16 years old strings

[Cutter]

My strings were never changed since 2002. Does very old strings can affect the sound, playing, or create unwanted noises compared to new strings?

What is the average lifetime of strings? And what is the sign that tell you to change them?

 

[saltydude]

Wow! You got your moneys worth. Average lifetime? For me 6 to 8 weeks.

 

[ICM]

My strings were never changed since 2002. Does very old strings can affect the sound, playing, or create unwanted noises compared to new strings?

What is the average lifetime of strings? And what is the sign that tell you to change them?

Keep 'em going! Nothing beats the sound of dead bass strings IMO.

 

[FNHScar17s]

The tone will die off, the decays become somewhat shorter (which can also be a perception of the tone dying off I would imagine). Other than that no real issues as stated here some prefer that sound. Me I'm the other way around I have to change out my strings every 7 to 10 weeks. To me nothing beats the sound of a new set of rotosound swing bass 66 strings..... mmmmmm yummy.

Ymmv

 

[Cutter]

The tone will die off

What do you mean by "the tone will die off"?

 

[spiritbass]

I 'learned to walk' on my uncles's 1963 precision back in the 70's. At that point, it was strung with the same flats that it came from the shop with. They may still be on it as he is mainly an upright player...

 

[saltydude]

What do you mean by "the tone will die off"?

Crispness, brightness, resonance, sustain etc. I’d be surprised if they could even pull off a harmonic note being so old. It’s possible there’s a little life in them if it was strung then stored without being played.

 

[brianrost]

The most common problem with old strings is they no longer intonate properly, I assume because of deformation over time. There is no average lifetime, it depends on what you are willing to accept as they change in feel and sound. I have a set on a Danelectro I put in in 1978...they'll be 40 years old soon. I can still tune them with 5/7 fret harmonics.

The only other sign you need to change is the windings coming apart or similar signs of imminent breakage.

 

[lz4005]

What do you mean by "the tone will die off"?

It will sound bad to you.

Basically there are two things that happen. The tone gets progressively darker the longer you play them, either in plateaus or gradually, and eventually they hit a point where they won't play in tune anymore.

Some people change strings every day, some leave the same strings on for 20+ years. It's personal preference.

 

[eddie16]

Our church had a "house bass", a Rick 4003. I hadn't paid much attention to it in the past (prefer my P with flats for what we play), but someone mentioned the strings were actually rusting at the headstock (a good sign to me that it's time to change...). I put some D'Addarios EXLs on there, and the guy playing bass the next week used the Rick and it sounded great in the mix

 

[FrenchBassQC]

To the OP, if it sounds and play like you want, that's all that counts. The sign that tells you to change them is when what I have mentioned before doesn't do it for you anymore or if you break one of them also because it would be hard to find another 16 years old string to replace it...

 

[Cutter]

I’d be surprised if they could even pull off a harmonic note being so old.

Yes harmonics still work, but artificial harmonics are a bit hard to do...

When I'm dealing with D and G strings, and have to fret (>10th fret) on the E string with little finger, it makes a bad fret noise, does it have to do with the age of the strings?

 

[Nev375]

Are we talkin' flats or rounds here?

If flats then they are probably just getting broke in by now.

 

[basscapes]

I will assume, and since you didn't say, that your strings are flatwounds?

If they are, you might never have to change them.

James Jamerson NEVER changed his strings, unless, "one of them broke"- In his own words.

Now if they are roundwounds, I think we need to have an intervention with you...

 

[Cutter]

They seem to be roundwound. I didn't know there were flat or round! What are the differences?

 

[Michael Schreiber]

They seem to be roundwound. I didn't know there were flat or round! What are the differences?

Flat wounds feel and look like... well, you know, like... flat? OK, let me try the opposite approach:
When sliding along a roundwound string you feel the rills (threads of the winding), and you would notice the noise your fingers make by sliding over them.

I have a very very very old set of Rotosound roundwound strings on my main bass.
I love it - it sits in the mix very well to my ears.

I have a quite new set of Elixir roundwound strings on my second bass.
It still can deliver way more brightness; very sharp attack in the mids and treble.
It is just a different beast with its own purpose.

If you're satisfied with the sound: keep them, they are proven-in-use and broken in. Never change a running system.
If you're going to cover, let's say, Yes, then you might want new strings

 

[bassbrad]

Strings can last many years, I have a set going on 30 years, Kaman 'Kamflon' coated Performers on my Peavey Foundation FL and they were on a fretless bass previous to that. I will keep a set of strings on a bass until they are no longer giving me the sound I want or if they start to play out of tune.

 

[Dr_Feelgoood212]

Crispness, brightness, resonance, sustain etc. I’d be surprised if they could even pull off a harmonic note being so old. It’s possible there’s a little life in them if it was strung then stored without being played.

The guy I bought my '62 P-bass from, said he didn't change the strings (round wounds) since the 70's. They pull off harmonics beautifully.

 

[saltydude]

The guy I bought my '62 P-bass from, said he didn't change the strings (round wounds) since the 70's. They pull off harmonics beautifully.

Wow. Yeah I guess. It’s just so much more prevalent and pronounced with fresh strings. I’ll doubt I’ll ever find out cause I can’t imagine not changing strings for 40 years. Perhaps I’ll find out one day if I live that long and also hold onto a bass that long without really playing it.

 

[superheavyfunk]

I had an 11 year old set of Fender flats on a P bass. I LOVED the tone and feel I had but sadly, one day at a rehearsal the 'E' string broke and I felt such a loss... like I'd lost an old acquaintance. In retrospect, it is pretty funny that a broken string caused me to feel that strongly.

Anyway, if the strings sound good to you still and stay in tune, than keep on keepin' on, friend! Just buy a backup set and keep them close in case of disaster. Personally, I look forward to a decade from now when I can get that old thump back!