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I think I'm tone deaf

#21
i like new strings but i almost always oil the finger boards (fretless) when changing them, so: it's a little bit of a chore/routine: if i don't plan well i end up keeping strings on longer than i might want. having said that: i probably change strings about every 4-6 months, on average. i've been playing around with TI jazz rounds on a couple of instruments: some TBer's claim they hold up "forever" --- we'll see, but so far they've held up for almost 5 months or so.

i'm with Willy-D : changing them is a must when i'm getting odd/weird harmonic issues...or when they're downright dead! :)
 
#22
I like my strings the way I like a pair of jeans, ie "well-worn-in and comfortable but still clean and without rips/holes".

I have never been able to stick with a set of strings until they have outlived their usefulness as I suffer from a chronic itch for "trying something else". That said, I could probably go 6-12 months with a set of rounds/semi-rounds, and a few years with flats.
 
#23
All of us over 50 will have some degree of high frequency hearing loss and not miss the sparkle of new strings because we basically can't hear all of that that hf sparkle like we used to and have gradually gotten used to not hearing it over the preceding decade or so...
 
#24
mr15x3 said:
As for the string thing, nobody's right and nobody's wrong when it comes to things like "how often should I change my strings." The SMG dude is a recording/mixing guy, so maybe newer strings on a bass make it easier to mix for him.
I change my strings very sporadically, no set schedule for me. I do tend to keep the old strings as backups though, just in case I need them for something.
Edit: that's is, unless the strings are totally trashed, then they GET trashed.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the main point of having new bass strings when recording heavy music like that is to have plenty of top end to work with in the mixing stage. It's almost impossible to add it in post-production if it doesn't exist in the track.
 
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#25
Robroy said:
Not that kind of tone, the other kind.

I was listening to one of those funny SMG videos on how bass players suck and again he seemed so adamant about using new strings before recording. Obviously it is a "tone" thing

So here's the deal: I've been playing since 1998 and played in pretty much any kind of band you can think of, except rap/hiphop. I have seven bases, all of which I own for a specific function. But since 1998 I've only replaced strings three times, two of which because a string broke and the third because I wanted black tape wound flats on my five string fretless.

Sure, strings have that "new string" sound for a week or two, but then they just sound like all the others.

At least to me.

Hence the thread. I see a lot of angst from people about this string or that, but due to the cost and hassle of string replacement, I think of them as like the tires on my car. Of course, those tires are either Michelin PSS or Bridgestone Potenza RE11's, but I don't replace them until they get dangerous in the rain, usually about 10k miles. And I approach string replacement kind of the same, except when they fail it is not dangerous, so I just wait until they fail.

Am I just a neanderthal when it comes to string tone? Or is it those guys on the other side of the spectrum that are just too anal? Or are we both right - and wrong?
Click to expand...

I used to think like you do for many years. "Bass is supposed to be low" I always said.... "what's with all those higher freuencies coming thru." The dull, old string sound works for some stuff but then I was awakened. If you have a lot of instrumentation to cut through and you don't wish to be just an indistinct thud then newer stings are a good idea. Remember, with eq you can subtract high-end but you can't add that which isn't there. You'd probably be surprised by how much high end is in stuff that you may have assumed was performed on dead, old strings.

With the internet, for like 20 bucks every month or two (or even 6) you can have a much better sound- and I play a lot. 20 bucks or less for Ernie Ball 5 string sets- its crazy compared to the old days. When I was 25 and broke and strings were 40 bucks, it was a no brainer to not change.

New strings do reveal many more flaws in your playing... don't let that stop you, just work on it.
 
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#27
That dude mostly records metal, and is fed up with (bass) players showing up with dead strings, which can mean they are not committed enough to spend the money.
From a sound engineer perspective it makes sense, having a purer tone to work with, and as said by @Ant Illington above, you can always reduce the highs, but you can't add what i's not there.
Personally, a bright attack is essential for my tone and my style, and I can't imagine showing up to a studio session without fresh(-ish) strings.
 
#29
My upright instructor told me that it's time to change strings when you can no longer tell if your intonation is good. Duck Dunn said he changed strings when they broke.

In my misspent youth I used to change round-wounds every couple of weeks. Except for slapping (which I rarely do these days) I now prefer the sound of well broken-in strings, flat or round.
 
#31
Robroy said:
Not that kind of tone, the other kind.

I was listening to one of those funny SMG videos on how bass players suck and again he seemed so adamant about using new strings before recording. Obviously it is a "tone" thing

So here's the deal: I've been playing since 1998 and played in pretty much any kind of band you can think of, except rap/hiphop. I have seven bases, all of which I own for a specific function. But since 1998 I've only replaced strings three times, two of which because a string broke and the third because I wanted black tape wound flats on my five string fretless.

