How Often Should You Change Strings?

When do you need to change strings?

A fresh set of strings will make your guitar look, sound and feel better. (Kind of like the old barber poles used to say!) While there are no absolute rules, here are some tell tale signs that they need to be replaced:

• Do your strings look corroded or black?
• Has it been 6 months to a year, or worse yet, you can't remember?
• Does your electric guitar just sound kind of dull?
• Has your guitar become harder to tune?
• Do you have trouble keeping the guitar in tune?

If you answered yes to any of those questions there's a good chance that it's time to replace your strings.

Why are there so many different kinds of strings and which ones should you use?

The choices are downright mind boggling, but here are the major differences. If you have an acoustic guitar, most people use bronze, phosphor bronze, nickel or silk and steel strings. The bronze and phosphor bronze have a brighter sound, the nickel are a bit duller, and the silk and steel are light and easier to push down. As a result, silk and steel tend to go dead quicker and don't have as a bright a sound. For electric guitar, nickel is the most popular and it's more about thickness than the kind of string.

What gauge strings should I use?

There are lots of different gauges, and the thickness is really a matter of what you like and what kind of music you play. For example, bluegrass guitar players usually use a fairly heavy set of strings to get that nice, booming bass and to cut through the other instruments. If you do fingerpicking, a lot of players use lighter strings to move around a little quicker. The best thing to do is to experiment and see what sounds good on your guitar. Keep in mind that the lighter the strings are, the trade-off is less volume and tone. With electric guitars, the type of music again is a important part. If you do a lot of string bending you'll want to play lighter strings, if you play jazz you'll want to use heavier strings and so on. Again, guitar strings are not real expensive so the best thing is to try different brands and gauges and see what works best. Your guitar teacher or a more experienced friend can help you decide although the final decision depends on what sound you're looking for.