When A String Breaks Use An Old String As A Replacement
Friday, October 22, 2010 at 05:30PM The other night I did a show and my pal, John Heller and his partner Larry Basil opened the show.
After the gig, he noticed my extra strings as I was putting everything back in my gig bag. He remarked that I had not only several new sets of strings (Elixir’s, light gauge nanos, I stand behind them a hundred percent), but at least two each of every string that were used.
As I told him why, I realized that I’d never shared this particular insight with you.
If I break a string on stage, I don’t like to replace it with a brand new one. Not only will the new one need some serious stretching which you cannot easily (or quietly) do on stage. Though I’ve done it many times, I prefer to not have the audience endure that particular ritual.
But I digress, in addition to the stretching, the new string will ring out more brightly than the others (this is least noticeable using Elixir Strings, but it still happens) and take a while to blend in. The other strings are older and this one string is brand new. It sticks out.
If you change your strings regularly, and with Elixirs I do it about once a month, you will find that the old strings aren’t really gone, they are just diminished. So I save that set and the set before that.
That way I have always have two complete sets of strings that are used, along with all the new sets I carry.
If you break a string on stage, you replace it with one of the used strings. The stretching is already done and because it is used it is not going to stand out from the other strings. It has already reached that stage and blends in with the other strings.
When the set or the show is over then you should replace the entire set.
But for a quick fix, the use of a used string will work better than a new one, plus you haven’t broken up a set, which I am reluctant to do. Probably a throw back from the days when I could ill afford to buy extra sets of strings.
In the beginning, I didn’t have any spares. I think that’s when I started saving the used set. I remember being so poor that I actually boiled the strings to get rid of the skin and sweat and rust. They would be usable for at least one more show.
We make do, don’t we?
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