How often do you change strings on your acoustics?

[dreadnut]

Realistically, I'm only changing strings every few months. Like maybe six months. A job I hate to do but love the result, As long as it keeps sounding good when I pull it out of the case, I leave it alone,

 

[Rambozo96]

I used to keep going until they are super dead. For some reason I don’t break them often. These days I try to change them monthly or every two months at most. I think on my D-35 I went 7 months with the same set of strings which at that point they just went thud.

 

[crank]

About the same. Unless I'm gigging - then it's every 6 or 8 weeks.

 

[davismanLV]

out of 5 (nine in the house) I have four that are super overdue for string changes..... I'm not sure what happened to me. I think something is wrong..... my string drawer looks like this. I have the product.... good grief!!

 

[GGJaguar]

As often as is required.

 

[Balderdash]

About as often as I change the oil in the car and the air filter in the furnace; not as often as I should, but I always feel better after I’ve done it.

 

[merlin6666]

I used to do a seasonal switch where I played the Guilds in winter and Ovations in summer and then changed strings at the beginning of the season. However with Covid and me working crazy hours from home office and not getting out to play with others any more haven't done a string change since 2019. When people want to get together and play again then it will be time to change strings again.

 

[walrus]

Every two months. It's usually time to do it anyway, I play it a lot in that time frame - I have only one acoustic guitar. Plus, I love the sound and feel of new strings a a new pick!

walrus

 

[Guildedagain]

Depends on the guitar. Most strings just go dead sitting.

My D35 sounded puny the other day, unplayed for a while, time for strings. They were EJ16's, and actually I'm not the biggest D'addario fan.

I put on a set of DR strings, a little on the light side because that's what I had, .11-50 and the guitar sounded absolutely fabulous, a keeper forever. Then I put it back in the case, haven't seen it since.

 

[tommym]

For me about every two months. I have used coated strings for many years and find that the driving force now is the tarnishing of the frets. So at about the two-month mark, I pull the strings to polish the frets and clean the fretboard.

Tommy

 

[Stagefright]

I don't care for the bright sound of new strings or the need to stretch and tune (rinse and repeat). I acquired depression era habits somewhere along the way and will use something til it breaks. I've gotten multiple years out of a set of strings with near daily play.
At some point, tuning becomes an issue again and I change strings.

I would love to see the data surrounding sound degradation over the life of a string.

D'Addario J16 Phos/Bronz/Light

 

[GAD]

I don't care for the bright sound of new strings or the need to stretch and tune (rinse and repeat). I acquired depression era habits somewhere along the way and will use something til it breaks. I've gotten multiple years out of a set of strings with near daily play.
At some point, tuning becomes an issue again and I change strings.

I would love to see the data surrounding sound degradation over the life of a string.

D'Addario J16 Phos/Bronz/Light

This is a pretty common thing it seems.

I’m in the other end if the spectrum. If they’re even a little bit off from the original brightness, they’re gone.

 

[AcornHouse]

At least once a decade. Whether they need it or not!

 

[amnicon]

There was a time I was playing often enough that I could hear the strings start to sound different- a bit dull on that guitar, less sparkly on that one, etc. I really enjoyed being that in touch with them.
Now, If I can tolerate the sound after they sit for who-knows-how-long since I played them last they get played again. And again.

 

[amnicon]

I've always said that new strings are like clean sheets on the bed. Exactly the same but so much better!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

The G string once or twice a month. The others maybe every three or four (or five or six) months.

 

[dwasifar]

Monthly, unless there are extenuating circumstances.

 

[Midnight Toker]

Not as often as I should, but in much less time than I could. Depends on how often it gets played. How hard it gets played. I would say I average 3-4 string changes a year for the acoustics, the electrics every 1-2 months.

 

[richardp69]

Onlky when one of the strings break, then I change them all. Years, at times.

 

[walrus]

Onlky when one of the strings break, then I change them all. Years, at times.

Given the number of guitars you have there is no other option!

walrus