I switch strings around and keep the old sets on hand, all the time. Rounds definitely lose some off that initial zing. That is about it. The silks can take a beating but that also seems to be only cosmetic.
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How many times..
- Thread starter Selim
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I do it all the time with roundwounds. I have different spare sets so when I (inevitably) flip one of my bass guitars, I can find ideal combination quickly. No shopping, waiting, out of stock, and so on. Couple of swaps and I settle on what I like.
I used to swap strings (round and flat) a lot and the only time a string ever broke was at the bend that enters the tuning machine. This was more common if the string winding had to change direction, like going from a 4 in line headstock to a 2+2 configuration. Also more common on flats, strangely enough. In my experience if the string holds initial tension upon tuning it won’t be broken before being replaced.
Fret dents tho. Those drove me nuts.
Fret dents tho. Those drove me nuts.
sure, i do it. it works better with some string sets than others, but it's easy if you don't cut the strings in the first place.
the fear of "string slippage" (if you don't cut the ends) is overblown* --- leaving the ends intact and carefully winding them onto the tuning machine post totally eliminates the possibility of slippage and allows for swapping them to another ax without problems/issues.
sorry about the fuzzy pic, but here's a bunch of headstocks showing uncut strings:
* i'm pretty sure that most folks cut their strings prior to installation because someone else said they should do it that way.
When my friends and I were broke high school students we used to share strings. If there was a set we tried and didn’t like, or that were getting changed for whatever reason, we’d offer them to each other before tossing them out. Never had any issues, but that was just one time of removing/restringing.
I will say, the only strings I’ve had that did suffer from removing/restringing wer EB cobalt flats. Removing/rewinding those 2 times, and they started falling apart at the tuners.
I will say, the only strings I’ve had that did suffer from removing/restringing wer EB cobalt flats. Removing/rewinding those 2 times, and they started falling apart at the tuners.
The only issue I've found is that if you're not careful with a brand like Rotosound that has silks on the ends, the thread will start to wear away after a while, but other than that any degradation in tone is practically the same as keeping the set on one bass for a while.
If you are careful not to double kink them, I would say you’d be OK. How many times depend on how abusive you’ve been to them. @ $24 for a new set, I wouldn’t mess around with them as I tend to like them better newer. Generally I get about 75 hours of play time out of a set. A bit more when not gigging and a bit less when recording.
One other point, swapping out strings of different tension may require truss rod adjustments. Which for me is a PITA so I tend to use the same string brand and gauge unless not available.
I'm pretty sure that the real solution to all this string swapping is "Buy More Basses"... 
When I was testing out my skills putting bass together and I got a "fake: Fender neck it was bit small and My alignment skill suck so I took off the strings many times. Then I got another neck and guess what. I am still using the same strings. I would say it has been removed about 13 times now. Sounds good. I am gigging the bass
DR Fat Beams
DR Fat Beams
When I was gigging full-time in the 80's and early 90's, I removed and replaced the strings daily to wash them and never had any issues. The only way this really works (at least for me) is if the bass has a quick-release bridge. It both speeds the process and alleviates the need to straighten the bit that winds around the tuners. I put Hipshot Type-A bridges on most of my basses for this very reason.
Back then I was changing my strings (Rotosound RS-66) every week so this may not apply if one is looking for longer term. I always wanted them to sound as fresh as possible.
When I was using EB Hybrid Slinkys on new-to-me basses, to get an idea of what strings I really wanted that bass to wear? I've often swapped them on to another bass 4 or 5 times before they broke. Almost always, they broke at the part that was wound around the tuner post. Didn't seem to matter which string, either...
Swapping them around never seemed to affect their tone. They just sounded like broken in Hybrid Slinkys.
But, these days? On the rare occasions when I swap strings around, they are always flats. And, I'm always very careful about the tuner post part of them, too...
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Have moved rounds once after they didn't meet expectation to another bass but stopped there and ran them through their lifespan.
Some basses don't respond to a string. You learn that with multiples of the same bass. Just a sad fact.
Some basses don't respond to a string. You learn that with multiples of the same bass. Just a sad fact.
DR strings do seem to hang around for awhile, in my experience. Speaks to the build quality of all their strings, maybe
@Selim, i'm mostly using TIJRs, roto 66s, and dogal hellborgs, but i'm winding every part of the string that comes out of those packages. i'm sure there are some sets that i'd 'trim' if i thought it would work better that way. i'm just trying to leave as much of the string as i can. i've been doing it that way for years. it's too convenient when i go to swap strings (e.g., figuring out which sets sound best on which axes).
