How often should I change classical guitar strings?

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Accepted Answer

There's no fixed schedule. Change classical strings when they stop sounding, feeling or tuning the way they should. Common signs are dull wound basses, flattened or notched trebles where they meet the frets, poor intonation up the neck, and discolored windings. Players who practice daily usually see these sooner than occasional players. Nylon trebles and wound basses wear differently. The silver-plated wound basses usually lose brightness first as the windings collect dirt and oils. The nylon trebles develop flat spots or notches where they press against the frets.Signs it's time:The basses sound thuddy or lifeless.Notes above the 7th fret play noticeably sharp or sour.The trebles look flattened, rough or notched.Windings are discolored, frayed or separating.A string won't hold tune after it should have settled.How often you play, the climate and how clean your hands are all affect string life. Wiping the strings after playing helps.When you change, plan for new nylon strings to stretch and need retuning for several days. Our Classits sets are in our Classical Strings collection. ECM101 and ECH102 Elite sets use treble strings held to a tighter tolerance for intonation up the neck.

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