Don't underestimate the power of new strings

Erkan said:
I hope surgical spirit isn't damaging to the fretboard and stuff though? I'm sort of afraid it might "dry" it up or something.
Click to expand...

Not that i've noticed anyway,
but as has been said, a tiny bit on the "inside" of a cotton ball, and get under the string so there is dry cotton between it and the board. If you want to be doubly safe, you could use a strip of plastic or electrical tape around the cotton too, so that there will certainly be no Spirit in contact with the fret-board.

If your guitar is super expensive, or you just want to be doubly sure you could either talk to the company that made it or a professional luthier about it.

Surgical Spirit evaporates almost immediately anyway, so its not like anything is being soaked into the wood.

As for your previous question, I have found that it helps to keep the zing in the strings for longer, and it helps to keep the strings clean.
 
I ALWAYS wash my hands real good before playing, then after playing I wipe the strings down by grabbing a cloth with my thumb and index finger and grab a string at the bridge, making sure to get underneath the string as well and stroke (yes stroke it) 3 to 4 times per string while rotating the grasp on the string to get the entire circumference. This ensures that I don't rub the frets and keeps the string away from the fretboard. Then I dip a small section of a different cloth in lemon oil, press my trem down almost to the body and lightly wipe the fretboard. After I then run over the strings one more time as mentioned earlier.

Yes this seems extensive, but it really helps keep the tone longer, and ensures the strings AND fretboard are clean and in good shape

Sometimes I use commercial string cleaning solution during the first step....and try to stay away from rubbing alcohol or similar.

I tune to C standard and was using EB not even slinky's for quite some time (mainly because of a youtube post on how EB strings bring out more clarity with EMG's).....but like many of you, I sweat big time when playing, and also play for long periods of time, then my guitar sits for 2-3 days.....SO

I thought I'd try the Elixirs......and holy shit I've been totally blown away....the tone is sweet out of the box and they do last longer.....but also look newer longer (no rust). I've been using Heavy's, which are a perfect gauge for C standard (my playing anyway). They claim to last up to 6 months with regular playing, but I've found that changing every 3 months (or even 2) when recording is a good idea. The only problems with these is:
1.) The Eb (or G string) is wound. Great for rhythms......not so great for leads.
2.) Because the tone wears so slowly.....its hard to recognize that the tone has deadened because you've gotten used to it....so you really have to change them as scheduled.
 
Man, Elixir's nano coating sure does seem neat. I'm so gonna keep an eye out for the right gauges for me. Too bad I've already started tracking though, otherwise I would've probably switched to Elixir before tracking guitars.
 
dmmi said:
I tune to C standard and was using EB not even slinky's for quite some time (mainly because of a youtube post on how EB strings bring out more clarity with EMG's).....but like many of you, I sweat big time when playing, and also play for long periods of time, then my guitar sits for 2-3 days.....SO

I thought I'd try the Elixirs......and holy shit I've been totally blown away....the tone is sweet out of the box and they do last longer.....but also look newer longer (no rust). I've been using Heavy's, which are a perfect gauge for C standard (my playing anyway). They claim to last up to 6 months with regular playing, but I've found that changing every 3 months (or even 2) when recording is a good idea. The only problems with these is:
1.) The Eb (or G string) is wound. Great for rhythms......not so great for leads.
2.) Because the tone wears so slowly.....its hard to recognize that the tone has deadened because you've gotten used to it....so you really have to change them as scheduled.
Click to expand...

thx 4 share mates..
 
serdadu86 said:
thx 4 share mates..
Click to expand...

????

EDIT****
Hahaha....I didn't understand what you were getting at, but then did some google searching and understand now.

No problem......Just a note....I've gotten so used to the wound Eb (g string), that when I pick up one of my other guitars I almost overbend by feel. This is fine with me, because I mainly play at C standard.

I would like to see Elixir come out with some more gauges....or better yet....why couldn't they just sell singles?
Ah well.....my guitar is professionally intonated for Elixir Heavys anyway
 
Just on the Elixir website.....and they DO sell singles.....Hahaha, perfect!!
 
In my experience elixirs keep their tone but don't keep their intonation. So in a month of playing them they still have a good recording tone but don't stay in tune well enough to be used for recordings, especially quad tracked recordings.

And I also find brand new strings a little too zingy, need to be played in for at least an hour, even more with elixir acoustic strings.
 
dmmi said:
I ALWAYS wash my hands real good before playing, then after playing I wipe the strings down by grabbing a cloth with my thumb and index finger and grab a string at the bridge, making sure to get underneath the string as well and stroke (yes stroke it) 3 to 4 times per string while rotating the grasp on the string to get the entire circumference. This ensures that I don't rub the frets and keeps the string away from the fretboard. Then I dip a small section of a different cloth in lemon oil, press my trem down almost to the body and lightly wipe the fretboard. After I then run over the strings one more time as mentioned earlier.