Sure, strings have that "new string" sound for a week or two, but then they just sound like all the others.

At least to me.

Hence the thread. I see a lot of angst from people about this string or that, but due to the cost and hassle of string replacement, I think of them as like the tires on my car. Of course, those tires are either Michelin PSS or Bridgestone Potenza RE11's, but I don't replace them until they get dangerous in the rain, usually about 10k miles. And I approach string replacement kind of the same, except when they fail it is not dangerous, so I just wait until they fail.

Am I just a neanderthal when it comes to string tone? Or is it those guys on the other side of the spectrum that are just too anal? Or are we both right - and wrong?
Click to expand...

I don't think I that you are tone deaf either. I also don't change strings very often. They gradually lose high end and I compensate by gradually adding treble with an eq pedal...to a certain point. Then I change the strings. And I wipe the strings off every time that I play, which extends their life.

Be glad that you don't care so much. I used to play with a guitar player who sweat terribly every time that he played. He literally had to change strings every week. Even I could notice if he was over due for a change. It didn't make much of a difference whether he wiped them down or not. Even coated strings seemed to die fast for him.
 
#32
I'm a flatwound guy, so I have very little need to change them up. I normally only do it if I want to try a different brand out of curiosity - not because the flats NEED changing. I have a '75 P-Bass wearing the same flats I put on when I got it in 1996.

But even when I played rounds all the time, I much preferred them after they got older. What others considered "dead", I considered an improvement.
 
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#33
Glenn (that's his name right) only records metal. On top of that, he mixes it by scooping a lot. I'm sure that for his kind of mix fresh strings are important, but any kind of mids focused bass mixing doesn't need all that clank. Take his advice with a grain of salt and think about what your music needs instead.
 
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#35
Ant Illington said:
I used to think like you do for many years. "Bass is supposed to be low" I always said.... "what's with all those higher freuencies coming thru." The dull, old string sound works for some stuff but then I was awakened. If you have a lot of instrumentation to cut through and you don't wish to be just an indistinct thud then newer stings are a good idea. Remember, with eq you can subtract high-end but you can't add that which isn't there. You'd probably be surprised by how much high end is in stuff that you may have assumed was performed on dead, old strings.

With the internet, for like 20 bucks every month or two (or even 6) you can have a much better sound- and I play a lot. 20 bucks or less for Ernie Ball 5 string sets- its crazy compared to the old days. When I was 25 and broke and strings were 40 bucks, it was a no brainer to not change.

New strings do reveal many more flaws in your playing... don't let that stop you, just work on it.
Click to expand...
I actually completely agree with you. However, I've not really ever played music that requires the "new string" brightness. I love that sound, but it just hasn't been necessary.

FWIW, when I first started playing bass I was really into that sound and even boiled my strings.
 
#36
AndreasR said:
Glenn (that's his name right) only records metal. On top of that, he mixes it by scooping a lot. I'm sure that for his kind of mix fresh strings are important, but any kind of mids focused bass mixing doesn't need all that clank. Take his advice with a grain of salt and think about what your music needs instead.
Click to expand...
Maybe that's it. I've only played in one metal band. I did learn to love the subs under the stage at Studio 7 though. :)
 
#38
shawshank72 said:
You only get 10k miles out of a new set of tires, what the hell are you doing to them?
Click to expand...
Over half my daily round trip commute of 155 miles is on two land twisties where I rarely see other cars. These roads are a motorcyclists and driving enthusiast's dream: Smooth, banked properly, no cops - ever, you can go as fast as you want.

Thing is, the tires I drive on are designed primarily for autocross but are considered acceptable street tires as well. They stick to the road like glue but also break free very predictably. And my six speed manual transmission FR-S has amazing handling geometry. It drifts like a slot car when I push it hard. When it doesn't drift, it corners like a slot car. I drift pretty much every day.

The drifting and hard cornering in general is what kills the tires, but it's worth it. If you have to drive 155 miles a day in your commute, it needs to be fun.

The only downside is deer. So far, so good, but I've had some close calls. One time I came around a corner at about 60 and threaded the needle beetween two deer. We're talking a foot or less of clearance from either of them. Just went right between them. Must've scared the crap out of them...
 
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#39
When I first picked up bass, I erroneously assumed I needed to change strings as often as I had on my guitar--every two or three months. Then I joined TalkBass and learned that I needed to change them when they were clearly not performing. Thank y'all!

It's taking some time to tune my ear but I'm discovering that I actually like the G better as it ages, mellows. The strings I have on now are about 2 years old. I may change them, as others have written, to experiment with a different design not because they're not performing. I like flats on my Casady so I'm going to investigate a heavier gauge to see how mellow I can get it.
 

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