When Should You ACTUALLY Change Your Guitar Strings?
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When's the last time you changed your strings? Be honest...
A month ago.
I dont😂
6 months ago lmao
The last time I changed a string is when I broke my high e and replaced it with a b
Btw nice polyphia sweater
Most times I can't hear tonal differences when they're played back to back, but with this, It was really noticeable
I only could with the neck pickup, it was far less noticeable with the other two positions. I even closed my eyes in order to not see any visual hint about the strings being changed. I used headphones.
@@Cthulhu_Awaken Same
he has thousands worth recording equipment/gear. of course there should be difference
satriani 'i never change my strings'
The difference between old strings and new strings on the guitar without plugging it in is pretty big.
I love the diversity of Tyler's content. He has a video for every player whether the video is analytical for the most seasoned players, or changing strings for those who just broke a string. Keep up the good work, Tyler! \m/
i do love these kind of content.
he did have some videos that felt like bragging 😶 about expensive guitars
@@0000song0000 I'd brag to if I owned good guitars lol my coolest one is a Double neck guitar and I flaunt that shit to my friends like nobodies business
@@0000song0000
I have many guitars; but most are quite cheap and some DIY kits.
Changing strings has always been a somewhat meditative session for me. Always calmed my anxiety.
Not me man…I get anxious knowing I’ll have to change them soon…out of the 11 guitars I have, 10 have strings that are months old, and they get played a ton
Yes!
you dont have a floyd rose bro, the pain is real
I actually love changing strings. I use the time to reflect on what I've learned with the old ones & where I want to go with the new.
Nerd! Stop making us look bad! :)
Deep
@@neilvg1551 If you think that is bad, when I started I had collected the old strings and left a note on each bundle of strings all the songs I learned on the strings. Probably had about a couple dozen bundles before I was finally convinced to throw them out.
It also gives you a good opportunity to check the general health of your guitar and give it a good clean
good point
Joe Satriani is quoted on Ultimate-Guitar as saying: "I only ever do it when I have to. Very often, my engineers will go, 'What the hell guitar was that and why does it sound so funny?' And I'm like, 'Well, the strings are four months old, and I didn't bother changing them before I played that solo.'" He added, "But new strings can be a problem. They can be too bright. You know what? I haven't changed my strings since December 2014."
I with Joe on this. 😎
I am also. Especially the 'too bright' part.
Almost Anybody with multiple guitars can get away with changing strings less because they are often splitting time on different guitars
You might want to consider that just maybe, Joe's engineers know what they're talking about. People who always use dead strings always insist they sound great... they're used to it and they've sort of trained their ear to fool themselves. Then someone else walks into the room and goes, "WTF is wrong with your tone? Everything sounds muddy and weird." ;)
Learn to use an EQ, folks. It's really not that difficult, I promise. That brightness from new strings is easy to deal with, and then you've still got your full range of overtones to choose from, instead of a dull, flat, blah tone where you have to boost a bunch of mids and highs to get it to cut through a mix or live situation.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 or just get heavier strings if you want heavier also I don't see how I changed strings to 8 38, and it wasn't a "too bright" of a tone lol
It’s called a tone knob you knob.
I vastly prefer the sound of dead strings. New strings are way too bright and jangly. I love the mellow tone that old worn strings give.
Especially on bass
I’m the complete opposite lol I change my strings almost every month
Unnecessary I know but I still do it anyway lol
@@illegalpoptart9633 How long do you realistically get from bass strings playing casually? I maybe play an hour or two tops a day where I can, and probably do a twice a year change lol.
I'm the opposite, I really hate dead strings on guitar. Even if the other guitarist is using them, it just sucks the tone out of the room. Learn to use an EQ pedal or better yet a 32-band rack unit if new strings are giving you so much trouble you hate to use them. You might be surprised how much you can do with just a couple small tweaks on a couple sliders. Maybe consider different winding styles. But why would you not want all the overtones of the instrument to choose from?
Bass, yeah I get that, there's so much winding on them that new strings sound CRAZY bright sometimes. And style is a factor too; if you're playing mellow soft blues/jazz and stuff, maybe dead strings on the guitar are better because they're sort of already EQ'ed for that.
I absolutely love locking tuners. When I ordered my first custom guitar, I had those babies installed and since then, I got them for all my guitars. It saves so much fidgeting on my part.
