I always change my banjo strings every couple months at least, because when they get too much rust on them playing up the neck becomes nearly impossible 
I just don’t play guitar enough to justify changing them super often. I have been playing more lately so I might start changing them more often. I’m pretty sure I last changed them in January, so I’m long overdue haha. And mandolin strings sound good for me for a long time, I honestly like the tone when they lose their initial brightness. I change them after they get uncomfortable to play, which is usually every couple months.
When String Snapping Goes Wrong
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I like the feel of older banjo strings. I agree they aren’t as bright and snappy when they’re not brand new but I don’t mind the tone. Sometimes on the banjo a set of strings break in and start to feel smooth. The guitar is totally different though. I would change my guitar strings once a week if I played more.
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This is why I don’t practice mandolin Mando strings would be junky after a week of consistent practice. Same with banjo strings. Guitar strings, 3 days if they’re anything but Elixirs, which I can stretch for a month or more. If Elixirs went out of production I don’t know what I’d do… and seriously, no other coated string has made any difference for me. They all last the same amount of time except Elixirs which will take anything I throw at them.
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Either y’all are way pickier about strings than I am or I just have unbelievably dry hands
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Plus they rust on their own. I can put new strings on the banjo, play the banjo for 5 minutes, and it’ll need a string change after a few weeks
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Yeah, I’ve found that strings last longer on an instrument if you keep it in the case vs leaving it out. Kinda weird. I always have my mandolin in it’s case when not in use, my banjo is on a stand but I would keep it in the case if I wasn’t too lazy to get it out every time
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I kinda feel bad about demoing instruments because I can wipe out a decent amount of the string lifespan in a playing session
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Me too but snapping them brings them right back to their state of newness, so my 5-minute string-killing ability doesn’t bother me anymore.
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It’s the unwound strings that I really wreak havoc on. As far as the wound strings, snapping helped for about 90 seconds the time I tried it
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Fiddle strings on the other hand have lasted me a good long while but I’m no good at fiddle so it doesn’t make much of a difference either way. 
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I’m seriously gonna try that.
I love the sound of Nickel Bronze D’addario stings on my mandolin but they don’t last me but about a day.
I use XS’s because they last longer and not for tone
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Oh yeah, unwound strings are so annoying to play once they’ve rusted. And then the wound ones completely lose their tone.
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Maybe I should just wear gloves when I play.
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I’ve got 3 sets of new strings coming so my guitar will be good in a couple days . I’m always really impressed with how fast stuff from Ben gets here, even with just standard shipping it’s never been more than 3 days or so.
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That’s actually way harder than it looks😂
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Like these gloves?? This looks next to impossible.
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The dude is ridiculously talented… That’s super hard, I’ve tried it. I couldn’t even get a clean note.
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Maybe latex gloves would be the way to go. But then my mandolin would smell like latex.
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I think that’s mando abuse 
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Oh, you wouldn’t believe the weather I’ve brought my instruments out in. Sometimes my hands would get so numb I had to stop because I couldn’t play anything Emil thinks I’m nuts. Now that I’ve got a more expensive banjo and mandolin (compared to my old bottom of the line ones) I’ll probably think twice about it haha.
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