My E strings always die quickly while my A, D, G strings are bright and fine

[HazyMan]

some basses are problematic like that. I had a fender zone that came out of the box new like that, the E string always sounded dull like an old string. I tried anything I could think of (including the "witness points") and returned it to the dealer. They came up with nothing as well. I tried several different brands and gauges of strings. The dealer even contacted fender, who really offered no help. I ended up trading it back in and got something that sounded good (Schecter). I know that doesn't help fix your problem, but maybe it's time to let it be someone else's problem. Put a set of flatwounds on it and put it on Craigslist

put it on craigslist? you mean sell it? if so, then HELL NO. i am not going to sell this bass.

 

[HazyMan]

You just need to drool out of the other side of your mouth.

Seriously... I got nothing.

i didnt understand anything from your response

 

[hasbeen]

I don't believe that the "witness point" has anything to do with in IMHO. The lower the frequency/pitch of the note/string, the quicker the string will "appear" to go dead. Why? The lower the pitch of any note, the more your ear requires the overtones to hear it. Overtones are what starts to die off first on strings, leaving only the fundamental. The fundamental on a low B/E are more difficult to hear than on higher pitched strings.

 

[Altitude]

Strings go dead when foreign material accumulates in the tiny crevices along the winding and dampens the string's vibration.

The heavier strings have coarser winding, so there's more room for the gak on your hands to accumulate in there and deaden the string than there is on the smaller strings. It's that simple. All else constant, the E and B strings will go dead before the others every time.

 

[Linnin]

Is it possible your playing the E and A a lot more then the other strings...you could be wearing those out faster than the rest

That is true with me. Plus the heavier strings always loose their brightness & overtones first. I really like the GHS Balanced Nickels. Once the entire set has mellowed out together, then tonal equilibrium is once again restored. I still have this set on at 9 months Review: GHS Balanced Nickels 4M-NB

 

[Michael Eisenman]

You said that they sound good for a few days, but is it possible that one or both pickups are too close to those strings and restricting their movement?

 

[HazyMan]

You said that they sound good for a few days, but is it possible that one or both pickups are too close to those strings and restricting their movement?

im really not sure, they seem to be fine to me

 

[Ric5]

My E strings always die quickly while my A, D, G strings are bright and fine

Try D'addario super light strings

 

[HazyMan]

My E strings always die quickly while my A, D, G strings are bright and fine

Try D'addario super light strings

daddario super light strings= daddario pro steels? if so, then no thanks. the pro steels also lasted for about 1-2 weeks.

 

[TNCreature]

It's because you play nothing but Black Sabbath songs?

 

[drumvsbass]

Resting the thumb on the E string leaves more finger dirt on that string than the others.

 

[michael_t]

This whole idea of thicker strings dying faster than thinner ones makes sense to me to a certain degree.

One good example of that would be the D'A Chromes Flats (ECB84, 40-60-80-100) that I had on my Fender Jazz for four years. The 40G stayed annoyingly bright and "twangy", while the 100E eventually went all thuddy and undefined.

The new set of the GHS Precision Flats Lights I just put on my P bass a month ago combines a 45G with a 95E. I'm curious to see how they will age as a whole. Only time will tell...

 

[michael_t]

Resting the thumb on the E string leaves more finger dirt on that string than the others.

If your thumb is dirty enough to kill the E string faster than other simply by resting on it, you'd better go wash it first.

 

[JRA]

It's because you play nothing but Black Sabbath songs?

OP: play more jazz...it won't matter! good luck with your E string(s)!

 

[JoePP]

If your thumb is dirty enough to kill the E string faster than other simply by resting on it, you'd better go wash it first.

Ha! Good one! Yes, I agree. We as bass players all need to wash our thumbs more!

 

[Maynjo]

I used to use d addarios and had the same problem. I recommend Dean Markley blue steels. To me, they sound better after they're broken in and the E still has zing.

 

[knight of ni]

It happened to my son too and I install his strings the same way than mine. The E string was the first one to go dead by far. I think it was due to his thumb resting exclusively on the E string and bending the string as he reached higher strings. It is better now he rests alternatively on the E and A string. Could also be the switch to SS strings (Dunlop and DR) which IMO last longer.
EDIT : happened with d’addarios Before switching to SS

 

[MDBass]

I am having an issue with the E string specifically. Every time i get a brand new set of strings, the set usually sounds nice and fresh for a few days, then the E string loses a lot of its sound while the other 3 strings still sound fine. (The A string also loses a bit of its sound but it doesn't sound as dead as the E string). What can i do to prevent this?

This is entirely normal, for two reasons:

1. You likely spend more of your time playing the E string than you do any other string, as most bassists do.

2. The E string starts out naturally a bit darker to begin with, so it has to lose less clank or zing than the other strings to be noticeable.

 

[JoeWPgh]

Heavier gauge strings tend to get thumpier than lighter ones. And some basses react worse to it than others. I would try a lighter gauge, and follow the witness point advice

 

[DaveAceofBass]

Heavier strings should give more overtones, so they should be brighter sounding. Heavier strings will be louder with more overtones...personally I prefer lighter strings. I think stainless steel will stay brighter on the low strings IME. Personally I use DR Sunbeams (nickel), but one of my basses has an old set of Dunlop Superbrights in SS on it, and even though the strings are older they are still noticeably brighter. The advice about the witness point is good!