Strings on a guitar are made of steel. Strings can last for as long as 6 months, but many guitar players prefer to change their strings every 3-4 weeks.
The reasons for this are varied, but many players say that the sound of new strings is much brighter and more resonant than used ones.
Some people also find it easier to play with fresh strings because they have less tendency to slide around on the fretboard and don’t wear down your fingertips as old strings do.
You may be tempted to simply throw your old used strings away, but before you take that route, read the following ideas for other things you can do with those strings.
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Recycle Your Old Strings
Because guitar strings are made of various metals, they are usually deemed recyclable. If your trash collection provider offers recycling services, simply throw the old strings in the recycling container.
You may want to check ahead of time to make sure they accept guitar strings, as some municipalities and garbage companies do not accept certain items.
You could also check with guitar string manufacturers to see if they will allow you to mail them your old strings for recycling purposes.
One such company, D’Addario, actually has a program that allows you to turn in your used guitar strings for reward points.
Once you have a certain number of points, you can then redeem those points for some free stuff such as merch, gear, and other prizes.
To check out D’Addario’s string recycling program, click here.
Make Cool Things Out of Them and Sell on Etsy
You can repurpose your old guitar strings and turn them into jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, bracelets, you name it. Just take a look on Pinterest or Etsy once and you’ll see what I mean.
You can also use them to make unique designs while you are painting or doing other types of art, as well as crafts. The possibilities really are unlimited if you let your imagination take over.
If They Are Still Usable, Donate Them!
Many public school systems across the world need help with costs and supplies for various school programs they may have. You may even have one in your city.
Buying guitar strings in bulk is not cheap, so any help with strings would be much appreciated by these institutions. You could even ask the school’s art department if they could use your old guitar strings.
Use Thin Strings as a Cheese Slicer or Clay Cutter
One cool idea that I saw in an online forum recently was using your old guitar strings as a cheese slicer or clay cutter. This would probably only work with the thinner strings such as the high E string.
If you’re gonna try to use a guitar string as a cheese slicer, it’s important to remind you that you may want to make sure the strings are clean first.
One way to do this is to boil the strings in water for about 30 to 40 minutes. Then dry them with a clean paper towel, or spray some food-grade sanitizer on them.
Use Them to Hang Things on the Wall
If you have a few things that you’d like to hang on the wall, but doing so the traditional way just doesn’t seem to work, try using an old guitar string.
You could hang anything from framed art, old cymbals for your music studio, and even curtains if you had a long enough length to use. The possibilities are endless.
Just let your imagination take over. After all, most guitar strings are pretty easy to tie and some even have the open ball on the end, giving you even more options.
