3 Simple Ways to Preserve String Life will show you how to make your guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, or steel guitar strings last longer. Let’s face it – guitar strings are expensive. If you play every day, or if you play in a band, or do solo live gigs, then you know string costs add up.
How often should you change your guitar strings? Most of us who aren’t on tour playing in stadiums can play for a few months before needing to replace the strings. The experts at Taylor Guitars explain this in more detail. These are good practices for guitar strings, and playing in tune to preserve string life.
Wash Your hands / wipe down strings
Maybe we should thank the COVID madness for this reminder. Basic hand washing is always a good idea. But even more so when you consider playing a musical instrument is a tactile experience for our hands.
Wiping down the strings with a soft cloth is an excellent way to avoid things like the buildup of residue from oily or sweaty hands starting to corrode the strings. The reason this helps is that if you keep the strings clean, the decay in tone and playability will be less noticeable.
Trim the ends of your strings when you change them.
This practice will aid in keeping your instrument in tune. The reason has to do with maintaining even pressure on the string. Without trimming, the long ends are just leftovers that don’t add any function except for how it looks. It’s worth a little cleanup to keep your instrument in tune. This is one of the 3 Simple Ways to Preserve String Life.
Play In Tune
Want to sound like a pro? Always play in tune! Besides sounding good, your guitar works better when you keep it in tune since it was designed to do so. Yes, when you fly, dropping the pitch is a good idea so the strings don’t break with a change in air pressure, but that is about the only time to do so.
Need Strings?
May I recommend D’Addario Guitar Strings? This is an excellent value for strings that stay fresh and responsive – more than meeting your basic needs.