Strings "breaking in"? Real?

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by fazool

Having an engineering background and doing some metallurgy work, I cannot really find any plausible explanation for this claim either.

And anecdotally, my experience shows me the exact opposite, anyway.

Metal fatigue setting in incrementally? I think the key word is "incremental".

If you think about it, you install a new set of strings and you get them seated properly in the slots and on the tuners. You tune them up, everything is stable- but the next day you take the guitar out and most of the strings are flat 1/4 step. So that first day they're going to naturally stretch out further. But in the course of multiple tunings and re-tunings where you flatten, then tune up to pitch, over time it has to have an effect on the strings- and thus the sound to some extent.

But aside from metallurgy, you have the effects of grim and acid from the hands. If an acidic guy can kill off strings in a few minutes, what does it take for a non-acidic guy to affect the strings over weeks? And then there's the dead skin that gets between the windings. With bass strings I often slacken them and "pop" them against the fingerboard to shed the dead skin and such from the windings, and miraculously that brings some life back to them, as does boiling. I think as guitar players with much cheaper strings when strings start to fade we just change them out. Not so fast with $30-$40 bass strings.

[zmf]

I like old strings.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by nolegsfngrpickn

It's just really hard for me to believe that a wound piece of metal somehow goes through a "breaking in" process...

They don't. Strings get older and dirtier and that changes their sound. If someone wants to call that a breaking in period, well... I guess people can call it whatever they want. The reality is some people like how strings sound when they get a bit older and dirtier. I'm not in that group. After about three weeks the strings start to sound dead to me and new strings go on.

[Wade Hampton]

I like fresh strings that I’ve stretched enough - excuse me, “tensioned” enough - that they stay put and hold their pitches without continually going flat. The older strings get, the fewer harmonics they produce, and that gives me fewer tone colors to work with. I can and do control how much treble response I get by how I use my hands, but if those frequencies are no longer being produced by the strings, I can’t deploy them when I want to.

So you’ll never see me chiming in in affirmation on those “Who else loves dead strings?” threads. I want strings that produce all the sounds they’re capable of producing.


Wade Hampton Miller

[nolegsfngrpickn]

Some of these posts remind me of the sommeliers who talk about all the amazing undertones and tastes they experience when they drink a $5 bottle of wine blindfolded that they thought was world class.

I find it ridiculous, but maybe I'm just a pessimist.

Of course tone changes, there's no question about that, but the whole "They don't sound good until they're broken in" was where I tuned out.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by nolegsfngrpickn

Some of these posts remind me of the sommeliers who talk about all the amazing undertones and tastes they experience when they drink a $5 bottle of wine blindfolded that they thought was world class.

I find it ridiculous, but maybe I'm just a pessimist.

Well, then, since you’ve chosen to pronounce this discussion “ridiculous,” what exactly are you finding ridiculous about it? Yes, we’re getting very specific about our preferences for strings, and we’re not all in agreement with each other, but we ARE participating in an online discussion forum that specializes in acoustic guitars. Since strings are really the engines that drive the tops of the guitars that we play, they fall within the purview of this forum.

I think I made it quite clear that I don’t care much for older, deader strings, and then explained why. But other players have their own preferences for how they like their strings. Just because I’m not likely to change my own preferences doesn’t mean that I’m incapable of learning from their posts.


Wade Hampton Miller

[nolegsfngrpickn]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Well, then, since you’ve chosen to pronounce this discussion “ridiculous,” what exactly are you finding ridiculous about it? Yes, we’re getting very specific about our preferences for strings, and we’re not all in agreement with each other, but we ARE participating in an online discussion forum that specializes in acoustic guitars. Since strings are really the engines that drive the tops of the guitars that we play, they fall within the purview of this forum.

I think I made it quite clear that I don’t care much for older, deader strings, and then explained why. But other players have their own preferences for how they like their strings. Just because I’m not likely to change my own preferences doesn’t mean that I’m incapable of learning from their posts.


Wade Hampton Miller

It was mostly sarcasm and a poor attempt at humor, I guess . I fall in the same camp as you do. Maybe I just don't have good enough ears to hear all this other subtle stuff.

I can tell when strings need to be changed, and I can tell when they sound new and fantastic. However, I've never paused 2 weeks into a set and thought about how the tone differed. I guess for me it's pretty binary: these strings sound alright, or it's time to change them.

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by nolegsfngrpickn

It was mostly sarcasm and a poor attempt at humor, I guess . I fall in the same camp as you do.....

I can tell when strings need to be changed, and I can tell when they sound new and fantastic. However, I've never paused 2 weeks into a set and thought about how the tone differed. I guess for me it's pretty binary: these strings sound alright, or it's time to change them.

Okay, fair enough. Kind of like with a can of beer, then: this beer is cold and fresh, or this beer is warm and flat.

That’s with American industrial lagers, though - once you start getting into British real ales and (Lord help us) Belgian beers, all SORTS of other rules apply!




whm

[chippygreen]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

I can and do control how much treble response I get by how I use my hands, but if those frequencies are no longer being produced by the strings, I can’t deploy them when I want to.



Wade Hampton Miller

And this explains why my Michaud JR strings have to wait to season, and Wade just has to wait for...Wade.

@Wade, the treble was definitely producing more complexity with new strings, I just could not figure out how to tame it or what to do with it.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by nolegsfngrpickn

So basically it's "how much decay in your strings do you like?"

Basically, this. Once you open that pack, you’re exposing the strings to the elements, and your skin oils. They are by definition, decaying. You stretch them and tune them, and the metal is already being put through a whole lot of stress. Breaking in is simply another word for when those strings reach their sweet spot (to your ears). It could be 5 minutes after you install them, or a few weeks later. To me, strings sound the best about a week after installing (D’Addario PB). YMMV

[tomiv9]

I find theres generally 3 stages in strings life.
Stage 1: brand new, sound really bright and shimmery. Usually lasts a day, maybe 2.
Stage 2: strings have settled a bit, loose some of that initial zingyness, and generally sound consistent for several weeks or even months
Stage 3: strings eventually start to go dead, loose harmonics, clarity, sustain.

When exactly these changes occurs depends on alot of factors, and which sound you prefer is up to you, but the sound definitely changes

[AndrewG]

I can definitely hear it; I have used Elixir Nano 80-20 for many years which sound a bit brash for a day or two. After that they mellow somewhat and stay sounding the same for weeks/months.

[Skarsaune]

Fresh strings are too zingy for my ears - I like them better in about a week, 10-15 hours of playing.

[SprintBob]

One variable to consider is that I believe your ears get conditioned to the tone of new strings and that is a part of “breaking in”.

[Martie]

To me, it's not so much that they 'break-in', more that they start off 'too lively', then 'settle-down', gradually fade and eventually 'die', which is all very upsetting really...