Change strings the week before a gig?

[1009]

Did some searching, but my situation is a bit particular. Too particular perhaps to interest anyone, but what the heck.

I've been playing a set of DR hi-beams on my Geddy Lee for the past four months or so. I play in a band that does original rock/proggy stuff. I've loved the sound, but in the past week or two I've noticed the tone from the strings going a bit "dead." Something in the feel, too; just not the live response I'm used to getting.

I take care of the strings as best I know how (keeping my hands clean, wiping them down with those EB wipes etc.) and I'm not disappointed at the lifespan of the strings. I know I need a new set soon, and that's fine.

My issue is that I have a gig coming up on Friday. I know there's no way to break the strings in before then, but that's fine too, since a sharp metallic sound actually will suit this band's music just fine. My issue is primarily a lack of luthier skills.

To provide some history: when I first picked up the GL in December it of course had the factory strings on it. I did some research & decided hi-beams would be fun. Went out & bought 'em, strung 'em up, only to find that I couldn't get them to pitch without massive fret buzz all along the neck. Actually busted my A string thinking I might have been an octave down. (Ah, ignorant youth!) Took it into a shop where I was informed that when you change string gauge or manufacturer on a bass you really need to re-set the truss rod etc. That was cool because the bass hadn't had a real setup to that point so I just had it done.

Now I want to stick with the hi-beams, but I'm afraid that if I replace them I'll end up messing with the tension/action (inadvertently), finding myself in the same position I was in a few months ago. I don't mind going to the shop, of course, but I also need my bass for the gig on Friday.

So should I attempt to replace the strings myself now, or just wait until after the gig when I'm not under any time pressure? Thanks for your help!

[stylonpilson]

I'd take it to the shop and ask them how much they would charge for a string change and setup while you wait.

S.P.

[Steve]

If you use the same brand, style, gage, it won't mess with the action or intonation.

[JTE]

When you switched from the stock strings to the DR, your bass had to adapt to the different tension. Even if they're the same gauge strings, they could have very different pulls on the neck. Especially since the DRs are a round core, they're a lower tension set.

If the bass is set up properly for the DR's and all your doing is putting a new set of the same strings with the same gauges, it should be just fine. I used to change mine two days before a gig, no problem.

This is a good reason to learn how to do basic set-up yourself. Restrining, tweaking the truss rod and setting the intonation would take you about an hour max if you do it yourself. No reason to pay anyone for this stuff.

jte

[Pilgrim]

If you put the same brand and model of strings on it, the action won't change.

There are lots of sites on the web with directions on how to change strings.

[1009]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses.

JTE, you're definitely right. I need to learn how to do a setup, but I don't want to half-arse it. (I'd be more or less starting from scratch & hearsay, so I don't think internet sites are the way to go.) Any recommendations for places to learn in Chicago?

[scottbass]

One more suggestion: DON'T take all the old strings off at the same time and then put all the new strings on. In order to cause the least disruption to your neck tension, just take one old string off, replace it with a new one, tune it up, then move on to replace the next string. I know, it sounds obvious. But each string has somewhere around 40 pounds of tension. Using the one-at-a-time method cycles your neck from 160 pounds to 120 pounds each time. Removing them all at once cycles your neck from 160 pounds to 0 pounds.

[TheTraveler]

Here's the site I used to learn to re-string and setup a bass:

http://www.tunemybass.com/bass_setup/

[JTE]

Get a copy of Dan Erlewine's "Complete Guitar Repair Guide" or whatever it's titled now. I love that book because:

He talks about electric basses as well as guitars in general

He goes into details about the inherent trade-offs in set-up choices.

The graphics are perfect- either high resolution photos, plain line drawings, more elaborate graphic depending on what conveys the information most clearly.

Get a copy, sit down with a good cup of coffee and read the set-up sections while your instruments are safely locked up.

Then go through it again, this time wth your bass in your hands and the tools safely locked up.

Then go through one more time and get started.

There's simply nothing mysterious about the phsyics of electric bass set-up. And you really can't hurt anything if you follow the steps and processes Erlewine lists. If you learn to do it yourself, you'll be able to dial it in exaclty where YOU want it, not where a tech who doesn't know how you play thinks you'll like it. And, you'll know a lot more about what it is that separates a great instrument from the mass of pretty good ones.

jte

[Pilgrim]

The Erlewine book is a resource that every guitar and bass player should own. It is guaranteed to come in handy...and Amazon always has used copies available.

[Johnny Crab]

What scottbass said.

[Chebass88]

There's some great advice here. For me, until they are broken in, new strings go flat and need frequent tuning. However, I stretch mine (3-4 good pulls at each fret, all strings, and they seem to stay in tune.

Best,

ian

[Deacon_Blues]

Yeah, it's not rocket science to set up or intonate a bass guitar. As long as you're careful while adjusting it, you won't damage anything. No need to pay for someone setting it up unless it's really messed up.

+1 to changing one string at a time. Also keep the string tight while winding it up on the string pole.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by 1009

I'd be more or less starting from scratch & hearsay, so I don't think internet sites are the way to go.

Smart.

+1 to changing one string at a time.

+2. Really, no big deal. Be careful not to cut the strings too short, easy to do.

[sobie18]

I have changed strings hours before a gig and even in the studio. I stretch them out properly and they NEVER have a tuning problem after that.

[kirkm24]

Originally Posted by sobie18

I have changed strings hours before a gig and even in the studio. I stretch them out properly and they NEVER have a tuning problem after that.

After a string has been tuned and re-tuned once or twice it rarely slips out of tune again after that; at least on my basses.

[dannybuoy]

Be careful not to overstretch them though; grabbing them at the 12th fret and stretching it as far as you can is likely to do more harm than good.

[Bluesbob]

I don't think that a good tech would mind sharing this procedure with you. It should take him all of ten minutes, and if he doesn't talk down to you, it would be a great learning experience. Watch and learn as he removes the old string and cuts the new one to length (you'll need about four inches past the post for that particular string - maybe less for the E, depending on your gauge). Learn which way to wind the string, get it up to pitch, give it a stretch (don't over-do this, as dannybuoy says), tune up again. Do each string the same way, then check the relief after playing and re-tuning a coupla' times. If the truss rod needs an adjustment, you'll be able to learn why, and how it's done. Adjust the saddles for best action, tune to pitch and check the intonation. If you don't know what intonation is (or how to adjust it), make a note to learn how to do this. Intonation is extremely important to a musician, regardless of instrument.
As the Deacon says, "it's not rocket science" - but it does take a bit of learning to master the little tricks of a good set-up. As has been stated in this forum, and hinted at in this thread, a good set-up is the most important thing you can do to any instrument to make it able to be played at it's best. Learn this skill, and a lot of other good things will come from it.