| Feature Article Changing Guitar Strings for a Better Sound Over time, dirt and oil from your hands build up on your strings, causing them to tarnish. This dirt on your strings will cause them to begin to sound dull and lifeless. Washing your hands before playing and wiping the strings afterward will extend the life of your strings. Other factors (like the natural stretching of the string over time) will require you to change your strings regularly. The playable "life" of your guitar strings depends on a number of things. The sweat from your hands will decrease the life of your strings. The environment also affects string life. Smokey nightclubs, room humidity, and frequency of playing all diminish the life of the guitar string. This is true for both steel, nickel and nylon strings. From my experience of playing guitar for over 30 years, I can share the following "warning signs" of string failure: • The guitar becomes difficult to tune. If the guitar is to be stored in the case for an extended period of time, it's a good idea to relieve the tension or de-tune the strings. This will extend the life of the strings as well as preventing damage to the neck of the guitar. When the guitar is not being played on a regular basis, the tension of the strings can cause the neck to curve or warp! Other very useful information is available online. For more information please visit http://www.guitarguideonline.com
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