Why do folks cut strings?

[InhumanResource]

Does your house settle once and then never again?

My last one was pretty quiet but it was like 130 years old. It was an honest question.

 

[pbassjbass]

what's the going rate for a 15 year old set of gas half rounds

 

[blastoff]

op has a string thru ?

 

[Muttleybass]

Selling or buying used strings is a thing?? 45 years playing and I've NEVER heard that one. Would never even have considered that.

Wanna buy my used motor oil too?

 

[Rolling Thunder]

The supposed existence of a used bass string market got me curious so I put my thumbs to good use with a quick research.

According to Reverb as of 5 minutes ago, there are 8500+ sets for sale of NEW strings and about 200 used sets for sale.

 

[fourfinger]

I don't like how he wraps initially instead of winding. That will usually put a twist in the string that can give some weird overtones.

Great point!

 

[nnnnnn]

there are lots of TB herd behaviors posted as "best practices" that i consider grand BS, and cutting strings is one of them.

Fender recommends cutting strings to length. Did they get the idea from Talk Bass, or has Fender been recommending it since before Talk Bass existed?

 

[Root 5]

3 wraps is all that’s needed, but then to the length of each tuner. With all my headless, the excess MUST be cut off.

Selling used strings?

Never even a thought and seems ridiculous

Buying used strings?
Eeewwwwww
No thanks

View attachment 4711550 View attachment 4711551

There is a market for flatwounds & nylon tapewounds because they last a long time

 

[GretschWretch]

I´ve been measuring an imaginary distance of the next peg and half, so I get 2 or 2 and half wind around the peg.
But form now I´ll increase the distance, so I can get 3 winds.

Good luck with that. I absolutely detest tapered capstans. They won't let you wrap all the way down to the bushing, which weakens the witness point at the nut for the E and A strings.

I am not making a reflection on you; it's those wretched capstans.

 

[Root 5]

Because if you don't,you have this!
View attachment 4711510
.....and many of us don't want this!

I cut my strings to about 2 1/2 inches past the post so I will have about three winds around the post.
Maybe a bit more on the D,G, and C.(Sixers)
View attachment 4711511

Edit:I never resell or buy used strings.

They’d have 5,003 wraps on the E & G posts (2+2 headstock) if they put the end down the hole and wrapped.

 

[Barticus]

There is a market for flatwounds & nylon tapewounds because they last a long time

Yeah again, eewwwwww

 

[4string5string]

Because

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Yeah again, eewwwwww

If you ever get the itch to try flats, try Dunlop Stainless flats. A little brighter than your typical flat and no finger noise. It's not going to get a Marcus Miller tone, but seems to have the benefits of flats without giving up everything from rounds.

 

[eddybuzzard]

Because

...the strings ain't gonna cut themselves!

 

[Barticus]

If you ever get the itch to try flats, try Dunlop Stainless flats. A little brighter than your typical flat and no finger noise. It's not going to get a Marcus Miller tone, but seems to have the benefits of flats without giving up everything from rounds.

Yeah maybe I’ll try them, I’ve been playing LaBella Golds (flats) on my fretless basses for years. I’ve been through Chromes, white tapes, black tapes and the Golds are awesome - for me.

Never would consider used strings though, that’s just gross.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Yeah maybe I’ll try them, I’ve been playing LaBella Golds (flats) on my fretless basses for years. I’ve been through Chromes, white tapes, black tapes and the Golds are awesome - for me.

Never would consider used strings though, that’s just gross.

My bad, I thought "Ewwwww" was for flats. I agree on the used strings.

 

[JRA]

Fender recommends cutting strings to length. Did they get the idea from Talk Bass, or has Fender been recommending it since before Talk Bass existed?

i'll play!

"fender recommends..." = big whup!

"idea from Talk Bass..." = big whup vs. it depends vs. both!

i posted my POV with a few reasons/rationales --- i think i covered it pretty well. none of it (my POV re: "cutting strings" ) depends on fender or talk bass herd-think.

 

[Lackey]

....cut if required ... In my experience it's usually required ...

Apparently others like to let it all hang out, hehe.

 

[fishdude101101]

i don't cut strings... i would if i thought i should in a specific instance, but it's not a "rule." like @anightintunisia, i've never had issues. on the rare occasion that i might remove a set and re-string on a different ax: i have almost all the advantages of a fresh set by not cutting them.

i'm thinking that if you don't cut strings and you have "slippage" you're probably not winding them correctly. i also think the "slippage" thing is more of a fear than a reality since i never have the problem myself. of course, i could be wildly lucky.

there are lots of TB herd behaviors posted as "best practices" that i consider grand BS, and cutting strings is one of them. i don't think it makes any difference except in the minds of those who peddle the practice as "must do" and then 'shame'/mock those who don't follow suit...both behaviors are lemming-esque. IMO. YMMV. FWIW.

I'll pay somebody $100 dollars to show me how they could get all those wraps of strings on my American Pro II Jazz V. Pegs are tiny. With certain brands, like DR. You'd have 3 or 4 overlapped wraps.

 

[Gasman]

Wow. 10 pages of discussion on…I don’t know what.

To the OP-
1. I cut my strings because it saves time

2. There is no “used string market”