Hey do you happen to have any locking tuners on any acoustic instruments? If so do they effect the tone at all?
I like the sound of new strings after they've lost that initial twang. After about a day or few, depending how you jam. I currently use Fast Fret (infrequently), I've used Dr. Stringfellow (infrequently), too, with the same results. BRING BACK THE RUB-ON APPLICATOR TO THE BOTTLE. Both help keep the grime off. I don't use these products often, maybe once a month. I like worn in strings, I pretty much only change strings when they break (and then, depending on the break I might repair the string).
Don't forget Dunlop Ultraglide. Lasts WAYYY longer than the Fast Fret and is half the price.
I don't like them until they're broken in a bit. Very bright otherwise.
i play fingered (no nails) a lot so the twang is usually more noticable for longer, it's more desirable when playing on skin for the low registers
a pick wears them down quicker, although i guess the grease in the skin isn't too great either.
Dr stringfellow is some good stuff👍🏼
Wait, You're supposed to change them? i thought it was a joke...
💀
I'm pretty amazed at the timing of this video. I popped the high e on my les paul and need to fetch new strings. Since I'm a dreadful owner and I don't typically change my strings until one of them breaks, I constantly need to look at videos on how to properly wind strings around the post. Except for my JP70 which has locking tuners.
I LITERALLY SNAPPED MY E STRING 30 MINS AGO
I just bought a new pack of strings yesterday lmao
There seems to be many ways to string a guitar and the ones that aren’t the way I’ve always done it seem confusing to me! Maybe better to figure it out on your own, the way we did before the internet. Or at least go buy a few sets of strings and spend a day figuring out which TH-cam video method works best for you
Same dude…I change them more often on my electrics…my acoustics have strings that are almost black, lol
"constantly need to look at videos.." That alone should tell you that you should change them more often. Not sure how much you slide and stuff but your hand will thank you too.
Perfect timing Tyler! Changing strings was my "project" for the day. It's like you're in my head.
Same here, hahaha
Changing strings is really easy 😀
GETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTOFMYHEAD
I recently picked up my guitar again after a half a year and... uhhhh I don't know how long it's been but it's been nagging me at the back of my head. At least 18 months I think but they're not *awful*
I like the "Z" bend method - simple, clean and effective and makes changing the strings a little less time-consuming (not to mention, lowering the probability of poking my finger with a string and bleeding all over my guitar... which almost invariably seems to happen every time I change strings, regardless).
Having clean hands before you start playing tends to help quite a bit
I actually prefer the sound of the dead strings honestly
Dead strings have a more mellow sound to them that actually works quite well on some guitars
And you are not the only one, i mean dying string not the real dead one
When I was younger I used to change my strings every few months (I have dry hands. I remember once letting a guy at my high school use my guitar for about three minutes and when he gave it back...bleah!) These days I go for ages between string changes.
Would I be weird if I said I prefer to dead strings a bit more?
First time I’ve heard the Ernie ball cobalt strings sound half decent. Probably my least favorite string I’ve ever tried.
I started using the one-over rest-under method and I like it. Similar to the knot method but the sharp ends poke outwards not upwards = less bloody.
Agreed. It looks much neater, and there's no overlap of the string, so no friction or "weak point" created where it crosses over itself.
I'm sure the luthier's knot is useful in some circumstances, but I've never needed it. I usually have 2.5, 3 wraps around the peg, and between stretching the strings, and bending...I've never had a string come out. I've never had one slip at all, actually, once it's tuned to pitch.
I have never used any of these methods haha. Have always just put string through hole and pushed it down against headstock while tightening.
That's the method I've been using for 37 years. I try to go for locking tuners on my latest guitars though.
Yep, 40 years, that's all I've ever used. Grips the cut end better also. 100% the way to go.
I don’t like kinking my strings after I feed them through the post. Sometimes the string snaps at the kink point. I feed them through straight, and they will naturally coil around the post as I turn the peg.
Yup. And that kink looks ugly. Mine is perfectly coiled, only 2.5-3 loops. So statisfying to look at.
on my floyd rose guitar, with locking nut, i put the strings on backwards. Adds some color to the tuners. You probably shouldn't do it without the locking nut, I cant imagine the wind is as good as "the correct way" and tuning stability will probably suffer.
