video.

To me the ideal solution would be changing the pickups, cause the best guitars I played sounded good acoustically too. I did thought about it but since its a shredder guitar figured wasn't worth the hassle. Maybe someday if I buy a specific guitar for shred, then will put PAF's in it for use of low-gain sounds.

That's interesting! In my case, I chose 010 because I find them more stable for standard tuning. When going for flat tuning, I used any hybrid set of strings that go from 010 to 052.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Todd Simpson]

It's odd isn't it? i played slinky 9 for years before the yngwie eight pack. Then swapped back to 9 briefly and found my vibrato seemed almost labored. Made me wistful for the yngwie set again. Those strings are so emotive and expressive, it's just hard to play other sets now. Even 9s seem sorta stiff and unresponsive.

I recently changed from 0.08 to 0.09 and I've apparently gotten so used to 8's that I now feel the strain playing 9's.

Same here. Tone seemed the exact same. It's just that the eight packs seem so much more responsive and allow for such a deft touch. I have 9s on my 7 string but will probablly switch back.

I honestly don't hear much of a difference on my Ibanez guitars between 8's, 9's and 10's. I've used them all, though only 10's when tuned down half a step.

I find it much easier to get good bends, vibrato etc on 8's, so for me playability in the 8's outweigh anything that might be found in 9's and 10's.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Storm Linnebjerg]

It's odd isn't it? i played slinky 9 for years before the yngwie eight pack. Then swapped back to 9 briefly and found my vibrato seemed almost labored. Made me wistful for the yngwie set again. Those strings are so emotive and expressive, it's just hard to play other sets now. Even 9s seem sorta stiff and unresponsive.




Same here. Tone seemed the exact same. It's just that the eight packs seem so much more responsive and allow for such a deft touch. I have 9s on my 7 string but will probablly switch back.

My 7 string has 9's too, as I struggled getting 8's on it. I agree with everything else you've said!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[jstcrsn]

That's interesting! In my case, I chose 010 because I find them more stable for standard tuning. When going for flat tuning, I used any hybrid set of strings that go from 010 to 052.

I use the smallest on unwound string in conjunction with string tension and tuning stability from guitar to guitar . standard 25.5 scale I use custom light as the thicker '10' bass strings get to the correct pitch quicker, I tune my guitars slightly sharp when I first hit it so as the string rings it goes slightly flat all within allowances to sound in tune. On my larger scale 7 string I can use 9's and swap out the 9 for a 8.5 and on my 24 3/4 scale I would use 10"s , This is the best middle ground I can find for me so I can go between guitars and all the tensions feel similar to my fingers, all that being said, staying in tune was my number one factor in this experiment.. And of course lower tunings , I get thicker strings to try to achieve same string tension my fingers as well

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

[Todd Simpson]

eight gauge strings are the best kept secret among shredders

My 7 string has 9's too, as I struggled getting 8's on it. I agree with everything else you've said!

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net

Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!