Does swapping strings ruin the strings?

sigmafloyd · #1 11-01-2011, 12:40 AM

I've been switching between a set of chromes and a set of rounds on what seems like a daily basis. Does taking a set on and off ruin the strings over time?

rollcall · #2 11-01-2011, 12:50 AM

Jungy · #3 11-01-2011, 12:52 AM

I don't know but I think you need a spare bass. I hate changing strings.

fretlessguy · #4 11-01-2011, 02:41 PM

Probably as an everyday thing, yes. Get another bass for flatwound work and one for roundwound work. Probably isn't good on the neck to change them out daily either.

Sparkdog · #5 11-01-2011, 02:48 PM

There are 2 ways to go about this:

1. Get a Precision and put flats on it. Get a Jazz and put rounds on it. Done.

2. Sit down at the computer and spend endless hours researching every possible combination of bass and strings to get the elusive tone you hear in your head. Spend untold thousands of dollars buying the aforementioned basses, selling them, and buying new ones. Try every brand and type of strings you can find. Ask your buddies what they like. Ask everyone at Talkbass what they like. Continue this cycle for 7-10 years.

Then get a Precision and put flats on it. Get a Jazz and put rounds on it. Done.

Just trying to save you some time.

sigmafloyd · #6 11-01-2011, 02:50 PM

Haha, that is the gameplan Sparkdog. But for now, I prefer the flats sound, so flats on jazz are it.

Sparkdog · #7 11-01-2011, 03:03 PM

Yeah, you can get as crazy as your patience and bank account allows with this - for a long time I had 2 Precisions and 2 Jazz basses, with...wait for it...flats on one P, rounds on the other, and the same on the Jazzes. I would pick whichever one best suited the gig or session and off I would go.

I was looking to simplify, so I ultimately concluded that flats (Chromes) brought out the inherent thump from the P and rounds (Rotos) maximized the growl of the Jazz so that I could get pretty much everything I wanted from that duo.

But flats sound great on a good Jazz so you'll get no argument from me!

sigmafloyd · #8 11-01-2011, 03:06 PM

I can't tell you how much time I've spent thinking about all of those permutations. I did the Jazz/Rounds thing for so long, until discovering Talkbass. Now I need a P bass. I'm going to splurge on a 'good' bass in the near future, so do I upgrade my Jazz and get a decent P, or keep my current Jazz and get a kick-@ss P? These are questions that fuel my GAS. My current gameplan is to get a 57RI P and then toss rounds (probably sunbeams) back on the Jazz

Marty Forrer · #9 11-01-2011, 03:13 PM

TalkBass will mess with your head, give you sleepless nights, cost you a fortune, and fill you with such indecision and angst you will wonder how you ever managed without it!

Sparkdog · #10 11-01-2011, 04:15 PM

Hey Sigmafloyd,

You're on the right track. Yeah, you need 2 basses to make the flats/rounds thing work, but if you gig at all then you need 2 basses anyway so there's always a backup available.

The 57RI P is a great way to go, every version of that bass I know of is great. I owned the "Classic 50's" MIM at one time and it was flat out wonderful. I almost bought the American Vintage version of it, loved it but it was twice the money and the MIM was so good I went with that. My current go-to Precision is an old CIJ version of the 57RI. It's virtually identical to the other 2, but with one important distinction - the neck has a 1 5/8" nut instead of the 1 3/4" found on the American and Mexican versions. Big deal to me but might not be for you.

Flats on that bass bring out all the meaty midrange and solid thump you use a P for. I've tried every kind of string imaginable and good flats just sound like they were designed specifically for this bass IMO.

You don't need an expensive P or J, just a good solid one. Many of the MIM's fit the bill nicely and at bargain prices. Even used MIA's can be found at very reasonable prices. My main Jazz is an '08 American Standard, I've owned and played a lot of Jazz basses, never found one better than this one. If you're patient you can find used ones in the $800 range, which really isn't a lot of money for a pro caliber instrument.

Not everyone digs the feel, but purely from a tone perspective, none of the strings I've tried brings out the growl of single coil Jazz pups like Roto Swing Bass 66's. Again, it's like they were made for the bass (and given the history of the two, maybe they were!)

I hope this helps.

soulman969 · #11 11-01-2011, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparkdog

There are 2 ways to go about this:

1. Get a Precision and put flats on it. Get a Jazz and put rounds on it. Done.

2. Sit down at the computer and spend endless hours researching every possible combination of bass and strings to get the elusive tone you hear in your head. Spend untold thousands of dollars buying the aforementioned basses, selling them, and buying new ones. Try every brand and type of strings you can find. Ask your buddies what they like. Ask everyone at Talkbass what they like. Continue this cycle for 7-10 years.

Then get a Precision and put flats on it. Get a Jazz and put rounds on it. Done.

Just trying to save you some time.

(que applause) Here's a suggestion that makes perfect sense to me. P's love flats for that vintage sound and Jazz's love rounds for slapping and a more modern sound.

I have a actually have a set of GHS Pressure Wounds on my Jazz Bass and just as soon as I pick up a PBass the Precision Flats I took OFF the JBass will go on the PBass.

Sparkdog is right, problem solved. Two different basses two different strings to meet any conceivable need.

skychief · #12 11-01-2011, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jungy

I don't know but I think you need a spare bass. I hate changing strings.

roger that ^^^^

sigmafloyd · #13 11-01-2011, 09:55 PM

Thanks for the AVRI57 advice Sparkdog. I've been eyeing that one for awhile now. I know I don't *need* that one, but I've never spent that much on a bass and for whatever reason, the time feels right. My main player for 15 years was a MIM Jazz, and still does serve as my backup, though it's seen better days and is much happier left in it's case (hence the string switching). My only concern about the 57 is that I've heard the pickup can be somewhat bright and a little thin, and also the bass itself can be bright because of the ash body. I'm definitely after that thumpier P bass sound. The 62 might be a better fit tone wise but I just love how the 57 looks. I guess I could swap in the 62 vintage pickup if need be.

Also - I did have the Rotosound 66s on the Squier VM Jazz awhile back. I've loved them in the past but on this one the steel strings are just insanely bright so I've been rocking nickels when in roundwound mode.