I, usually, look for best deal on 10 packs of strings and buy 10 or more packs at once. The strings I buy have each set wrapped in, what appears to be, air tight "plastic." How long, approximately, will these individually wrapped sets be good? I know there are variables like humidity and temperature but say - stored in a controlled environment room with guitars? I would be interested in your thoughts on both Acoustic and Electric strings. My string brands are D'Addario, Elixir, and Ernie Ball (electric).
Guitar string shelf life?
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davismanLV
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I'll be interested to see what kind of feedback you get on this. I kind of went on a string buying spree in the last year to year and a half. My string drawer is pretty well stocked with D'Addario, Elixir, and GHS (mostly) with a few other random ones thrown in. But now I think it's time to start restringing and using up this stock before any more purchases are made.
GGJaguar
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A few months ago I changed strings using a set of D'Addarios (electric) I had purchased nearly 20 years ago. They were wrapped in plastic and were in perfect shape, tuned up, sounded fine and stayed in tune. I never would have guessed they had been sitting (misplaced) in a drawer for that long. I even took a photo of the package with the store's price tag on it and sent it to the store owner (a friend) and made a joke about aging strings or somesuch. He got a chuckle out of it.
SFIV1967
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I had strings that were only a few years old and when I took them out and on the guitar the plain strings had already spots of rust on them. So it really depends I guess. The airtight plastic packed strings are for sure better in that respect.
Ralf
Ralf
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Rambozo96
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I don’t think there is one provided you don’t put them in an environment in which they could rust. I had string sets kicking around for 5 years before getting put on a guitar and they worked just fine.
Guildedagain
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Depends on the packaging, if they're sealed like in GHS's new 6 packs of 10-46 Boomers, they should last indefinitely.
If they're not sealed, they will oxidize in the packaging, although some the older sleeves were treated to prevent this somehow, nothing will be as good as totally sealed packaging.
If they're not sealed, they will oxidize in the packaging, although some the older sleeves were treated to prevent this somehow, nothing will be as good as totally sealed packaging.
Westerly Wood
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it's hard for me to weigh in on this topic, as i never let strings last too long in their packaging 
i pretty much change strings on one of my Guilds every 2 weeks.
i pretty much change strings on one of my Guilds every 2 weeks.
Wow! That hints to me you hear things I am not aware of. Of course, I wear hearing aids.it's hard for me to weigh in on this topic, as i never let strings last too long in their packaging
i pretty much change strings on one of my Guilds every 2 weeks.
Westerly Wood
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Guildedagain
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Three sets in one day is a good day ;]
I'm waiting on strings from Strings by Mail right now, GHS Brite Flats x 6 and Silk n Steel x 4, was bummed they weren't here yesterday. The strings on the SF4 are shot already, I can tell. Also want to put Brite Flats on all the electrics I really care about like my favorite Strat, and try Silks again on a couple acoustics.
The Monels I have on the D25 still kick butt after months, but not a lot of playing on it. Big and Boomy that one is, '78 archback with a pretty fine Spruce top.
I'm waiting on strings from Strings by Mail right now, GHS Brite Flats x 6 and Silk n Steel x 4, was bummed they weren't here yesterday. The strings on the SF4 are shot already, I can tell. Also want to put Brite Flats on all the electrics I really care about like my favorite Strat, and try Silks again on a couple acoustics.
The Monels I have on the D25 still kick butt after months, but not a lot of playing on it. Big and Boomy that one is, '78 archback with a pretty fine Spruce top.
Hard to add to the posts already here. I use Ernie Ball on both acoustic and electric, I change the acoustic every two months and the electric every month. This is a situation where only having a few guitars is an advantage!
If I buy some sets (like a Strings and Beyond sale) I put the new ones on the bottom of the pile. But really, they are not sitting there for more than a year given my "changing schedule".
