New strings equal new guitar

[M Sarad]

Due to extreme laziness while owning three fine acoustics, three wonderful electrics, a Gibson F9, ukeleles and a lap steel while playing in two bands, my Brondel(A2 of Wenge and Carpathian, Laurent's first use of Wenge) was languishing, sounding tired and dull.

I bit the bullet and finally put on a set of custom light D'Addario strings.

The magic returned!

Great sustain and crystalline clarity coupled with reverb and church bell beauty
made life worth living and playing rewarding after many months of sad decline.

Thanks for reading.

[GHS]

New strings mean a lot.

[Ruark]

I think sometimes the sound degrades so slowly over time, you don't really notice it that much until you put on new strings, and then pow, it hits you.

[Br1ck]

I've trained myself that every time I think a guitar I have doesn't sound so good, I change strings. Works every time.

[Long Jon]

Originally Posted by Ruark

I think sometimes the sound degrades so slowly over time, you don't really notice it that much until you put on new strings, and then pow, it hits you.

True. That's the thing about all the string comparison threads,,,,
The NEW ones, any brand of new ones, are nearly always gonna sound better than the ones you just took off.
If the new ones happen to be a different brand from the old clapped out ones it's easy to tell yourself you have just found your perfect strings !

[Kittoon]

My strings last about 20 hours of play. No more, no less. I use Martin SP Ph/Bronze. Both lights on my two OM's, and mediums on my dread.

I always wash hands prior to touching guitar. I think metal fatigue must be why they "turn" on me!

I figure it's simply part of the cost of the hobby! -Skip your "McBurger" meal and spend the money on a set of fresh strings a few times a month Tubby!

Kittoon

[tired fingers]

Don't know that I'm unusual in this regard ... I am in a number of other ways, but I generally enjoy the "chop wood - carry water" character of changing strings. There's a focusing, relaxing element to it that pleases me. And the guitars sure as hell sound better for it! Instant rewards.

Even after all these years seemingly unavoidable revelations keep occurring. In my era the commonly held wisdom was that medium strings were preferable to light on acoustic or electrics. Not so as it turns out. Out of touch with electrics for several years now, but it is definitely a guitar by guitar thing with acoustics. Some like mediums, some sound much more dynamic with lights. My luthier friend of many years says that in his world the underlying theory and demonstrated principle is that for some tops the heavier strings actually hinder the top's movement; kind of locking it down to a degree, so that lighter strings free things up a bit. Not a luthier myself, but this guy has been an active GAL member and fret guru for 35+ years with thousands of miles on his bench, and thousands of hours as a blues man on stage. I have to take his word for it, and personal experience has born it out with my own guitars.

[Long Jon]

@Tired Fingers, (above) . What you describe is not a myth or an old wives' tale.

It is definitely true that too heavy a gauge can make some guitars sound worse, this is often referred to as "choking".

[Brucebubs]

Great replies from everyone, I've read them all.
I have a rosewood-alpine spruce jumbo that didn't sound right with 12-53 PB's but completely changed with slightly lighter 11-52 PB's. Better balanced with plenty of volume.

I also enjoy the 'self-discipline' of changing strings as neatly as possible, an electric string winder makes a HUGE difference.

So yes, a string change can be like having a new guitar.