Change strings on E prim

[jegbosch]

Hello,

I have an E prim and one of my E strings is broken.
Do I have to replace them both or just the broken one?
Thank you in advanche for your advice

[mac]

If the strings are old, you should probably change them both anyway!! You should change all your strings if they are old. They probably do not have the same crisp sound that they once had. Changing them all will make the instrument sound better. I know players that change their string pretty regularly. Some once a month. Some once a year!! A lot depends on how much you play or how long the instrument has been laying around collecting dust and if you live in a high humidity climate! I am sure others will have more advice for you.

[Clive]

You will want to change both strings. Many people make the mistake of changing on the string that breaks. The reason you change both string is because the tensions of one string are different than the other. If you just change 1 string and leave the other on, it will sound fine on the first frets, but if you jump the octave you will see it's out of tune. The older string has had time to stretch and settle. The new string hasnt. This is why it's good to change both strings, this way the tambura will be in tune no matter what fret you play.

The only exception to this unwritten rule is if you put two brand new strings on and you have one of them break a few days later, in which case you can change only the broken string and leave the other.

[jegbosch]

Thank you for your advice. I will replace them both.

Pozdrav,