Roundwounds....how old do you go?

[buldog5151bass]

Yeah, the desired tone has changed. In the 80s, even as a poor college student, I would change every month, but now I just leave them on until they sound . Easily over a year.

 

[ahbradot]

Decades

 

[C Stone]

For me it depends on the bass. One of jazz basses had a set of roundwound strings on for so long I couldn't remember what they were, let alone how old the set was.

I usually write down the install date on the package and which bass is wearing them but I have a couple of basses an '04' P and a 2013 VM Jazz that I am pretty sure have the OG strings from Fender factory install, the P has red silks and the VM has all brass ball ends but they sounds so good I don't dare change 'em.

 

[MCS4]

It varies by circumstance. Left to my own devices, I enjoy the sound of a well-worn set of nickels and would be happy to leave them on a long time. However, in my main band (fairly heavy rock/metal), I need to keep my strings fairly fresh or else I start noticing a decline in presence and attack on certain types of parts, so if we're actively gigging I'm probably changing them at least every couple months or so.

 

[Vodyanoi]

I used to replace my strings every 3-4 years or so I guess, but the last Sunbeams set I've used was ~8 years old (2012-2020 / SR600) before switching entirely to flats. It has always been like "the older the better" for me, provided there were no intonation problems of course.

I don't really think I've changed my strings more than 3-4 times in all my two decades of playing. And I'm doing the same with flats now; my first set (Chromes) is already ~2 years old and it has just started to break in nicely.

 

[Element Zero]

3-4 months.

 

[darthplagis]

If I'm playing a specific bass a lot then I change strings 3-4 months usually, I like the snap and bite of new strings and boosting highs and upper mids only gets you so much of that bite back.

 

[P-Belly Evans]

Had a set of 30-90s on my Thunder II for about 20 years I think. I am amazed I haven't broken a string yet. I absolutely love the tone of old dead rounds for pick, fingers and slap. I also love an old but not so old set on my P, Jazz and EBO as I don't like too much new zing. TL flats on my Mustang. The only bass I own that benefits from much newer strings is my 5 string Harley Benton Stingray copy. I dunno if that is because of the low B, or the nature of the Stingray tone

 

[Ggaa]

Used a set of LaBella supersteps for probably 10 years.

 

[cnltb]

The strings on my main bass were put on by te builder 10 years ago, when the bass was completed.
Still intonate well and stay in tune. The bass sounds as I like it to.

 

[Rib 13]

as soon as they start to noticably lose brightness

For me, it isnt about time; its about mileage: back in my gigging-for-a-living days, this was roughly <25 hours of play (3 to 5 gigs)...i still adhere to the <25 hours philosophy tho some of my basses hardly get played and may take a year to get 25 hours on them while my regular #1s may get 25 hours in a week or two

yes, i spend a lot of money on strings

 

[definenredefine]

Just change them when they break.

This is the right answer.

 

[Marko 1]

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.

My guys like it clean and articulate, and typically playing with only one guitar (right now with some keyboards, as well, but not too heavily played), I think it needs to be. DR Nickel Lowriders is also what I use, but I tried a set of Ernie Ball Colbalt Flats, still new, but I easily got a tone they loved with those, as well.

 

[pfschim]

I'm definitely in the "it depends" camp.
I like round core, nickel rounds and am currently using Pure Blues, but also like Sunbeams too. I don't really like the zingy brand new string sound, but after a few weeks of gigging, practicing etc, they settle down to where I like them .... semi-dead, but not totally thuddy sounding.

I'll leave them on until the intonation fails from fret divots and wear etc, and that can be anywhere from 6 months to as long as 18 months or so.

I've got a set on my Lull M4V right now that are just right and have been on for close to 18 months. I do move between 2 primary basses, the Lull and a Roscoe Beck IV, I generally keep older strings on one, and newer strings on the other, so I do have options depending on the tone needs of what I'm doing each week. And, FWIW, I also have a 51P reissue with 5 year old Sunbeams on it, so I do have a thud machine available when needed.

 

[burgerdj]

Either I’m cheap or older strings just sound better to my ears. They only get replaced when they lose the tuning stability.

 

[Egg250]

I'm economical, but I prefer new strings. Maybe I don't have the right strings but, as they get older, they get mushy and muddy sounding. I really like the bright, shiny new sound.

 

[scott sinner]

Once a year at least. But that is in part because I rotate through usually 3 - 4 basses. If I was playing one bass, probably 3 times a year.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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?

About 50-100 hours of play on GHS Bass Boomers or DR Lo-Riders. Depending on how many of those hours were on gigs. Less when recording. They are changed when degradation turns up on the recordings. For most sessions I install a fresh set.

I don’t exactly have a light touch mostly finger picking, light pickers may get more time. Guys that look like they are drawing a bow (you know who your are), less.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

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?

Hmmmm. Let’s see….I put the set of GHS Bass Boomers that are on my main bass early last December. So, three months and counting. The B and the E string are getting a tiny bit of “Thud” but there’s still plenty of definition left for my needs. I put in at least two hours per day of playing time on my main bass, so I’ll guess I’d change strings every three to four months, if the styles of music being played requires a very defined tone. If not, probably every six months.

When I was gigging constantly, I changed strings about once a month. But I was using a much brighter tone back then.

 

[maxschrek]

Just change them when they break.

Same.