How often do you change your strings. I changed mine today (Ernie Ball Regular Slinky). I'd like to know so I have an idea of when to change them again.
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How often do you change your strings?
- Thread starter Funky Hugh
- Start date
When they start sounding dead to you, it's time to change them. If you like dull tone, you can keep bass strings on for years. If you like strings to be really bright, you might change them every couple of months.
What he said.
Me, I change 'em every three months or so. I'd do it more often, but it's incredibly hard to find 6 string bass strings in the music shops 'round here...
Me, I change 'em every three months or so. I'd do it more often, but it's incredibly hard to find 6 string bass strings in the music shops 'round here...
I change them when they start to sound lifeless. It really depends on my frequency of playing. If I'm playing frequently (band practice + gigs 3 x a week) They'll last me two to three months. Right now I am not gigging or practicing regularly, and it has been four months since I changed my strings.
Depending on how much I play in a week I can normally get by with a year but lately I haven't been linking the strings so I have been swapping them out very early. I have 3 sets only a month old sitting here that I don't like as much as my present set.
I usually wait until I start hating my tone, then make the change ASAP. Lots of things can affect how long that takes: how frequently I play, if I take the time to wipe the strings down before and after I play (gets a lot of finger gunk off of there), if I'm sweating a lot (summertime), and then string compostion (some brands and types [nickel vs steel] seem to last longer than others). Once they go dead i try to swap em out as fast as I can. If I'm being "good" i try to wash my hands before playing to get rid of excess dirt and oil so the strings will last longer, but half the time I forget.
With flatwounds, however, I don't change them. Maybe wipe em down once in a while, but that's it. Throw new strings on when they eventually break and then suffer through that horrid flatwound zing until they're broken in.
With flatwounds, however, I don't change them. Maybe wipe em down once in a while, but that's it. Throw new strings on when they eventually break and then suffer through that horrid flatwound zing until they're broken in.
On the flatwound thing. I have a set that was 1 year old when I took them off my bass; they were perfect. I only took them off because I was selling the bass. Someday when I get another four string bass, I will use them once again, till then they are aging.
+1
When they lose their "zing" and ability to cut through the mix here(roundwounds). Since we do a large number of tunes with "non-bright" basslines(gig once a week)....about 2 months.
One helpful thing is having an identical or nearly identical bass and take turns putting fresh strings on them(rotation). The one with newer strings usually gets played later in the night OR all night if the room is really "dead"/absorbs highs/boomy sounding.
Depends on how much gunk you pack into the nooks-n-crannies. Two little things you can do to extend the life of strings are:
1. Wash your paws before you play. There's alot more dirt on your hands than you often see, especially after setting up for a gig.
2. Wipe your strings down after you play (I do after each set). Not only are you getting some of the dirt off them, you're removing sweat (corrosive salt).
Also, most will find that cheap strings don't stay bright for very long. I'm not sure why, but it's just the plain truth.
DR Lowriders adorn my 'Ray. They just happen to work best for me.
1. Wash your paws before you play. There's alot more dirt on your hands than you often see, especially after setting up for a gig.
2. Wipe your strings down after you play (I do after each set). Not only are you getting some of the dirt off them, you're removing sweat (corrosive salt).
Also, most will find that cheap strings don't stay bright for very long. I'm not sure why, but it's just the plain truth.
DR Lowriders adorn my 'Ray. They just happen to work best for me.
When they break, which is too damn often! Usually it's my D string, sometimes I think my 4 string sets should come with 4 D's 
Damn.. you guys are economical thinkers. I used to be obsessed with changing string every 6-8 weeks, but when you have 6 basses it becomes expensive. Now I try to wait til they are really dead before I change them... bout 4-6 months or so.
i change them when i feel that they might break soon, one has broken, or when i get around to ordering new ones, as none of the locals have DRs in 5 sets
