New strings - stale outta the box?

Fishheadjoe · #1 03-01-2011, 09:15 AM

I was wandering around in a local shop and on my way out, I spotted what looked to be a clearance price on DA strings.
The string came in a 2 set box, with a tee shirt for just over $25.00... hmm, seemed like a good deal and heck, it's even the right gauge for my nut...
So I bought them and put on set on my Roscoe. The "A" string lost almost all it's upper mid and highs within a week. The other three strings were fine for about 3 months, then they to, went mud.
So, I took those off and put on the other set from the package and I was back to new string bliss... for about 2 weeks, then it seems the whole set has lost it's "zing".
I'm wondering if any of you folks have had similar experiences with strings... I have no idea how long those strings were sitting at the store I bought them from, but it did appear that they were trying to move out "old stock".
Can strings age in their sealed packages? Will time, even though not actually strung, take away a string longevity?
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Fishheadjoe

JTE · #2 03-01-2011, 09:25 AM

DA? Do you mean D'Addario? Sounds like it, and I recall a "two-fer" package they had at one time. Yeah, it sometimes happens to all string companies that there might be dead strings right out of the package. Now, if it's D'Addario, they little plastic packages the strings are in have a production code on them. If you still have all the packaging, I'd suggest contacting D'Addario with them. Last time I had a problem with them (about 10 years ago), I sent them a letter regarding dead D strings from different sets of SloWounds and they asked me to send the packaging so they could trace the issue. The sent me new sets too, but don't always count on it. Those "two-fer" packages might be several years old by now and even with the corrosion resistant packaging, the strings might have picked up corrosion in the inner wraps.

John

Fishheadjoe · #3 03-01-2011, 09:38 AM

Thanks for the reply John... yes, they were D'Addario strings and yes, they were sealed, in tact in the individual plastic package.
I did not notice anything out of the ordinary when I removed them from the package, either set.
Unfortunately, I don't have the packages at home, I don't think so anyway, but I'll have a look tonight.
Thanks for the tip on connecting with the manufacturer though... I probably wouldn't have thought of doing so.
Fishheadjoe

PaulMacCnj · #4 03-01-2011, 10:12 AM

My experience is that strings can be duds right from the factory. Quality control these days is very good, but things happen. When it has happened, the manufacturers were willing to send replacements right away.

JTE · #5 03-01-2011, 10:22 AM

And, my experience is that over the last 30 years, QC continues to get better all the time. I managed a guitar store from '77- '88 and strings dead out of the pack were a lot more common in the past than I've heard reported now.

John

OldDog52 · #6 03-01-2011, 11:36 AM

Meanwhile in other threads some users are anxious for their new DAs to lose their initial "zing" . *shrug*