On the money! : )
Lock ins. Every guitar should be built with them
Depending on how much I play each guitar. I’ll change my most used once a month and my least used every 3-4 months. It makes a huge difference.
Honestly I prefer the sound of the dead strings over the new strings. The new strings sound a lot more... scratchier.
At first, when i saw a Tele it's looks disgusting to me . But , now im growing with the music , i feel like Tele is the one that's made for me . Its the most beautiful guitar in my eyes now. 😍
You know I once recorded a track with strings so old they broke as I played the last note.
It was on purpose though, 'cause the sound I was going for was more like a rhythmic earthquake drone than actual music :)
Still think I'm lucky the strings held out just long enough, because that mix of that particular song wouldn't have captured the same sort of black magic if I'd had to record it again with fresh strings.
That's the only time I've ever deliberately used old strings for the sake of being old strings, but it definitely showed me that even the worst sound can have a place somewhere.
PSA -- the account that replied to me in this thread, claiming to be part of one of Tyler's giveaways, in fact belongs to a scammer.
Do not contact.
For some reason I like the sound of dead strings, they sound more warmer.
I'm a bassist why am I here
It all depends on how long / much you play. This should be done in hours. Best estamate is 80 to 100 hours of practice play... (no studio or live play in between) just practice hours.
CHANGE ...;
practice....every 80 to 100 hours
Live shows....every other show
Studio.....EVERYTIME!!
As an owner of multiple guitars, routinely carrying out guitar maintenance on all my guitars is a daunting task and I think most of us face this problem.
I am creating an app which lets you track and schedule maintenance sessions for all your guitars, with tuning, string gauges, fretboard wood, humidity, etc for all the guitars at your fingertips so that you can carry out your maintenance efficiently.
Tryna measure product fit here. How many of y'all would be interested in such an app?
I use excell to do this. Don’t need your app, but good idea!
@@Ottophil Right Excel can be a great tool to track this.
But this app can save a guitarist's time by auto scheduling maintenance sessions after 3 months or so and remind you with a notification. When you have 10+ guitars, tracking maintenance becomes a pain, and that's what I am trying to solve.
@@kumarxabhijeet your idea is good. But because it can be done in the calendar app, on your phone, its not groundbreaking.
Go spend time with musicians, and see how you can improve your idea, your on the right track 🙏🏾
@@davidpetersen8909 Makes sense, thanks for the feedback.
Some people prefer the dead sound though! Jimi Hendrix was one of those people as well as Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepard
Nick Drake too.
Bro, I’ve literally watched all your videos in about a week. Love the channel! So many good laughs. Thank you. Keep it up!
Dead strings (especially low strings) can be better in darker music, when you don't need these "colours", such as dark country/blues, or just for mood you have, sometimes you are quite down in feelings and happiness gone away somewhere and you want to play something "lifeless(?)". That's my state
The ”Z” bend is the method I use. Winding once over, the rest under… the Tommy Emmanuel method.
The first method, although effective, is a pain in the arse to get off when the next change comes, and does not (in forty five years of experience) provide any advantage above the “Z” method .
Tyler: “…every few weeks if you can”
Me two years after buying my first guitar: 👁👄👁
I bought a second-hand 7 string when I was 16 years old, I thought it was the standard humbuckers (the mid-90's Ibanez 7300's were known for cheap electronics, probably because everybody changes them out.) When attempting to tune it for the second time the g-string kept going out, eventually it snapped, flew back, and went about an inch lengthwise into my finger, I learned a few things to watch out for from that, amazing how well that sticks out in my memory.
I change mine after minimum of 3 months. I like the sound of old strings anyway... And if I change them more often would be only if I play a concert or something like this. If I'm just practicing... I'm fine with the same strings for 3/4 or even more months. That being said, strings are expensive anyway, so changing them always hurts a bit. If I was a rich man, I would buy a new set of strings every two weeks, sure. But sadly it's not the case.
One thing I have done over the years to check string condition as well is to pinch the E through G strings (One at a time) and run the length of the neck. Your pointer finger should be under the string for the perspective of the guitar. Quite often with folks that bend a lot and fret pretty hard or on a guitar that gets moved around in a case a lot, the strings will bend over the frets leaving indentations you can feel. This causes fret buzz and weird vibration. When you take the strings off, you can actually see those "dents" in the strings.
