Sick of rusting strings

[guyver_dio]

Like the title says, I'm getting real sick of rusting my string so quickly. The first time I play my guitar after a restring is about all i get out of it while the strings are still good. I scrub the hell out of my strings before putting the guitar away, the next day the string feel so grubby and rust spots all over the strings. I've basically just been putting up with it and playing them rusty even though it feels awful. I don't understand why my sweat is so acidic, I've tried washing my hands before playing and that doesn't work, my diet isn't perfect but it's definitely reasonable. I actually refuse to play other people's guitars cause I feel so bad about destroying their strings.

Now I'm thinking of covering up my hands in some way. Does anyone know of any product that covers your hands specifically for guitar playing (i.e. gloves or fake fingertips)?

If not, I'm thinking something like pigskin gloves (they'd need to be very tight fitting) or probably some hard rubber/plastic tips that slide over the tips of my fingers might work.

What do you guys think?

[teokiatuan]

Have you tried these?

http://www.elixirstrings.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty expensive but well worth the investment.
They really do last 3-5x longer than normal(ernie ball) strings
The thing with slinkys is that after the initial coating comes off after about an hour or two of play, they become very uncomfortable to play on.


Try one out, they might be what you're looking for. They worked for me.

[Patill]

That is only for the three wounded strings on the Elixir strings, the three high strings are as normal strings.


Actually I´ve never ever had a problem with rusty strings, usually they break after 1-3 month, even if I switch guitars and let them rest for a while, the strings are fine. I´m using Dáddario, with ErnieBall I´ve only had bad experience concerning life of the string and quality. I´ve tried them several times and got disappointed every single time.

After two weeks they were gone.

[guyver_dio]

yeh i've heard these are really good. I'm going to buy more strings this week so I'll grab a packet. Still a bit skeptical at how long they'll last though, my sweat is pretty damn bad (my town is also known for high humidity). I've tried different brands years ago to find something that would last a decent amount of time. Longest lasting ones I found were DRs and I'd get about a week out of them (practicing about 3 times a week). My music shop decided to stop stocking them awhile ago so I've been getting slinkys ever since. They rust so fast I wouldn't be surprised if they rusted between the time I take them out of their packets to putting them on the guitar. thanks for the suggestion

[Patill]

there´s also stainless steel strings, but unless you have no stainless steel frets I wouldn´t use them.

[boswell]

I use to have a similiar problem, I now wipe them with a cloth and apply Fast Fret after playing and have increased the time between replacing dramatically.

[Patill]

but fast fret does make your strings slicky. You get used to it and if you wanna play another guitar than yours, forget it^^. That was when I stopped using it.

I would start using stainless steel strings, and get stainless frets if you refret the next time.

[teokiatuan]

That is only for the three wounded strings on the Elixir strings, the three high strings are as normal strings.

I've heard about that as well, but all the strings perform as if they were coated. Good stuff

As for the humidity issue, i stay in a humid area too, so it should be ok.

[al]

elixer is the best thing really...

other than that give the strings a wipe after you play.. especially if you have sweaty hands when you play

[Samuele]

Ever tried Ernie Ball Coated/Titanium reinforced strings? I was given a pack as a gift once and was very impressed with them. They seem to have the original Ernie Ball tone (which is my favorite) while still lasting a ridiculously long time - in my case, anyway. This is from the EB website:

"Ernie Ball Coated Slinky Strings combine the latest technological advancements in string manufacturing. All wound strings are treated with a micro-thin layer of enamel that prevents decay and corrosion up to five times more than uncoated sets. In addition to treating the wound strings, each plain string features a rust-resistant plating along with a patented reinforcement winding of titanium wire. Titanium's inherent strength prevents string breakage, string slippage, and is proven to keep your guitar strings in tune better than conventional plain strings."

http://www.ernieball.com/products/categ ... -Titanium#

Sure, they're expensive but I think they live up to what they claim.

[j.arledge]

well i use to have that problem no so much anymore but i used wd-40 or this stuff called gt-85 hell even remington gun oil works . stick a cloth under the strings to protect the fretboard and give your strings a light mist of wd-40 then use the cloth to help clean the strings . An old cotton t-shirt or shop rag works great.

If you want slick strings apply a little to the actual cloth that you use to wipe the strings down with and it will keep your strings nice, fresh, and slick.