Changing Strings For No Good Reason

[Brucebubs]

I found the right strings for my maple Huss & Dalton MJ Custom way too early!When I bought it 14 months ago I tried EXP16's, then NB's, then Newtone Masterclass PB's then Wade Hampton suggested John Pearse Pure Nickels and bingo! they are superb ... but they just won't wear out or sound bad enough to make me want to change them!

I want to try some DR Sunbeams but these JP's are close to perfect!

Have you ever taken off a perfectly good set of strings for no other reason than just wanting to try something different?

There's that curiosity thing in my head competing with the 'don't be so wasteful they won't be as good' thing.

[Sardara]

Yes I often find it difficult to wait when I have a new set to try for the first time.
Nothing worse than a set of coated strings you don't like.

[HOF dad]

uhhhmmmm..................no.
I really love to try new strings along with that new string sound but have never forced the issue.
I must admit, though, that the thought crossed my mind
enjoy em while they're good I say!

[rokdog49]

Yes, but I finally settled into my “go to” preferences.
I do regret removing some of those that ended up being the right ones while going through the process.
Out of the four sets of Martin Titanium’s I tried on various guitars, I only wore one set out and that was with nearly six months of use. The others were well beyond four months and going strong. I just decided to try something else.

[Wade Hampton]

Bruce, I routinely take strings off while they’re still in their prime, but the only time I do it is when I am trying to figure out which strings work best on a new-to-me instrument; during this R&D period I typically leave each set on for three or four days, a week at the longest, so that they’ll still sound their best when I put the next test set on.

I’ve always figured that when you’re trying to decide which string alloy to use on a guitar it’s self-defeating to leave a test set on until it’s dead or starting to die, because ANYTHING you try next will sound better.

But other than that period when I’m testing different strings, once I’ve decided which strings I like on a guitar I rarely change them before they need it.

That said, you might as well go ahead and try some different strings on your Huss & Dalton. You already know that you like the Pearse Pure Nickels on it, so that’ll be your fallback position. But it makes perfect sense to me that you want to experiment a bit further.

Have fun!


Wade Hampton Miller

[Rockysdad]

Somebody has to keep all those string makers in business.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Bruce, I routinely take strings off while they’re still in their prime, but the only time I do it is when I am trying to figure out which strings work best on a new-to-me instrument; during this R&D period I typically leave each set on for three or four days, a week at the longest, so that they’ll still sound their best when I put the next test set on.

I’ve always figured that when you’re trying to decide which string alloy to use on a guitar it’s self-defeating to leave a test set on until it’s dead or starting to die, because ANYTHING you try next will sound better.

But other than that period when I’m testing different strings, once I’ve decided which strings I like on a guitar I rarely change them before they need it.

That said, you might as well go ahead and try some different strings on your Huss & Dalton. You already know that you like the Pearse Pure Nickels on it, so that’ll be your fallback position. But it makes perfect sense to me that you want to experiment a bit further.

Have fun!


Wade Hampton Miller

You're right of course.
Thank you for your approval. ( I have a spare new set of the JP's as my back up ... but boy these have been good!)

[TBman]

Guilty. I do this a lot.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

....Have you ever taken off a perfectly good set of strings for no other reason than just wanting to try something different?

Yep. It's your guitar, and your strings so there is no "good" reason required.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I found the right strings for my maple Huss & Dalton MJ Custom way too early!When I bought it 14 months ago I tried EXP16's, then NB's, then Newtone Masterclass PB's then Wade Hampton suggested John Pearse Pure Nickels and bingo! they are superb ... but they just won't wear out or sound bad enough to make me want to change them!

I want to try some DR Sunbeams but these JP's are close to perfect!

Have you ever taken off a perfectly good set of strings for no other reason than just wanting to try something different?

There's that curiosity thing in my head competing with the 'don't be so wasteful they won't be as good' thing.

Curiosity is good reason in and of itself. Wasteful? JP strings= $7.00. Moscow Mule down at the local restaurant= $14.00. Which is more wasteful? How long can you make your adult beverage last?

[zmf]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Have you ever taken off a perfectly good set of strings for no other reason than just wanting to try something different?

There's that curiosity thing in my head competing with the 'don't be so wasteful they won't be as good' thing.

Relax.

There are many more significant moral issues to be dealt with.

But .....if everyone in the world changed guitar strings at the same time -- out of sheer gratuitous curiosity -- how many glaciers would melt?

I have no idea, but if I were to change strings now, I'm sure the ice cubes in my gin and tonic would have melted.

[TBman]

I just took off a month old set of Elixirs off just because I wanted to try a set GHS Silk and Bronze. I just wasn't feeling the love for the Elixirs, but it may just be me as I think I might still be suffering from that "guitar funk" affliction that I contracted a while ago.

[dwasifar]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Have you ever taken off a perfectly good set of strings for no other reason than just wanting to try something different?

Yes, I'm doing that multiple times with my giant string experiment on the Larrivee. And yes, it's hard to make yourself do it, or make yourself not do it.

If you recycle your strings, you can console yourself that at least the materials aren't being wasted, just some manufacturing energy and your money.

[k_russell]

No way. Every second that I spend changing strings is one that I don't spend playing. In the absence of a good reason, the new strings can wait.

[Silly Moustache]

Nah - not to try other strings.

I've been settled on D'addario EJ17s, EJ16s (EJ37s for 12) for some years now. However due to talk about discontinued Martin strings, I did buy some old stock of Martin SPs to experiment with but have gone back to D'adds.

Unless a set is really unsatisfactory (elixirs and EXPs never last long), strings tend to last me at least two months.

I enjoy changing strings but limited usage now and dry hands means they don't wear out or develop tuning issues - they jest get a bit coppery looking.

Do like the sound of "Brand New Strings".