How long do strings last on an unplayed guitar?

[SierraTango]

IIRC Joe Pass said he changed strings when they broke or something to that effect.
I play out with my Benedetto often and usually change the TI JS's about every 6-8 months depending on the schedule. I know it's ready when I have work harder to get my tone.
OTOH my backup Pisano 880, I can go 18 months on a set of Pyramid flats and it still sounds and plays great.

[starjasmine]

I'm in the "don't change them if they play and sound good" camp.

And that varies with the style of music & gauge of string - string bending messes up your intonation, because strings don't stretch evenly, so the .009s I use on rock/pop gigs rarely last more than 1-2 weeks before they sound dull, out of intonation, or both...

[GuyBoden]

Usually, I change the top three strings before I need to change the bottom three bass strings.

But, some players do the opposite. So, who knows.............................

[jamesego]

How long do unplayed strings last? The question makes me want to form a band called Berkeley Schrödinger.

I was thinking the thread title was more like a koan, but this works, too.

[BBGuitar]

I am not a metallurgist but I have but I have worked in the metallurgy department for over 20 years so I picked up a few things.

Unless the strings are in a corrosive atmosphere they will last forever.

[joe2758]

I am not a metallurgist but I have but I have worked in the metallurgy department for over 20 years so I picked up a few things.

Unless the strings are in a corrosive atmosphere they will last forever.

Challenge accepted

[BBGuitar]

Challenge accepted

Not a challenge just an observation.