I only use Elixir nanoweb strings on my guitars. I’ve had a set of 11-49s for drop C on my gigging sg that i play probably 15-20 hours a week and they’re still brand new and bright sounding after 3 months. I have extremely corrosive sweat and i sweat a ton while playing, so much so that i can kill a set of ernie ball uncoateds in under a week.
jammed with guys who after 1 session my strings were crusty. i used elixir on my acoustic. last much longer. takes me a year to start peeling but wow how dead they get compared to new. other guitarist all hated them. "tone sucks". on a travel acoustic that gets dew on it by the fire these are best.🤘🏻🍻
Cannot stand elixirs…slimey residue on them and they get “fuzzy” after a bit…like the actual string gets tiny fuzz liking fibers…I’ve always used D’Addario on everything, they’ve never failed me yet, sound great etc
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 I tried a couple sets of Elixirs when they first came out and I had the same problems with them. I play hard pretty often and use a lot of wide bends and vibrato, so I think maybe I wore out that coating faster than some people do? Anyway, they did last longer and they stayed in tune just fine, but considering what they cost and that weird fuzzy/slimy feel, they just weren't worth it to me.
Honestly... a whole lot of people are just plain lazy. I mean c'mon now, even with a locking trem and giving the guitar a nice cleaning, changing strings and stretching them properly is maybe a one-hour job, at MOST. But oodles of people just can't be bothered to take care of their instrument once or twice a month. smh
The difference is not that great. Only for electric and if you are performing or if your strings actually suck. I buy packs of strings and then do G,B,E string singles in case they go out and then I just replace those. Replacing strings is overrated and no you should not do them that much.
I LOVE changing strings - I find it relaxing and connects me to my guitars.
When they are broken, rusted, the coating has completely rusted off (no rusting left) haven't been changed in 14 years, first time tuning your fathers tremolo
Just love your videos 🤟🤘
How about to tell which strings are which just look at em lol. Come on now .
Such a simple video but after playing for almost 30 years some of the techniques I've seen in this video I never knew so cheers to that.
PLEASE tumbs up so he sees! I have a theory! your guitar strings get magnetized and this is whats changes the tone. soooo... maybe if you run a magnet over the strings it would change it back. hopefully you will try this as it would be really cool to see (and i never change my guitar string ever unless they snap lol)
Elixir strings are the best by far! Cost alot more but last so much longer so it saves money in the long run
They sound and feel awful tho. NYXL for me.
I love the nanowebs. They are all I use.
I've found that coated strings feel weird as hell. The Elixirs in particular get real fuzzy.
Wuuuut? I have to change strings? Gosh, I had no idea I had to. Huh, looks like I'll have to buy a new guitar then.
Was that a gibson Explorer At the beginning?! Please do a video about it please 🙏
If you don't bleed when changing strings, you're doing it wrong!
Especially if you have a 12 string !
Strings start to age as soon as you take them out their protective pack and put them on the guitar. I think strings should be changed yearly on guitars that are played very little. On my guitar I play daily I guess I change every 3-6 months. Great trick with the weight trick. I changed some weeks ago.
I've found that measuring the string slack to the next tuning peg gives a good amount of wrappings (about an inch or two). At the end of the video you had what would be way too many windings for my personal taste haha
I was looking fir someone to comment that lol I'd say the most would be 3 wounds and at least 2 wounds
@@tomdelonge2305 yeah his wrapping just kept going and going and going... Haha I love a neat two to three wraps on my tuning pegs 🙏🏼
On a fender two pegs out of extra length gives you the perfect amount of wind.
Rather than measuring a length out, I’ve found that if you start with the hole pointing 45 degrees toward the center of the nut and thread the string through, the amount of slack required to wrap the playing end over the peg around the outside results in the right number of wraps. Then you just tighten until the free end comes around and have the rest of the wraps go under. It automagically compensates for the fewer wraps that you want on the thicker strings and gives you 3-1/2 to 4 on the thinner strings. Plus the over and under locks the strings in place.
Love your jacket! Looks amazing.
Where did you bought it?
I thought it sounded better with the old strings, the sound of new strings was too bright for my taste. But I prefer newer strings as well, for the playability and feel of them more than the sound. It’s easy to roll off the top end with the tone controls, so ultimately you’re better off with new strings.
