How often to change strings?

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Stelling Owners Club

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For those who own or want to own the ultimate banjo. www.stellingbanjo.com

536 Members, Created 1/28/2011 -

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From Grum on 8/17/2011 2:10:13 AM

I have a bee-utiful MasterFlower which I lavish with all the TLC I can manage. I used to change strings every 2 months or so and was horrified when a friend said he only changes strings when they break.

Due to work pressures I have neglected to change my strings for 6 or 7 months and they still sound OK. I play every day and usually forget to wipe the strings down but I don't have sweaty hands.

How often do you guys change your strings and do you always stick to Stelling brand strings (med light)

4 Comments
	thombanjo says: 8/17/2011 4:34:09 AM Some players change their strings once a week. I've heard that Yens Kruger changes them every day ? I change my strings about every two weeks. Playing daily will wear the strings and you can hear the tone get a little shrill; not as full and rounded as new string sound. It takes a day or two for new strings to settle in and to me, there is a "just right sound and feel" to them once this happens. Leaving them on too long is alright if you don't care that much about ultimate tone. Some folks do not have an ear for good tone and this reflects in the set up of their banjo as well like improper head tension, etc. I do wipe my strings after each session with a light string cleaner/oil. It's a ritual as much as it is a way to keep moisture off the strings. I want my banjo to last me a lifetime. String choice is a personal one: medium gauges like 10, 12, 14, 20, 10 is popular but so is 10, 12, 16, 23, 10 and so on. Lights are also popular depending upon the way you like to attack your strings and the tone you desire. Your banjo will let you know which strings sound best and intonate the best. My Red Fox likes 10, 12, 16, 23, 10 BUT that's just me and MAY NOT BE FOR YOU. I also have liked using 9.5, 10, 12, 20, 9.5....for a sweet sound but with less growl than the heavier ones. Experiment a bit and you'll land on something that suits you. String brand choice is an individual thing as well. I've never been dissapointed in a Stelling string. I do prefer D'Addario over GHS; to my ear, D'Addarioo has a warmer sound BUT you'll get just as many folks who will swear that nothing beats a GHS ! It's up to you and your ears ! One thing is for sure though....you have a GREAT banjo in that Masterfower. Kust listen to Tony Ellis' recordings like "Farewell MY Home" or " The Quest" to hear his great tone on his Masterflower.
	Geoff Stelling says: 8/17/2011 7:19:20 AM Grum, Thom just about said it all. Wiping the strings down with a lightly oil soaked rag (I use synthetic gun oil with teflon) helps lengthen the life of not only your strings, but the frets and fingerboard, too. Geoff
	Catman says: 8/17/2011 9:09:39 AM As Thom said I think string preference comes from experimenting with different brands and then ones own personal choice. I currently use the Elixir mediums on my Red Fox and love the sound they produce. They are very durable as well and I normally change them about every four months. I used the GHS PF140 JD Crowe strings for years ( still do on my Fender Artist) and like them real well also. My preference now however on my Stelling is the Elixir's that I purchase reasonably priced from FQM.
	pdbanjo says: 8/19/2011 1:45:36 PM I change strings when I start to have tuning problems and they sound dull/lifeless. In the winter I change probably once a month or 6 weeks or so. In the summer when we play a lot outdoors I have to change them more often. I purchase medium cyros from American Banjo Company (10, 11, 13, 22, 10) for my Red Fox. I like the more staccato sound the ABC strings produce with minimal sustain. For my '27 Gibson I use GHS Sonny Osbornes and change them less often maybe every 2 months but I don't play the Gibson as much either prefering the Stellings voice and playability more. The Gibson is a great instrument but I'm not able to play it as dynamically as I can the Red Fox.
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