When do YOU consider your strings have reached their optimum?

[UncleJesse]

The best is Day 2-7 on Nickel Bronze and Phosphor Bronze. Usually going downhill from 14-28 depending on playtime at which point I swap them. Usually 3-4 weeks is what I run a set for unless it’s a rarely played guitar or a guitar with a dominant voice that doesn’t mind what strings are on it like my Iris DF.

[donlyn]

When do YOU consider your strings have reached their optimum?

I'll answer that in two ways, depending on the interpretation of the question.

1. My initial answer is after 15 years using the same brand of strings, basically without interruption except for checking out a new-to-me brand. Then I know I will have chosen the optimum brand to use. This could in fact be different brands and gauges depending on the guitar, but in my case I always seem to come back to Elixirs. And I like the PB HD Lights for many of my 6 string guitars.

2. The second answer is a combination of the first answer, and also how long they last between string changes. In such a case it's not about finding and being happy with a specific set of strings on a specific guitar, but it's the same old question that keeps getting asked about how long strings last and/or when they need changing. This is always a player specific answer and depends on how acid the hands are, how often the guitar gets played, and how much of a beating the strings take. All presuming a consistent amount of care.

My answer to this is that I know what strings I like, they usually sound good after a day or two to stretch out, and they get changed when they tell me they need changing. You do listen to your strings, don't you? While I do have favorite guitars that get changed more often, there are no specific or set intervals when making the change.

Since I do not have acid hands and play a little on the gentler side, fingerpicking using my nails, I can easily get a few months or more out of one set of strings, or even more if it's one of my 12 string guitars. Because it's 3+ times the work-time for them.

Don
.

[min7b5]

Day one. For recording I really do like the sheen of very fresh strings. On my last album, Ballads and Blues, which I recorded all in one day, I changed strings half-way through the session.. If I have a performance I prefer to change the night before and keep stretching to a minimum. For just regular practice and teaching I like to change once a week, or many a little less often - but I am really only playing one guitar and usually at least four hours a day, so I do wear them down pretty fast.

[Peter Z]

Coated or treated PB strings after 30 minutes of playing time, 80/20 after one hour. Then they are good for 3 (playing hard with picks) to max. 6 (playing more fingerstyle with a thumb pick). I can’t stand old strings.
For some reason I can leave them on my Gibson SJ-200 for 3-4 month.

[RalphH]

For me its' after maybe 30-60 mins of playing, usually over about a 24 hour period.

They're still nice and new and have plenty of zing, but the initial metallic clatteryness has gone out of them.

If I play a lot, I find PBs last a couple of weeks, monels maybe double that, then they've lost their sparkle and I'm ready for fresh strings.

[AndrewG]

I use Elixirs. After about a day or two they settle and stay new-sounding for months, so I guess they don't really have a 'sweet spot'.

[fregly]

After about 6hrs of play strings hit the right spot in sound and start to feel good to my hands. A new set always plays weird for me as well as being obnoxiously metallic sounding.

[fuman]

I usually put John Pearse 80/20 on my baritone. After about an hour of playing they are good but they do seem to have a short peak life. Weirdly, I put Pearse PB "Bluegrass" strings on my Taylor for the first time last month. I wasn't sure about them at first -- it took a couple of days for them to get what I was hoping for. But I have been playing A LOT since then, and they sound fantastic right now.

Monels -- yeah, give them a day and they are good pretty much forever. I usually have changed them out of boredom and the desire to try something new.

[EZYPIKINS]

Optimum is when they are new. When doing studio recording, or playing a gig. I want everything new. Intonation and relief checked and set just before studio time. Intonation is done with new strings. As strings age. Intonation can, and will, drift. I come from a time before autotune. I like my guitars to sound right going in.

[Mr. Paul]

I'm a day one guy, except for Monels that seem to start off smooth and stay that way for months.