Replacing strings often

[rps14a]

i was thinking about treatments but im always freaked out about getting carcinogenic oil on my hands and putting it in my mouth, is there some kind of natural oil. for some reason i seem to remember someone telling me lemon seed oil helps? maybe someone here knows


chris

[toejam]

Lemon oil is fine to use on your strings and fingerboard, so is WD-40, baby oil, vaseline, even motor oil.

[Joelski]

Cut down on booze and your sweat will become less acidic. Your feet won't stink as bad, either!



Okay, like that's gonna happen... Clean your strings with any decent cleaner (they all use a base of denatured alcohol), then apply a little wax to a polishing cloth and rub down all the strings. This will help to seal out moisture on the playing surfaces of the strings. Next go buy an air conditioner. You'll thank me when you're older.

[Ben...]

Ah, but they last much, much longer and I find they don't break due to fatigue at the bridge so often. I use nothing but Elixir coated/anti-rust strings now, and buy them in whole boxes at a time which normally comes a lot cheaper.

DR Extra Lifes last me 4 months as opposed to 2 weeks. I wash my hands but I somehow manage to get my strings really grubby and fast at that. I find Extra Lifes last longer than Elixers but you have to put up with the colours (I just get black).

[toejam]

Do DR Extra Lifes really last longer than regular DRs? I've tried the 11-50 DR Hi-Beams and they actually last a pretty long time without corroding.

[jgcable]

Hi,
I don't know why but my guitar strings go all dirty and rough literally the day after ive played, I know that my palms are a bit sweatier than normal but other than that im clueless. Ive tried ghs, dr, daddarrio even cheap ebay strings and they are all about the same. I clean my strings after I play which helps a little but its still annoying and starting to cost a lot.

Could it be the environment of my room or what?

I live in Connecticut. I use D'addario XL's 9-42
I never clean my strings, I never clean my guitars, I very rarely put them away, one of them is in my rehearsal studio which has temp changes anywhere from 60 to 75 degrees (its a converted attached garage) and my strings never get dirty and it takes a REALLY long time for them to wear out. I think the issues players have with strings are because of a few factors:
1. Sweaty palmed players who death grip their strings
2. Lots of humidity.
3. See #1.

[nitro_D]

if your top 3 strings get 'grungy' in a day or two, try taking some wd-40 and spraying it into a corner of a tea towel (no lint), and then pinch the string between your fingers, using the rag with the oil on it as padding for your fingers, and slide the towel up and down the length of the string a few times, pinching the string aggressively between your thumb and pointer finger in the rag and oil.

you'll hear a high pitched 'squeal', almost like a violin, and your skin, grunge, sweat, and dust will come right up off of the rag. you'll appreciate the 'slickery' of the thin layer of oil on the string, and unless you've let it corrode too badly, they should come back to almost new. if it's really bad, try using some rubbing alcohol first to cut the muck, and then oil them up.

this works repeatedly, but you have to wash your hands before you play, and then try to wipe your strings down when you're done, and they'll last you considerably longer.

Yeh i do that sometimes, it does help if u play it straight away but doesnt really prevent it.

[nitro_D]

Ill invest in some proper brand string cleaner.

I think its rust more that dirt.

[Foulacy]

if you clean your guitar (fretboard and frets specifically) often enough, clean your hands before you play, and clean your strings after you play (do ALL 3), you won't have this "mystery" problem. really really simple.

[Dreamland_Rebel]

i would try fast fret. if that doesn't work. there is nothing wrong with changing your strings often. the pro's play on a fresh set every night.

i love the feel of a fresh set of D'addarios the first day they are put on. but the next day they feel like doo-doo to me. GHS Boomers don't feel as good the first day but remain consistant for about 4 days so i pretty much just use them.

[nitro_D]

update:
Ive been wiping down my strings with a dry cloth, going up and down the string 2-3 times on each string, so much less buildup crap on them now. Above the locking nut the strings look new so it must be my sweaty hands.

[Robert Burns]

Ill invest in some proper brand string cleaner.

I think its rust more that dirt.

The Dunlop stuff works great as a wipe down liquid...but those DR
strings really do last 3 times longer...for u these would equate to
a cheaper string in the long run.. I get 3 months at least out of
DR coated strings...and i play everyday.. Elixers are also great imo