The Healthy Guitar String

Many guitar players are under the misapprehension that you can play with your current strings and not bother changing them until they break. This practice leads not only to producing inferior sound but creates several various tuning problems.

On most guitars that use metal strings the bottom side of the string will begin wearing against the frets from the beginning. The longer the strings are played the deeper a groove gets worn into them and after a while this creates an off-frequency tone. While the strings may look fine from a top view, a gentle rolling of the string will expose any grooving wear against the bottom. Not only will your sound be off but also, since the strings are under tension, they can cause physical injury to a player if they snap.

As well as grooving, the sweat and oils from the player's hands and fingers will begin to corrode the metal of the strings. This human moisture and normal atmospheric humidity can develop rust spots on the string and degrade both the physical material and the sound quality being produced. Grease, dirt and rust deposits can also subtly change the diameter of the string and thus distort the tone produced.

There are several methods to increase the health and life of your metal guitar strings and provide you with the best and most accurate sound. To begin with, one should always start with high quality strings. Depending on your style of play you may pick either nickel-plated wraps or stainless-steel wraps which give a higher, sharper tone and are preferred for electric guitar. If you settle for cheap strings you can expect cheap sound.

Guitar health begins even before you attach the new strings. Begin the process by rubbing a graphite pencil over the grooves in the tuning nut, making sure to get some of the graphite down into the grooves. This serves as a lubricant to prevent the string from slipping or getting stuck as you bend the strings into place. With a smooth, firm hold on the string in the nut, you will be able to get a quicker and better tuning without having to deal with the subtle "clicking" that occurs if the strings are loosening in the nut.

Make it a habit to use a string lubricant like 'Fingerease' (tm). Spraying this aerosol over the strings serves a duel purpose. As well as reducing friction between your fingers and the strings, this spray will coat the strings and help protect them from rust formation and corrosion from skin oils.

Always keep a dry, soft, lint-free cloth handy to gently wipe the strings down occasionally during play and especially after you are finished. Make sure to go over not only the tops of the strings but slide it between the strings and the body of the guitar to absorb the dirt and moisture from the underside as well.

Maintaining these few preventative measures will help you get the best sound and life from your guitar strings. Since everyone has a different touch there is no way to estimate how long the strings will last but taking good care of them from the beginning will help you find the optimum balance between string changes.