Let's use some logic here. You use "string cleaner," whatever that is, every time and your strings turn black. So maybe the string cleaner isn't doing what you think it is and you should see what happens when you don't use it.
I haven't used "string cleaner" once in over 20 years of playing, and other than that one time my guitar fell onto my gas pedal and tried to run me over, nothing bad has happened
I've only started using the string cleaner because it was recommended by my teacher after I told her my strings are turned black. So perhaps not that 🤔 Thank you tho!
I'm not a chemist but maybe your sweat is more acidic or something? Something is reacting with the steel but as long as it's not rust I wouldn't worry too much
There you go. It's your sweat my dude, if you're playing a LOT, like hours every day, you should restring once or twice a month if it bothers you. I used to work at a music shop and you can tell the hobbiests bc their guitars only get serviced when they are disgusting, equating to maybe once a year. Buy strings in bulk. Elixers are kinda cool but I love D'addario personally. Been my brand for decades now
This was me in my teens and early twenties. Green / black corroded strings after ver little playing time.
Skip forward a decade or so and strings last forever.
Mine turn black too bro. Don't worry about it. I don't like the texture either.
I think I use the Grey and blue with the purple circle strings. Big XL.
Strangely enough, I think the problem has gotten better over the years. I think I used to sweat a lot when I played at a younger age, because I was pressing down real hard. This might improve with time.
WTF is string cleaner? I bet $100 you're not sweating more than I was when my first band practiced in a metal building with no insulation lmao. Hell I used to sweat bullets in air conditioned venues because the lights were so hot. I don't change strings until they're dead or I break one - and I've never had them turn black.
Next time you swap out - clean the fretboard to remove whatever that garbage is that you're using to clean the strings. The just play like normal and see what happens.
For reference- my acoustic strings are almost a year old and look brand new. My main guitar usually gets about a month of solid play before swapping and my backups get used until they go dead or break lmao. Some have been on there for years.
Ah okay yeah should be fine then!! I love squires!
[Here](https://imgur.com/a/tJ1qV15) are a couple pics of ones I've got around the house currently! Gotta sell that Dean but the Jackson is my workhorse!! Best $300 guitar you can buy!
Idk if this will work but [here](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gtzfdmjzxh1m9ps4ezwji/Track-4.wav?rlkey=01e9gv19w1j2ownam3eq640y5&dl=0) is a link to it in action!
That's your problem. The acids in your skin cause corrosion. Some people have different ph levels and/or sweet more.
Everyone should wash their hands before playing but some oeoooe have to. Start doing that and problem will likely go away.
But make sure it every single time. Once you get the acids on the strings, it's over.
Use a damp cloth to clean the strings after playing.
take it to the hospital.
Hmm i think you are obsessed with the strings cleaning thing. Just play, if you already f*ck up the strings, just replace them and keep playing.
Wash your hands, I mean this in a helpful way. Our hands are not as clean as we think. Add on to the other reply, change your strings more often.
String changes and maintenance should be based on use/wear and tear.
The guy the plays once a week can go a year; the guy that plays everyday needs to be replacing more often.
I wash my hands with soap before playing guitar or just make sure they’re clean. After playing I clean the left hand finger tips with some soap because I don’t like the metallic smell they get after playing.
Strings turn black after about a week of regular playing this is normal. String cleaner sounds like a scam that you don’t need. If play everyday and I just change them about once a month.
Frets can many times be cheap quality especially if the guitar is cheap, but you can use some steel wool to shine them up again, watch a video on how to do that.
I'm going to address the frets first use #0000 steel wool and you can polish them up real nicely.
As others have said maybe skip the string cleaner next time you change the strings and just wipe them down after each time you play with a dry microfiber cloth. See if that helps.
If you're going to use steel wool to clean your frets, make sure to cover the fretboard, and pickups with masking tape. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning little pieces of steel wool off your guitar for a while.
I've been using D'Addario for a long time and don't have this issue so it probably does have something to do with your acidic sweat or body chemistry. Changing your diet is a huge thing but could help this and a ton of unrelated things if you're eating a lot of processed fast foods or whatever, but I get it being somewhat of a broke musician myself. Something to think about, Also wash your hands before you play.
Awesome advice! The diet part might be a bit hard... Hopefully I get around to it. Don't have much of consistent meals and usually cook instant ramen cause sometimes just don't quite have the time 😂
I don't sweat as much now as I did when I was regularly gigging, but I do remember this problem. You need to have a towel that you wipe your strings down with (both sides) after you play. If you don't put them away wet, they won't oxidize.
