# How to make my strings last longer?



## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

I've recently started using D'Addario Phosphor Bronze custom lights on my main acoustic, and I love them. They glisten, jangle, ring - it's awesome.

The problem I'm having is that they go downhill really fast. Within 4-5 days they've lost some of that jangle, and as I get into week 2, they're started to get pretty dead.

I also notice that my fingers start getting green and black as I play, and the strings start to sludge up with black gunge.

Am i doing something wrong here?

How do you keep your strings clean and bright?

Is it as simple as wiping them down after playing?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Are you washing your hands before you play? Other than that accept the fact that you have to change strings often.


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

you gotta get some string cleaner - the stuff I use is made by Luthier's Choice and it's called 'String Cleaner / Lubricant'...great stuff and it's only $3 at L & M. It cleans your strings and makes them feel nice again and it also makes them last longer - I highly recommend it. here is slink to check it out: http://www.long-mcquade.com/product...bson/Luthiers_Choice_-_Guitar-Care_3-Pack.htm


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

I am going to disagree with doriangrey here, products do not make strings last longer. What could be going on is a chemical reaction between your fingers and the strings. We have heard of other folks who have had this situation come up before on many forums. As recommended its best for you to wash up prior to playing and that should help some but probably will not stop it from happening again. Another thing is to try different sets to see if that helps you out at all.
Me I am from the school of products like string cleaner or top cleaners are designed to do one thing only= and that is to take your hard earned money from your wallet into their cash registers, there is a giant up charge and they make a big profit from stuff like that.ship


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## Gizmo (Aug 7, 2008)

I used to wreck my strings in no time at all...especially if I forgot to wipe them down immediately after playing a gig.

About a year ago I started regular cleaning using Fast Fret....my strings now last much longer. It may be that other "chemicals" or simple cleaners would work just as well but neverthelss, I've noticed a huge difference. Pays for itself in no time as I'm keeping about 10 guitars in top giggable condition...that's a lot of strings!


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

D'Addario phosphor bronze have been my strings of choice for many years and they last forever for me. Body chemistry seems to have a lot to do with it. Many of my students can rot out their strings with much less playing than me, in fact my loaner guitar gets more string changes than my regular players. Clean hands and regular hand washing helps immensely, as does a simple wiping down of the strings, and protection from airborn dust. Some string cleaning products may help, but it's best to address the source first.

Peace, Mooh.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I also find phosphor bronze strings lose their "shwiing" pretty quickly. I prefer DR coated strings when I can get them, but play the cheap no-name ones when I can't so I can afford to change strings every week.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

You could try the bass players' trick, take them off and boil them for a few minutes, then restring.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Mooh said:


> D'Addario phosphor bronze have been my strings of choice for many years and they last forever for me. *Body chemistry seems to have a lot to do with it*. Many of my students can rot out their strings with much less playing than me, in fact my loaner guitar gets more string changes than my regular players. Clean hands and regular hand washing helps immensely, as does a simple wiping down of the strings, and protection from airborn dust. Some string cleaning products may help, but it's best to address the source first.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


This sez it. ...


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

LOL Keto, Eddie Van Halen anybody?

I agree with chemistry thing; I guess I sweat acid. All those beautiful green oxidized copper roofs in Kingston; that's what my fingers look like after playing week-old phosphor bronze.

I'm due for a string change today, I think. I'm already washing my hands before I start, but I'll start wiping down after playing and see if that might get me past the 7 or 8 days I'm getting now.

I honestly don't mind changing strings often; it's hardly a financial burden. When two sets of strings = one pack of smokes, I think I can afford to invest.

Speaking of which - if anyone has a recommendation for a good business who can get bulk packs of strings to my mailbox for a decent price, I'd love to hear it.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Greg Ellis said:


> Speaking of which - if anyone has a recommendation for a good business who can get bulk packs of strings to my mailbox for a decent price, I'd love to hear it.


I used to use juststrings.com but gave up on that due to shipping and quality issues and instead get a local shop to give me a good price on the D'Addario bulk boxes of 25 sets. It's worth pricing.

Peace, Mooh.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

D'Addario also has a box with 50 sets of independent strings, which is too say they aren't in sets. I tried it and found myself out of E and B way ahead of the rest but it was cheap and less packaging.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I've ordered off of this place and had pretty good luck, lots of choices too...

http://www.stringsandbeyond.com/


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I buy strings at my local store.. that way he can eat .... and he's a good guy. He started a store that chased out the bad music store that still sold Black Diamond strings


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> I buy strings at my local store.. that way he can eat .... and he's a good guy. He started a store that chased out the bad music store that still sold Black Diamond strings


Out on the streets for a living... picture's only begun. Your day is sorrow and madness... got you under their thumb. Woohoo! Black Diamond!

I generally do buy from brick and mortar stores, but most are out of the way of my daily travels. I never thought to ask about a bulk pack of strings in a store, tho - I've never seen that for sale. Or maybe wasn't looking.

