Wow, thank you so much for responding. You're experience helps a lot with this discussion.JLT wrote:I can add something here, based on about twenty years of playing nylon-strung harps. Nylon strings do last a long time, but they experience the same "going dead" characteristic of steel strings ... they no longer have the same elastic properties. They begin to stretch asymmetrically, some sections stretching more than others. On a harp, this exhibits itself by sections of the string not vibrating with the usual overtones. On a guitar, it shows up when you fret a string and the note isn't in pitch, even when it's in pitch when the string is open (this of course assumes that with a new string, the guitar would be in pitch anywhere on the fingerboard). In either case, its a sign that the string is approaching the end of its useful life. I don't know if such asymmetrical stretching is characteristic of metal strings, but it wouldn't surprise me.Diane Kauffmds wrote:I need everyone to know I've been referring to steel strings, not nylon. Nylon strings last a very long time and in fact, I can only think of one time that I've had a nylon string break.
I've heard that, as a general rule, harp strings should be changed yearly or after a hundred hours of playing, whichever comes first. Professionals change their strings a lot more often than that, after about fifteen or twenty hours of playing.
Steel strings will wear where they're fretted; they're vulnerable to moisture in the air and in our hands. Plus, sweat and body oils are acidic. Metal fatigue is also a consideration, especially if you constantly tune up or down. Unless you keep and play your guitar in a very controlled environment, the humidity alone will cause changes in string tension.
I consider changing strings to be a part of guitar maintenance. I rarely get more than 60 hours out of one set of strings, and this is on the high side. I don't wait for the strings to go dead before replacing them, because they're too prone to breaking. I want the best sound I can get out of my guitar and that means maintaining a good set of strings on her.