Roundwounds....how old do you go?

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Admittedly I like my flats super broken-in (I've got one bass with 8 year old Labellas that sound perfect) but now it appears I'm totally into "dead" rounds these days too. It's funny, 'cause growing up I was all about changing my Rotos before every gig. I've got some DR Nickel Lo-Riders on a Jazzbass that have toured and been on that bass for...I'm not even sure how long, but it's been years. They sound just right--I'd be bummed if I had to change 'em! Anybody else in the dead rounds club?

Yeah, I'm in the club. It's a weird progression with me. I get a bass with new strings and love how they sound. I vow to always use new strings on all basses, because dang this sounds great. 3 weeks later, I realize that 3-week broken in strings are actually better than new. Still zingy, with a little bit off the top. After two months, they start getting dead, and I forget what they sounded like fresh. I like them. I keep them. Six years later, I occasionally wonder if it would sound better if I changed them. But I like the tone and am lazy, so keep them. And so it goes until I have some true need to remove them or change them.

Truth be told, I like all states of string decay, from brand new through super dead covered in moldy margarine residue.

 

[Killing Floor]

My main MM with bright rounds gets a change now about 3-4 months. Has been as frequently as 2 weeks. Hey, I like them bright.
And FWIW I also keep flats on until I do deep cleaning or fingerboard oiling, a year-ish.

 

[BOOG]

Aside from swapping strings to find what I’m after for a particular bass, I like’m old and well broken in.

 

[Medicine Man]

I like em dead, but sometime between 8 months and a year, the action gets too loose, and im forced to suffer through a couple weeks of fresh strings.

 

[40Hz]

I like my rounds broken in but not dead sounding. I’m not a fan of clang or zing. So (depending on the brand and specific set) I’ll run between 6 -12 months average on a set of rounds before I’ll do a string change. But I’ve had a few sets that went considerably longer.

Usually you can hear the intonation suddenly go off. When that happens it’s time for new strings. Same applies to flats.

FWIW I found the lighter gauged rounds seem to last longer sounding the way I like them to sound.

 

[dab12ax7ef]

I like fresh bright rounds, am I’m happy to change them 6-12 months. That is for DR high beams or EB Slinky’s.

Side note: I’m changing my upright strings for the first time in 18 years. Those are like $250 a set (range from $180 or can be up to $600 for some gut sets.) Most active players change them 3-5 years.

 

[badinage]

i change them when i think i can blame them for something ...

This is a great answer. I was thinking in "holding pitch" / "intonation" / "dullness" types of terms until the realization that reality for me is also "when they annoy me in some way". Could be days or years (or minutes). I also think the actual performance of any string of any brand is going to be a moving target, so whatever you like today you best be open to adjusting your opinion as materials, methods, and origins of manufacture (and you) evolve over time.

 

[Geogio]

When I was using roundwounds they were Rotosounds then after Ernie Balls come out I switched. TBH I switched out the Roundwounds out yearly, whether they needed it or not... but I was playing 3 nights and rehearsal once per week. We played long sets, used a lot hand towels, and went over the instrument at least weekly for cleaning and maintenance. I alternated between two fretted and a fretless. I later put a 6-string extended in the rotation.

All in all the fretted instruments got their strings changed yearly I don't think I have change the strings on my fretless in probably 20 years.

I switched to flatwounds exclusively about 4 or 5 years ago just before that I was using half rounds on the fretted which I started using in the late 90s.

 

[KJMO]

Two gigs max and my strings sound like a rubber band, so I have to change them just about every gig. Coated strings last 6mos. or longer though.

 

[feterpatch]

I'm a fan of bright, new Rotosounds. For me optimal break-in period is one, 3 set show or a couple hours of band rehearsal. After that I'm good for about five more sessions. I only play out about once a month and switch between basses, so a set lasts me a reasonably long time.

 

[JRA]

the actual performance of any string of any brand is going to be a moving target, so whatever you like today you best be open to adjusting your opinion as materials, methods, and origins of manufacture (and you) evolve over time.

 

[Altitude]

I've got two sets for each bass; I rotate one on and the other through an alcohol soak and then in the box until I feel like the set on the bass is too dead. And then switch. I have maybe noticed myself waiting longer lately to change than I used to.

I keep strings for years this way.

 

[ole Jason]

Around once a year on the bass I use for jazz seems fine. I tend to change them more frequently on the bass I use in rock bands just because they tend to get gunked up and sweaty.

 

[JimB52]

I like old rounds, especially TI 344s.
Have a set on a Lakland JO that's at least 12 years old.
That being said, I have always liked the sound of a brand new set of Roto funkmasters on a P Bass driven through a big tube amp.

 

[Dragan]

I used to be guy who's changing strings every month or two, no matter how many basses l have. Even l always prefered well worn strings, l changed them because l felt l "suppose to". Recently l changed strings after 5 months, and l almost regretted, they felt so good even the tone started to be dull. It also is matter of which strings and which bass.

 

[MrLenny1]

Once a year if I'm gigging.

 

[WillyW]

I have only been playing bass for 3 years, my estate can worry about changing them.

 

[jimmydean]

No need until they break , just keep boiling them......remember , it's mind over matter.

 

[Machiavelli]

I never change them, but I prefer flatwounds for most basses.

 

[dave64o]

I love the sound of old rounds so, when I have rounds on a bass, I rarely change them. The exception for is Ernie Ball strings. I've tried Regular Slinkys and Cobalt Slinkys and neither worked for me. They go dead way too quickly and not in a good way, so I no longer use them.

My favorite rounds are my favorite strings overall - DR Nickel Lo Riders. Regardless of the bass I have them on, I love how they age and I only replace them when I decide that I want to try a different string (which I'll occasionally do). But I've left some on for a couple of years and still loved the sound.

I like Ken Smith Burners a lot also and do the same with them - leave them on until I decide to try a different set of strings.

I've been having affairs with flats for a couple of years so I only have one bass with a set of rounds on it right now. They're nickel Lo Riders and are about 18 months old. That bass is just a lowly SX Jazz 5 that I turned into a parts bass, but our guitar player LOVES how it sounds and keeps suggesting I play it more often (rather than my favorite bass, a Stingray HH that's currently wearing Chromes). Gotta admit that it does sound great.