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what strings do people with 'killer' body chemistry use that last?
- Thread starter hihat
- Start date
Never tried the coated strings, but people like these.
Fwiw, I kill just about any strings in about a month and I don't have sweaty hands. SIT Powersteels are what I have been using 50-110. They don't turn into rubber bands like DR strings and most others do.
Fwiw, I kill just about any strings in about a month and I don't have sweaty hands. SIT Powersteels are what I have been using 50-110. They don't turn into rubber bands like DR strings and most others do.
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How about using musician's gloves instead? They don't affect your playing or tone. I started using them for my arthritis, but my strings seem to last longer too.
Have you tried tapewounds? The tape might protect your fingers from the metal. They also last for a long time.
I recommend the La Bella White or Gold White tapes:
I spray my strings with Old Spice. They still don't last but they smell good.
Try coated strings. Elixirs have been the longest lasting, for years. They have a nice shimmery tone. And have a somehwat slick feel to them. Easy to play.
DR recently released a new version of their Dragon Skins, with an updated coating. I haven't tried the new ones. The old ones sounded good. But didn't last nearly as long as Elixirs.
Have you tried the coated strings from your favourite brand? They should sound like your favourite strings (maybe a wee bit duller), but last a longer time.
These are crazy high tension for roundwounds. And IME they sound duller than other strings out of the box - maybe that's why they seem to last longer.
I'm not hard on strings at all.
However, I have a good friend that absolutely destroys strings with his acidic, greasy hands. He can kill a normal set of strings in less than 1 hour of play. He has to use Elixir nano web or D'addario XS strings in order to get at least several hours of useful life out of them.
However, I have a good friend that absolutely destroys strings with his acidic, greasy hands. He can kill a normal set of strings in less than 1 hour of play. He has to use Elixir nano web or D'addario XS strings in order to get at least several hours of useful life out of them.
Wait. Have you tried the Gold Unique Studio, as shown in MIMike's post, specifically? They are described as "softer to play" than the regular Optima Gold (the Gold Maxiflex as even more flexible) :
Frequently Asked Questions
optima-strings.com
Elixir strings from aliexpress. Have them on my Jag, NR T Bird and Warwick Dolphin. Sound decent and cheap enough to change frequently.
If you like low tension and are looking for durable strings, have you tried DR (HighBeams, Pure Blues, SunBeams)?
FullumMusic
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- Oct 13, 2022
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Flatwounds don't corrode as fast because the inner windings and core are better sealed off from the atmosphere than rounds. More atmospheric moisture, finger crud, sweat, and finger oils gets through Round Wound to the inside and corrodes them much faster than with Rounds.
Tape-wound is even more protective than flats, because the outer winding is an air-tight nylon, not metal.
Similar situation for any coated string like the Elixers. Prevents the elements, sweat, and oils from getting into the string insides better.
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Could also try an aftermarket string coating liquid. DR Stringlife is a coating you put on yourself every so often to protect your strings. There are other brands of similar products out there too. Some people have said they use Old Spice Deodorant stick, but i don't know if that's actually helpful or just an old wive's tale.
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What style of music do you play and how heavy handed is your playing? To some extent preventing moisture and skin oils from getting on the strings will help them last, but if you play aggressively, they're going to wear out way faster than playing with a light touch no matter what.
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Also, i can't imagine strings going bad in one day. Something is seriously weird going on. Are they just going dead, or are they breaking? If they're breaking, consider a new bridge. I used to break strings all the time, but especially on one particular bass. I got a new bridge for it and haven't broke a string since.
I personally hate the Round Wound "New String Sound," that veneer of ultra-bright-twang that all new round-wounds have to my ear, that covers up their natural sound. It's like New Car Smell. I didn't want the strings dead sounding. I just needed to play through the New String Sound for about a week or two before the strings sound like themselves, and then another few months before they were dead.
I would put on a new set of strings and play the hell out of them and abuse them for a week or two just to get that New String Sound out of them. I also have fairly corrosive fingers sweat/oils. Even with that, it still took a full week or two to get rid of that New String Sound. I can't imagine your strings going from brand new, through the New String Sound phase, through the Natural Sound phase, and all the way to Dead in one day. Not saying it's not happening. Just saying i can't imagine it without hearing it myself.
Is it just that you like the sound of ultra-new, fresh-out-the-pack strings, and any bit of settling down doesn't do it for you?
Could also be how you string your instrument? Something you're doing putting the strings on could be inadvertently causing damage to the string? Maybe it's twisting the core, or the core is separating from the windings? I dunno. Just guessing now.
Tape-wound is even more protective than flats, because the outer winding is an air-tight nylon, not metal.
Similar situation for any coated string like the Elixers. Prevents the elements, sweat, and oils from getting into the string insides better.
--
Could also try an aftermarket string coating liquid. DR Stringlife is a coating you put on yourself every so often to protect your strings. There are other brands of similar products out there too. Some people have said they use Old Spice Deodorant stick, but i don't know if that's actually helpful or just an old wive's tale.
--
What style of music do you play and how heavy handed is your playing? To some extent preventing moisture and skin oils from getting on the strings will help them last, but if you play aggressively, they're going to wear out way faster than playing with a light touch no matter what.
--
Also, i can't imagine strings going bad in one day. Something is seriously weird going on. Are they just going dead, or are they breaking? If they're breaking, consider a new bridge. I used to break strings all the time, but especially on one particular bass. I got a new bridge for it and haven't broke a string since.
I personally hate the Round Wound "New String Sound," that veneer of ultra-bright-twang that all new round-wounds have to my ear, that covers up their natural sound. It's like New Car Smell. I didn't want the strings dead sounding. I just needed to play through the New String Sound for about a week or two before the strings sound like themselves, and then another few months before they were dead.
I would put on a new set of strings and play the hell out of them and abuse them for a week or two just to get that New String Sound out of them. I also have fairly corrosive fingers sweat/oils. Even with that, it still took a full week or two to get rid of that New String Sound. I can't imagine your strings going from brand new, through the New String Sound phase, through the Natural Sound phase, and all the way to Dead in one day. Not saying it's not happening. Just saying i can't imagine it without hearing it myself.
Is it just that you like the sound of ultra-new, fresh-out-the-pack strings, and any bit of settling down doesn't do it for you?
Could also be how you string your instrument? Something you're doing putting the strings on could be inadvertently causing damage to the string? Maybe it's twisting the core, or the core is separating from the windings? I dunno. Just guessing now.
