Does anyone like "old/dead" strings on their guitars?

[ripdotcom]

J45 owners better know they sound better with old strings.

[backdoc]

Originally Posted by jjrpilot

I love them on my guitars!

I just want to know that I'm not alone...right?

I bought an OM-15M from a member here. It sounded and played so amazing that I asked him what strings were on it. He had purchased it from another member and didn't change strings and wasn't sure what they were. It sounds so great and the string corrosion hasn't gotten any worse since I purchased it, so they have stayed right where they are. I have owned this guitar for a couple of years now and play it weekly. I still can't believe I am loving two year old plus strings, but I've seen no reason to change yet.

[Rhythmdoctor]

Count me as another player who prefers old/dead strings. There is nothing worse than playing new strings with that bright tone. In fact when guitar shopping, it's very hard for me to judge guitars that have new strings on them. I just hate the tone of new strings. Also, John Pearse P/B 13-56 ftw!

[amo_guilford]

To me it just depends on the guitar. My 2013 Southern Jumbo is very particular about strings... It seems like there is a period from 20 minutes after the strings have been put on and been played, to about 9 or 10 hours of play time that the guitar is in it's sweet spot. Other guitars, especially vintage ones, have opened up so much that string life tends to matter less.

[Rhythmdoctor]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Here's the thing - whenever I read comments by people complaining about the "zing" of new strings I kind of sigh, because so much can be done to control the tone of new strings simply with your hands. I do a lot of palm muting on all the stringed instruments I play - not just Merle Travis thumpy bass lines, but with various degrees of pressure and time applied. There's a whole array of tone colors you can coax out of strings just by how you apply your hands, with both your picking hand and your fretting hand. (With the fretting hand you can control a lot with where you physically fret the string - get right on top of the fret and you can get some different tone-sculpting mute sounds that way.)

That "zing" that irks some of you is easily tamed with how and where you touch the strings. A brand new set of strings doesn't HAVE to sound like a brand new set of strings.

But if you let the strings go so long that they get half-dead there's so much performance and power you're cutting yourself off from. You simply cannot summon frequencies that the strings can no longer generate. And the ability to get quickly and precisely in tune gets worse and worse the longer you leave strings on, even if you have a good clip-on tuner. Metal fatigue sets in, and the task of getting the guitar in complete tune gets progressively more difficult.

For me, having the tonal flexibility of a set of strings that can create whatever sounds the guitar is capable of producing is much more important than anything else.

Hope that makes more sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

I respectfully disagree about using your hands to deaden strings. You can do this to a certain extent but not completely. And what if the tune requires a full open chord with no muting? Honestly, your post comes across as a little bit of "I'm better than you". I'll apologize in advance if I am misunderstanding your angle but to assume most here don't palm mute or play the guitar as they should is a bit egotistical, imo. Anyways, point being, palm muting, fret precision don't change the tone of new strings to satisfy what I personally aim for with regards to tone.

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by Rhythmdoctor

I respectfully disagree about using your hands to deaden strings. You can do this to a certain extent but not completely. And what if the tune requires a full open chord with no muting? Honestly, your post comes across as a little bit of "I'm better than you". I'll apologize in advance if I am misunderstanding your angle but to assume most here don't palm mute or play the guitar as they should is a bit egotistical, imo. Anyways, point being, palm muting, fret precision don't change the tone of new strings to satisfy what I personally aim for with regards to tone.

Also, if your default sound is that of worn strings, why waste effort trying to replicate it with new ones. This thread reminds me of relicing threads and the resistance of some accepting that it's a valid form of expression.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by backdoc

I bought an OM-15M from a member here. It sounded and played so amazing that I asked him what strings were on it. He had purchased it from another member and didn't change strings and wasn't sure what they were. It sounds so great and the string corrosion hasn't gotten any worse since I purchased it, so they have stayed right where they are. I have owned this guitar for a couple of years now and play it weekly. I still can't believe I am loving two year old plus strings, but I've seen no reason to change yet.

I’ve made the mistake of changing strings on guitars just because I thought I was supposed to. There is also a frequently held assumption that old strings must be grungy/dirty and won’t stay in tune, neither of which I have found to be true as a casual musician at home.

[valleyguy]

Count me in as one of those that does not like new bright zingy strings, however, I also hate old strings that do not get in tune properly.

To that end I have been experimenting with different strings. As a long time user of Martin phosphor bronze SP strings, which I usually use the Lifespans, I have been trying the silk and steel variety. So far have tried the GHS and John Pearse silk and phosphor bronze strings, very happy with them, much more mellow sound.

Any other suggestions?

[Wade Hampton]

Rhythmdoctor, I wasn’t trying to come across as superior by mentioning the various gradations of tone we can achieve with our hands. I mentioned it because it’s an option that we as players have. Like most techniques it takes some practice, but if a player isn’t aware that doing that is even an option, naturally it’s not going to be a technique they acquire unless they happen across it by chance.

There’s always a factor of personal preference when it comes to the strings we choose to use and how long we leave them on our instruments. The point I was trying to make is that by leaving strings on past a certain point we cut ourselves off from a number of musical effects and tone colors that can be achieved when the strings still have all the frequencies that they’re capable of producing.

I like having access to all those frequencies when I play. I don’t think that makes me a snob. I think that makes me more like the Boy Scout I once was, in that I always want to be prepared - in this case, musically.

Hope that makes more sense.



Wade Hampton Miller

[muscmp]

you are the first i've known to do that. the guitarists i know can tell that the strings are dead and won't tune nor intonate properly and they change them.
as with everything on the agf, it is all subjective.

play music!

[Rhythmdoctor]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Rhythmdoctor, I wasn’t trying to come across as superior by mentioning the various gradations of tone we can achieve with our hands. I mentioned it because it’s an option that we as players have. Like most techniques it takes some practice, but if a player isn’t aware that doing that is even an option, naturally it’s not going to be a technique they acquire unless they happen across it by chance.

There’s always a factor of personal preference when it comes to the strings we choose to use and how long we leave them on our instruments. The point I was trying to make is that by leaving strings on past a certain point we cut ourselves off from a number of musical effects and tone colors that can be achieved when the strings still have all the frequencies that they’re capable of producing.

I like having access to all those frequencies when I play. I don’t think that makes me a snob. I think that makes me more like the Boy Scout I once was, in that I always want to be prepared - in this case, musically.

Hope that makes more sense.



Wade Hampton Miller

Fair enough. I appreciate the detailed response. Apologies for misunderstanding your post.

[Wade Hampton]

Not a problem, Doc. Thanks for your civility.


whm

[Mr. Jelly]

It keeps getting mentioned that old strings don't tune or hold a tuning. I can't say I've ever ran into that issue in over fifty years.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

It keeps getting mention that old strings don't tune or hold a tuning. I can't say I've ever ran into that issue in over fifty years.

It could be that such complaints have to do with guitars that are finicky to keep in tune to start with no matter what the condition of the strings.

[Imbler]

Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly

It keeps getting mention that old strings don't tune or hold a tuning. I can't say I've ever ran into that issue in over fifty years.

I see it frequently on my classicals where the nylon deforms to where it is no longer consistent density along its length.

I haven't seen it on SS either.

Perhaps those who work the strings more (severe bending, etc) get a similar effect.