So, I bought this absolutely incredible Charvel 2B for peanuts. It came with a set of rusty strings from God knows when. I tuned the bass and it sounded great, for a bass with rusty strings. I then wanted to put a set of some old strings that aren't rusty, just as a temporary thing until I go to town. But, they were too short. Anyway, I really like how it plays and just put back the old strings and OH MY GOD, they sound like a week old strings! And they're holding the tone for a couple of days now. Absolutely incredible, like I wouldn't believe this crap, but it just happened to me. Did anyone else experience anything similar?
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Strings sounding brand new after being taken off and put on again
- Thread starter dindinbre
- Start date
LOL yea, I don't expect them to sound like this forever, and I'm gonna change them as soon as possible. I was just shocked how rusty strings sound so good just after being taken off and put on. This can be a useful trick in a studio I guess.
I've noticed a similar thing. I clean my strings with GHS Fast Fret once a month or so. I also rub some on the fingerboard and loosen the strings one by one to do that. They sound brighter afterwards, compared to just cleaning them without loosening them. My going theory is that by taking the tension off the string, the windings compress and push the gunk out, which I then wipe away with the Fast Fret applicator. Just a theory, but the result is solid.
It's similar to loosening the strings, pulling them and letting them smack on the fretboard several times then retuning. It will temporarily add twang back to deadish round wound strings. I don't do this but I've seen it and it works. If it removes gunk or the string goes back slightly different and the dead spots aren't pushing on the board the same, not sure but it does work for a while.
It's like when you turn your computer off and on again. It slows back down as soon as you open a few Chrome browsers.
Clearly the strings got scared they were going to be thrown away and stopped slacking off
Well yes, but still a nice discovery if I need to record something and don't have a set of spares laying around.
that's just physics! 
the steel core is made of "spring steel", which is "elastic" (pass the me therm! ) and can return to the original shape.
detuning a string means that the steel relaxes and goes back to an initial form, without the stretch given by the tension of the tuning, so it gains back some harmonics and sound not related to the dirt in the winding, which is another story.
it will work for some days, not as a brand new string, but still is a good way to regain some brightness from strings.
the steel core is made of "spring steel", which is "elastic" (pass the me therm! ) and can return to the original shape. detuning a string means that the steel relaxes and goes back to an initial form, without the stretch given by the tension of the tuning, so it gains back some harmonics and sound not related to the dirt in the winding, which is another story.
it will work for some days, not as a brand new string, but still is a good way to regain some brightness from strings.
That's the answer I was looking for, it all makes sense now, thanks a lot!that's just physics!
detuning a string means that the steel relaxes and goes back to an initial form, without the stretch given by the tension of the tuning, so it gains back some harmonics and sound not related to the dirt in the winding, which is another story.
it will work for some days, not as a brand new string, but still is a good way to regain some brightness from strings.
I was highly skeptical of this when it was first making the rounds several years ago, but gave it a shot and have been doing it before rehearsals and shows ever since as it really does seem to work at least temporarily. It also stabilizes tuning really nicely (I tend to not have to tune much at all during a set with my years-old flatwounds despite my sometimes heavy technique).
Nope, when I take strings off they go in the garbage. ANY bass I purchase gets new strings before any setup.
Well as I said, I want to change them, and will buy a new set of strings when I go to town in the next few days. These strings are rusty and feel like crap (that's why I wanted to put another, non rusty set of old strings that I had laying around), but after being taken off and put on back again, they sound great.
if they are not completely dead, I use to keep them for any use that could be needed.
FE: a new bass that needs a not-rusty set of strings, firstly takes an old set, while I do the first setup and overall cleaning, so that I don't waste a brand new set.
another thing I do is keep strings to try them out when I'm cycling through different brands or gauges. I keep a set of Rotosound Funkmaster and GHS Boomers light when I want to retry lighter sets but I don't want to spend money.
also to retry a brand that I wasn't using.
it's useful if you like to try different strings on different basses in different moments of your life
if you only use your long-time-favourite, there's no need to keep old strings.
- Oct 22, 2015
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Yeah I've been doing the loosen off and "ping" the string technique on a couple of basses for a few years, not on the ones that I want to be properly bright and zingy, they get new sets more frequently, but on the J type bass where I like the older rounds sound I use this to bring them back to a little bit of brightness and liveliness. Always seems to do the job for me.
I've experienced this and my theory is that it is also caused by rotating the string.
I wonder if the side of the string that is making contact with the frets, bridge gets a little bit worn down and loses its 'edge'. When you loosen or remove the string and reinstall it, it's likely a different side of the string will now be making contact with the frets and bridge.
Possible?
I wonder if the side of the string that is making contact with the frets, bridge gets a little bit worn down and loses its 'edge'. When you loosen or remove the string and reinstall it, it's likely a different side of the string will now be making contact with the frets and bridge.
Possible?
Smooth_bass88
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- Oct 31, 2006
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I bought one of these brand new when I was 15, ninth grade. Threw a set of active EMGs in it and off to the races we go! Good instrument, good times.
Sometimes you'll get some snappiness when you restring used strings but it doesn't last long. What's happening is that whatever gunk has accumulated between the outer wraps has been pushed out and acts like a self clean. I've done that a few times when I was trying to get a little more life out of some old strings. I'll back off the tension and wipe them really well and then when I re tension them it'll put some life back in them for a bit.
