Stretching New Strings

[Altitude]

As far as your bet; I'll pass, knowing you meant with your bare hands. However, if you're talking about we both start with a bass strung-up, and I pull on the .105 E string (off the fretboard) and you tune your .105 E string up with the tuning machine, and whoever breaks a string first wins $100, yeah, I'll take that bet!

I was, of course, just being playful - thanks for taking it that way.

 

[jasper383]

DR says: DONT STRETCH THEM MOFO

DR calls its customers MOFO?

I have a new favorite string company.

 

[DanielleMuscato]

Tslice, it takes 20 seconds... it's not a matter of time; it's function... if you don't stretch your strings, they will not stay in tune as well. You can stretch them naturally - that is, play a lot - or artificially (manually). If I'm changing strings before a session, of course I will stretch the strings. I'm not going to waste someone else's time & money (not to mention making myself look unprofessional) by having my instrument go out of tune during a session. The same goes for live shows, especially if my instrument has to acclimate because of weather.

Is there a reason *not* to stretch your strings? I have heard "string life," but I routinely use strings for many months after stretching with zero problems.

An interesting question might be, how often do you have to retune? I have a stock Korean-made MTD with no-name machines. After stretching strings for 20 seconds on a new set, I am never more than a few cents off again, and that includes bending strings, slapping, etc. I practice about four hours each day and change my strings every 6 months or so, and I tune before I play (a few cents off at most from the day before). I have *never* been as much as 25 cents off, unless you count accidentally turning the key when transitioning from or to the gigbag. Is this true for everyone, including those who do not stretch their strings?

 

[dvh]

Yes. I don't stretch my strings and my tuning is never out further than yours on any of my basses.

 

[Tony G]

Is this true for everyone, including those who do not stretch their strings?

Yes, at least for me. It doesn't matter which bass either. My MIJ Jazz, my Carvin LB75F, or my MTD 635. I string up, tune, play for a few minutes, tune, and then I'm usually good to go. I also tune with a Peterson Stroboflip, and that thing has me hearing the tuning so precisely that I find it very easy these days to tell if I am just a touch off. In my 12 years of playing, I've never once stretched my strings as you mention, and have not had a single problem with strings going out of tune. However, I prefer the tone of fresh strings, and find myself changing them about every 2-3 months at the longest, and I definitely don't practice 4 hours a day as you say you do. If you are happy with the way your strings sound up to about 6 months, and you seriously play as much as you say, then it sounds like you aren't doing anything wrong.

However, if you have been stretching your strings as you say, and you don't notice any loss of string life, and really think it helps make a difference in keeping your strings in tune, who are we to say you shouldn't? All I'm saying is I don't, and I've never noticed any problems.

 

[needmoney]

However, if you have been stretching your strings as you say, and you don't notice any loss of string life, and really think it helps make a difference in keeping your strings in tune, who are we to say you shouldn't? All I'm saying is I don't, and I've never noticed any problems.

Me too. If anything my strings might go VERY slightly out of tune during a set from doing bends or hard pops or something. I have no doubt it would do the same even if I stretched the strings before I put them on.

 

[greenboy]

I tune my strings up half a step, briefly, one by one, before returning to standard tuning. But it's not to "stretch the strings" - it's to seat the tuning peg wraps better, where a lot of out-of-tune problems actually can come from.

 

[Erick Lam]

I pull them a little when I string my bass and after that, whenever my tuning is too high (just a little, from temperature change), I pull them a bit to bring the pitch down and tune up from there. When I can't bring the pitch down by pulling on them, it means I need new strings.

That expertvillage guy is nuts. LOTS of bad advices from that "expert".