How to stop guitar strings from rusting?

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Oscar S

Every time I play guitar, after a couple of minutes my hands start to sweat for no apparent reason, and rusts the strings very badly. I usually wipe my hands on my shirt or something, but the sweat comes back in a matter of seconds!
Is there any way to protect my strings from rust or moisture?

Answer
Ah...another profuse sweater! The guys in my band kid me about it all the time. The running joke is if I lean up against a bank safe I could rust my way through it in about an hour.

That all said, if you're strings are rusting then you're not cleaning them well enough or not changing them often enough.

Wash your hands (soap and water...not just wipe 'em on your shirt) before you start playing. And be sure to completely wipe the strings down with a clean dry cloth after you finish playing. The oxidation process (rusting) takes time.

You might try different brands of strings. For some reason, I can kill a set of Ernie Ball strings in one or two sets (less than 2 hours playing time). However, D'Addario XL's hold up very well for me.

Finally, if you live near the ocean the salt air is going to corode metal. Period. The only answer to that is move...or change your strings.

Good luck.

Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

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What kind of strings do I use for a fender stratocoustic guitar?

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Halle

I need to change my strings, for they have gotten pretty old and don't really stay in tune anymore. I was wondering what kind of strings I would have to use for my Fender Stratocoustic guitar? I want them to be pretty light strings..ones that don't really hurt my fingers too much. Thanks!

Answer
There are some strings called D'addario XL. Get the kind that say regular light gauge.

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Is there anything I need to know before getting new guitar strings?

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Jake

I need new strings for my electric guitar, and I just wanted to know if theres anything special I should know before I just buy random strings. I just get the feeling the clerk is gonna throw a million questions at me about my guitar. Thanks.

Answer
There's a type of string for every taste. People get hung up on the brand, composition of the metal, coatings, etc. If you don't know what you want or need, it comes down to a few simple choices.
1. Acoustic or electric (you want electric)
2. String gauge: Medium, Light, Extra Light or Custom. (You probably want Light or Extra Light)
3. Brand: The only way you are going to find out which brand you like is to try different ones

Ask for recommendations or just try something. I play professionally and use D'Addario XL (in a super light gauge 009-042)

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Would I be able to afford a genuine guitar and amp with this budget?

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SpaceInfid

I plan on saving up my lunch money for a few months starting from September so that I can have roughly around 300 euros. Would this get me a decent guitar and amp? I'm hoping to get a used Explorer or will that be costly?

Answer
A used Epiphone Explorer will use all your budget up. The cheapest I saw on eBay UK was about 250 euros, but they want another 75 to ship it. or more.

You'll want something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Line-6-Spider-IV-15W-Guitar-Combo-Amp-/200936379687?pt=UK_MusicalInstr_Amplifiers_RL&hash=item2ec8bdd527

I have the spider III version of this amp and it's a good practice amp with good effects.

I like Peavey amps as well. I've used one in all my pro bands.
you could try this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Peavey-Vypyr-15-15-Watt-Modeling-Guitar-Amp-/181047840945?hash=item2a274ad0b1

That will leave you about 200 Euros for a guitar.

a few examples
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aria-XL-Deluxe-Electric-Guitar-/130935916842?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e7c63892a

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Schecter-SGR-C1-Electric-Guitar-Red-SCH3803-/360684645463?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item53fa7aec57

I like this one...it has pretty good reviews
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-E4500-LP-Electric-Guitar-Wine-Red-/360639152970?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item53f7c4c34a

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westfield-E2000-Solid-Body-SG-Style-Electric-Guitar-Wine-Red-/400404586589?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item5d39f9205d

you could also find Ibanez guitars within your budget

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How do I know what type of strings to put on my electric guitar?

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escapedmel

There are so many choices that I'm not sure which one to pick. Plus, I don't know what type of strings are on my electric guitar currently. Help?

Answer
In many cases, you can go to the manufacturers website and find the "gauge" strings that came on the guitar. This is a good starting point. If you use the same gauge, you won't have to worry about making any adjustments. If you can't find the info, Light gauge with a high E string of .009 is probably a safe choice. The brand you choose is less important than the gauge....in fact, most people experiment with a few brands until they find one they like best.

I've been using D'Addario XL strings for longer than I can remember, but at this point, it's more out of habit than anything else. You can try Ernie Ball, Fender, or any other major brand.

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Does the quailty of your guitar majorly effect the lenght of time your strings will last?

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dethmetalh

My guitar is fairly old and quite cheap (for a beginner) the bridge is pretty poor and the machine heads aren't so great, my friend has an ibanez MTM2 and his strings seem to always outlast mine. what gives?

Answer
The only way that the guitar affects string life is if you have a burr on the somewhere that's actually cutting into the string.

How are your strings failing? If they are breaking, look at where they break. If they're breaking at the bridge, then there's a burr or sharp edge that probably cutting into them. The majority of the time, that's where your problem is.

One thing most people don't talk about is the interaction of the strings with your body chemistry. Personally, there's something about my sweat that can kill a set of Ernie Ball's in 2 sets. But, D'Addario XL's will last a couple of shows for me.

Finally, wash your hands before you play and wipe down the strings afterwards with a clean cloth. That goes a long way toward prolonging the life of your strings.


Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

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How do I know what type of strings to put on my electric guitar?

guitar xl image

escapedmel

There are so many choices that I'm not sure which one to pick. Plus, I don't know what type of strings are on my electric guitar currently. Help?

Answer
In many cases, you can go to the manufacturers website and find the "gauge" strings that came on the guitar. This is a good starting point. If you use the same gauge, you won't have to worry about making any adjustments. If you can't find the info, Light gauge with a high E string of .009 is probably a safe choice. The brand you choose is less important than the gauge....in fact, most people experiment with a few brands until they find one they like best.

I've been using D'Addario XL strings for longer than I can remember, but at this point, it's more out of habit than anything else. You can try Ernie Ball, Fender, or any other major brand.

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Does the quailty of your guitar majorly effect the lenght of time your strings will last?

guitar xl image

Q. My guitar is fairly old and quite cheap (for a beginner) the bridge is pretty poor and the machine heads aren't so great, my friend has an ibanez MTM2 and his strings seem to always outlast mine. what gives?

Answer
The only way that the guitar affects string life is if you have a burr on the somewhere that's actually cutting into the string.

How are your strings failing? If they are breaking, look at where they break. If they're breaking at the bridge, then there's a burr or sharp edge that probably cutting into them. The majority of the time, that's where your problem is.

One thing most people don't talk about is the interaction of the strings with your body chemistry. Personally, there's something about my sweat that can kill a set of Ernie Ball's in 2 sets. But, D'Addario XL's will last a couple of shows for me.

Finally, wash your hands before you play and wipe down the strings afterwards with a clean cloth. That goes a long way toward prolonging the life of your strings.


Greetings from Austin, TX

Ken

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