Author Topic: New Strings Before a Gig (Read 261 times)

jalevinemd · « **on:** April 06, 2014, 02:39:47 PM »

Guitar players?

Ideally how many hours of playing time do you like on a new set of strings before you gig with them? You know to make sure they're stretched enough and acclimated to the guitar.

lbpesq · « **Reply #1 on:** April 06, 2014, 09:41:12 PM »

If I can, the day before. More importantly, I play them hard for a minute or two, pull and stretch them, retune. Play, pull and stretch, retune Repeat until they stay in tune. Always tune up from flat, never down from sharp. As long as I do that, I feel o.k. about playing them right away. Of course I'll check right after the first song. My locking tuners especially seem to hold tune well.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #2 on:** April 07, 2014, 03:25:58 AM »

I'm pretty much the same as you there Bill. When I bought my Fender Strat Ultra, it came with a Fender string stretcher which really helped stretch the string evenly and thus reduce further stretching whilst playing in new strings.

Unfortunately it wore out over time and I've never sought out a replacement. I may do when I start doing more guitar again.
Jazzyvee

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #3 on:** April 07, 2014, 01:27:04 PM »

Funny, I do the same with my bare hand. I grab the string with my fingers, pulling it far from bass while my thumb act as a pivot pressing it towards the scale around 12th fret. Exactly like figure C on instructions. Matter of fact, sometimes I hold the bass by the string and shake it, using the bass weight to strech it.

But I don't think this would be easy to do with guitar strings, though. It probably could break away easier (or even cut your finger) than would do with a bass string.

(Message edited by mario farufyno on April 07, 2014)

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #4 on:** April 07, 2014, 01:32:06 PM »

May be, being more gentle (than shaking your guitar by strings) and using a cloth on hand you could get the same

(Message edited by mario farufyno on April 07, 2014)

bigredbass · « **Reply #5 on:** April 07, 2014, 09:34:47 PM »

I'm with Mario. I grab them at the 12th, and pull up enough to see the bass begin to lift off the table it's laying on. I can actually feel the least bit of 'give', and then re-tune and that's it. And like Mario, I don't know if you can get away with that on those itty-bitty strings . . . .

J o e y

Glynn · « **Reply #6 on:** April 08, 2014, 02:29:18 AM »

Me also - grab at 12th fret and stretch. Works well for bass and my Orion keeps excellent tuning which helps. Glynn

cozmik_cowboy · « **Reply #7 on:** April 10, 2014, 09:30:31 PM »

A friend of mine used to have an all-the-strings-you-want endoresment deal with GHS; he changed them (played a Gurian acoustic) every set. Perhaps a bit extreme.

Peter

cje · « **Reply #8 on:** April 12, 2014, 11:29:51 AM »

I put them on either day-of or the night before, if my schedule allows, but The only factor that comes into play for me is my schedule. As long as I give them a good stretch and apply some nut sauce, there's no issue, tuning or otherwise.

lbpesq · « **Reply #9 on:** April 12, 2014, 03:36:04 PM »

Instead of nut sauce, I use a #2 graphite pencil on the string channels in the nut. I learned this trick from Gary Brawer who knows a thing or two about guitars.

Bill, tgo

jazzyvee · « **Reply #10 on:** April 13, 2014, 03:42:19 AM »

Yesterday i remembered why I don't use brand new bass strings right before a gig. I had a gig last night and during the morning I decided I was going to take a bass that I'd just re-strung a few days earlier. However on running through the set on it brought back to memory home how abrasive new strings are to my plucking fingers and how many times I'd done gigs on bass with them and come home with red raw fingers. So it was back in the case and a different bass with worn in strings.
Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 13, 2014, 05:05:39 AM »

Jazzyvee, have you ever tried Bass Brites string cleaner? It not only cleans the strings, but it also puts a coating on them that makes your fingers slide on the strings & keeps your fingers from getting raw.

jazzyvee · « **Reply #12 on:** April 14, 2014, 11:37:21 AM »

No but I've ordered a fast fret stick so will see how that works on bass. I've used it on guitar in the past.

Jazzyvee

rustyg61 · « **Reply #13 on:** April 14, 2014, 12:28:15 PM »

The thing I like about Bass Brites is that they are individually treated cloth patches & you can wrap it around the string & slide it up & down without getting the cleaner on the fretboard. With Fast Fret & Finger Ease you get the chemical on the fretboard too & while I'm sure that it is harmless to the fretboard, I prefer to just clean my fretboard with lemon oil.