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changing strings before a gig

mobeme23

mobeme23

Supporting Member
Aug 27, 2018
598
1,192
NorCal, Coastside
#1
hey there,
i just got a new set of LaBalle 760FS flats for my short scale, and i want to put them on my bass, but i have a gig in a few hours. i know that some strings take a while to break in, but i'm really curious how they will sound.

should i just wait till after the gig, or put them on and try to break them in quickly?

currently i have some Dunlop flats on my bass, and they are good.
but, i'm really eager to hear the LaBelas on it.

thanks!
 
#2
Flats you can.... BUT... They are usually a little grabby at first and need a little play time on them. They will sound quite bright compared to how they will sound after a bit of playing. If you can do without it I personally would hold off till you can make sure the setup is good etc...
 
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#4
SLaPiNFuNK said:
Flats you can.... BUT... They are usually a little grabby at first and need a little play time on them. They will sound quite bright compared to how they will sound after a bit of playing. If you can do without it I personally would hold off till you can make sure the setup is good etc...
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thanks for the quick response!
i was leaning in that direction, so thanks for the nudge.
the Dunlops sound really good, and they are worn in, so one less thing to think about tonight.
but, i can't wait to try out the LaBellas!
 
#5
Never thought of LaBellas or Dunlops as grabby when new personally. I'd say both are very not grabby :D

I think you did the right thing leaving the Dunlops on for tonight, although my Eucerin cream thread does tell you how to get a new set of flats sounding very thumpy pretty quickly. But it's such a PITA to change string brands right before a show regardless. A lot of times you have to do a whole new setup with truss rod, pickup height, intonation, etc. I find it best to do those things when you have a couple days to take your time with it.
 
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#6
JimmyM said:
Never thought of LaBellas or Dunlops as grabby when new personally. I'd say both are very not grabby :D

I think you did the right thing leaving the Dunlops on for tonight, although my Eucerin cream thread does tell you how to get a new set of flats sounding very thumpy pretty quickly. But it's such a PITA to change string brands right before a show regardless. A lot of times you have to do a whole new setup with truss rod, pickup height, intonation, etc. I find it best to do those things when you have a couple days to take your time with it.
Click to expand...
Link to eucerin thread?
 
#9
JimmyM said:
Never thought of LaBellas or Dunlops as grabby when new personally. I'd say both are very not grabby :D

I think you did the right thing leaving the Dunlops on for tonight, although my Eucerin cream thread does tell you how to get a new set of flats sounding very thumpy pretty quickly. But it's such a PITA to change string brands right before a show regardless. A lot of times you have to do a whole new setup with truss rod, pickup height, intonation, etc. I find it best to do those things when you have a couple days to take your time with it.
Click to expand...

yup, very glad that i didn't fuss with new strings. i've got a few days to get my new strings dialed in.
thanks for the tip with the Eucerin; i think i'll give it a try!
 
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#10
I play rounds, but it's good practice in general to restring a day or two before the show any time you're changing brands or gauges. There's a good chance you'll need to tweak the truss rod and/or bridge height for the new strings, and IME it takes a little bit for the neck to settle in so you'll know what's up with the action.
 
#11
JimmyM said:
Never thought of LaBellas or Dunlops as grabby when new personally. I'd say both are very not grabby :D

I think you did the right thing leaving the Dunlops on for tonight, although my Eucerin cream thread does tell you how to get a new set of flats sounding very thumpy pretty quickly. But it's such a PITA to change string brands right before a show regardless. A lot of times you have to do a whole new setup with truss rod, pickup height, intonation, etc. I find it best to do those things when you have a couple days to take your time with it.
Click to expand...

I’ll back Jimmy on this. Eucerin kills strings dead. But they still need an overnight to soak into the windings. Keep your Dunlop’s until after the gig.
 
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#15
Marley's Ghost said:
I like to wait at least a week before a show with new strings. Give them a chance to break in and also test to make sure there's not a defective string in the set.
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A week? If I did that my strings would be dead before I even got to the gig. :D I will usually change my strings the night before or the day of (ideally leaving a few hours for the strings to settle at the winding posts).
 
#16
Marley's Ghost said:
I like to wait at least a week before a show with new strings. Give them a chance to break in and also test to make sure there's not a defective string in the set.
Click to expand...
Ditto here. As much as I dig the new string zing, they would also require constant tuning during that immediate gig.

That said, I know a bassist who occasionally goes on national tours with a semi well known band (in certain circles), and he changes his (or he has them changed by someone else) for every gig of the tour.
 
#17
catcauphonic said:
Ditto here. As much as I dig the new string zing, they would also require constant tuning during that immediate gig.

That said, I know a bassist who occasionally goes on national tours with a semi well known band (in certain circles), and he changes his (or he has them changed by someone else) for every gig of the tour.
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I think Flea does this. He also has a tech who sets them up and probably doesn't buy his strings off the rack.
 
#19
Marley's Ghost said:
I think Flea does this. He also has a tech who sets them up and probably doesn't buy his strings off the rack.
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Considering Flea has a signature set of GHS strings, I'd say that's a likely possibility :D

One of the best stories about string changing is that Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick insists that every set of strings on every guitar he brings gets changed out before every show. His tech must be the busiest tech on the earth with the 20+ guitars he brings!
 
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