I'm actually wondering if maybe I got a bad batch of strings - two packs in a row started turning black on day one. Bought 'em from a shop on Yonge St around College that I hardly ever go to. IIRC, other sets (from a different store) lasted significantly longer.

It might have something to do with the lemon oil I use on my fretboard too; hadn't considered that. 

I should probably back off on that stuff - I don't use a lot; just a few drops on a rag, wiped over the fretboard, then scrub a bit with an old towel to get the dirt off, and wipe clean, even buff a bit, to remove as much as possible. Probably don't really need to do that at every string change; I just got into that habit somewhere along the way.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

Greg Ellis said:


> I generally do buy from brick and mortar stores, but most are out of the way of my daily travels. I never thought to ask about a bulk pack of strings in a store, tho - I've never seen that for sale. Or maybe wasn't looking.


They usually have ten packs anyway, at least with D'Addarios, but they might not be out on the shelves. I find if you ask they can usually give you a good deal and bring a ten pack out of the store room.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I get my bulk boxes locally. They actually called me up with a string offer I couldn't refuse. They refer students to me, I buy stuff from them, my students buy stuff from them, they deliver to me. We became friends. Friends good. Mooh happy.

Peace, Mooh.



shoretyus said:


> I buy strings at my local store.. that way he can eat .... and he's a good guy. He started a store that chased out the bad music store that still sold Black Diamond strings


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## Destropiate (Jan 17, 2007)

Ship of fools said:


> I am going to disagree with doriangrey here, products do not make strings last longer. What could be going on is a chemical reaction between your fingers and the strings. We have heard of other folks who have had this situation come up before on many forums. As recommended its best for you to wash up prior to playing and that should help some but probably will not stop it from happening again. Another thing is to try different sets to see if that helps you out at all.
> Me I am from the school of products like string cleaner or top cleaners are designed to do one thing only= and that is to take your hard earned money from your wallet into their cash registers, there is a giant up charge and they make a big profit from stuff like that.ship


I use the Luthiers Choice Every day and find it is great for a 3 dollar bottle that will last for months. I dont know if it prevents the strings from sounding dead but it takes away all the crud, lubes them and makes old strings at least pleasant to play on. Keeps them "feeling" new if not sounding new.


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## doriangrey (Mar 29, 2011)

Destropiate said:


> I use the Luthiers Choice Every day and find it is great for a 3 dollar bottle that will last for months. I dont know if it prevents the strings from sounding dead but it takes away all the crud, lubes them and makes old strings at least pleasant to play on. Keeps them "feeling" new if not sounding new.


agreed - well worth $3 for a bottle that lasts a long time...if I wipe my strings down with a plain dry cloth after playing I do get some crud off but if I do it again with the string cleaner more crud comes off, which tells me that the string cleaner does work better than just wiping down with a dry cloth...


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## pfk167 (Feb 22, 2012)

I get mine at Stringman.ca. Good deals on bulk lots...


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I wipe mine down with a rag & extra virgin olive oil once in a while...keeps the crud off & they don't corrode


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

bolero said:


> I wipe mine down with a rag & extra virgin olive oil once in a while...keeps the crud off & they don't corrode


And later you can boil them and sever them with a little pesto. kkjuw


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## Lance Romance (Jun 4, 2009)

Greg, Eric ex-Arts repairs here. Try the Ernie Ball coated phosphor bronzes. I use John Pearse or D'Addarios, but in the summer in festival season I use coateds. The EBs have the same tone as D'Addarios, but they last tons longer AND DONT FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN DIPPED IN PLASTIC.
Most decent music stores will give you a break on a box; just ask. If you don't support your local music store there will be no more local music stores. Price is only a small part of the Big Picture.


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

I believe this has already been said but, make sure you wash your hands BEFORE you play or all the sweat and grime and grease from the day will transfer right to those fancy new strings. And wipe them down after playing.

I use the same strings and after a gig and a whole lot of sweat I neglected to wipe them down and those new strings sounded very dull.

So take care of those strings and they'll sound better longer. Or invest in a bulk order of stings. . .. 

Keep rockin'
Matt


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## loudtubeamps (Feb 2, 2012)

Greg Ellis said:


> LOL Keto, Eddie Van Halen anybody?
> 
> I agree with chemistry thing; I guess I sweat acid. All those beautiful green oxidized copper roofs in Kingston; that's what my fingers look like after playing week-old phosphor bronze.
> 
> ...


 Yup to the corrosive sweat. A good friend of mine used to kill a set of strings in 2 or 3 nights and over a period of a few months,
would literally fuse the saddle height adjustment screws to the saddles.I kept telling Al to lay off the tequila, he would have none of that.
Wash your hands as mentioned and try not to sweat??!!










Cheers, d.


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## zurn (Oct 21, 2009)

I guess i'm the only one who changes string sets only if one of them breaks  I really don't care that much if they don't sound new.


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## ThePass (Aug 10, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> Are you washing your hands before you play?



Exactly what I was gonna ask. I wash my hands everytime. You'd think I was a germ freak, but honest I'm not!