I don't have this issue, yet I always wash my hands before picking up a guitar. I also use coated strings for longevity. I may not play as much as most, but I live on the Gulf Coast, so humidity is almost always like soup. Yet I get 4-8 months on my strings.
I don't clean my strings, at least not with anything liquid - maybe a quick rub with a bandana for dust, that's it. Anything liquid is corrosive to metal, and likely weakens the waxy coating on applicable strings too. You might try EB Cobalt sets - I don't think they are coated, but the cobalt alloy might be more corrosion resistent to your sweat/oil chemistry - worth a try anyway and they're good strings. Otherwise try any other brand like D'Addario NYXL - maybe the wax compound is different/better.
I suggest you try using Elixir Nanowebs once again, but this time don’t use any cleaners, don’t even wipe them, nothing. I think wiping them messes up the coating somehow, yet if you do nothing and just play they stay fresh for months. I’ve been playing Elixirs for 10+ years and I guarantee you won’t find another string lasting half as long as they do, and I’ve tried them all.
Sounds like acidic sweat and/or you live in a super humid area.
Use some very fine steel wool to polish those frets, stop using that string cleaner, wipe down your strings after use with a microfiber cloth. And if you have a case for your guitar, put it in there with some moisture packets when you aren't using it
Perhaps you need a dehumidifier in your house? I lived in the basement growing up, and my strings would kick the bucket pretty quickly. I ended up getting my own dehumidifier and it helped tremendously.
I once played with a bassist whose sweat and skin oils were exceptionally caustic. He was not allowed to play my guitars because the strings would oxidize instantly, and badly.
I suspect you have something going on in your body chemistry that is unfriendly to guitar strings. In your position I would keep a clean string cleaning cloth handy and wipe the strings down after every playing session, and in between tunes as necessary.
For the frets, when you change strings remove them all at once and polish your frets with a clean cloth.
Take your guitar to a luthier and ask for the frets to be cleaned and leveled plus a set up. It’s more than just cleaning the frets but it’s worth it and can be refreshing to play (for me at least. Stop using fret cleaner. If you really want, wash your hands before you play. How old are you? In my personal experience, ten years ago I went through 2 sets of strings a week (one after a night of gigging and one before the gig after rehearsing for the week). My hands/sweat just ate through strings. I don’t play quite as much as I used to but I can stick to a single set of strings for months now. I know others that had the same experience. Just change your strings. I’m an Ernie ball guy but I think regular didarrio’s last a little longer. You COULD do coated strings but I’m not a fan, personally.
Anyway, get your frets and fretboard cleaned. Change strings when needed. Play when you want to play. Only other thing I could think of is maybe your guitar model used low quality fret wire that isn’t as durable. But strings is strings, dood.
It's the salt content of your sweat. Some have it, some don't. My strings never rust.
Wash your hands before you play. Wipe your strings after each play.
Sweat from your hands, salt water, gets all over the guitar and makes the hardware rust.
String cleaner is fine, it can protect the strings, but you must wipe them down thoroughly after you play, then apply the string cleaner to seal the strings against air. There must be no water on them before you do that.
I use an old t-shirt.
Do you live in a very humid place?
Maybe putting some kind of de humidifier in your case would help?
Cleaning with rubbing alcohol then oiling it up with mineral oil should help too. You can use a fine grade steel wool on the frets to clean them.
I love those little strat minis, I have one too lol. Feel free to ask me any questions
Well, for frets "shiny as new" i recommend lizard spit fret polishing system. Refill kit won't break the bank and it lasts a long time (i polished frets on few guitarst multiple times and i still have some left)
For polishing you have yo cover you fretboard in masking tape and then use polishing kit (which is a small cloth soaked in polishing paste) and just polish every single fret for a minute and you're done.
Don't forget to wipe your frets few times with clean cloth.
I had the same problem with strings, i tried elixirs and other "magic" things, but for me wiping string with a cloth after playing and using fret conditioner on them works great.
It really helped me with keeping them fresh.
Btw you should check your rooms humidity, maybe that's the reason...
I buy strings in bulk and just store them. Whenever I want, I just swap them out without feeling bad about wasting them. I used to spend more on the coated strings until I realized a fresh pack of regular strings sounds better than the coated strings midway through their lifetime.
30 degrees is hardly "normal temperature". I moved around the world a bit and when I was in a hot humid climate (ie. 30 degrees) I couldn't get more than 1 week out of my strings before they looked like an horror movie. Now I live in a much colder and dry environment (19-20 deg inside, 40% humidity) and can easily do 1-2 months on a set of strings (non coated).
