Do strings have a shelf life.

Devil#20

I've just been putting all my string sets in a 'really useful box'  rather than them residing in various cases etc. I think some of them are upwards of 5+ years or so. Do they go off if stored unused in the packets or do they only do that once under tension?

strtdv

If they're in sealed packets they'll be fine. 
If they're open packets or old style paper/card packets they'll corrode over time

drofluf

strtdv said:

If they're in sealed packets they'll be fine. 
If they're open packets or old style paper/card packets they'll corrode over tone

Corroded overtones? May be to some people's taste

maltingsaudio

Strings stored properly should be fine , it’s rust that gets them. Strings on a guitar do not go off because they are under tension, they go off due to sweat and rust. Strings under tension reach their point of ultimate elasticity, then when pushed past this snap, this doesn’t matter if they are brand new or 10 years old. Nb when strings are at their maximum tension/elasticity and more tension is put on them , they have two options, snap or bend the neck, hence why truss rods.

Devil#20

strtdv said:

If they're in sealed packets they'll be fine. 
If they're open packets or old style paper/card packets they'll corrode over tone

Presumably if they are coated type then they'll be OK indefinitely then? I think most of mine aren't though and no idea how old some of them are. If they don't look bright when I come to use them I'll just bin them then or mark as emergency spares. Cheers. 

jasonbone75

drofluf said:

strtdv said:

If they're in sealed packets they'll be fine. 
If they're open packets or old style paper/card packets they'll corrode over tone

Corroded overtones? May be to some people's taste

I already registered that one at the court of they'll buy anything - cheques in the post please for unathorised trademark use or you will be hearing from my lawyers - I went with the folks that represent Gibson because they seemed up for it

guitars4you

I've known E Ball strings have 'rust' spots when you open a sealed packet on what I assume is/are old stock - Just the plain strings 

Tannin

As mentioned above, they will last more-or-less forever if kept in a suitable atmosphere. Some makers seal their strings in nitrogen, as I recall, which sounds very high-tech but is mere routine - distributors of fruit and vegetables (for example) have been using nitrogen-filled packaging for donkey's years.  This is how come you can get fresh(ish)  lettuce from California and fresh(ish) apples from New Zealand at your corner shop. 

But while an inert gas is ideal, ordinary air is OK for a very long time provided that it is dry. Moist air will rust most things pretty quickly.

57Deluxe

Corroded overtones? May be to some people's taste

,,,Undertones tribute band?

Roland

Devil#20 said:

Presumably if they are coated type then they'll be OK indefinitely then?

I’d be more worried about the coating than the steel. Depending on content plastics can degrade, harden and crack with exposure to air/heat/light

Litterick

Strings from Sevenoaks are still fresh when they reach New Zealand, I can confirm.

Dave_Mc

Tannin said:

But while an inert gas is ideal, ordinary air is OK for a very long time provided that it is dry. Moist air will rust most things pretty quickly.

You've never been to Northern Ireland, have you?  What's this "dry air"? 

Seriously, though, the ones in the protective atmosphere/packaging are usually fine, the ones not in that usually not, at least in my experience, as @strtdv rightly said. And as @guitars4you said, it always seems to be the unwound ones, the winding on the wound ones doesn't seem to corrode as much.

JezWynd

guitars4you said:

I've known E Ball strings have 'rust' spots when you open a sealed packet on what I assume is/are old stock - Just the plain strings 

I've had the same very recently with a set of D'addario half wounds. They were not opened for 6 months and when I did a couple of them had bad tarnishing that would not come off. Bought from Amazon and they appear to be genuine.

jasonbone75

Dave_Mc said:

Tannin said:

But while an inert gas is ideal, ordinary air is OK for a very long time provided that it is dry. Moist air will rust most things pretty quickly.

You've never been to Northern Ireland, have you?  What's this "dry air"? 

Seriously, though, the ones in the protective atmosphere/packaging are usually fine, the ones not in that usually not, at least in my experience, as @strtdv rightly said. And as @guitars4you said, it always seems to be the unwound ones, the winding on the wound ones doesn't seem to corrode as much.

That is the effect of nickel. Plain steel rusts much faster than a nickel alloy. Nickel is a common addition to alloys for corrosion resistance.

Dave_Mc

jasonbone75 said:

Dave_Mc said:

Tannin said:

But while an inert gas is ideal, ordinary air is OK for a very long time provided that it is dry. Moist air will rust most things pretty quickly.

You've never been to Northern Ireland, have you?  What's this "dry air"? 

Seriously, though, the ones in the protective atmosphere/packaging are usually fine, the ones not in that usually not, at least in my experience, as @strtdv rightly said. And as @guitars4you said, it always seems to be the unwound ones, the winding on the wound ones doesn't seem to corrode as much.

That is the effect of nickel. Plain steel rusts much faster than a nickel alloy. Nickel is a common addition to alloys for corrosion resistance.

Yeah I was thinking it was probably due to something like that

BillDL

Rotosound electric strings come with an extra High E.  I don't often break strings, but they are handy for build / repair and setup work (neck angle and alignment, bridge alignment and positioning,and pulling cables through hollowbodies), so I keep them all wound up in a paper envelope in a drawer in my spare bedroom that I use as a music room.  Some must be over 10 years old but are still as perfectly shiny as they were when I received them.  I don't have a damp house, although the humidity obviously fluctuates with the outside environment and I live in one of the rainiest areas of Britain, but I've never noticed any corroded or rough spots on them.  I have, however, noticed some dark spots on the windings of wound electric (nickel) strings I've had kicking around as partial sets for about 5 years and kept in the same drawer.  Nothing to the extent that it would stop me using them though.  Back when I first started playing and strings were comparatively more expensive for a young man on a meagre wage, I used to get a small piece of very fine wet & dry paper, wrap it around the unwound strings, and rub it along the strings to keep them shiny and clean.

SquireJapan

Yes. Yes they do. 

I had a MASSIVE pack of 9-42 from the 90s. They were sealed from the factory in airtight bags, and I found an old stash of them. (D’Addario). 

The few I’ve put on seemed fine,  it have gone a tiny bit rusty just being sat on the guitar. 

Now, I’d hope there are no other people as foolish as me to put on 25+ year old string in their guitar, but if you are, but telling you my tale regardless. 

ScreamingDave

strtdv said:

If they're in sealed packets they'll be fine. 
If they're open packets or old style paper/card packets they'll corrode over time

I think you’ll find those strings are known as “relics” to the cognoscenti 

Tannin

JezWynd said:

I've had the same very recently with a set of D'addario half wounds. They were not opened for 6 months and when I did a couple of them had bad tarnishing that would not come off. Bought from Amazon and they appear to be genuine.

Cough, cough.

Neil

guitars4you said:

I've known E Ball strings have 'rust' spots when you open a sealed packet on what I assume is/are old stock - Just the plain strings 

I had exactly the same when opening an old pack of super slinkies.  Had to chuck them out.

Never bought EB again since. 

robgilmo

You guys actually have spare sets of strings? I need to up my game.

If any of you do have some 20 odd year old strings think of the vintage tone they will give you? Although the 5+ year old strings on my accoustic arnt giving me any tone at all let alone vintage.