How often do you replace strings to protect the guitar from damage?

[CroceFan4life]

The luthier I use claims strings should be changed every 5 to 6 months to protect the guitar from warping. He was even saying new guitars bought from retailers need new strings because they might be older stock.

That seems a bit too conservative to me. Especially for an electric. A solid body won't warp like an acoustic. It's the neck that will warp.

My daily practice guitars (a Electric and one acoustic) gets new strings every few months. I've got three others in cases that are played infrequently. I change the strings on them once a year. I use light strings, 11's on my acoustics and 10's on my electric guitars.

How often do you change strings? Especially on the guitars you don't play regularly?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

He sounds like a kook...

I change 'em when they need changin'.

 

[Danerada]

He sounds like a kook...

I change 'em when they need changin'.

sergio said my answer.

 

[watelessness]

I'd consider getting a new luthier

 

[John Beef]

He sounds like a kook...

I change 'em when they need changin'.

+2

 

[NomadMike]

He might have a point, I had an old guitar string let go and it almost made me a soprano, and I don't mean a gangster.

 

[xjbebop]

Old strings make guitars warp..??? ..like, as in, warp speed...?????

 

[gball]

Yeah, change em whenever you want. I change mine more frequently than most people seem to - about every two weeks. I guess I am doing something weird to them or I am just super-sensitivo, but past that the guitar just sounds "wrong" to me.

 

[CroceFan4life]

I bought a Yamaha FG-160 acoustic off Ebay that had been in the closet for over 20 years. Even worse, it had 13's on it. The neck was warped and the top had warped behind the bridge. I had a aluminum brace installed under the bridge that pulled a lot of the warp out. The truss rod fixed the neck. It's my daily acoustic practice guitar now.

That's an extreme example. I just wasn't sure how long it took for the damage to begin. I got way too much money tied up in my new PRS electric and my Martin D-18 to let them get damaged. I'll continue then just changing strings once a year. Thats what I've done most of my life with guitars I play occasionally.

I've noticed my daily guitars start sounding dull after 3 or 4 months and I change the strings. Probably perspiration and oils from my fingers shorten the life. I can pull my Martin out of the case with 7 month old strings and it still sounds bright with a great tone. I only play it a couple hours a week for fun or when I want to record.

 

[aduayer]

I'd consider getting a new luthier

+1

 

[veinbuster]

Old strings will not warp your guitar. That is totally bogus.
Change them when they wear out, which you can judge by the look, feel or how they sound.

 

[CroceFan4life]

It's good to find out that I've been getting bad advice. Theres not a lot of options where I live. Some of the music stores have guys that work on guitars. Theres this one shop that really focuses on maintenance and repair of instruments.

 

[László]

New strings are going to exert the same pull on the neck and top of a guitar as old ones. So...yeah, what everyone else said.

The only place worn strings can actually cause a problem is that very badly corroded and worn strings might damage the surface of the frets.

 

[markintime]

New strings are going to exert the same pull on the neck and top of a guitar as old ones. So...yeah, what everyone else said.

The only place worn strings can actually cause a problem is that very badly corroded and worn strings might damage the surface of the frets.

Exactly, +2 on that! Simple logic and physics there.

 

[Aubs]

The whole warpage/ damage thing I am not buying. Been playing a long time and this is the first time I have heard that. I go by hours: I change them about every 20 - 25 hours. Everybody has different oils, sweat,... In their hands. So I change them when they need changing, which for me is the 20 - 25 hour range.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Your 'Guitar Tech' is talking nonesense! (Much like the spell check on my ipad which thinks it should be none sense)

Les nailed it. Guitar necks are very robust so it takes a lot for them to warp. The age of strings alone won't cause it. Regarding string changes, 5 to 6 months seems a long while to go between changes but if it's a guitar that doesn't get. Played much then that makes sense.

I've got a couple of guitars that haven't had a string change in years as they rarely get played. They have started to tarnish though so I'll put a fresh set on in the next few months.

My two main guitars have a string change as soon as is needed. Could be weekly if I'm playing a lot and that's with regular cleaning with an old t-shirt and the use of Fast Fret. I just know when they've gone as they lose their 'zing'. Hate the feel of brand new strings though!

 

[Rider1260]

I change them when the guitar starts to sound a bit bland to my ears usually twice a year now a days but when I giged every third gig

 

[CroceFan4life]

I'd heard stories about old strings warping guitars most of my life. I guess because so many times somebody buys a guitar and takes lessons for a few months. The guitar goes in the closet and twenty years later it's sold and the new owner discovers it's warped. I got burned with one like that from Ebay.

Could be the heavier strings everyone used in the 70's and 80's. I used thirteens when I first started back then. Also, beginner guitars are not the best quality. I'll always have a soft spot for the classic 1970's Yamaha guitars. I owned several back then and loved them. Played gigs in college with a Yamaha. But, they were a budget priced guitar that had a good sound. I suspect the bracing in them just wasn't strong enough to protect the top.

 

[markintime]

Second the Yamahas! I bought an FG300 in the late 60's, and liked it so much that I bought another overseas while in the Navy and gave it to my sister. She refuses to part with it. Later I gave mine to my oldest son for his high school graduation present. He still has it. They have adjustable saddles which I thought was so cool. But I never had any issues with warping of neck or top. 'Course I used light gauge strings and changed them when they lost their "brightness".

 

[Jorj]

5 to 6 months? I assume he means a guitar that just lives under the bed in its case. I put all my guitars to use. And will change strings every couple a weeks. But tension is tension, whether the strings are new or not ....so...huh?