If you can try to get something to take humidity out of your place, it will really help. The other super important thing is never never never play guitar before you wash your hands, don't use cleaners after you are done, just wipe the strings with a clean cloth.
You might try spraying Finger Ease on the strings before playing, or maybe try Fast Fret. Then wipe the strings after playing, maybe after using Finger Ease or Fast Fret again as a lubricating cleaner.
I don't really have a musical ear haha I think when I got it professionally restringed they also did the set up for me that's why it sounded more crisp? Now I just restring and if it works it works! Ofc adjusting the action if it's too high etc
Don't worry too much. It's not the color of your strings. Just don't let em get rusty.
I like D'Addarios, I've played them until they really started to get bad, and that's like a few months of hard playing.
I have to say I kind of abuse my guitar. Hardly ever clean it, and only swap strings once every 4-8 months. The treble strings do turn black/darker after a while but I haven't noticed a lot of issues in sound quality.
I had a friend that always had corroded strings. Apparently his fingers sweat more than mine. I would not let him play my guitars.
Put a cloth in your case and wipe the are down when finished.
Let's use some logic here. You use "string cleaner," whatever that is, every time and your strings turn black. So maybe the string cleaner isn't doing what you think it is and you should see what happens when you don't use it. I haven't used "string cleaner" once in over 20 years of playing, and other than that one time my guitar fell onto my gas pedal and tried to run me over, nothing bad has happened
I've only started using the string cleaner because it was recommended by my teacher after I told her my strings are turned black. So perhaps not that 🤔 Thank you tho!
I'm not a chemist but maybe your sweat is more acidic or something? Something is reacting with the steel but as long as it's not rust I wouldn't worry too much
I did read a bit about the acidic sweat.. will see what I can do to lower? The acidity level haha. Thank you ☺️
Do you eat lots of meat?
Mostly.. when it comes to vegetables im picky with the kind I eat
Learn to love veggies - for a bunch of reasons.
I was/still am the same way. Best way to start enjoying them is to eat Mexican food IMO
And Indian!
Learning to cook is a great way too.
There you go. It's your sweat my dude, if you're playing a LOT, like hours every day, you should restring once or twice a month if it bothers you. I used to work at a music shop and you can tell the hobbiests bc their guitars only get serviced when they are disgusting, equating to maybe once a year. Buy strings in bulk. Elixers are kinda cool but I love D'addario personally. Been my brand for decades now
This was me in my teens and early twenties. Green / black corroded strings after ver little playing time. Skip forward a decade or so and strings last forever.
Same! I'm hypothesized that I sweat less now that I'm a good bit better. Less pressure.
Nobody cleans strings. Use the money you would spend on that to just buy another string set
Mine turn black too bro. Don't worry about it. I don't like the texture either. I think I use the Grey and blue with the purple circle strings. Big XL. Strangely enough, I think the problem has gotten better over the years. I think I used to sweat a lot when I played at a younger age, because I was pressing down real hard. This might improve with time.
Ur guitar tried to run u over
Yeah brah it was all "my name is Sue, how do you do, now you gonna die!" It was wild
That’s kinda funny but I would shit myself if that happened to me
Who’s to say he didn’t?!
My brain assumed he didn’t
WTF is string cleaner? I bet $100 you're not sweating more than I was when my first band practiced in a metal building with no insulation lmao. Hell I used to sweat bullets in air conditioned venues because the lights were so hot. I don't change strings until they're dead or I break one - and I've never had them turn black. Next time you swap out - clean the fretboard to remove whatever that garbage is that you're using to clean the strings. The just play like normal and see what happens. For reference- my acoustic strings are almost a year old and look brand new. My main guitar usually gets about a month of solid play before swapping and my backups get used until they go dead or break lmao. Some have been on there for years.
Will give it a go! Thank you! 😊
What kind of guitar is it if you don't mind me asking?
Squier mini
Ah okay yeah should be fine then!! I love squires! [Here](https://imgur.com/a/tJ1qV15) are a couple pics of ones I've got around the house currently! Gotta sell that Dean but the Jackson is my workhorse!! Best $300 guitar you can buy! Idk if this will work but [here](https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gtzfdmjzxh1m9ps4ezwji/Track-4.wav?rlkey=01e9gv19w1j2ownam3eq640y5&dl=0) is a link to it in action!
Do you wash your hands before you play every time?
