long-lasting strings?

[mcerwing]

does anybody know how I can make my strings stay bright? after about a week of using them, they go flat. i use rotosounds.

[bryan bailey]

DR Highbeams are bright for a long time.

The new D'addario steels are supposed to be really bright too.

But I have gone a week with high beams on a bass constantly playing with oily and sweaty hands, and they were still farily fresh sounding.

[SoyBase]

I think any DR string, even the Nickels will last super long. I have, in the past, had problems with strings going dead due to sweaty, oily fingers.

I've had Sunbeams on my SR5 for 6 months and they still have a nice brightness. They're not as bright as steel strings, but great none the less.

I'm also using a set of SIT Power Steels, i think..They've been on one of my basses for a little less tme and sound nice and bright. The only thing I dislike is that at first use, the strings are rough and caused a little discomfort on my fingertips.

[mikewho]

I heard if you put old strings in hot water (boiling maybe?) it makes them sound brand new again for a few weeks. Anyone know if that's true? (I've never tried it)

[Figjam]

Originally Posted by mikewho

I heard if you put old strings in hot water (boiling maybe?) it makes them sound brand new again for a few weeks. Anyone know if that's true? (I've never tried it)

Yes but it also makes them more brittle and it weakens the string.


I find Elixir coated roundwounds to last the longest out of roudnwounds that ive tried.

[Finger Blister]

Originally Posted by Figjam

I find Elixir coated roundwounds to last the longest out of roudnwounds that ive tried.

+1

[Chad Michael]

Try a set of Dean Markley Blue Steels and wipe them down after each playing.

[slugworth]

I use Rotosounds almost exclusively. Wipe 'em down with
Fast fret & a cotton diaper before & after playing. They're
good for 2 months or more.

Slug

[bigbajo60]

If you want to help keep your strings sounding like the day you bought 'em for as long as possible... one thing will help above all else...

WASH YOUR HANDS!

Seriously! This "helpful hint" was revealed to me "the hard way" during a soundcheck about 20 years ago, when I innocently asked the lead singer to thump on my bass while I walked out front to hear what it sounded like on the PA. It sounded great for about a minute... and then suddenly (and quickly) started sounding muddier and muddier, till the bass just sounded like it was strung with rubber bungee cords. When I took the bass back from the singer, I noticed a weird orange residue on the strings and the fingerboard. Before I could ask the singer what the hell the orange stuff was, I noticed him walking happily away with his jumbo sized bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. The worst part of this horror story? No new strings for the gig that night, cause it was a holiday and the music stores were closed!

So again... and I can't stress this enough... for the longest-lasting strings...

WASH YOUR HANDS!

[etherbass]

O my! thats the worst thing i have ever heard.... thats friggin sick! ..........

[Chad Michael]

Oh yeah, washing your hands is a must!!!!

Especially considering that you've probably just finished handling grungy mic/speaker/instrument cables, Nacho Cheese Doritos and such.

[geoffkhan]

Elixirs are great. I've had mine on for 6 months of heavy-duty slapping and they're still fresh. Of course, you have to put up with the nanoweb peeling off and thus making your strings look "hairy".

I hear the D'addarios with the nanoweb coating are just as good but don't shed. And that makes them even better.

I tried some D'addario XLs and those lasted two weeks. Plus they had a really nice tone, different that a lot of other strings. They had personality.