Yes.
They work out cheaper in the long run!
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They work out cheaper in the long run!
Not long ago I made an inquiry about Dunlap's new MM brights longevety, & several claimed they went flat quicker than Hibeams. Also, they are typical hex core strings & only available in a set of 105 85 65 45. Too tight for my fingers, technique, etc, but I'm also babying my Marcus Miller bass' neck because it developed a ski jump issue with a note balanced set of Hibeams (105 80 60 45, & will never want any 65 gauge D string.
I have also heard that the old Dunlap SS Brights are surprisingly flexible for hex core strings, but I'm inherently suspicious of any string manufacturer that dictates to me what gauges I can use--& no C string for my fretless?
I've never played a hex core string I like. The last two were Loriders & Rotosound Nexus. Yuk!
I'm increasingly convinced this is a cleaning isdue more than separation if layers (as Jason @ BSO often reminds us about round cores separating if not bent properly while installing.). So we'll see, I'll report my findings about cleaning & boiling in this site. And yes, BSO has been my only strung supplier for some time.
The other issue (separation of layers) you addressed by admonishing me to play lightly. My touch is very light, so I doubt my bottom winding's separating from the round core.
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I have a bass playing rival (former friend) who has Elixirs on his bass. Not too bad sounding, but not what I'm after.
Also, Ellixirs come in sets of 90-45, 95-45 etc., not exactly balanced, & with Fendrr's cheap ass "vintage" TRs that's inviting a twist in my neck. I tend to buy single strings, attempting to distribute the tension evenly--though right now I'm using 100 80 60 40
* Fender's rationale is less steel in the neck, more wood can resonate.
Warsh yer harnds berfer ye pley yer bayse gitarr, boi! Warsh em goood! Git that dorito dust off em!
You gotta point. At one performing venue I used to carbo load with free bread as I was playing (!) The butter on my fingers made the strings go flat in a week
Soaking a set of old strings in denatured alcohol for 24 hours will bring the strings back to 99% of their original tone. I do this with all my strings, and have been doing it for years. Thankfully, I can still buy denatured alcohol in NJ 
I went on line but couldn't find any surgical gloves that would fit my bass strings! 
Why are you trying to "save the strings"? I play about 6-8 hours per week on average, and probably change them out about once every year or so. Do you just like the brand new string sound that much? (for reference, I hate the new string sound and want them broken in ASAP)
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I’ve found DiAddario Pro Steels seem to hold their “zing” the longest. You might give them a try.
No boiling, no freezing, no soaking, no slapping the heck out of them... and no surgical gloves... Yet my strings usually last for up to a year or even longer and they're not even flats. What am I doing wrong?
You have to realize that you have to accept one of these compromises:
- Buy regular rounds often >> Expensive maintenance
- Buy regular rounds rarely >> Thumpy sound
- Buy flatwound >> Different sound
- Buy Elixir >> Accept its sound
So is nickel. Never had a rust issue other than for strings that were boiled many many times. When I was doing it, I was playing super hard, new strings would go dead within a week, Boiled would go dead in a night, I changed them for every gig because I liked the zingy sound. Boiling works, but i can't imagine putting anything in the water.
Can't imagine why that would work to do anything other than coat the string with baking soda, making it worse.
As a general comment, bass players overthink just about everything.
20 years ago on the old online forum The Bottom Line, there was a huge discussion about why boiling strings worked. With the involvement of several bassists who happened to be metallurgists, the consensus was that boiling works not because it removes any of the grime, but because it rearranges (puts back) the metal molecules because of the heat involved. The thinking was that strings stretch, moving the molecules, and that is what causes them to go dead rather than dirt. I tend to agree with that, but also think the grime coming off has something to also do with it. Someone said they soak their strings in alcohol for a week. I suspect the benefit of that is actually just letting the strings rest under no tension for a time rather than the alcohol. Or both, maybe.
There's also a video online somewhere of a guy bringing his strings back to life by slightly loosening them then plucking and beating the hell out of them, right on the bass. That supports the metallurgy idea. I've tried it and it works, at least a little.
