GMAT Test Prep: CR-28291124 GMAT Critical Reasoning

Guitar strings often go "dead"—become less responsive and bright in tone—after a few weeks of intense use. A researcher whose son is a classical guitarist hypothesized that dirt and oil, rather than changes in the material properties of the string, were responsible.

Which of the following investigations is most likely to yield significant information that would help evaluate the researcher's hypothesis?
Select one of the following answer choices