Yes this seems extensive, but it really helps keep the tone longer, and ensures the strings AND fretboard are clean and in good shape

Sometimes I use commercial string cleaning solution during the first step....and try to stay away from rubbing alcohol or similar.

I tune to C standard and was using EB not even slinky's for quite some time (mainly because of a youtube post on how EB strings bring out more clarity with EMG's).....but like many of you, I sweat big time when playing, and also play for long periods of time, then my guitar sits for 2-3 days.....SO

I thought I'd try the Elixirs......and holy shit I've been totally blown away....the tone is sweet out of the box and they do last longer.....but also look newer longer (no rust). I've been using Heavy's, which are a perfect gauge for C standard (my playing anyway). They claim to last up to 6 months with regular playing, but I've found that changing every 3 months (or even 2) when recording is a good idea. The only problems with these is:
1.) The Eb (or G string) is wound. Great for rhythms......not so great for leads.
2.) Because the tone wears so slowly.....its hard to recognize that the tone has deadened because you've gotten used to it....so you really have to change them as scheduled.
Click to expand...

How well do you wash your hands before playing? If water touches my finger tips for more than a few seconds I gotta wait anywhere from 5-30 mins to let my finger tips harden up again, playing after getting them wet can really screw up my finger tips. Do you experience my problem or do I have bad skin?
 
Star Ark said:
In my experience elixirs keep their tone but don't keep their intonation. So in a month of playing them they still have a good recording tone but don't stay in tune well enough to be used for recordings, especially quad tracked recordings.

And I also find brand new strings a little too zingy, need to be played in for at least an hour, even more with elixir acoustic strings.
Click to expand...

Well after about a month I'd replace Elixirs anyway, if it was a guitar I played daily.
Some people keep elixirs on there for a year, but that's just crazy to me
 
dmmi said:
I ALWAYS wash my hands real good before playing, then after playing I wipe the strings down by grabbing a cloth with my thumb and index finger and grab a string at the bridge, making sure to get underneath the string as well and stroke (yes stroke it) 3 to 4 times per string while rotating the grasp on the string to get the entire circumference. This ensures that I don't rub the frets and keeps the string away from the fretboard. Then I dip a small section of a different cloth in lemon oil, press my trem down almost to the body and lightly wipe the fretboard. After I then run over the strings one more time as mentioned earlier.

Yes this seems extensive, but it really helps keep the tone longer, and ensures the strings AND fretboard are clean and in good shape

Sometimes I use commercial string cleaning solution during the first step....and try to stay away from rubbing alcohol or similar.

I tune to C standard and was using EB not even slinky's for quite some time (mainly because of a youtube post on how EB strings bring out more clarity with EMG's).....but like many of you, I sweat big time when playing, and also play for long periods of time, then my guitar sits for 2-3 days.....SO

I thought I'd try the Elixirs......and holy shit I've been totally blown away....the tone is sweet out of the box and they do last longer.....but also look newer longer (no rust). I've been using Heavy's, which are a perfect gauge for C standard (my playing anyway). They claim to last up to 6 months with regular playing, but I've found that changing every 3 months (or even 2) when recording is a good idea. The only problems with these is:
1.) The Eb (or G string) is wound. Great for rhythms......not so great for leads.
2.) Because the tone wears so slowly.....its hard to recognize that the tone has deadened because you've gotten used to it....so you really have to change them as scheduled.
Click to expand...

I'm interested because I'm gonna go C standard tuning. I want it hard but not too much because I need the high strings to keep a good feeling for soloing.

I wanna try elixirs, and I need to know at which gauge the elixir strings start to be wounded. I really want my 3 high strings to be flat.

I have noted that Elixir Heavy is 12-16-24-32-42-52

i'm used in "Dropped C" to D'Addario light top/heavy bottom which are
10-13-17-30-42-52

so something like the elixir Heavy with the biggest string not rounded must be ok for C Standard tuning, right ? Did you try it ?
 
I never really had a string preference for a long time. I just bought what my friends bought. And then one day, my bass player convinced me to get elixir's since that's all he uses. I've had the same strings for a year. They could probably stand to be changed, but they don't NEED to. It's crazy.

-Zack
 
Star Ark said:
How well do you wash your hands before playing? If water touches my finger tips for more than a few seconds I gotta wait anywhere from 5-30 mins to let my finger tips harden up again, playing after getting them wet can really screw up my finger tips. Do you experience my problem or do I have bad skin?
Click to expand...

I also get the same problem, I have to wait until they had dried out before I can play :mad:
 
muckypup1 said:
I also get the same problem, I have to wait until they had dried out before I can play :mad:
Click to expand...

Don't worry dude, Steve Vai himself says the same thing. He says to hold your hands outside the shower when washing and a few other thing too, but that's a be excessive, a man's gotta be clean.

And I got that info from his website years ago, not sure if it's still the same, but back in the day he posted tabs of his songs, heaps of tutorial stuff all for free. What a legend.
 
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