Personally, I'm buying new strings.
Nowadays I can't hardly walk around my place for all the packs of brand new strings (THANKS, TALKBASS...)
Me too! As I said, string prices have come down considerably because of guys like Jason at BSO, and I appreciate it. Sort of.
I don't recall that they go dead quicker, but i was using nickels and they always go dead quicker than steel.
And ... Invalid Link Removed
Not the regular SS, but the brights are more flexible. So much that I thought they were on round cores. I measured them and they are slightly smaller in diameter than than it says on the package. For example, 45-105 feels to me like 40-100. I have a set of the aforementioned 40-100s and can't bring myself to put them on, the 45's were so flexible.
They all do this, so not sure what's up with that.
And there's that, and why you like DRs. I don't care as long as I like the tone and feel.
I don't buy that. For over 40 years I measure my string, cut them, then bend them, I've never had an issue. i tried the "bend first" approach, and subsequently for the first time had issues with the string slipping in the tuning post. I can see this being more of an issue with round cores, which i don't use as a rule, even so I've never has a problem.
The only strings with which I've ever had an issue were DRs. Breakage on installation of the B string, mostly. And a couple of sets had a dead string or two. But there was a blue set, whatever they were, I had that felt good and seemed to last forever.
No admonishment, just saying what I do, because I used to have a hard time keeping strings alive for any length of time.
I went on line but couldn't find any surgical gloves that would fit my bass strings!
The biggest thing that I've experienced in terms of extending string life is the switch from Incandescent to LED stage lighting. Used to be, I'd sweat like a pig on stage under the heat of the lights, and my strings went dead fast. Now, I don't sweat - strings last a LOT longer.
I can't imagine surgical gloves would last very long, or that I'd be able to play well with them, especially on my right hand.
I can't imagine surgical gloves would last very long, or that I'd be able to play well with them, especially on my right hand.
Wait...you guys change your strings?
BnB
BnB
I'm a paramedic and I use nitrile gloves every day. I agree with Nephilymbass, they would not be very good. These gloves are supposed act as a barrier. In just a few minutes of wearing them, my hands sweat profusely. They aren't comfortable. That being said, my job involves a lot of find motor skill movement (starting an IV for example) and they don't get in the way at all.
Perhaps you need a designated bass that you play often for practice at home. That way you save the strings on your gigging bass. Or maybe I'm creating an excuse to buy another bass.
I agree. All this talk of boiling and all the other "tricks" to get a little more time from stings is to me a little ridiculous. Strings are an expendable part of being a musician. Yeah, strings are expensive but it's part of playing. They wear out. The tires on your vehicle wear out. What do you do. Replace them. It's the price you pay for being a musician. Drink a few less beers or coffee's. Unless you play a ton strings last quite a while really, unless you have to have that new string zing. Again, if that's your choice then be ready to pay.
Rant over.
Ehh, I don't think the gloves you're thinking of are going to hold up to bass strings. I used to wear them ages ago when I would do shop work on parts with certain oils to save my hands a bit. Not sure if medical grade ones are more sturdy though. I used the blue nitrile ones, and they were pretty flimsy for the most part.
I personally think string life relates directly to how clean your hands are and how much your hands sweat. My hands don't sweat and I keep them clean, and my bass strings last ages. The bass player in one of my bands uses one of my basses and he destroys string life in a single session... Coincidentally, his hands sweat a LOT and I don't think he showers the morning before our practices because he always looks he woke up a minute before the scheduled time. It's a small sample size, but I'm sticking with it.
Invest in some string cleaning products.
I personally think string life relates directly to how clean your hands are and how much your hands sweat. My hands don't sweat and I keep them clean, and my bass strings last ages. The bass player in one of my bands uses one of my basses and he destroys string life in a single session... Coincidentally, his hands sweat a LOT and I don't think he showers the morning before our practices because he always looks he woke up a minute before the scheduled time. It's a small sample size, but I'm sticking with it.
Invest in some string cleaning products.