I played with a guy whose body chemistry was so acidic that he had to change strings after every gig!! The strings would be dripping with rust at the end of the night!
Personally I prefer tying the strings to the tuning peg
if my strings r bad I usually just buy a new guitar cant be wasting time changing strings I need to just focus and play.
Yeah, I noticed a HUGE difference with new strings on my PRS and Tele. Each has gone through a few rehearsals and gigs (4 hrs each), and I could see the build up on the strings. I try to change my most-used guitars every couple months. I honestly let them go a bit longer than I should, mainly because changing strings for me is NEVER a 15 minute simple task, even WITH locking tuners.
You change them whenever there are no strings left on your guitar. In any other situation you can play it and shred it.
So basically, to tell if my strings need changing, I should record a riff, change the strings and play it again and if I can tell the difference I should change my strings?
Awesome, got it. Thanks.
Let us know how that works out. Don't forget if the riff sounds the same take those new strings off and put the old not used up strings back on.... L O L.
Do you not hear when your strings loose sustain and feel tacky and look discolored?
@@chrisking6695 yeah mate, I was making a joke 😂
Are the e strings purposely strung incorrectly in the video thumbnail
I love this guy. so helpful.
This video inspired me to chang the strings on my les paul I haven't changed in 3 years
omg PLEASE DO A 5 MINUTE VERSION OF THAT SOLO ON FINAL, this was so good and one of the best improvisations that ive ever heard
Scam
Haven't seen the video yet but my "rule"is
Ca. 100 hours on normal strings
Or around 300 on coated/ paradigms
Me who just feed the string through the peg all the way puts pressure on the string near the peg and tightens
Do you keep a hygrometer and humidifier in your guitar room? Talk about it.
No need for knots really. You just need to push the string down while it goes around the post. That ensures it gets bent around the post snugly. This is important especially when you start wrapping the sting. The trick for tuning stability is the number of wraps. On a six in a line you need between 2-3 on the wound strings (3 on the D sting if there there is no sting tree to create an angle over the nut) and 3- 4 wraps on the unwound stings (4 o the G sting if there is no string tree to create an angle over the nut). You are welcome : )
My proline Ibanez has over 10 year old strings.
I'm into split-shaft because of the fact that you can remove the strings from the tuners, clean up the neck, and you can still use the same strings. Is this doable with locking tuners or other wraping techniques as well?
Yes, I have locking tuners on my strat and it’s as simple as detune (for some slack so the strings don’t slip out), loosen the lock, remove the string end and do what you gotta do, then reinsert, tighten the lock, and tune back to pitch!
Change them when they rust or break. There's no need to change them every few weeks; that's just crazy. I've had strings last for over a year on the same guitar with no issues.
I played the original strings daily on my American Strat for 5 years before I sold it. Sounded great.
I typically pull through hole tight, eyeball an inch or so and push it back to that point. Then I bend up and wind it. Not the easiest way but looks clean and guitar stays in tune. I hate the luthier knot because it sucks to remove.
I have never changed the strings on one of my old acoustic guitars. I got it as a kid. And it sounds fun. Very different than a similar guitar with new strings. Haha
i remove strings 1 at a time. before the studio, before a show, when your coated strings start peeing, when you actually have some money, and after another person uses my guitar. 1 jam n it felt rusty.🤢🤮🤘🏻🍻
Scam
How sure are we that we are stretching the string or is there another explanation?
*me who changed my guitar strings years ago*
hmm yea interesting
I only change my strings when one breaks, I will keep playing them until they completely disintegrate from rust 😭💀
How about just cleaning the strings?
Hah! Didn't hear no difference)
Wow, the old strings sounded so much more articulate and cleaner with less overtones and resonance.
I’m never changing strings again
Totally agree. Love dead strings. Just wash my hands prior to playing and I call it good.
I've had my strings that came with my Harley Benton for a bit over a year ( i know not alot ) But i need new ones, they're not great.
That ending song was really nice !
This Guy is AMAZING!!!!
I put a set Elixir string on my guitar a year ago. I feel genuinely no need to change them. Still feel like new.
Same... It is almost unplayable the first week, but then it feels like a new set of non coated strings that never get rusty. Best strings ever.
