When to change strings?

[tpj]

I know it's a little open ended of a question. I've been on holiday all week and have been playing my lap steel alot. I changed the strings before I left ( I use La Bella C6 Nickles) and they are already dragging in the areas of the neck I have been practicing the most. The drag seems more noticable with one bar, but not as bad with another. The strings still sound nice so I don't think I want to swap them just yet. Do you guys just suffer through the few areas of drag and keep playing? How often do the strings need changing? I'm not out playing live yet, just practicing often for hours at a time. But the scratchy thing is getting annoying

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[tpj]

I guess no one chages strings

[Tony Russell Davis]

Change strings when you're not happy with them (if you play as a pro you would change after a certain number of playing hours figured out from experience). You could try a string lube if you think they're OK apart from this drag thing. They're expensive but I heard of using a couple of drops of olive oil on a lint free cloth (like the ones that come in a specs, case). Never used it so can't promise but there should be no harm. Rub it in well to clean any deposits off. The drag may be caused from your fingers on the strings behind the bar re-acting with the metal and leaving some sort of deposit? I know someone who can wreck a set of guitar strings in 5 minutes in that way - he never gets to borrow a guitar!

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Just out of interest, where were you on holiday? Seaside?, I ask because I played a gig in a pub car park in Hemsby and it trashed a brand new set by the end of it they were covered in salt, the whole geeetar needed a clean!! I usually change mine about once a month for my favorite gig at Bulkington but if I don't have time I have been known to give them a little careful rub with a fine sandpaper stickit disk, it works for me.... and you can get to the underside of the strings where the crud gathers that stops them ringing.

[nevada150]

I use "Fast Fret" on my strings. It's available at big guitar stores or from Ebay. The tin includes a lint free cloth also.
It's a silicone product so if you don't wipe the strings after you use it, eventually your bar will get sticky and drag a bit. Having said that, when they're dead, they're dead!
Keith.

[tpj]

Thanks for the replies.

John, I was in the Netherlands but the lap steel was always indoors. It's happening both there and here in the UK.

I've noticed my Bensbars drag differently than Shupp SP2. Maybe I'm just playing too hard and wearing away the string. I am a noob after all

[hatterjack]

The set on my main lap steel have been changed twice since I made it out of bits of my kitchen in 1994. I'm not proud of that fact but it is true. Its an 8 string tuned to a sort of E9 and I use a GeorgeL 10 string chromatic PSG set with the top and bottom strings left out. I bought 3 packets in 1994 from Gerry Hogan and I still have one left! Poor chap never got rich with me as a customer.

The second time I changed them in 2016 it was only cos I had a couple of festivals coming up and I figured I ought to. There was probably no need!
So dont worry.
My pedal steel on the other hand.....Aargh
Jack