Elixer strings:not sure when to change..

LowEnder2112 · #1 07-17-2007, 10:58 AM

Okay so, I bought a ICB200 (iceman) bass by ibanez at a GC like 4 months ago. It came stocked with Elixer strings so i was overjoyed when i heard they were worth 40 dollars.

But i can't tell when they're dead. They seem just as shiny as ever to me, and i play ALOT...it could be maybe that the strings are just plain good. Because i've had ghs bass boomers, ernie balls, and rotosounds on other basses and they all turn 'dark' by this time..

so is it that they're just plain good strings or that the strings hide it well?

I hope they're fine, they look and sound fine to ME..i just don't feel like replacing yet. 40 bucks is a good bit for strings, and after falling in love with these strings, i refuse to buy any other brand.

help please.

Drifta · #2 07-17-2007, 11:00 AM

If your ears says it is ok what is the question? sounds like you want to change strings just to change them.

LowEnder2112 · #3 07-17-2007, 11:03 AM

well i may not pay attention as well as i think i do. I forgot what they sound like when i got them

pilonian · #4 07-17-2007, 11:15 AM

I had elixers for awhile and I can't say that I was impressed much by them. They will have the same sound forever, I have them on my back up bass just so that I can leave them and not have to worry about them. To me though they sounded dead and flat the whole time, but they still sound now almost a year later the same way they did out of the box. It's all about that coating it has on it, lets them last forever. But if you like them, they'll last awhile, and then you'll have to drop the 40 bucks again

Jimi Cleek · #5 07-17-2007, 11:16 AM

The Elixir strings have a coating on them to protect the string from getting dirt and debris in the windings it also helps the strings sound bright for a long time. Signs they need changing, either they will start sounding dark, or you will notice the coating starting to fall off. Looks kind of like bits of skin hanging from your strings. I have gotten up to a year on them and only replaced them because I didn't like the strings shedding. They still sounded very good.
They are made by the W.L Gore and Associates Company, the same people who brought you Gore-Tex.
Jimi

Alun · #6 07-17-2007, 11:30 AM

As long as you like the sound, leave 'em on

I usually leave mine on for 4-6 months and play most days for an hour or so, plus 6-8 gigs a month. I find that they've lost some tension by then and start to feel a bit floppy, but the tone isn't much different to when they first go on.

Regarding them sounding dead, I've never encountered this. I do find they tend to get a little brighter over the first few hours of playing ( bizarre but true), but then they stay as they are.

I use Nanowebs which have the thin coating, haven't tried the thicker coated Polywebs yet.

Cheers,
Alun

JonathanD · #7 07-18-2007, 08:30 PM

I like to make a recording of the strings, change them and then record the new stings and see how much of a differance there is. make sure to play the same thing, through the same equiptment, with the same settings. If possible I would say try and replace them witht he NANO WEB and NOT the POLYWEB.

IMO, the dirtyness of the strings doesn't let you know if they are dead, tis how they sound. When I have to start turning up the highs and mids on my amp I take that as meaning my strings are dying. replacing the strings keeps me from needing another amp

Jonathan

hasbeen · #8 07-18-2007, 08:45 PM

if they look good and cost $40, why would you want to replace them?

troy mcclure · #9 07-19-2007, 06:51 AM

I have had mine less than 3 months and I noticed the coating
coming off. Looks likes threads hangin towards the fretboard.
No one can see it but me, looks annoying. I got them on sale for $25. I liked how they felt on my plucking fingers, in between a tapewound and a roundwound, but might not buy them again because of the flaking web material. I play about
12 hrs a week between gigs and rehersals.

IAmTheDood · #10 07-19-2007, 06:56 AM

look at the strings where they would hit a fret.

that's generally where the coating wears off. it took about 5 months of playing my shecter for that to happen ..

the sound started to deaden as well ...

elwood · #11 07-19-2007, 07:51 AM

I pulled my nanowebs off after a year with no appreciable change in tone from the strings. My hands don't get sweaty very often and I play with a light touch. I took them off because I wanted to go to roundwounds...

I replaced them with Black Beauties.

Seriously, IMO nanos don't have a lot of zing from the get-go, and their tone wore me out before I wore them out. I liked the feel of them though, and no finger noise! I had a set of the polywebs some time ago and didn't care for them (too much shedding of the coating).

nastyn8c · #12 07-19-2007, 08:08 AM

Take them off immediately after you put them on. I did a trial for them a long time ago where I put them on my SR5 that I normally had strung with D'Addario XL. I found that they keep the same tone forever, but it's an almost dead tone, as if having coating on the strings if nearly as bad as having dirty, greasy fingers on them.

I found that they killed my tone, and that I would rather buy new strings every few months than never replace my Elixirs.

I'm not looking to start a fight - this is all just my opinion. It may be that I was used to having a bass that was extremely bright even with nickelwound strings. Some of you may prefer a darker tone, but just listen to the strings and really ask yourself if Elixirs are an improvement.

Baird6869 · #13 07-19-2007, 08:09 AM

I really like the strings but don't like when they start shedding the coating.

I think the acoustic 6 stringer strings are the best sounding of the bunch. The bass strings are just ok IMO.