Great info on changing strings, but frankly surprised you're overlooking the fact that 'dead' strings have a charm all their own. In this clip the older strings don't sound bad, just different. Countless great musicians use them on at least one guitar or bass.
Exactly , I have some Instruments (Guitars, Bass, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele,etc) that have had the same strings for years and they sound & play great ,that being said I do keep them clean with no rust or gunk on them.
YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THE BEST METHOD EVER..... AKA the ball end on the head stock Floyd Rose :) I do it every time and its wonderful and looks bad ass. Also, with hard tails I always try to get my wound strings with 2 winds around the post. Usually about the length of 4 fingers off the 12th fret. I like to do the unwound more in case of slippage, plus they're smaller and not wound, so extra winds on the post doesn't look weird.
I wait until the string breaks, which is usually the high E. And then I do the whole set before any others break. The B would probably be that next broken string. Would be different though if I was performing with the instrument & reliability was more critical.
Saucy video man!!!
I change them every couple months on the ones I play the most, which are 6-7. I play D'Addario 10s on Gibson scale and 9s 0r 10s on Fender/PRS scale. The other 42-43 get changed when they no longer sound good. When I only break one out a couple times a year, the strings last a long time!
On my main gigging guitars I change them after every two or three shows. Doesn’t matter what strings you use, because sweat and humidity don’t care about what strings you use.
If it’s a guitar that I mostly use at home I try to go no more than four weeks total, or 20 to 30 hours of playtime. You will absolutely notice a difference in feel and tone.
Pretty much the same here. When I was playing out all the time we'd rehearse on Tue and Thurs and gig on Fri and Saturday, so I changed strings every Monday or Wednesday. It makes a BIG difference. Now that I only play at home and I'm not practicing for hours every single day, once a month is about right, and sometimes I'm just lazy and let them slide two months.
People who let themselves get used to playing dead, dull strings always claim they sound better. It's kind of funny, really.
I believe in AC/DC motto & when I change strings I like the way Ace Frehley's tech showed me 2-1/2 fingers past each post gives you 3 wraps with that z bend.
Thats why I play flats. Dead deep sound from day one... JK Just change your strings you cheap fu.......!!!!!
Interestingly enough a few years ago I did a video where I compared strings that were OVER A DECADE old with a new set and most people couldn't tell a difference in a blind test once you fed it through distortion and comp in a mix. Now, I'm not recommending people to keep strings on for ten years, but honestly, changing strings every three weeks is a complete waste unless you live in a jungle.
I ussed to change them quite regularly ..now I just buy coated strings (paradigm / nyxl) and replace them..less regularly..a lot less.
Near the end of last year I had renewed interest in playing guitar, and started practicing consistently. My guitars felt and sounded pretty not-great, and weren’t particularly enjoyable to play. Then i took an afternoon to completely clean and restring all three guitars, since they hadn’t been restrung in probably a year+ and cleaned in way longer. The difference was insane, felt like an entire different instrument. Plan on changing strings the second they start to feel, look, or sound even the slightest bit “tired”, since it just improves every aspect of playing
Hey Tyler. You recommend changing strings every few weeks. How many guitars do you have? 12? 20? Does it mean that you change a guitar's strings like every 3-5 days?
He would if he was playing every guitar for hours at a time every week. But I'm guessing he's not doing that.
Strings last a LOT longer just sitting there in an air-conditioned room with low humidity. It's the actual playing and sweating/getting finger gunk on them that wears them out and corrodes them.
Tyler, i need you to do a video on how to solo outside of scales. I'm kinda trapped inside of that 'box' of soloing inside scales and i need someone to explain how improv guitar can be so good without being inside a scale.
Honestly I prefer the warmer tone of the dead strings...
Scam
Whenever I break a string I just use it as an excuse to buy another guitar.
Right...buy a new guitar...they come with fresh strings!!!!!
New strings always feel good because they're nice and clean, but I personally don't like their bright sound that much. Sometimes it's just a bit too bright for my taste. I always need to let them break in for a while before I can start recording with them.
I'm currently on my probably longest lasting set of strings ever and they don't sound dead to me yet.
They're regular Ernie Ball 11s. I'd say about a year old, give or take.
I don't play all that often, but I've had shorter (way shorter even) lasting strings, both from Ernie Ball and Rotosound, luck of the draw I guess.