Extending String life

Ezmar · #1 08-20-2011, 04:02 PM

Okay, so I play Rotosound Swing Bass 66s, and I tend to go through them pretty fast, and I was wondering; What are some ways to extend the life of your string? I'm not talking about boiling or alcohol to "fix" Dead strings, I'm looking for ways to extend the life of the string before it breaks. My strings almost always break before they have a chance to really get noticeably dead. How can I keep strings longer? I don't really want to have to modify technique, because OI get the sound I want from it, so...

Yeah. Any tips/tricks/suggestions?

cracked_machine · #2 08-20-2011, 04:07 PM

Try a heavier gauge perhaps?

and I know you said you don't to change technique, but....

Are you playing to hard on the strings? Could be you need to turn up and play softer.

Popping always puts a lot of pressure on the higher strings. Again maybe you are popping too aggressively? Or need to get a heavier gauge on the D,G, etc.... strings.

lowendgenerator · #3 08-20-2011, 04:20 PM

Microfiber cloth rubdown every time you touch them.

Ezmar · #4 08-20-2011, 04:21 PM

Well, I know the General thing about strings, how they last longer if they're heavier, or if you use lighter technique, but I was sort of thinking stuff like wiping down strings after playing, would that have an effect? or is that just for preventing Dead strings?

I do play pretty hard, I was just wondering if there's anything that I could be doing to "take care" of my strings so they last longer. A better bridge might help, and I need one anyway, because the saddles on mine are constantly slipping.

Actually 90% of the time, the A string goes first. There have been 2 occasions where this has not been the case. just 2.

mmbongo · #5 08-20-2011, 04:24 PM

Roto's have never lasted long for me, maybe 2 weeks. DR, Circle K, or any coated string will give you much longer life.

mdogs · #6 08-20-2011, 04:33 PM

Do they break at the bridge?

knuckle_head · #7 08-20-2011, 04:38 PM

My question too; do they break in the same spot consistently?

Balancing your set will at least make each of your strings last equally as long.

scotch · #8 08-20-2011, 04:39 PM

I'm curious about the breakage as well. It's definitely not typical for bass strings to break often. Methinks some other factor is afoot!

Could be a sharp bridge, super-aggressive technique or other odd anomaly. Addressing your slipping saddles would be job #1.

lowendgenerator · #9 08-20-2011, 04:43 PM

Are your fingers made of metal clippers?

It would be cool if they were.

Ezmar · #10 08-20-2011, 05:14 PM

Oh, yeah. They always break at the bridge, I play pretty aggressively, a lot of Rush, and I am also Edward Scissorhands.

Any suggestions on what to look for for Bridges? Where to look online? I play a Squier J.

dmusic148 · #11 08-20-2011, 05:19 PM

If the bridge saddles are constantly going down, up, down, the string will be stressed at that point and break. Sounds like your problem.
A drop of nail polish on the screw threads will stop them from slipping, give that a try before you replace it.

darkstorm · #12 08-21-2011, 12:58 AM

Look for anything that might be wearing on the string on bridge saddle. A tiny bit of uneven surface. Filing it smooth would fix any string breaks caused by it.

SeaBassTheFish · #13 08-21-2011, 01:14 AM

I'm intrigued by the Babicz FCH bridge, though I still haven't tried it. It has saddles that you can easily lock into place, which might help in your situation.

But check out dmusic148's suggestion above as well.

Jay2U · #14 08-21-2011, 03:52 AM

To me it seems so incredible. The first possibility crossing my mind is a real sharp rim or edge on the saddles. Imagine, breaking strings on a bsss!

To me it happened once, but I'm quite convinced that it concerned just one bad string. Another, less likely, possibility may be twisted strings. If a string is twisted over its length, there is an extra force working on it, which may speed up hardening of the string, making it more brittle. That's just theory...