How many Hours for Strings ????

[rjes]

How many hours do you good people figure you get out of your strings????
I use D'Addario Medium Phosphor Bronze 13-56..and I get approximately 30 hours or so before they start sounding crappy..
Could you tell us what you use and how long they last you ???????????

THX..your input is much appreciated !

[Parma_TeleMon]

Wow! That's an interesting thought. I just replaced a set of Elixirs on my Taylor that I put on somewhere around June. Play it a few hours a week on average, so maybe 40 to 50? Good question.

[Nash]

As a preface, I have very acidic sweat and my hands sweat quite a bit more than most people's. I'm still on the lookout for acoustic strings I like, but right now I have D'Addario 80-20 Bronzes that don't last much more than 20 hours. Phosphor-Bronze strings seem to last longer, but they leave a black residue on my fingers that is nigh impossible to get off without an abrasive soap.

[Tim Bowen]

It totally depends on your situation and the chemistry of your body. I sweat like the proverbial pig, and my chemistry is quite acidic (does anybody sweat, well, alkaline?). Anyway, I always gig with two oscillating fans.

I wouldn't necessarily choose Elixir Nanowebs for "pure tone", but I do choose them, because I'm a working musician. I can get up to 10-12 live sets out of them with good stability, minimal breakage, and decent tone before they start to go wonky. If I have three out of town gigs over the course of a weekend, I'm thinking practicality. 10-12 bar sets/3-4 gigs is a lot to ask from a set of strings. Most of the guys I know that have tried Elixirs and didn't get on with them (fair enough) don't put in anywhere near the hours on a weekly basis that I do with acoustic (-electric) guitars.

[BuddyLee]

Too long, probably 80-100 hours.

I hear Sneaky Pete Kleinow used to let his strings get all crusty, he liked them that way... he hated new strings.

[teleamp]

It varies for me, I'm still trying out different string on a new acoustic that I bought last April. It came with Elixrs, and I got a couple of months out of them, then I tried a set of D'Addarios, and now have just restrung with Martin "Bluegrass"... which I seem to like best for this guitar, so time will tell.

On my old Washburn, I'd change them once every two to three weeks.

[rangercaster]

i am trying EXP coated strings and am happy so far and figure they should outlast conventional strings ... i don't track hours because i have a lot of guitars ... i prefer worn in strings and only change them when they no longer stay in tune or break ...

[JackStraw]

I started a thread on the Martin forum about having six year old strings on my 000-18. Could barely duck in time.

[teleamp]

I play an hour or two a day. Right now I have between 30-40 hours on a set of Martin Bluegrass strings and they are still sounding great.

[imwjl]

As little as 15 for non-coated strings played hard in hot sweaty public up to a few times that for round core or treated strings played at home.

DR Sunbeams and Newtone last long and are not coated. Also play and sound great.

[cotecj]

I don't like new strings. I go at least a year on D'Addario phosphor bronze strings.

[chezdeluxe]

They tell you.

[Celticophilia]

Strings are a "relative" thing of preference. How frequent and long you play, the environment in which you play, your chemistry, sound preference (some like old sounding, some new, etc.).

I prefer "John Pierce's Phosphor Bronze" for my Taylor. They "set in" quickly, maintain tonality for a long period of time, and have great sustain and balance. But then again, that's just my humble opinion. Someone else may not like them at all. It's all about personal expression and what "tilts your kilt"!

Maybe 30-50 hours before I decide to "change the tires".

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