Do unused strings go dead?

[Kev]

May be a bit of a basic question, but I often change tunings on my basses and as such have a number of sets of strings on the go at any one time.  When I take them off, I tend to carefully coil and keep inside a sealed plastic packaging.

But I’m questioning why I bother risking coiling them etc in cases I kink by accident.  If, say, I hung strings up uncoiled in a cupboard or similar, will the string degenerate? Assuming the cupboard isn’t damp or anything?  I’ve always had it in my head that they need protecting, but given that they don’t experience the main causes of strings going dead (pressure, gunk, moisture) I’m now unsure if they’ll degrade at all??

[fretmeister]

I change strings all the time too - I put mine in a packet with those little silica gel packets to lower the moisture.

Lots of companies seal new strings in MA packaging and I can't see them spending money on that if they didn't think it would help the shelf life.

 

I have been thinking about using poster tubes to keep them straight - still with silica gel packets. If only "Athena" was still open and I could get a load of tubes from their bins!