Quality or affordability?

[matt hunt]

Hi, I know a lot of you hate that new string twang and try to get rid of it asap but I love the sound of fresh strings on my Marcus Miller 4 string and always love my sound when I have new strings on for a gig. I play through an Epifani 902 and have just got the UL410 to go with it so am very happy with my setup.

My query is: I've tried a lot of strings, Elites, DR, Rotosound,Warwick,Elixir etc. but find that after a few weeks (sometimes less) the strings just feel a bit dead and I want to stick some new ones on. I usually just keep them on and don't worry about it but when changing them realise how much I miss that sound so have been thinking about new sets about once a month or more. The last strings I bought were the DR MM set and I liked them a lot but at £30 a pop I don't want to be changing them regularly. The Elites I've found for £13 online so I guess my question is, would you sacrifice better quality strings so you could regularly change strings without blowing a fortune?

Now don't get me wrong, I have a Warwick 5 string where I change the strings a normal amount, every 3-6 months I suppose, and love it's sound, but the Marcus just feels like it wants that "new string" sound to it.

Any thoughts? If you change your strings monthly or more do you go for an affordable option or should we always get the best possible quality?

Cheers
Matt

[badboy1984]

If i change them that often i will think about Elixir Strings.

If i change them often because of Gigs and i get pay for those gigs than i will stick to the best ones you can get.

[Infernal Affair]

You can always soak strings in denatured alcohol to bring them back.

[hockey_head]

I'm cheap,
I buy strings from Carvin, 6 string sets for $16 american. I clean them religiously with DR. Stringfellow cleaner (which keeps my fretbooard clean and oiled) after every gig. I play about 10 gigs or so per set. I like the tone just fine, especially after about the first hour or so of playing them.
I'm using Bart pups and pre so any slow tone loss over time isn't that noticable to me.
The fastidious cleaning ritual helps too. I think they're made by GHS but I'm not sure.
They are plenty long for my basses, my six string has a 35 " scale and my four string strings thru the body and I don't have the usual length issues. The largest strings (B, E,
& A) are the core over saddle type and stay lively a little longer.
A D"Addario 6- string string cost me about $35 in the local music store and they aren't
long enough, and I hate them.

[hockey_head]

Before I started buying carvin strings, I would "reclaim" them by boiling them in water with a little WD-40 mixed in(stinky). After towel drying, spray them outside with shop solvent or brake cleaner to remove the trapped water. towel them off a couple times and then moisten rag withe Hopp's #7 gun cleaner and apply generously to prevent rusting and leave a slight film that isn't gummy or sticky in any way.
just wipe em off once more before restringing.
I'm much happier to by cheap strings i like and my wife is happy i'm not messing up her pans and stinking up the kitchen.
I kind of miss the Hopp's #7 buzz tho.

[ZenBass]

Im a firm Elites man...the stadiums are bright and eager at at 13 quid a pop from stringbusters.com they are as good as any string..both my GB IV and my Shuker Custom 5 sound great.Ive had set of DR's on and a set of rotosounds plus warwicks and even trace elliots but for the past 2 years ive stuck to elites...they ofter great value for money and a stonkin sound...and the quality is great outta all the sets ive had just one duff e-string with a manufactures fault...stringbusters.com replaced the string free of charge..!!..

made the mistake of gettin some hartke strings...big dissapointment...so you really do get what you paid for...but 30quid for a set of strings...and I have to say as a live player mostly can you really tell the difference on a stage..??...in a studio yes i can understand that...but live...I'll be stickin to my elites.!!