Enjoy dead strings?

Swimming Bird · #1 10-10-2006, 12:26 PM

Perhaps I'm uneducated or just plain weird, but I vastly prefer the sound of "dead" strings to fresh new ones. I never change a string unless it's broken, but I leave them on for so long that when one changes it sounds vastly different from the others -- so I change all of them. I hadn't really thought about it, but I just had my G string pop -- I'd had those strings on my bass for five years. Long dead, but the sound of the new strings just sound way too bright.

So here's the question: do you prefer dead strings? Why or why not?

BrandonBass · #2 10-10-2006, 12:32 PM

i prefer new strings but i can live with dead strings and im poor so ill just play till they break

Fawkes007 · #3 10-10-2006, 12:36 PM

I do not like dead strings. I find they inhibit the sound of the instrument. If I wanted a more "vintage" or "dub" sound I would simnply string a P-bass with flat wounds.

I think dead flat wounds sound much better than dead roundwounds.

excane · #4 10-10-2006, 01:09 PM

Only when the mood strikes me.

brianrost · #5 10-10-2006, 01:49 PM

For some styles of music, yes.

I keep flatwounds on until they break. I've had a set of strings on my Danelectro for 28 years.

Roundwounds I change twice a year if I play that bass a lot, that's still a lot less often than most folks.

Upright strings...at $100 for steel and $200 for gut, they stay on a LONG time

Ron Now · #6 10-10-2006, 01:57 PM

I used to change my strings every month to keep that new string sound. Untill I bought an old bass off my friend and didn't get around to switching the strings, I fell in love with the sound they produced. So much so, that I figured out what they were and put the same brand on all my basses and havn't switched the strings on any since.

nqabassist26 · #7 10-10-2006, 03:28 PM

Personally, I hate changing strings as much as I hate the sound of dead strings.

So pretty much I hate the sound, but I'm too lazy to go out, buy new strings, and change them.

Baryonyx · #8 10-10-2006, 03:36 PM

I hate dead strings. They sound and feel terrible, so I make sure to maintain good string changing habits!

agreatheight · #9 10-10-2006, 03:39 PM

IMO:

Dead Rounds sound terrible.
New Rounds sound nice.
New Rounds after 2 hours of play sound great.
Dead Flats sound close to nice.
New Flats sound nice.

Rick_no7 · #10 10-10-2006, 03:43 PM

I like my strings the best around week 2, and on into month 2. Eventually though around month 3 or 4 I have to change them.

Fawkes007 · #11 10-10-2006, 07:50 PM

Well, as much as I hate dead strings...it looks like I left a set on my Roscoe a tad too long. I slapped on a new set of DR nickel lo riders on Labor Day weekend, and today I broke the A string.

The thing is, even after one gig and twice a week rehearsals and playing on my own, they still sounded good to me and I saw no reason to change them. But when they go dead, man, off they go.

kingmacaw · #12 10-10-2006, 11:34 PM

dear swimming bird:
how does a man pop his g string? did it hurt? just funnin.'
Birdman
p.s. flats are always relatively dead & sound great for some music-especially old 50-60's rock & soul music or rhythm & blues so why change them a lot? but for southern rock & some other music rounds are the way to go & ss is the brightest. i use Dean Markley ss blue steels on my warwick fretted-great pop alive fairly long lasting strings. may use DR sunbeam nickels on my warwick fretless or Rotosound flats - not sure yet what i'll stay with.

Incognitus · #13 10-11-2006, 12:08 AM

I don't like completely dead strings, but I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand that new string sound, to me it's just to dang twangy. I like my strings broken in, with a little snap and growl but still smooth and bassy.

bassman040 · #14 10-11-2006, 12:40 AM

I just can't stand dead strings. In a band settings, it just doesn't cut through the mix because it's too dead and it makes me dig into them even more and end up with blisters all over my playing fingers, mind you i've tried eq'ing it and pumping my amp real loud, the dead strings are to blame. if you're after the mellow and 'dead' sound go for flatwounds, they do what they were made to do.

b.ionian · #15 10-12-2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassman040

it just doesn't cut through the mix because it's too dead and it makes me dig into them even more.

+1. Dead strings make my amp have to work harder. Also, maybe its just me, but I find it harder to tune dead strings.

FaithNoMan · #16 10-12-2006, 09:56 PM

I still find my Dr Sunbeams bright after a year of having them on my Ric...

Strange, but true.

Tbirdbassist · #17 10-12-2006, 10:58 PM

Well, DR is in another league... we all know that. I had a pair of Highbeams stay exactly the same for 5 months after the week long break in. I only changed because one of them broke.

bup.schaefer · #18 10-12-2006, 11:48 PM

In the past I prefer dead strings, but after using flats ( I use Galli Jazz Flats!) i never ever will touch roundwounds , new or dead !

BigB

Sean Baumann · #19 10-13-2006, 09:46 AM

When my strings start to die, I start hating my bass. When I finally change 'em, I love my bass

Koki · #20 10-13-2006, 09:56 AM

I like the sound of new strings. I like that first few days of bright sound.