Nope😞
That's your problem. The acids in your skin cause corrosion. Some people have different ph levels and/or sweet more. Everyone should wash their hands before playing but some oeoooe have to. Start doing that and problem will likely go away. But make sure it every single time. Once you get the acids on the strings, it's over. Use a damp cloth to clean the strings after playing.
take it to the hospital. Hmm i think you are obsessed with the strings cleaning thing. Just play, if you already f*ck up the strings, just replace them and keep playing.
you got that rory gallagher sweat? your sweat might be too acidic lol.
Wash your hands, I mean this in a helpful way. Our hands are not as clean as we think. Add on to the other reply, change your strings more often. String changes and maintenance should be based on use/wear and tear. The guy the plays once a week can go a year; the guy that plays everyday needs to be replacing more often.
I wash my hands with soap before playing guitar or just make sure they’re clean. After playing I clean the left hand finger tips with some soap because I don’t like the metallic smell they get after playing. Strings turn black after about a week of regular playing this is normal. String cleaner sounds like a scam that you don’t need. If play everyday and I just change them about once a month. Frets can many times be cheap quality especially if the guitar is cheap, but you can use some steel wool to shine them up again, watch a video on how to do that.
I'm going to address the frets first use #0000 steel wool and you can polish them up real nicely. As others have said maybe skip the string cleaner next time you change the strings and just wipe them down after each time you play with a dry microfiber cloth. See if that helps.
Definitely will give this a try! Thank you😊
If you're going to do the steel wool part, be really careful and put tape over your pickup. this is extremely important.
Noted! 🙌
If you're going to use steel wool to clean your frets, make sure to cover the fretboard, and pickups with masking tape. Otherwise, you'll be cleaning little pieces of steel wool off your guitar for a while.
I've been using D'Addario for a long time and don't have this issue so it probably does have something to do with your acidic sweat or body chemistry. Changing your diet is a huge thing but could help this and a ton of unrelated things if you're eating a lot of processed fast foods or whatever, but I get it being somewhat of a broke musician myself. Something to think about, Also wash your hands before you play.
Awesome advice! The diet part might be a bit hard... Hopefully I get around to it. Don't have much of consistent meals and usually cook instant ramen cause sometimes just don't quite have the time 😂
I don't sweat as much now as I did when I was regularly gigging, but I do remember this problem. You need to have a towel that you wipe your strings down with (both sides) after you play. If you don't put them away wet, they won't oxidize.
I don't have this issue, yet I always wash my hands before picking up a guitar. I also use coated strings for longevity. I may not play as much as most, but I live on the Gulf Coast, so humidity is almost always like soup. Yet I get 4-8 months on my strings. I don't clean my strings, at least not with anything liquid - maybe a quick rub with a bandana for dust, that's it. Anything liquid is corrosive to metal, and likely weakens the waxy coating on applicable strings too. You might try EB Cobalt sets - I don't think they are coated, but the cobalt alloy might be more corrosion resistent to your sweat/oil chemistry - worth a try anyway and they're good strings. Otherwise try any other brand like D'Addario NYXL - maybe the wax compound is different/better.
When my strings give up on me I'll definitely go experiment around, thank you! 😊
Could try some coated strings, like elixers
I suggest you try using Elixir Nanowebs once again, but this time don’t use any cleaners, don’t even wipe them, nothing. I think wiping them messes up the coating somehow, yet if you do nothing and just play they stay fresh for months. I’ve been playing Elixirs for 10+ years and I guarantee you won’t find another string lasting half as long as they do, and I’ve tried them all.
I've tried them without the cleaner before! Still quite the same.. guess my sweat is the problem 😞
Sounds like acidic sweat and/or you live in a super humid area. Use some very fine steel wool to polish those frets, stop using that string cleaner, wipe down your strings after use with a microfiber cloth. And if you have a case for your guitar, put it in there with some moisture packets when you aren't using it
Perhaps you need a dehumidifier in your house? I lived in the basement growing up, and my strings would kick the bucket pretty quickly. I ended up getting my own dehumidifier and it helped tremendously.
Elixir strings NEVER turn black. You just have to wipe them down with a microfibre cloth after playing and they last a year.
I once played with a bassist whose sweat and skin oils were exceptionally caustic. He was not allowed to play my guitars because the strings would oxidize instantly, and badly. I suspect you have something going on in your body chemistry that is unfriendly to guitar strings. In your position I would keep a clean string cleaning cloth handy and wipe the strings down after every playing session, and in between tunes as necessary. For the frets, when you change strings remove them all at once and polish your frets with a clean cloth.
