What's the longest you left your strings on?

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by Gashaponcito

Bump for clips of that thump-P-machine

I might have a chance to do something with it over Thanksgiving, but I have no way to record it except a cheapie ($10) handheld mike and a cassette deck in my practice room. I'd have to dub from the cassette into my computer...maybe I'll give that a shot.

And BTW, I have the original rounds on my 2000 MIM Jazz. Never have found a reason to change them so far.

[alexofc69]

1 year. The stock Elixrs that came on my Schechter. Not my favorit sounding or feeling string. I use DRs - but none the less they have endured 1 year of gigs and practice and still sound new and zingy. The coating is just now starting to fray a little towards the bridge.

[Caca de Kick]

My Custom Shop 55 P Bass is wearing a set of 7 year old flats, and they still sound great.

For rounds my SR5 HH has it's DR highbeams since August of '06, and they still are bright and zingy.

But yeah, de1orean wins with 35yr old strings.

[shrimphead]

so all you guys and gals who keep the same strings forever...

How do you get them to stay in good condition, my rounds have barely been on 2 weeks and already they're covered in crap and dirt, I wipe them down before and after I play (even practice sessions) and my bass is kept in a hard case when it's not being used.

so come on guys, share the secrets.

[RKB900player]

Two years, on my first ever bass. I didn't know jack about maintaining a guitar at all, and didn't do anything in the way of cleaning, adjusting or changing strings. After two years, I bought my Ibanez, and ended up changing the strings on my Austin to some EB hybrid slinkys. Interesting story I thought

[Mark Jacobs]

Ditto CheBass88.
My Duck Dunn's had the same strings for ~9 years, but 35 years beats me, hands down.

[Jared92]

My longest is 8 months on my current bass and still sounds great

[Shelly]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

I play a lot and do a lot of music that requires very clear articulation of highs that I can't get with old strings.

I buy strings in bulk and rarely pay more than $10 for a set of strings (generally EB Regular slinkies), so I don't really care that strings don't last me that long. I would say that I change roundwounds every 3 weeks on average on my Sadowsky and Geddy Lee Jazz (my most played basses). I notice the difference which is all that matters.

On my 5ers, my strings seem to last 4-8 weeks and I usually keep the low B and just change E-G. Much cheaper that way IMO.

To each their own. If I played Motown or Blues, I could use the same rounds for ages, unfortunately I don't.

+1...I tend to rotate through basses also, but my current rotation never has strings on longer than a 6- 8 weeks when they are being gigged heavily. I have never changed the strings on my 3-year old P-bass, though (flatwounds).

[Vic Winters]

I wait until one breaks, or they just sound too dead to work. Surprisingly the oldest strings still currently in use of all my stringed instruments are on my acoustic guitar. They're about 4-5 years old now, apparently Nanowebs really do last.

[alexofc69]

Originally Posted by shrimphead

so all you guys and gals who keep the same strings forever...

How do you get them to stay in good condition, my rounds have barely been on 2 weeks and already they're covered in crap and dirt, I wipe them down before and after I play (even practice sessions) and my bass is kept in a hard case when it's not being used.

so come on guys, share the secrets.

I dont know how they do it. Everyone has different body oils and acids that cause different wear, corrosion/oxidization etc.

To make mine last I clean them and use Fast Fret and or DR Stringlife Liquid Polymer. This will make them last 4-6 months rotating through 4 basses.

Flatwound last forever because gunk doesnt get in between the winding like round wounds. Flats sound like wet farts new or 30 years old.

[keltik]

i've got a set of TI flats on my bass that have been on there for pushing 5 years and since i paid about $50 for the pair they are going to stay on that bass until:

A: one breaks
2: i buy a nicer bass (meaning the new bass will get them)
D: i sell my bass (the sucker that buys ain't gettin $50 strings, i'll put a set of d'addario xls on it)

so i guess i'm looking at using these strings for 50 plus year (lord willing).....but the TIs are LOW tension and they just seem to get thumpier and better the longer i keep them on.....and the weird thing is when i pick up my old axe after a while i have to tune them down (like they gain tension and go sharp) but they are not leaving me (i think they are one of three things that will be buried with me along with my first pair of work boots and an old rifle)

[BellBottomBlues]

Of the basses I bought new, the oldest would have to go to my Frankenbass. 6 years I think, maybe 7. I don't really remember when I started to play.

