The string windings get flattened (the blank spot), in the areas where you play most so there is no way of preventing it.
You can prolong the life of your strings by wiping them down with a cloth after each play and there are some string cleaning products that help. Finger grime accumulates between windings otherwise (ick).
As a rule of thumb (imho) you should change your set approx every 20 hours of playing or sooner (some people I know corrode a set of strings after a couple of hours playing).
If they get too old you'll lose the tone and resilience and they wont sound in tune properly either.
Have a look at the D'Addario website or the Ernie Ball site for more info on strings.
:-)
Yeah like he said. If you wash your hands before you play and wipe the strings when you're done they will last longer. Also different types and brands of strings react differently to people's fingers. Ernie Balls wear out in no time for me. I don't know if you're playing acoustic or electric but for electric I like DR pure nickel. A little more expensive than other strings but they last longer for me.
There's also dead spots. A fret on a specific string that will not have as much sustain as any other spot on the fretboard. Sometimes is caused by a curved neck, or a design problem.
Yeah like he said. If you wash your hands before you play and wipe the strings when you're done they will last longer. Also different types and brands of strings react differently to people's fingers. Ernie Balls wear out in no time for me. I don't know if you're playing acoustic or electric but for electric I like DR pure nickel. A little more expensive than other strings but they last longer for me.
funny how different strings last for different people.. Ernie Balls will last me ages. i have my current set on for well over a month and they are still going strong. will be changine them tomorrow though.
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^Yeah, everyone plays differently, in different conditions, with different guitars, so ya gotta find the set that works the best for you.
On my Les Paul Studio, best strings for me on that are the Gibson BriteWires.
On my Alvarez acoustic/electric, I'm still testing new ones out. So far I have liked the tone of Martin SP's but they don't seem to last too long.
Wiping down strings after playing does help. When my strings are getting old, I wipe them thoroughly with a vinegar soaked cloth, and that seem to bring back clarity for a few more hours of play.
In that case, your ears are probably getting tired of hearing that same riff over and over again. Once you give your ears a break and after they've had time to rest, something may sound totally different.
Blank spots on the strings 
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