Restringing my Guitar

I don't play my guitar as often as I should.  My newest guitar was a gift for my 30th birthday.  I was really excited about it for a while, but much like my writing, life got in the way of playing.  When I did find some inspiration to pick it up, I found out how rusty I had grown... my hands didn't do what I remembered them capable of...

The one thing that has kept me playing, even infrequently, has been the occasional gig at church.

I played about a month ago, accompanying the kids.  It was fun, but I recognized how dull and old my strings were.

Strings are an overlooked (and key) component to how a guitar performs and sounds.  Most strings are some sort of metal round around another metal.  Over time, oils from the fingers dirty the strings, seeping into the grooves.  The metal oxidizes to a degree.  The strings lose their elasticity.  Because of all of this, and more things I can't explain, the strings just sound dull after a while... the guitar doesn't ring or project the way it should.

I need to change my strings.

There is nothing quite like new strings; nothing like restringing a guitar.  To a degree, it is like performing surgery, at least like performing first aid.  To many it is a ritual, performed on a regular basis.  For me, it is like a mysterious, foreign ceremony from an old religion.  I don't fully understand it, but I can perform it, and it is beautiful. 

New strings, though refreshing, can be tricky.  They are bright in tone, exposing flaws clearly.  Even though they are more responsive, they are more prone to error and buzzing.  They go out of tune quickly; they stretch and bend.

But there is no sweeter sound than new strings.  The world is brighter, crisper, in color.  In contrast to the old strings, it's like the notes are new again.

It's time to change my strings.