How often do you change your strings?

[CanyonCarver]

I always carry an extra set of strings in the guitar case, but I get lazy and I'll let too much time pass. After a while the guitar sounds a little dead and it may take me a couple more weeks of putting up with it before I finally decide to get to work and re-string.

In the end, I may have used the same set for up to three months.
I hear that changing the strings once a month would be optimal.
For 7 bucks a set , the investment isn't the problem.

What's your story?

[ericgtr]

I guess it depends on how much I practice, in my gigging days I changed them once a week on each guitar but nowadyas I only do it when one breaks and I can't piece together an old one to replace it with [img]images/smilies/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[CanyonCarver]

Shame on you.... and me too !

[wahwah]

when they break! I hate the fu-kin' about with the Peavey trem etc...it stays in tune but they ain't quick to change, you know what I'm saying?

[Stiglar]

yeah i change about once every two weeks on my main guitar .. it's a bloody pain in the ass with the floyd rose it takes wayyyyy too long i bought these great strings for my classical guitar taht never break ! ... they still sound pretty good and i've had these ones on for about 10 months ! the last set i put on lasted me about 13 months before i changed them ! .. and that was when i was using my calssical guitar every day ! wish i could find oens ilke that for electric guitars :P

[CanyonCarver]

Apparently metal strings react over time and use to tension, more or less acidic sweat on your fingers and others factors. They just sound muted after a while.
I don't wait to break a string to replace it. In fact I'll change the whole set and be done with it.
With the trem on the Wolfgang I find it actually very easy, since the mechanism is pegged against the guitar body and isn't floating anymore.
Thank you Ed!
Also I recently started to wound my strings from the top, using the brass stop at the headstock. There certainly won't be any sliding going on there!

[siN]

I can play with the same strings for over a year. In fact: If I break strings about 5 times a year, it is much.....
And there are some songs where I really fuck up with my tremolo......

But I change the strings if I go into a recording studio or when I know a live gig is decently recorded, or if a live gig is "big enough" to prepare myself at my best.......

But I always have a spare set in my guitar case.