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Ship of fools said:


> I am going to disagree with doriangrey here, products do not make strings last longer. What could be going on is a chemical reaction between your fingers and the strings. We have heard of other folks who have had this situation come up before on many forums. As recommended its best for you to wash up prior to playing and that should help some but probably will not stop it from happening again. Another thing is to try different sets to see if that helps you out at all.
> Me I am from the school of products like string cleaner or top cleaners are designed to do one thing only= and that is to take your hard earned money from your wallet into their cash registers, there is a giant up charge and they make a big profit from stuff like that.ship


Your handle may be "Ship of Fools" but you are obviously no fool. Your post above is bang on.


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## TubeStack (Jul 16, 2009)

I change my strings every week, more if I have a gig. I like the sound of a new/semi-new set and find that a 3+ hour band practice and daily playing does them in pretty quickly.


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

I too love the sound of new strings and find they lose that zing in a couple of days, played or otherwise. I now use Elixir coated strings. They are not quite as zingy straight out the packet but keep their new sound for weeks.
I tend not to wash my hands immediately before playing as the skin is soft immediately after washing and the finger tips are easily damaged. My nephew can pick up a guitar, play a couple of chords, and the following morning the strings are black and like barbed wire. It is definitely a body chemistry thing.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

Jocko said:


> I too love the sound of new strings and find they lose that zing in a couple of days, played or otherwise. I now use Elixir coated strings. They are not quite as zingy straight out the packet but keep their new sound for weeks.
> I tend not to wash my hands immediately before playing as the skin is soft immediately after washing and the finger tips are easily damaged. My nephew can pick up a guitar, play a couple of chords, and the following morning the strings are black and like barbed wire. It is definitely a body chemistry thing.


It's like the sweat damage to a finish I guess. I sweat a lot when I play but my sweat doesn't damage a finish the way some folks sweat does.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I select strings based on tone and feel, not longevity.

I have yet to see any product claiming to extend string life that actually made a difference worth the cost.

A set of strings is about $10.

NOTHING will bring a guitar to life better than a string change, IMO.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Holy apple Batman - some of you dudes must be sweating battery acid! I generally NEVER wash my hands before I play (unless they're filthy or grimy, of course) or wipe my strings down afterwards. I don't get cruddy buildup, discolouration or corrosion on my strings, bridges or any guitar hardware for that matter. I change strings regularly, but it's when they get stretched to the point that they start having tuning issues or they get dull and lifeless, typically about every 30-40 playing hrs for my playing style. I'd play them longer if I could too because I don't particularly like the sound of new strings. Generally start liking them after they've had a good 3-4 hrs of playing to get them stretched and stabilized then they start to sound a little less strident, but still chime nicely. 

If I had issues as serious as some of y'all, methinks I'd still be playin' the skins. No offence intended to anyone here - I FEEL for you if that's what you have to deal with every time you wanna play a bit...


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

When I was touring I would change strings every week on every guitar. When I went to local weekends it was every two weeks.

If I'm playing a guitar regularly, after two weeks it sounds pretty dull compared to a new set. The intonation will start to go for a shit after a month or more.

Mine don't get cruddy or badly corroded, they just sound like shite.


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## Ferro-Kings (Jul 2, 2012)

I use Vitalis, the old hair treatment. It has a liquid surfactant that puts a light coating on the strings to protect and helps keep dirt, sweat, and oil off.
It also provides a gentle lube for easier finger movement.

On top of all that it makes my strings look extremely "well groomed" and my guitars are getting hit on all the time.
Just make sure to comb your string WITH the grain. 

You can even buy a generic version at Walgreens.

~Mike


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Ferro-Kings said:


> I use Vitalis, the old hair treatment. It has a liquid surfactant that puts a light coating on the strings to protect and helps keep dirt, sweat, and oil off.
> It also provides a gentle lube for easier finger movement.
> 
> ~Mike


Boy I sure hope you' re kidding right, right because you wouldn't ever want that kind of crap on any guitar finger board ever right. Unless you're so rich that you can afford to throw the guitar away after playing it with grease lubricant on your hands andlets not talk about how that would deaden the strings completely. So tell us all you were just foolin with us.ship


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## Ferro-Kings (Jul 2, 2012)

Just an opinion, sorry... I'll keep them to myself.
I said Vitalis, not Brylceme.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Vitalis is a hair gel product up here Ferro-Kings don't know what it might be state side and no you don't have to be sorry but as you can see how I would react to a hair gel being put on any guitar and even after 45 years+ of my playing I can tell you that we are always learning.
And this is what is listed in Vitalis so I doubt it can be very good for strings. " SD Alcohol 40, PPG-40 Butyl Ehter, Water, Benzyl Benzoate, fragrance, Dihydroabietyl alcohol, coloring " now that you know whats in it are you sure you want to add that to your strings. But hey like mine its just my humble opinion and you are more then entitled to yours and I would not say that you were wrong, its just an opinion.ship


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