I love the sound and feel of new strings - almost as must as Woody!
walrus
If I buy some sets (like a Strings and Beyond sale) I put the new ones on the bottom of the pile. But really, they are not sitting there for more than a year given my "changing schedule".
I love the sound and feel of new strings - almost as must as Woody!
walrus
I have EJ16s on six acoustics, presently, and have used Elixirs. Not a lot of difference if I am remembering, correctly.
Westerly Wood
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it's pretty terrible. they tarnish quickly. they are great strings, don't get me wrong, many here on LTG swear by them, and I used them for years and years, but just not a fan anymore.
chazmo
Super Moderator
^ I think so much of that depends on the individual. I really don't play very much, and even when I do my chemistry doesn't seem to damage strings quickly. But, to me it's more a matter that I hate the way strings smell and they way they make my fingers smell when they've been on the guitar a while. That's what always motivates me to do a string change. And, so I use uncoated strings.
I also like to do string changes -- crazy, I know -- but being that I have all these 12-strings, it's a good thing I do.
I also like to do string changes -- crazy, I know -- but being that I have all these 12-strings, it's a good thing I do.
Guildedagain
Enlightened Member
12 strings, double your pleasure/pain ;]
I have 4 12 strings that could use restrung right now, 2 acoustic, 2 electric, one of those being a double neck.
I use Ernie Ball slinkies with double .08 high E strings, on the acoustics I use a John Pearse set, and sometimes Ernie Ball Earthwoods as well.
I have 4 12 strings that could use restrung right now, 2 acoustic, 2 electric, one of those being a double neck.
I use Ernie Ball slinkies with double .08 high E strings, on the acoustics I use a John Pearse set, and sometimes Ernie Ball Earthwoods as well.
ruedi
Senior Member
With Ernie Balls on my electrics I never had any issues. Sometimes I find a set of strings I have "lost" a couple of years ago in a drawer and put it on a guitar, without ever noticing a difference to a new purchased set. I think E.B. even document on their website how well they pack their strings.
Since I'm new in the acoustic compartment, I have bought a couple of different strings to try out and find my favourite. All of them are sealed in some way, except for one set:
I really wonder how they will perform. They are not meant to sit in a drawer for ages, that's for sure.
Since I'm new in the acoustic compartment, I have bought a couple of different strings to try out and find my favourite. All of them are sealed in some way, except for one set:
I really wonder how they will perform. They are not meant to sit in a drawer for ages, that's for sure.
Westerly Wood
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I played the JP 600Ls for years, they are a great PB string.
Nuuska
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I still have strings that I brought home with other stuff when I came back from US - I take a set and put it on a Guild - and WOW - I Feel Good - dadadada - so good, so good . . . - naturally I do not have a reference.
Years ago I worked with a trio - the guitar player was the dictator - but he had this idea, that whenever he goes on-stage, the strings must be new, because the audience deserves it - one day we had two outdoor gigs about 100 miles apart and tight schedule - in the van heading to second gig he was putting new strings on his Telecaster.
I could not hear any difference - might be fatigue within a hour of gig - but I still respect him for that - even though for other reasons he does not deserve that much of my respect. . . . . . .
Years ago I worked with a trio - the guitar player was the dictator - but he had this idea, that whenever he goes on-stage, the strings must be new, because the audience deserves it - one day we had two outdoor gigs about 100 miles apart and tight schedule - in the van heading to second gig he was putting new strings on his Telecaster.
I could not hear any difference - might be fatigue within a hour of gig - but I still respect him for that - even though for other reasons he does not deserve that much of my respect. . . . . . .
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Westerly Wood
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I like Monels too, particularly the Tony rice mediums, which are really just mediums.
Trying GHS vintage bronze next. For the D35. Mediums.
got La Bella s on it now. Kind of like EJ17s.
I plan to give GHS historic series a try too. I’m kind of a sucker for vintage marketing.
And thus why I don’t use coated strings. I just like changing them so frequently that coateds would be not economical.