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Post subject: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 10:55 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: Atlanta, GA
This question might be a bit vague consisdering everybody plays their guitar at different times. I bought my Telecaster in the middle of December. I just started playing guitar however, I can't tell the difference if my strings need to be changed. The strings still sound good.

Also, I have used Fast Fret on the strings. I was told this would increase the life of the strings.

What is the the longest some of you went by keeping your strings?

Also.....should I change mine? Is there a rule of thumb I should know of?


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:10 am
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If it sounds good to you and you can't see any visible discoloration or they don't feel ruff when you slide your fingers up and down them, they are fine I would say. Remember too, your learning, so fresh strings not as important to you as to musicians that can really hear the difference (that's not me by the way).


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:34 pm
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reno2atlanta wrote:
This question might be a bit vague consisdering everybody plays their guitar at different times. I bought my Telecaster in the middle of December. I just started playing guitar however, I can't tell the difference if my strings need to be changed. The strings still sound good.

Also, I have used Fast Fret on the strings. I was told this would increase the life of the strings.

What is the the longest some of you went by keeping your strings?

Also.....should I change mine? Is there a rule of thumb I should know of?


A lot of factors will affect the life of the strings. For me, my body chemistry plays a large role in how long strings last. If they sound dead to you, time to change them out.


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:08 pm
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When you get a new guitar, or when something gets you inspired and excited about playing, it's easy to get carried away and spend money you don't need to spend. I have fallen into this trap many times over the years. I always put new strings on when I get a new guitar just to know they're fresh and to start out with the guitar being the best it can be, but, being mostly a home player, my strings can be just fine a year or more later.

If you keep your guitar clean, in a relatively clean environment, and play with clean hands, strings can last many months. The more you play in a band or gig, the faster strings will wear out due to sweaty hands and dirtier environment.

Beyond that, tvr1979 said all you need to know.


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:21 pm
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I'm pretty meticulous about having the intonation set properly on my guitars - both the saddles set so the 12th fret is the same as the open note and having a properly cut nut.

I know it's time to change strings when the intonation gets "off" at places I play frequently - especially at the low frets where I play open chords often.

When chords start to sound "funny", I'll check the 12th fret intonation and the open string. Often, with older strings, I'll find the 12th fret is perfect on the low E string but the 3rd fret G note that I play often with open G chords is off. I'll check a few more notes around neck around the neck and usually others are off by this time also.

I think this is because the strings get dents in the bottom where they are smashed into the frets repeatedly. That's just a guess, but it makes sense to me. You can see these dents on bass strings easily when you remove them. These dents are less obvious on thinner guitar strings but the intonation still gets funky as the strings get worn from playing.

All this assumes your guitar is properly set up and notes are in tune when you put on fresh strings and stretch them and "play them in" a bit so they hold a good tune.

Of course, if your strings start to get black and crusty, that's a good time to change 'em, too. :)


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2012 5:44 pm
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its all depends. One some of my guitars the strings seems to sound better when they age (usually leave my string on for about a month on my godin and seagull)

on my j-45 and strat they sound better when the strings are new


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:08 pm
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Thanks everyone.

I guess this would be a judgement call on my part. Again, I am new to electric guitar. I keep the guitar stored in a case and take very good care of it. Again, it still sounds good, so there is no point in me purchasing new string at the present moment.


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Post subject: Re: Changing strings on my Telecaster
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:12 am
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reno2atlanta wrote:
Thanks everyone.

I guess this would be a judgement call on my part. Again, I am new to electric guitar. I keep the guitar stored in a case and take very good care of it. Again, it still sounds good, so there is no point in me purchasing new string at the present moment.


Washing your hands before you play is good advice to lengthen the life of your strings.

Strings are relatively inexpensive, less than a couple Latte's at Starbucks. Because you are just learning, you should change your strings at whatever interval keeps you inspired to play the most. Changing strings also helps you to begin to understand the basic setup on a guitar.

Good luck on your playing!


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