I usually change mine before the first gig of the year, but if I'm not gigging around a lot (like in the winter when I can hardly get out of my driveway) I change them when they start looking dull and not ringing quite as loud as they used to. I use Martin Phosphor wounds on my acoustic and they last about 4-6 months depending on how much I practice and how often I go out and play in public.
A trick you can try is to take the strings and boil them in water with a little bit of soap in it for about 30-45 minutes and then again in clean water to get the soap out of the strings...it strecthes the life a little longer. It's a neat trick since I can't always afford to go and pay $7 for a set of strings whenever they get old. Private college fees kill a fella...
|