"Breaking in" new strings

[brlottermann]

Hey TBers,
I just took upon the behemoth task of changing the strings on all my basses and of course they all sound completely different now. Not necessarily better, but different. I know that once they are "broken in" the improvement will become apparent, but I was just curious as to when/how long it takes for them to reach their optimum sound? Seems like every time I change strings I can't exactly pinpoint the time when they sound the best.

[Ian_Flash]

That time will vary with string gauge, Mfg. and design but my rule of thumb is this: After they are stretched out (no longer need to be re-tuned 3 times a day) they should be approaching their optimum sound. 2-3 gigs after THAT is my target tone that I hope will last a while. I play roundwounds only, flats would be a different story.