Would'e? · #14 07-19-2007, 09:03 AM

Elwood - To your ears How did the Black Beauties compare? Brighter initally than the Nanowebs? If so how long did the zing last on the BBs compared to the Elixirs?

I'm using Hi-Beams right now and like them very much, but I like a really zingy string. The Hi-Beams lost some of that - not a whole lot - after about three weeks. I'm wondering if Elxirs would keep it a little longer or are they not quite as bright out of the box? Same goes for the coated DRs (BB's, etc.). Are they starting from a darker sound out of the box than the uncoated DR stainless strings?

I'm trying to figure out, say after 4-8 weeks on the bass, which of those three would still have the most zing, not relative to it's own new sound but objectively. In other words which is brighter: two month old Hi-Beams, two month old Elixirs, or two month old BBs?

elwood · #15 07-19-2007, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Would'e?

Elwood - To your ears How did the Black Beauties compare? Brighter initally than the Nanowebs? If so how long did the zing last on the BBs compared to the Elixirs?

I'm using Hi-Beams right now and like them very much, but I like a really zingy string. The Hi-Beams lost some of that - not a whole lot - after about three weeks. I'm wondering if Elxirs would keep it a little longer or are they not quite as bright out of the box? Same goes for the coated DRs (BB's, etc.). Are they starting from a darker sound out of the box than the uncoated DR stainless strings?

I'm trying to figure out, say after 4-8 weeks on the bass, which of those three would still have the most zing, not relative to it's own new sound but objectively. In other words which is brighter: two month old Hi-Beams, two month old Elixirs, or two month old BBs?

BBs are brighter 4 months later than new nanowebs IME. The coating comes off easier, and could help the strings go dead faster, especially for someone sweaty and ham-fisted. Strings last pretty long for me generally since my hands stay dry and I use a light touch. Also, I like nickels over steel. There's a limit to my appreciation of zing.

Would'e? · #16 07-19-2007, 12:49 PM

Thanks, but the BBs are coated stainless steels are they not? I understood from other TBers that all of the DR Extra Life strings were simply Hi-Beams with a colored coating.

elwood · #17 07-19-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Would'e?

Thanks, but the BBs are coated stainless steels are they not? I understood from other TBers that all of the DR Extra Life strings were simply Hi-Beams with a colored coating.

Yes, Hi Beams with the coating. Not as many gauges available maybe, otherwise that's it.

Fuzzbass · #18 07-23-2007, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilonian

I had elixers for awhile and I can't say that I was impressed much by them. They will have the same sound forever, I have them on my back up bass just so that I can leave them and not have to worry about them. To me though they sounded dead and flat the whole time, but they still sound now almost a year later the same way they did out of the box. It's all about that coating it has on it, lets them last forever. But if you like them, they'll last awhile, and then you'll have to drop the 40 bucks again

The older Polywebs (thick coating, easily visible) or the newer Nanowebs (very thin coating, hard to detect)? I didn't like the Polywebs, but I like the Nanos a lot.

Neither of those types last forever. The coating does eventually fail (allowing dirt/sweat to get between the windings), and even if it didn't, coating a string doesn't prevent metal fatigue from occurring. But they DO last a long, long time, far longer than uncoated strings.

Fuzzbass · #19 07-23-2007, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LowEnder2112

Okay so, I bought a ICB200 (iceman) bass by ibanez at a GC like 4 months ago. It came stocked with Elixer strings so i was overjoyed when i heard they were worth 40 dollars.

But i can't tell when they're dead. They seem just as shiny as ever to me, and i play ALOT...it could be maybe that the strings are just plain good. Because i've had ghs bass boomers, ernie balls, and rotosounds on other basses and they all turn 'dark' by this time..

so is it that they're just plain good strings or that the strings hide it well?

I hope they're fine, they look and sound fine to ME..i just don't feel like replacing yet. 40 bucks is a good bit for strings, and after falling in love with these strings, i refuse to buy any other brand.

help please.

Yes, the strings are that good. If they still sound great, then... well... they still sound great and don't need to be changed! I understand your question, though: strings can die gradually and it can be hard to detect when you need new ones.

Here's what you'll want to look for on your Elixirs: when the coating begins to fail, you'll see little flakes on the strings where you play it the most... probably over the pickup. You might think the coating is flecks of your skin.

Note: just because the coating is flaking off, that doesn't mean the strings are dead! It's just a sign that they're on the way out.

The real signal to change your Elixirs occurs when significant sections of the strings themselves begin to discolor from dirt and gunk getting between the windings and under the coating. Right now, the E string on my Sadowsky has the most discoloration, and it sounds the most dead. I've gotta get myself another set of Elixirs soon.

73jbass · #20 07-23-2007, 01:18 PM

As long as the strings soung good to you,leave them alone. I started playing Elixers about a year and a half ago,and have them on 7 of my 9 basses. They may not have that new roundwound zing like Rotos or DR's,but they sound settled in from the start,and stay that way.The first set I had was on a Kubicki Ex-factor,and they lasted about 7 months before they started to go. I recently put a set of D'Addario EXP's on an SR5,and they are coming off,and replacing them with Elixers.