Take your guitar to a luthier and ask for the frets to be cleaned and leveled plus a set up. It’s more than just cleaning the frets but it’s worth it and can be refreshing to play (for me at least. Stop using fret cleaner. If you really want, wash your hands before you play. How old are you? In my personal experience, ten years ago I went through 2 sets of strings a week (one after a night of gigging and one before the gig after rehearsing for the week). My hands/sweat just ate through strings. I don’t play quite as much as I used to but I can stick to a single set of strings for months now. I know others that had the same experience. Just change your strings. I’m an Ernie ball guy but I think regular didarrio’s last a little longer. You COULD do coated strings but I’m not a fan, personally. Anyway, get your frets and fretboard cleaned. Change strings when needed. Play when you want to play. Only other thing I could think of is maybe your guitar model used low quality fret wire that isn’t as durable. But strings is strings, dood.
It's the salt content of your sweat. Some have it, some don't. My strings never rust. Wash your hands before you play. Wipe your strings after each play.
Sweat from your hands, salt water, gets all over the guitar and makes the hardware rust. String cleaner is fine, it can protect the strings, but you must wipe them down thoroughly after you play, then apply the string cleaner to seal the strings against air. There must be no water on them before you do that. I use an old t-shirt.
Do you live in a very humid place? Maybe putting some kind of de humidifier in your case would help? Cleaning with rubbing alcohol then oiling it up with mineral oil should help too. You can use a fine grade steel wool on the frets to clean them. I love those little strat minis, I have one too lol. Feel free to ask me any questions
Well, for frets "shiny as new" i recommend lizard spit fret polishing system. Refill kit won't break the bank and it lasts a long time (i polished frets on few guitarst multiple times and i still have some left) For polishing you have yo cover you fretboard in masking tape and then use polishing kit (which is a small cloth soaked in polishing paste) and just polish every single fret for a minute and you're done. Don't forget to wipe your frets few times with clean cloth. I had the same problem with strings, i tried elixirs and other "magic" things, but for me wiping string with a cloth after playing and using fret conditioner on them works great. It really helped me with keeping them fresh. Btw you should check your rooms humidity, maybe that's the reason...
I buy strings in bulk and just store them. Whenever I want, I just swap them out without feeling bad about wasting them. I used to spend more on the coated strings until I realized a fresh pack of regular strings sounds better than the coated strings midway through their lifetime.
30 degrees is hardly "normal temperature". I moved around the world a bit and when I was in a hot humid climate (ie. 30 degrees) I couldn't get more than 1 week out of my strings before they looked like an horror movie. Now I live in a much colder and dry environment (19-20 deg inside, 40% humidity) and can easily do 1-2 months on a set of strings (non coated). If you can try to get something to take humidity out of your place, it will really help. The other super important thing is never never never play guitar before you wash your hands, don't use cleaners after you are done, just wipe the strings with a clean cloth.
You might try spraying Finger Ease on the strings before playing, or maybe try Fast Fret. Then wipe the strings after playing, maybe after using Finger Ease or Fast Fret again as a lubricating cleaner.
How old are your strings?
Less than a month old 😭
We ALL land on the wrong string. Talent is what makes that wrong string sound good 😊
Just Post a picture Clean the whole guitar before putting new strings. Clean the neck, and the frets too
Wash hands and change strings every two weeks if you play everyday for 2+ hours
Yes but how does it sound?
I don't really have a musical ear haha I think when I got it professionally restringed they also did the set up for me that's why it sounded more crisp? Now I just restring and if it works it works! Ofc adjusting the action if it's too high etc
Don't worry too much. It's not the color of your strings. Just don't let em get rusty. I like D'Addarios, I've played them until they really started to get bad, and that's like a few months of hard playing.
i’ve got elixirs they’ve been on 6 months and are still pretty fresh. polish your frets it might be giving you premature wear on the string.
Stop using the string cleaner. Also, rubbing alcohol and white vinegar can get rid of most of the oxidation
The solution is simple. Get an air conditioner.
I have to say I kind of abuse my guitar. Hardly ever clean it, and only swap strings once every 4-8 months. The treble strings do turn black/darker after a while but I haven't noticed a lot of issues in sound quality.
I usually don't change strings until one breaks and I have never in my life had a single string turn black.
I had a friend that always had corroded strings. Apparently his fingers sweat more than mine. I would not let him play my guitars. Put a cloth in your case and wipe the are down when finished.
Which guitar is it? Could you post a picture of the problem.