Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

How often do you giggling/regularly playing gents change the strings on your 12 strings? My 360/12C63 has had the same strings on it for over a year. I know it's time, but I was just wondering what sort of schedule I should get on; I try to change Big Red's Strings every month if I'm gigging a lot, every two if not so much; I can tell when the strings start to get a bit stiff on the six strings, but I'm not so good a judge with the 12 strings.

When I was a teenager I used to skip school to play with my friend in our rehearsal room. I played about 7 hours a day and I changed strings every week or so.
A bit obsessive I know, but my hands used to sweat quite a lot and the strings simply got corroded pretty fast (I used 0.10 Ernie ball on my lespaul (the only guitar I had then) but tried almost any other brand that was available here in Israel).
Now, If I do 7 hours a year I am happy so I almost never change strings...

For example - my 360/12C64 and 366/12 could probably both enjoy a new set of strings, I think they are wearing the same strings for ~3-4 years. I don't play them that much unfortunately so I will replace the strings probably only if I am going to play any of them for more than a few minutes...

What I am trying to tell you is that it is a very subjective matter and takes a lot of variables into consideration - How much do your hands sweat? how much do you play? how much do you care for that "new strings" sound?
To be honest... The more instruments I bought the less I changed strings (and the less I played... But that's a different topic).

Thanks for the input. Good points.
I'm fortunate in that my hands don't really sweat when I play, which is a plus.
My main concern is string flexibility; a set of strings may stay in tune nicely after the strings have become more "stiff" in my experience.

From your post it seems like we're much of the same mind wrt string changes.

TI flats on both of my Rick 12-stringers, change them as infrequently as possible. Love them strings.

Regular six-string Ricks, much more often.

Back in the day when I was playing at this little beer joint in Wichita, KS, I changed strings every two weeks. I played there every Saturday night from 9 PM to Midnight. Having just installed a set of TI Jazz flats on my Rick, I have yet to change strings. They've been on the guitar for maybe month or so, I guess. I gig with that guitar on average of once a month. It isn't the only guitar I use on stage. So it actually gets lighter usage than my older acoustic did.
JimK

I decided after installing my first set of TI Flats on my 370/12 that I'd change them for a gig and some recording after about 18 months. Once done, I couldn't tell any difference in the way they sounded or the way they played. The current set has been on for about three years now and they're still doing fine. That's the guitar I play the most and they literally have hundreds of hours on them. I play with a pretty light picking style, but until they start to show corrosion or start breaking I'm not going to change them. My 340/12 has a "newer" set (only two years old) but also sounds and plays just about like it did when they were installed. If it ain't broke......

My band probably does a rehearsal or gig a couple of times a month and the only guitar I play is my 330-12. I'm not that light a picker but still only change strings every six months or so when they've gone lifeless enough for me to put up with the monumental pain in the bum that is a string change. I use Ric brand strings and I can really tell when they're ready to change. It seems the intonation goes followed by the tuning stability.

Shameless band plug -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nervous- ... 6758411732

I regularly gigged my 360/12 for six or seven years. In that time, I probably changed the strings four or five times. So, it was less than once a year. I always used the standard RIC rollerwound strings (still do). I've always used a light pick and I don't do any bending on the twelve (I think it's the bending that really kills strings) so I haven't felt the need to change strings on my 360/12 in about four years.

I put new strings on my 370/12 about three months in- replaced the factory supplied ones with new D'Addarios. That would have been in the fall of 2011. They're still on it. I honestly cannot detect any real change in sound or feel. I wipe them down every time I play it, which is about three times weekly, and it's only gigged a dozen times as I'm doing the piano thing mostly,m nowadays. Like the earlier poster, I have a light, but somewhat hybrid picking style and don't stress the strings much.

But the strings are fine. Still flexible, still stay in tune, and there's no corrosion or pitting. They'll probably stay on for a while, yet.

Clint wrote:I regularly gigged my 360/12 for six or seven years. In that time, I probably changed the strings four or five times. So, it was less than once a year. I always used the standard RIC rollerwound strings (still do). I've always used a light pick and I don't do any bending on the twelve (I think it's the bending that really kills strings) so I haven't felt the need to change strings on my 360/12 in about four years.

I am a serious string bender, even on the 12-string, so maybe I should change them more often. . . I love the sound of 12-string bends.

paologregorio wrote:I am a serious string bender, even on the 12-string...

Wow, so what's your secret? I'd love to do bends on the twelve string but I've never managed to pull it off.

Clint wrote:

paologregorio wrote:I am a serious string bender, even on the 12-string...

Wow, so what's your secret? I'd love to do bends on the twelve string but I've never managed to pull it off.

Start off with an .009 or .008 set and work your way up if .010s are too difficult for starters. Probably finger tip pushups might help also. I've been doing it a long time. Reasonably fresh strings are also more flexible, I've especially noticed on six strings.

I also have thick-boned fingers. . .

Well, did some wood-shedding yesterday and you're right, bends are possible on the twelve. I wasn't in love with the sound of it though, maybe more distortion would help. Thanks for the tips.

Clint wrote:Well, did some wood-shedding yesterday and you're right, bends are possible on the twelve. I wasn't in love with the sound of it though, maybe more distortion would help. Thanks for the tips.

I am also a fan of OD/Dist on a 12, particularly with bends, but with further practice, you'll make even clean bends sound pretty.