String changing fear: It's TIME. But what if...

tzadik · #1 03-28-2005, 04:32 PM

Okay. Jon Hebert was gracious enough to give me his few-month-old Hybrids (I think that's what they are) several years ago. I boiled them when I got them and they've been great. I've only been playing really heavily on them (very roughly 2-5 hours, about 3-5 days a week) for the last year and a half-ish.

All of a sudden, last week, I KNEW that it was VERY much time to change them. The volume just dropped off and the tone didn't have any more "blossom".

I have a trio gig in 4 days, and gigs all day long 2 days after that. I have a brand spankin' new Obligato D and G sitting here. I don't have much time to break thim in before Friday.

So.
Do I change the two I have? Do I boil the ancient ones, one by one, again? Am I going to have wild tone difference issues if I put two new strings on? Or rather, how bad will it be? If I do change them eventually, how long do you think it will be before I can trust them not to act like shiney twangy new strings?

Marc Piane · #2 03-28-2005, 04:42 PM

You are going to be able to tell the difference between old and new. I always change the whole set.

I do enough gigging that I don't really have time to break in a set. A few things that I find help. I had a teacher that recomended rubbing a new set of strings with mineral oil. Make sure not to get it down were you use your bow. I use a little on my fingers before I play. Make sure you wipe it off after you are done.

I also try to practice as much as possible on a new set before I have to use them on a gig. This will at least help them stay in tune better.

Chasarms · #3 03-28-2005, 07:14 PM

Obligatos sound fine out of the pack. They are brighter at first but aren't like spirocores that take a while to loose the banjo twang.

They do take a few days to stretch out though. It may take a week or so before they stay in tune.

If the strings on the bass are completely shot, it will be a big difference across the strings. You may not like that.

T-Bal · #4 03-31-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasarms

Obligatos sound fine out of the pack. They are brighter at first but aren't like spirocores that take a while to loose the banjo twang.

Puh-lease read the first post in this thread.

T-Bal · #5 03-31-2005, 10:18 PM

I know it was prolly a typo, but I couldn't resist!

Tbeers · #6 03-31-2005, 10:21 PM

Breaking in Obligatos is a pain in the neck. It took me 4-5 days of constant tuning until they somewhat held pitch. The hybrids were always much faster.

Once the Obligatos break in though, they are the smoothest thing ever... I will never switch back now.

T-Bal · #7 03-31-2005, 10:28 PM

Oh, you are so busted:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasms:
As a journalist and student of literature, I find it particularly difficult to deal with this current state of affairs.

I know I am guilty of an occasional misuse of a word, typo or even misspelling, but I really do try. I even use iespell and check my posts here at TB before I let them fly. If I see a misspelled word in one of my posts, I edit it.

In my opinion, it is common manners to communicate clearly and accurately. Considering that manners doesn't seem to be too popular in any other arena these days, I guess this should come as no surprise.

Furthermore, it has always been my opinion that the ability to write effectively is a direct reflection of your level of intellect. The fact that so many willingly butcher the language with no sense of embarrassment at all is probably the most disturbing thing of this whole matter.

We have dozens of ESL TBers who use written English with excellent command. Why can't U.S. natives do it?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #8 03-31-2005, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIDOL

I know it was prolly a typo, but I couldn't resist!

Hey, Tom - c'mon man...loose the 'tude, willya?

Oh wait...you just did. Heh.

If you cnat stnad the heat, get out of the knitche!

T-Bal · #9 03-31-2005, 10:59 PM

You have a mind like a steel trap.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #10 03-31-2005, 11:13 PM

ZARDOZ,

If you like the hybrids, and if money is less of a concern than your confidence in your continued satisfaction, why not just get your hands on some more, put 'em all on as soon as you get 'em, and then play the crap out of them until you bond a little? I'm pretty sure that's what I'd do. Best of luck.

Chasarms · #11 04-01-2005, 04:51 AM

Oh, so it's kick-old-Charles-around Day? That's fine. I've had a lot of really wonderful things happen to me lately. I'm not going to get all bent out of shape about it.

But just for future reference, anyone know the cute little chat room abbreviation for "go f . . . ?"

Oh, sorry.

Eric Jackson · #12 04-01-2005, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Bal

You have a mind like a steel trap.

What, seized and rusty?

Puarija · #13 04-01-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasarms

Oh, so it's kick-old-Charles-around Day? That's fine. I've had a lot of really wonderful things happen to me lately. I'm not going to get all bent out of shape about it.

But just for future reference, anyone know the cute little chat room abbreviation for "go f . . . ?"

Oh, sorry.

GFAK... for go fly a kite. I imagine that's what you were gonna say, right?

Jake