tapewounds
 

How long do tape wound strings last?

A long time. I have had the same set on my acoustic for three or four years. I do not play the bass every week but it has had its share of play time.

WoW. That is a loooooong time. Thanks; does every one experience this longevity with theirs?

Pretty much. It's hard to contaminate the strings and wear them out when they are covered in nylon tape.

Yes - the strings are sealed by the tape which is much heavier than the tape on a "coated" string, so they should last for years.

As long as you want them, especially if you keep them clean.

I ran a set for almost 10 years on my fretless, which was a bit too long. They actually developed flat spots in the tape covering from overuse. Heck at $20-ish per set it may be good idea to swap 'em out every year or two just to be on the safe side.

I'm at 8 years right now with my La Bella tapes on a Fender Jazz 5 and they still sound, look and feel new. The only watch out is that you might have to have the nut filed a bit to compensate for the thicker strings and they may not fit thru a string thru body (mine barely did). But they sound great and are worth the investment.