Just found a secret way to get rid of that nasty brittely zing of new strings. You must instal a special potentiometer in conjunction with a capacitor. Put it between the pick-up and the output jack. Some basses have it from factory but they’re very hard to find.
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Taking rounds on and off (and on again)
- Thread starter Selim
- Start date
you lose ALL of the string's mojo!!! Luckily, it will have zero effect on the string's look, feel, tone, or playability...
Buying a bulk of 3 set of strings will carry you for a good length amount of time. Expensive yes but I like to look at time rather than $$$
YMMV
Ever take a small piece of metal, like a paper clip, and bend it until it breaks? I guess that's my theory on reusing strings...lol. some people can get away with it and even some prefer the dead sound of old worn strings. So to each their own, but, if I were to give some advice....keep a used spare or two handy.
As long as it's the sound you want, play'um till you break'um.
As long as it's the sound you want, play'um till you break'um.
JeezyMcNuggles
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Nope. They're much more interchangeable. With flats, the strings start unwinding as you taje them on and off. Rounds don't do that. There's no consequences at all.
MDBass
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- Nov 7, 2012
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D
View attachment 4755368
don't cut them!
-or-
cut the least amount necessary to prevent overlaps.
some rounds do better than others, IME/IMO, but i don't cut my strings so i'm sure i get more mileage than most.* that said, strings are the cheapest part of it all, typically, so i don't 'over extend' my strings if i can help it, anyway.
don't cut your strings = no loss of "mojo"
* i actually cut some strings (maybe 1-2 inches) to make them wrap better, but i don't do that "2-3 winds and your done" thing.
The problem isn't about cutting them. This only matters with round core strings (always crimp/bend before cutting!) and the problem wouldn't be the string snapping but the wrapping unwinding from the core. With hex core there shouldn't be any problems whatsoever with cutting the strings. I mean, lots of people even cut long scale strings to fit a short scale bass without any issues (not that I would recommend this and especially not with stiff "old school" flats or round core strings!).
But with Rotos there seems to be a tendency to snap when the tension is loosened/re-tightened. The problem seems to be that they develop a weakness at any point where the strings are bent, like where the string is leaving the center of the tuning shaft. I have experienced the same thing with Roto guitar strings which usually aren't cut before installing (depending on the type of tuning shaft). I work at a guitar workshop so I install a LOT of strings. As much as I love the tone of Rotos they definitely seem more brittle than other strings and I've experienced Rotos snapping during setup more often than with any other brand. I'm starting to think this is the reason Roto include an extra 1st string with their guitar sets. D'Addarios are on the other end of the spectrum. I can't remember EVER breaking a D'Addario string during setup. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of the D'Addario signature tone. If I was they would probably have been my first choice as their QC seems better than most.
Just to be clear: I've never experienced any premature breakage with Rotos under normal use. Only when removing/re-installing them. When I install Rotos they stay there.
Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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When I remove a set of strings they get thrown away and a new set gets installed ... I don't move strings from bass to bass
If the zing is not a factor.....
I like old rounds and have had no problems moving them from bass to bass, no loss of mojo, the same as moving flats around. Still have a set of nearly 10 year old Lo Riders that I'll put on a new bass for reference, no problem. They would have been on 4 or 5 basses, some multiple times, mix of string thru body and regular etc etc. The kinks iron out eventually (mostly).
Glad you brought that up. This is the scenario:
You have X set of strings on, they’re broken in how you like them — that state is the string’s “mojo”.
But you want to experiment with a couple of other sets of strings for this bass. So you take the set off, try a new set, don’t like it, and meanwhile you need to put that first set on since it’s broken in just how you like it and you have to go play.
Then you want to try the 2nd set of strings you’re curious about. So you take off your 1st again. You don’t like that 2nd set. So you put that 1st set on again, and when you do, that set has lost something.
This is the original purpose for my question. With flats, you seem to be able to move them across several basses and they won’t change much (if they sound different, it’s most likely because they are now on a different bass).
Or eat a packet of Twisties (Aussie reference...insert any type of baked/fried snack food here....preferably oily or gets stuck your fingers for maximum transference to said strings) each time you play them.
Eat with your left hand for right handed bassists ;-)
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Well this applies directly to me. I have played on flats for pretty much my whole life, it’s only this year where I decided to use rounds. Nickel Lo riders is what I’ve settled on. I’ve read hear that they last long for a round wound, just wondering if you shorten their life span by talking them on and off.
I also prefer the really-really broken in round wound tone - I want some of those mid frequencies, that’s kind of the reason to use rounds for me.
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I like the Nickels out of the box, but in terms of mojo, for me they didn't last that long, seemed to lose the high mids early, swapped between basses or not. The one's I'm talking about were stainless.
In terms of swapping them between basses, I'd say they're the same. If the nickels are old(ish) I wouldn't be concerned about swapping.
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For reference I now use TI Flats...one month on TI Flats for me is the same as 4-5 months on on Lo Rider Stainless for warming up and getting rid of all zing, but retaining some poke when you need it.
Breaking 2 strings in a month was the catalyst for the 'breaking in' evaluation. I sold the offending bass (after replacing the string saddle)
Breaking 2 strings in a month was the catalyst for the 'breaking in' evaluation. I sold the offending bass (after replacing the string saddle)
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Thanks. I guess that makes sense. For me, the mojo period begins after a few nights with the new strings. And it begins to wane after 15 or 20 gigs.
So, my mojo window of opportunity is probably shorter than yours.
I like them too, but I feel that because they are such a unique string that may require altering your technique, you have to pretty much embrace them fully, and I can’t do that (or don’t want to).
True, TI Flats are a very different feel, almost polar opposite to Lo Riders imo, although Lo Riders are probably also at another extreme of the tension spectrum.. Took me a while to get used to the flats.
Strangely if I accidentally leave the Lo Riders on a bass that I take to a gig or rehearsal, it's only 16 bars or so before I remember where I am and its cool, both tension levels have their advantages. With the Lo Riders your right hand has more power (cos you know where the string will be, they don't move that much), with the TI flats, your left hand has more power for expression (assuming right handedness), but you gotta watch the right hand.
Edit : But for 2 completely different feeling strings, they sound remarkably similar when worn in.
Strangely if I accidentally leave the Lo Riders on a bass that I take to a gig or rehearsal, it's only 16 bars or so before I remember where I am and its cool, both tension levels have their advantages. With the Lo Riders your right hand has more power (cos you know where the string will be, they don't move that much), with the TI flats, your left hand has more power for expression (assuming right handedness), but you gotta watch the right hand.
Edit : But for 2 completely different feeling strings, they sound remarkably similar when worn in.
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