Of all the basses I've ever owned, its hard to tell.I have a 58 P-bass that was handed down to me and probably has the original strings on it (my dad didn't believe in changing strings if they didn't break, and he hardly ever played it so I don't think there were many, if any strings breaks.) The cloth wrapping on the strings are heavily faded and starting falling apart if thats any indicator.

If that P-bass doesn't win, my Zimgar probably does. Bought new in the 60s to fool around with (aka a bass he didn't care about) he only changed the strings once and that was to give it flats.

Both basses had ridiculously high action when I got them and hadn't been played in years. There were also about 35-40 other basses bought in various years from the 60s-early 90s. I think it was something like a bass a year roughly. So most of mine have really old strings as my padre was a cheap man.

[seanm]

Originally Posted by shrimphead

so all you guys and gals who keep the same strings forever...

How do you get them to stay in good condition, my rounds have barely been on 2 weeks and already they're covered in crap and dirt, I wipe them down before and after I play (even practice sessions) and my bass is kept in a hard case when it's not being used.

so come on guys, share the secrets.

Like somebody already mentioned, flats don't collect dirt like rounds do. There isn't the gaps between the windings. I would hazard a guess that TI flats collect a bit more dirt, but not a lot.

Other than that, I try to keep my hands clean. And on really hot days in the summer, or on a really hot stage, I will wipe down the strings.

And people asking for clips of the 35 year old strings: after the break in period, they really don't change that much.

[Jeb]

Originally Posted by seanm

Like somebody already mentioned, flats don't collect dirt like rounds do. There isn't the gaps between the windings. I would hazard a guess that TI flats collect a bit more dirt, but not a lot.

Agreed.

But I have a set of TI flats that are now on their third bass. One of those basses I sold years ago. The strings have been gigged twice a week for over a year on one of those basses. Yet they sound the same to me today. Whats more is they play the same. They are at least 5 years old. I'll change nickelwounds every month or two. I've only ever owned two sets of TI flats and the second set has the low B for a 5 string that I have. I can't speak for other flatwounds, but the TIs are worth the investment. They are truly unique.

[BellBottomBlues]

Originally Posted by shrimphead

so all you guys and gals who keep the same strings forever...

How do you get them to stay in good condition, my rounds have barely been on 2 weeks and already they're covered in crap and dirt, I wipe them down before and after I play (even practice sessions) and my bass is kept in a hard case when it's not being used.

so come on guys, share the secrets.

C'mon the gunk on your strings brings on the funk!

I like a dead set of rounds every now and then. Similar to the thud of flats, but a totally different animal. They have this grind similar to flats but none of that annoying string noise.

[JamesC]

I've had strings on my upright for a year now, and I hope they last forever. $180.00 for a set of strings really sucks.

[pjmuck]

I've got a set of D'Addario Chromes on my '73 P that were put on over 7 years ago. The more dirt and grime, thump and thud I get, the better.

[Mayers]

HUm I have put a set of Elixir one year ago on one of my basses. This is the longest for me.

[bassmodder]

I have two sets for my P bass. I threw together a PVC string cleaner to clean them. I just swap sets when they go dead.

I just took a Pvc pipe that is as long as the strings and glued a cap on one end. On the other I put one of those "clean out" fittings that has a cap in it. Filled it with denatured alcohol put in a dead set of strings and set it in a corner. They lose just a little bit of brightness with each cleaning, but going on over a year they are sounding pretty darn good. They are almost new each time you clean them just minus a little zing. I use nickel round wounds and can not afford to replace them every month.

[Cutty]

I always rub my strings each 6 years with goose grease,the strings on my P bass have been on there for 22 years!!