How to Know When to Change Your Guitar Strings
So how do you know when it is time to change the strings on your acoustic or electric guitar?
Here's how it works:
The life of your strings will vary depending on how you treat them. A guitar played 2 hours a week will keep it's strings longer than a guitar played 2 hours a day. Dirty hands will kill strings quickly, so it's always a good idea to wash your hands before you pick up your guitar. Sweaty hands will shorten your strings' life, too, but this can be unavoidable. Heavy hands will wear strings out quicker than light ones. Humidity can cause metal strings to corrode at a quicker rate.
Dirt and oil from your hands end up on your guitar strings. This causes the strings to corrode over time. The guitar will begin sounding dull or even lifeless. It will start to play out of tune, no matter how much you try tune it, and will be nearly impossible to tune. We all know an out of tune guitar is no fun!
There are a few telltale signs that guitar strings will show when they're ready to be changed.
If they look dirty, they need to go. The dirt you see (and quite a bit that you can't see) will drastically change the performance of the guitar strings.
If you're having a hard time tuning them, cut them loose. You're probably having a hard time getting them in tune because of corrosion or dirt build-up.
If you haven't changed them in a few months (and you play regularly), treat yourself to some fresh strings. Usually by the time you're thinking about changing your strings, it's time to change them.
As your strings age, it can be common (especially for beginners) to wonder what's wrong with your guitar. The guitar will feel like it has less energy than it did, and moving up and down the fretboard will not feel as smooth. All these things can make playing a lot less fun, so go ahead and change those strings! It's the single most effective and inexpensive way to put some new life into your guitar. The good news is that guitar strings are affordable on any budget. They range from about $6 to about $15 for a typical set of strings for a 6-string guitar. Over time, you will probably find a brand of strings that you prefer over the others for tonal reasons, but pretty much all of the brands you'll find in a music shop are made to similar quality specifications.
Also, if you've bought a new guitar, especially from a larger guitar shop, you may want to replace the strings. Just think of how many dirty hands picked up and played that guitar before you bought it!
If you've never changed your strings before, YouTube has some great instructional videos so check them out. Even if you use a luthier or professional guitar tech for all of your other guitar maintenance, it's important to be able to restring your guitar.
Joe Armani is the owner & luthier at Armani Guitars, maker of beautiful custom guitars in Denver, CO. He invites you to visit the Armani Guitars website at http://armaniguitars.com with all your guitar and guitar repair questions.
Links:
Read More:Travel Tips When Arriving in Auckland,Cheap Web Design People Do it June 2011,City Palace Udaipur,Online dissertation help: Helping Students all over the world,Some More Foods That Help Curing Hemorrhoid in Children and Adults
Here's how it works:
The life of your strings will vary depending on how you treat them. A guitar played 2 hours a week will keep it's strings longer than a guitar played 2 hours a day. Dirty hands will kill strings quickly, so it's always a good idea to wash your hands before you pick up your guitar. Sweaty hands will shorten your strings' life, too, but this can be unavoidable. Heavy hands will wear strings out quicker than light ones. Humidity can cause metal strings to corrode at a quicker rate.
Dirt and oil from your hands end up on your guitar strings. This causes the strings to corrode over time. The guitar will begin sounding dull or even lifeless. It will start to play out of tune, no matter how much you try tune it, and will be nearly impossible to tune. We all know an out of tune guitar is no fun!
There are a few telltale signs that guitar strings will show when they're ready to be changed.
If they look dirty, they need to go. The dirt you see (and quite a bit that you can't see) will drastically change the performance of the guitar strings.
If you're having a hard time tuning them, cut them loose. You're probably having a hard time getting them in tune because of corrosion or dirt build-up.
If you haven't changed them in a few months (and you play regularly), treat yourself to some fresh strings. Usually by the time you're thinking about changing your strings, it's time to change them.
As your strings age, it can be common (especially for beginners) to wonder what's wrong with your guitar. The guitar will feel like it has less energy than it did, and moving up and down the fretboard will not feel as smooth. All these things can make playing a lot less fun, so go ahead and change those strings! It's the single most effective and inexpensive way to put some new life into your guitar. The good news is that guitar strings are affordable on any budget. They range from about $6 to about $15 for a typical set of strings for a 6-string guitar. Over time, you will probably find a brand of strings that you prefer over the others for tonal reasons, but pretty much all of the brands you'll find in a music shop are made to similar quality specifications.
Also, if you've bought a new guitar, especially from a larger guitar shop, you may want to replace the strings. Just think of how many dirty hands picked up and played that guitar before you bought it!
If you've never changed your strings before, YouTube has some great instructional videos so check them out. Even if you use a luthier or professional guitar tech for all of your other guitar maintenance, it's important to be able to restring your guitar.
Joe Armani is the owner & luthier at Armani Guitars, maker of beautiful custom guitars in Denver, CO. He invites you to visit the Armani Guitars website at http://armaniguitars.com with all your guitar and guitar repair questions.
Links:
Read More:Travel Tips When Arriving in Auckland,Cheap Web Design People Do it June 2011,City Palace Udaipur,Online dissertation help: Helping Students all over the world,Some More Foods That Help Curing Hemorrhoid in Children and Adults
