How often do you change strings?

One Man And His Uke

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I was wondering because, while I find its pretty obvious with my guitar or mandolin when the strings need changing, to me its not so obvious with the uke. I've got aquila nylgut on my soprano, which I've had on for a few months, and in spite of playing almost every day, still sound ok to me. my concert Flea has D'addarios on, but its new out the box almost. When do others change their strings? :)
 
I'm with you, guitar strings get changed regularly. The stings on my ukes stay on for years.
 
Probably not often enough. I do notice when the sustain starts to die out on one or more strings, and realize that they need changing.
 
"Change"? What is this "change" of which you speak? :)

Seriously, I've always been kinda lazy about string changes, even on steel string guitars. But steel and wound strings show their age much faster than nylon and other similar strings. I've changed strings on a couple of ukes, but it was strictly to try something different.
 
Phew, I'm glad you guys are thinking along the same lines as me :). To be honest, I find changing strings a bit of a chore anyway, I don't have a uke tech/roadie on hand to do it for me either. ;)Any excuse to lengthen the intervals between having to do it is alright by me......
 
I have many ukuleles so the string changes are not that frequent as the wear and tear on any individual ukulele is less, but I will say that the ones I play more often do get changed more frequently.
I tend to avoid wound strings as those age more quickly than plain strings. What I typically do is feel the underside of the strings - the frets will wear little troughs into them. When I can feel noticeable grooves is typically when I change them. I play every day, so it seems like I probably change every few months or so on my daily players. The others, probably once a year. My baritone, which I do not play all that often, finally had a string snap the other day so I just changed those. I realized it has been about three years since I changed them!
 
Could be weeks, could be months, could be years. It happens whenever I start to think, "Hmm, what's wrong with this uke...?"
 
I change strings about every 3 months. Not sure how that became the interval, but it is. I have just one uke and play regularly if not daily. I could probably change strings more often and be happy - I'm always amazed with a new set. I don't realize how the old ones deteriorate until I hear the new ones, even of the same material and/or brand. :)
 
I change strings about every 3 months. Not sure how that became the interval, but it is. I have just one uke and play regularly if not daily. I could probably change strings more often and be happy - I'm always amazed with a new set. I don't realize how the old ones deteriorate until I hear the new ones, even of the same material and/or brand. :)

Agree with this completely. I only have three ukes, and two of them get a daily workout, and after a few months both volume and intonation start going downhill. I'm always surprised by how much of an improvement a string change makes!
 
Thanks for the replies so far, plenty of food for thought. Next time I change strings, whenever that will be, I'll keep an ear out on how the new strings sound as I put them on. I tend to do one string at a time rather than take them all off and restring in one go....I think I read somewhere, certainly in relation to restringing a guitar, that its not so good for the neck to suddenly release all the tension. That may be rubbish, I don;t know but thats how I restring these days :D
 
I only change strings if one breaks, or starts acting up, like not staying in tune or becoming difficult tune. I suppose if the whole set started to sound dull I'd change them, but that's never happened to me. When I was playing a with a wound guitar low G string, I'd change strings when it broke, which happened every few months. I'm now playing with a solid nylgut low G, and it hasn't been a problem yet.
 
1.When they start wearing out. I scrape my fingernail along the back of the strings. when they start getting noisy the frets are wearing them away and I change. some last much longer than others.
2. when I want to try different strings, which usually happens before they wear out.
 
1.When they start wearing out. I scrape my fingernail along the back of the strings. when they start getting noisy the frets are wearing them away and I change. some last much longer than others.
2. when I want to try different strings, which usually happens before they wear out.

That's pretty much my approach. Change them when one breaks or the wear becomes evident or when I want to try different stings.
 
Wow, so you can actually replace the strings?
It's been costing me a fortune.
I have an enormous pile of "used" KoAloha ukulele sitting in the garden.
I only had to replace the strings - who knew ;)
 
Thanks for the replies so far, plenty of food for thought. Next time I change strings, whenever that will be, I'll keep an ear out on how the new strings sound as I put them on. I tend to do one string at a time rather than take them all off and restring in one go....I think I read somewhere, certainly in relation to restringing a guitar, that its not so good for the neck to suddenly release all the tension. That may be rubbish, I don;t know but thats how I restring these days :D

Just keep in mind new strings may not sound great right away. There will be some stretching time where it seems all you do is tune and tune. Stick with it, they will settle and you'll be able to tell whether you like them.
 
I change more to try new string combinations or for shreding and breakage. If I'm happy with the sound and feel, I leave them on.
 
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