How Often?

[CTC564]

Do you change your strings???

Just a curiosity thing 😃

 

[Volpe25]

When they break. I love the tone I get with strings that have been on a bass for a while

 

[darkstorm]

On average at about 4 to 4 and half months.

 

[kjt]

when the zing start's to fade

 

[Bent77]

I change when one out of the set sounds different than the rest. So a set of all dead flats are ok. But if one goes boing that's it.

That said the last two string deaths were both the E...what gives?

 

[mcarp555]

I don't. I think the rounds on my P-bass have been there since the early 80's.

 

[jamersonburton]

I don't. I think the rounds on my P-bass have been there since the early 80's.

Pics and recording please.

 

[Jon Moody]

Mainly, it's when they start sounding dead; I like the bright, articulate nature of ANY new set of strings.

Usually though, when I'm gigging in a theatre situation, I'm happy if a set of strings can last at least a full run, which "normally" is around 20 services (at about 3 hours of playing) in a three week period, not to mention the occasional pickup up gig as well. If I can find a set that can last that schedule, I'm happy.

 

[Jay2U]

I used to change my flatwounds after about a hundred hours of playing. Since I've been using Ernie Ball flats, bought as singles, I just swap strings which start to lose articulation. My tuning is BEAD, The B-string seems to live forever. The A-string has the shortest life, as it is used a lot.

 

[sandman357]

I play by ear so when I am learning a new song by playing along with the recording, when I start to have trouble distinguishing the tone, it it time for new strings. I am in a band again now and I am playing more so 3 months or so for me. My standard request for Christmas and Birthdays are bass strings, so I usually have a new set laying around ready to go

 

[u84six]

Since I've been testing rounds, I've been changing quite often, but generally I'll leave them on for about a year (and I gig regularly). I love the sound and feel of strings that are really broken in. I'd say after 40 hours of playing, they start sounding good.

 

[f.c.geil]

I change my rounds really often - about every 12-18 months. My flats, never.

 

[Hobobob]

Since I've been using Circle K's, I usually go around 6-8 months per set. Before, when I used D'Addario, I would get 4 months max out of a set.

 

[DJ Bebop]

When they break or unravel or, I think a new brand may have something more to offer, the latest hype :scowl:

 

[Pilgrim]

Never.

I have never broken a string.

My oldest flats have been on a P-bass since 1972.

 

[FourBanger]

I usually put new strings on a bass when I buy it to fit my taste and would only replace them reluctantly if one broke, which has only happened to me once but it was a set of dearly wonderful many-year-old Boomers.

Occasionally I go through spells where I get the urge to try out a few new strings but it soon gets expensive. Then I buy Boomers again and forget about it...

 

[Linnin]

I am running DR Neons on my Jazz and change them every six months, and they do stay sounding good until then.

I run flats on my Precision. I had a set of Tomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats that lasted about 7 years before they went wonky. I now have a set of GHS Precision Flats I expect to last at least 5 years.

 

[ddhm]

When they stop sounding the way I like them

 

[DJ Bebop]

I usually put new strings on a bass when I buy it to fit my taste and would only replace them reluctantly if one broke, which has only happened to me once but it was a set of dearly wonderful many-year-old Boomers.

Occasionally I go through spells where I get the urge to try out a few new strings but it soon gets expensive. Then I buy Boomers again and forget about it...

I heard that!

 

[overclockerd]

It depends on the sound i get, but most of the time it takes 6 months to 1 year to change roundwound strings, and flatwounds, well... whenever i feel like it