Do strings age in packages?

[Axtman]

A friend, who is closing up his repair shop, gave me a bunch of individual strings. There are all sorts of gauges, types, and materials. I offered them to another friend, who runs a music store. He did not want them because they are old and only in paper envelopes.

I guess strings could eventually age, especially if they were in a corrosive environment (they were not). But then, so would strings that were strung up on a bass age.

What is your opinion?

 

[AK Bass Guy]

IMO, strings unopened (in a sealed bag) and stored in a humidity/temperature controlled environment shouldn’t age or age very slowly. Its use, environment, dirt and sweat that deteriorates strings. Your friend doesn’t want the strings because being stored in only a paper sleeve has exposed them to moisture and most likely have some degree of oxidation on them.

 

[KenD]

Strings could corrode in a moist or otherwise corrosive environment. If they weren't badly corroded a good soak and/or wipe down with methyl hydrate or iso alcohol (99%) should suffice.

Otherwise, the law of entropy will eventually degrade them but that would would take a VERY long time

 

[GTHintz]

As long as they aren't exposed to moisture or are vacuum sealed they are good for many many years.

 

[mikeswals]

BP magazine asked this question to string Mfg'ers, and I think D'Addario said like easily 7+ for rounds depending how they're stored, that the paper is meant to keep humidity off it.

I've bought NIB flats that were in original box and paper sleeves and were from the mid-late 70's, they were perfect and no corrosion at all.

 

[winston]

I've bought NIB flats

I bet they sound great on Geezer Butler riffs!

Strings generally have a long shelf life.
The one exception is - I've had round-cores break when tuned to pitch after getting a little kinked in storage.

 

[Slevage]

If they look good (surface corrosion or heavy discoloration) they’re good.

If they don’t look right -pass.

 

[Bent77]

I recently put some 6-7 year old strings on. Sealed, new, rounds. It is dry here
These strings sounded nothing like I expected from the last time I used them

Maybe my ears have aged in the package they are sealed in

 

[Ostie]

I would rock them and probably give a bunch away to my bass playing friends. Seems like a good way to try out different strings on different basses.

 

[MegaSwing]

I guess I’m in trouble, then. There are strings that I’ve had around, unopened, for years. So far, so good. Fingers crossed.

 

[JohnEdward]

I have bought three NOS Fender flats off EBay over the years (one set of Studio Bass Flats and two of Fender 850 Flats). I can’t say if they’d sound different if new, but they certainly don’t sound old (the 850s are epic bass strings, and I’m hooked).

So, I’d say no other than aesthetically. The brass is straight up oxidized on all sets, and the silk isn’t pristine as it once likely was. All look fine, otherwise.

 

[burgerdj]

If time takes a little zing of my stash of DR DDT I’m good with it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

A friend, who is closing up his repair shop, gave me a bunch of individual strings. There are all sorts of gauges, types, and materials. I offered them to another friend, who runs a music store. He did not want them because they are old and only in paper envelopes.

I guess strings could eventually age, especially if they were in a corrosive environment (they were not). But then, so would strings that were strung up on a bass age.

What is your opinion?

They may be perfectly functional. Obviously without seeing then,I can’t attest to their appearance or marketability. I would keep the ones you want. Then sell the rest advertised as being old stock buyer beware. Keep in mind, there are some that much prefer vintage strings, especially flat wounds.

 

[Lobster11]

Agreed that they are probably fine -- but I can certainly understand why a music store would be reluctant to sell them without knowing for sure.

 

[tpaul]

Sure they'll age. So do unused razor blades. Doesn't mean you can't shave with them.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The only old strings I’ve ever bought were acoustic string and they had oxidized. No idea how old they were or how they were stored.

 

[MegaSwing]

I would rock them and probably give a bunch away to my bass playing friends. Seems like a good way to try out different strings on different basses.

WINNER!!!

 

[getBAK]

Strings do age in the packages...
Years ago there was a packaging issue with Dean Markley, I forget the specifics, but some preservative chemical wasn't used. The strings were corroding in the packages after only a few months. This led to thousands of strings having to be recalled and destroyed... and nearly destroying the company.

 

[Jogobass]

I always have a set of D'addario's laying around. I'm about to change them. I will see what they sound like. They are almost 2 years in the package since I ordered them. But D'addario puts them in a plastic bag, which on every occasion was leaking air from holes punched into it from the sharp endings of the strings. Bad packaging design. Intended to be airtight but not leak proof.

 

[micguy]

I recently put some 6-7 year old strings on. Sealed, new, rounds. It is dry here
These strings sounded nothing like I expected from the last time I used them

Maybe my ears have aged in the package they are sealed in

You body replaces your cells roughly every 7 years - a lot of you has changed from when you "remember" the sound of those strings. Your brain cells tend to sick around (aside from those you kill drinking), but the hardware providing inputs to your brain - your eardrums, your ossicles, your inner ears - all of that will have turned over in that time frame, so the system is not like it was 7 years ago.

Having done a lot of critical listening tests, one of the things you run into quickly is how short our auditory memory is - a few seconds, yes, you can remember stuff, a minute ago, you don't remember detail well at all. 7 years, hell no.