How often do you change your strings?

Jacob Bartfield · #1 05-23-2002, 09:40 PM

I thought it would be interesting to see how long people are leaving their strings on. Personally, I don't change mine till one of them breaks.

Nino Valenti · #2 05-23-2002, 09:58 PM

It depends. If the bass sounds good, I'll leave them til they break. But when there is all bass & no trebble, I gotta throw a new set on. Usually every few months.

Makatak · #3 05-24-2002, 12:30 AM

stainless seem to last a lot longer for me ,i like the " piano string " tone of them too , i always wipe my strings between songs , clean them with isopropyl at the end of the gig and always wash my hands before a set , no , im not paranoid just a habit ive got that keeps the strings bright for probably 2 months of 2/3 night a week gigs . nickels seem to dull real quick but unfortunately they are not so brutal on your frets and neck as roundwound stainless are .....i also hate it when you buy a sete and theres a dud string straight off !!!!!!!!!

Rockin John · #4 05-24-2002, 03:22 AM

For amateur musicians like me, strings are really too expensive to change very regularly. I leave them on until they're really sounding dull...which, of course, is way too long

I put a set of Rotosound 66s on my fretted bass yesterday. One string was dumb with a strange buzzing sound. I e-mailed Rotosound and they're sending me a replacement set

right away. Yes, I hate it, too, Makatak, but clearly Roto' are a good company so that the blow of a new dumb string is well cushioned, IMHO.

BTW, 'fitted a set of TI Jazz Flats to my new Yammy fretless yesterday, too, to replace the Yamaha rounds.

Haven't heard them amplified yet (tonight with luck) but they feel fantastic and sound superb acoustically.

John

Johnny BoomBoom · #5 05-24-2002, 03:32 AM

Don't need to change strings very often - 4-6 months or so, sometimes less, sometimes longer, my Guild bass has been lying in the cupboard for a while unplaid now, it comes out every few months to get a good playing. I think the strings have been on it for a year or so!

Bruce Lindfield · #6 05-24-2002, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Makatak
stainless seem to last a lot longer for me ,i like the " piano string " tone of them too
..........

nickels seem to dull real quick but unfortunately they are not so brutal on your frets and neck as roundwound stainless are

I feel the exact opposite - I hate that "over bright" sound and it just feels scatchy and "inorganic" to me - not "bass" as such at all!

I really like Nickels becuase they "settle" quickly to a usable warm sound and then last for months. I find steels a waste of time as they either sound scratchy/noisy or completely dead!

I used to get duds with Rotosounds, but since switching to D'addario Nickels I have never had one bad string and they last much longer - anything up to 6 months!

Ruud Das · #7 05-24-2002, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jacob Bartfield
I thought it would be interesting to see how long people are leaving their strings on. Personally, I don't change mine till one of them breaks.

I used to use R. Cocco strings. They lasted almost three months. Now I'm playing elixers and I still haven't had to change them and I had them for about 5 months now.

ChaosGwar · #8 05-24-2002, 04:32 AM

I've had my Squier for 5 years. It's on it second set of strings, and they still sound great.

I've got a set od Blue Steels on my Yammer, and they sound pretty good, if a little bright still.

My Cahuenga needs anew set of strings and a setup. The G is about to snap, and the E,A, and D are the stock strings from my Yamaha. The strings feel awful to my fingers, but amplified sound pretty good, even with a horrible setup.

sashi.d · #9 05-24-2002, 05:02 AM

i love it when my strings are dirty and old cos it sounds deeper. I've been playin for 2 and a half years and i havent changed 'em once

AllodoX · #10 05-24-2002, 05:15 AM

Usually twice per year

I have a pretty tight schedule

i change my strings on the first day in the Spring, and on the first day in the autumn

Donne Demarest · #11 05-24-2002, 12:23 PM

I change the ol' PolyWeb's every 6 months.

jazzbo · #12 05-24-2002, 01:51 PM

Change strings?
Never have.

Sanger · #13 05-25-2002, 12:22 AM

I've had my bass about a year and a half, and during that time I've only changed the G string cos it broke. Thing was, the only brand the music store had left were "Cheapies", and being the young impressionable moron I was I thought "Oh yeah, go it!". Since then I haven't been bothered to get a new one, although the sound ain't too bad considering.

malthumb · #14 05-25-2002, 12:07 PM

I tend to change my strings every two or three months. I also have a tendency to change them about a week or so before what I consider to be a big gig.

I have a church concert coming up 2nd week of June that's an annual event, so I'll probably restring my 5er next week.

Peace,

James

The Artist · #15 05-25-2002, 12:17 PM

I voted 1s a year coz thats probably what I will be doing in future. I have never actually changed my strings but I have only been playing for just over a year, so I suppose there due...

*runs to next music store to buy a new set of strings*

JMX · #16 05-25-2002, 03:53 PM

Up to one year.

I clean them regularly in a jar of alcohol - wootenesque snap and billiance for months.

MatW · #17 05-27-2002, 08:59 AM

I love the sound of a fresh pack of stainless steel roundwounds. I'd change 'em everyweek if I could afford it. I don't mind paying out once a month, but I try and make them last two months if possible. But once they're dead, then I must change them, I can't be bothered to play my bass if it sounds flat.

malibu · #18 05-27-2002, 03:36 PM

just took off D'Addario EXP coated strings, lasted 5 months - and when they went they really went fast !

but it looks like the over one month/under a year category will as expected take this poll -
regardless of the strings for the most part or how someone plays.

BassistJ · #19 05-27-2002, 04:31 PM

After every gig (and rehersal). My sweat eats away at string like no-ones business. I do, however, soak them in denatured alcohol afterwards and reuse them, so I guess that's kind of cheating.

chbecker · #20 05-28-2002, 07:54 AM

I try to make sure to change my strings to allow enough time for one or two full band rehearsals before a gig. that way if there is a defect in the string and it is going to break or is dead out of the package, I will find out in rehearsal. I also still get the new string zing at the gig which I like a lot.