Reason i ask is i had a big bag of strings of a lot of different guages that i built up and i went through a period of breaking a lot of strings so needed them on hand.

Anyway i haven't been breaking any for a long time so they lay in this bag for years without use. Recently i changed strings on my tele and put on a pack of Ernie Ball yellow's 10-46. They sounded like crap straight off! they didn't even sound like new strings even though they were straight out the pack!

I didn't think it was possible for strings to go bad if they were stored in their original packaging

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

That's funny - I just put a set of Regular slinky 10-46 on yesterday and I thought they were great. That's the green package, though.

i have had this happen with a few sets of strings. usually when I forget about them and find them years later. I think it depends on the humidity of the area they are keptin.
I never have problems with the ones kept hidden in the guitar cases.
but a few sets I kept in the closet and one set I found in the garage were starting to spot and sounded like dog poo

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Some strings come sealed in plastic, I wonder if those last any longer? D'Addario packages that way.

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Cheers
Steve

ever had HOT RAIN well we do and its not fun at all, I would trade with you today

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Well, store them in weapon's oil, that'll keep them fresh!

Humor aside: I never had probs with stored strings but they never lasted longer than a year (when I bought a big bunch of them).
Usually I use them within 3 months.
And I use Elixir anyway, they withstand longer.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

Interesting thoughts guys. Yes this was a brand new pack of EB yellow's and usually when you put them on you get that lovely new string, tinkle is the best word i can think of to describe it! snappy and sparkly nice high end that just tells you it's been long overdue for a string change.

But this time there was no difference in tone with the new set than with the set that had been on for about 6 months Not only that i couldn't get it in tune and nicely intonated which is usually a breeze with a new set of strings.

I tend to keep the old strings on until either they break or they won't tune up nicely hence the reason i had these in storage.

PS.sjlen, tell me about it it's absolutely tipping it down outside now like a monsoon wait! is this summer? or are the seasons mixed up

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

I stopped buying Ernie Ball strings a while back. When I was using EB 9's (haven't for a long time now) they used to break very easily. I thought they sounded better and brighter than D'Addario's when they were brand new, but they seem to go dull very quickly.

The D'Addario 9's would go way longer without breaking or starting to sound dull. These days I use D'Addario exclusively for electric.

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I love EB in the pink pkg..I have never had strings around long enough to stock pile..but its a curious question

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Mona
"Music is What Feelings Sound like"

Best strings i ever used were GHS Boomers Loved them and then the guy in the local music store told me they weren't gonna be available anymore don't know whether they stopped importing them from the US or whether it was just that shop.

I need to go back to them, they just seemed great strings

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

Been playing guitar since I was 15 and am now 60. I don't think I've broke more than a half dozen strings in all that time.

i'd been using EB super slinkies since i started playing about ten years ago, but the last two packages i bought the high e string broke while putting them on...i mean i broke the one in the first pack, then opened the second pack for the one string, and it broke, too. took it to my buddy that sets my guitars up and he couldn't find anything wrong with the guitar, so he set me up with d'addarios and i think i've found a new brand of strings to use from now on

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~Dan

I've had a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt 10-52s on my PRS for going on 5 months now... and they STILL sound as good as the day I put them on. And that's a non-coated string. Well worth the price, IMO... I'd try a set if your local shop has them in your preferred gauge.

As for the stored strings, I believe that's why Ernie Ball now packages thier strings in airtight packaging... they used to come in the D'Addario style plastic pouch that other brands use... but I've never had a set go "stale" in the new packaging. I've even found and used forgotten packs that were over a year old.

DITTO! Though truth be told, I am actually 63...

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963