hello everyone…i have lots of question about the banjo and banjo playing, but i will keep it simple. ive have been playing for only 6weeks…I play everyday for about a hour(if wife,kids let me) , my question is when should i change my strings? i have a new Deering Sierra… thanks for any input you guys can give me,
Rookie alert
I played 5 hours a day, 7 days a week on the same strings for over a year.
Change them if they break, if the winding on the 4th string breaks or they don’t sound so good. Or you can change them just because you feel like it but if you keep your hands clean, you can play on a set of strings for a long time.
thanks for the info… i need all i can get… have a nice day
You might be surprised how different it sounds with fresh strings. If you like it better and and that makes you practice more, I think it is well worth the effort.
BTW, before you change strings for the first time, you might want to mark where your bridge is sitting with a little piece of masking tape on either side of the bridge and marks on the tape.
different people have a different amount of acidity they produce in perspiration. some can ruin a set of strings in a day and others can play them a long time.
I suggest wiping the strings down with a clean absorbent cloth after you finish playing each time to help them last longer.
There are many variations to “good sound”. Be your own judge and learn to listen to your own instrument. Some people can’t stand the ring and sustain of a new set of strings and don’t change them until one breaks and some play with new strings every day or two.
Each instrument can treat strings differently also. I had one banjo that was too bright until the strings had been “played in” a bit, and another that needs new strings quite often to keep having a good ring to it.
older strings can tend to be hard to keep in tune and make note correctly. They also lack sustain.
Experiment with different amounts of time between string changes and find out what suits you, your ear, and your instrument the best.
thanks guys for the input…Im sure I will be back with more “rookie question”… really nice to come to this site and get such quick response on a question… have a good day everyone…
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thanks for the info… i need all i can get… have a nice day
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Hi Scott:
There are a lot of You Tube string changing videos … on almost every topic you can find . … Here is a tip that might help with family’s ears … I rolled up a piece of Leather to mute the pot a little put it between the bridge and tailpiece on the head … Banjo is bright and loud playing with the resonator off helped … headphones when using MP3’s kept me married now for almost 50 years …
Ben has a good video on changing banjo strings.