Do you save used strings?

[TheGITM]

When I change strings I just cut them at the sound hole and toss them.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by TheGITM

When I change strings I just cut them at the sound hole and toss them.

What is the purpose of cutting them? And do you cut them under tension, or after down-tuning? (Genuine question - I often hear of people cutting strings prior to removing them, but I’ve never understood why).

[Stonehauler]

what, no one using a C1095 carbon steel bar and mixing it with used strings and iron filings to make a cannister damascus knife?

https://youtu.be/xqRdV6Yq2WA?feature=shared (Piano wire, not guitar string)

[beatcomber]

I’ve I find that a gauge or alloy isn’t working out as hoped, I remove them and save them in a ziplock bag for potential future use on another instrument.

[TBman]

Generally, no I don't save used strings. I think I do have a set of nylons that I took off and saved though somewhere.

[LiveMusic]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I started doing this too, but there is a glitch with my D'addario account so I'm not able to print the shipping labels. I started back when there was a 2 lb minimum to ship (I think they've relaxed that since).

I've got quite a lot of old strings now in my garage - with 25 stringed instruments I go through a lot. Most of my mandolin-family instruments use loop end strings and most of the guitars use ball ends. I was saving the old brass balls in case I needed to replace a single guitar string but only had a loop end in the appropriate gage in my spares.

I ran across someone who made jewelry out of old strings. I said "I've got hundreds of old strings; come by anytime and you can have them" but they never did.

I just read where it is 5-lb minimum, equal to 100 sets of strings. Counts me out. I have maybe 20.

[TheGITM]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

What is the purpose of cutting them? And do you cut them under tension, or after down-tuning? (Genuine question - I often hear of people cutting strings prior to removing them, but I’ve never understood why).

It's just faster.

[ksounds]

I save the lighter ones that are prone to break more often going from alternate tunings, in case I need one in a pinch.

[rllink]

Nope, I pitch them. Strings are cheap. I can't think of any time that I would have reused a string, and saving the world with used guitar strings just seems like such a hollow gesture to me. A used string is worthless to me.

[Bluenose]

Lately I've been putting mine in the blue box for recyclables which I put out on the street for pick up every 2 weeks. If an item isn't deemed recyclable it will be rejected and left in the box. So far no rejections but maybe they just haven't noticed IDK. I will continue until I get either a complaint or a rejection. I also have about a hundred old sets in a box if anyone is interested and would pay the shipping. BTW I live in NW Ontario.

[CharlieBman]

I have enough unused sets laying around. Saving used ones would be waste of time. Besides, the idea of putting a set of old strings on a guitar just seems odd.

[tinnitus]

I've broken maybe one string per decade, usually dusty/rusty/crusty remnants on new-to-me used instruments. This brings my lifetime total to 5 or 6 strings so far. Breakage is just not a big thing in my world. But if I ever do, I'll have a full set of my most recently used ones handy.

Appealing to my lopsided sense of symmetry, the next one I break might even be about the same age as my used spare. Wouldn't that be ideal?

Then I could say to Mrs. Tinnitus who teases me for saving stuff she believes I'll never use, "See? Who's laughing now???"

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by LiveMusic

I just read where it is 5-lb minimum, equal to 100 sets of strings. Counts me out. I have maybe 20.

5lbs minimum to ship back but if you have less you can (per the site) take them to any Guitar Center. No points from the Company but the strings don't end up in a landfill either.

[Wade Hampton]

I just throw old strings away. A few times in the nearly fifty years I’ve been playing music I’ve tried reusing old strings, and every time I’ve managed to jab myself with a jagged string end into the bone. Very painful.

If it was musically rewarding to reuse old strings it might be halfway worthwhile to endure the hassle and the pain, but all you get out of it is crappy-sounding performance. To me it’s not at all worth it.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Skydog]

I keep a couple of sets for doing setups