String section

If the guitar is a body then the strings are its soul. And just as the soul is what communicates with God, the strings are what the guitarist connects with; there is an intimacy in this soul-God/string-guitarist relationship that is not easy to explain, so I’m not going to try.

Strings are what a guitar player gets personal with, and they’re what actually vibrate and make the guitar resonate with music. That is why it’s important to maintain your strings and make sure they’re fresh and always in tune.

But for us guitarists on a budget, this is not so easy to do. Good/branded strings are expensive, costing an average of P500 a pop, and changing them every so often can be a pain in the pocket. Third World guitarists need to extend the life of their strings, and here are some of the things you can do to achieve that:

1. Wash your hands before playing. Most of the dirt and grime that collect on your strings come from your hands, so before you even pick up your guitar make sure your hands are clean. Some players advise against handwashing because it softens the calluses on the fretting hand and the nails on the plucking hand; for them hand sanitizer works better. I myself don’t see any problem with washing hands and have never suffered softer calluses or nails because of it. Just the same, it’s a good idea to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer inside your guitar case for those times when you don’t have the luxury of going to the sink to wash your hands.
   
2. Clean the strings often. It doesn’t matter how long or how short you play: clean your strings before you set your guitar down. A clean cotton cloth will do: first rub it throughout the length of the strings several times, using a different part of the cloth with each pass. Then using the cloth, pinch each individual string and run up and down its length several times to clean it thoroughly. This takes care of both the surface and the underside of the strings. (Note: I use a product called Googalies (pictured above), a cloth made of microfibers that works really well in cleaning not just strings but the entire guitar. My sister-in-law sent it to me from Michigan so it doesn’t come cheap peso-wise, so if you can’t afford it a clean cotton cloth will work just as well).
3. Don’t expose your guitar to the elements. An extended period on a guitar stand even inside the house can add dirt on your strings, so it’s a wise idea to keep your guitar in a cabinet or in its case if you’re not going to use it for an extended period.
4. Play your guitar often. This sounds counter-intuitive and even downright silly but it does work. I have found that leaving a guitar inside its case for a week or so makes the strings a little brittle and rough; I think it has something to do with the oils in the guitarists’ hands that make the strings slick. The more you use your guitar – provided you follow the previous tips, of course – the longer the strings will last.

Lastly, and I don’t know if this applies to those of you in places outside Davao City, you can use non-branded strings that work and sound just as well as the more expensive branded ones. Here in Davao City there are Korean-made strings that sell for about P120 per set, and they can be found at the musical instruments section of Victoria Plaza (I can’t remember the brand but I’ll take a look later and post it here). As I said, they sound the same, and the only drawback is that they’re not as slick as branded ones. But after a few days, when the strings bed in and your natural oils work their way into them, they feel the same as D’Addario or Martin strings. I used to be able to buy unmarked strings in Manila, and when I go there about two weeks from now for a short break I will see if they’re still available.

Meanwhile, keep strumming…