STRINGS

Do I have to change strings?

Strings play a crucial role in guitars, basses, and other stringed instruments. A musician plucks or taps a string to make it vibrate. Those vibrations are then transferred to a guitar neck and body and sometimes picked up by a pickup. They create a sound and are responsible for the tone of our instrument. With time strings will lose their qualities because of corrosion several and other factors. Worn strings can sound dull and you may experience some tunning problems as well. Therefore it is important to have good, quality strings that enhance your sound and make you play and sound better.

How often to change strings?

Different strings wear out at a different time depending on the material they are made of. Also, it depends on how hard and how much do you play, also on how often you clean the strings and keep your instrument in the case.
If you play your instrument every day you should consider changing strings no less than once every two months or even more often. There are some strings available with a special coating that prevents them from any debris and corrosion. This kind of strings can be used much longer without any loss in tone or feel.
Many professional players, however, change strings every day when they are after that sound that only new strings can give.

What are strings made of?

Most modern guitar and bass strings are made of some kind of steel and other metals.
Electric guitar and bass strings are made mostly out of stainless steel. The wrap around thicker strings can be made of nickel-plated steel, pure nickel, stainless steel, or even cobalt and some other metals.
Acoustic guitar strings are made similar to electric guitar strings but they use a different kinds of metals to wrap the thicker strings. Bronze, phosphor-bronze, nickel-bronze, Monel, and some other alloys can be found.
Classical guitar strings are made mostly of nylon and similar materials. In the old times, classical strings were made mostly out of animal guts and there are still some traditional strings makers around. They have a beautiful sound but are not as stable as nylon strings. For thick strings, different alloys are used such as brass, bronze, and others.

Can I change just one string?

Yes, you can but we advise changing a whole set usually. It may look and sound strange when you install just one new string when all the others are old and sound dull.
When you break a string in a new set it is good to take a good look at your instrument and check if there is some problem that causes them to break. Sometimes a quick fix may save you some cash on new strings in the long term.