Why do folks cut strings?

[tbz]

Sometimes it’s not possible to bring multiple electric basses when you’re also traveling with an upright. Easier to carry spare sets of strings.

How so? Double gig bag + adequate transportation and you’re set.

I can’t believe that the average producer would prefer you to change strings and reintonate and set up mid session, over bringing a second bass.

 

[DwaynieAD]

View attachment 4711737 View attachment 4711739

Flats always wrap 3 times around. Why would anyone cut them?

The Sun Beams do wrap around a little extra, especially the E, but it takes me 10 extra seconds of my life to wrap them. Would never think to cut them.

There are like 11 wraps on that e string and it crosses under and over in 2 spots. Some very incorrectly installed strings

 

[truand85]

Do the 15000 people you play for enjoy watching you change strings mid set? A lot of BS in this thread...

 

[anightintunisia]

How so? Double gig bag + adequate transportation and you’re set.

I can’t believe that the average producer would prefer you to change strings and reintonate and set up mid session, over bringing a second bass.

Flying often complicate things. But for around town sometimes it’s easier to have a spare set of strings then having to take tons of extra instruments that is usually not necessary. My go to it’s flats, but sometimes that’s not the right call for certain songs and when you’re not given anything ahead of time it can be difficult to judge how much stuff to bring. Lugging an upright, 2-3 electric basses, b15 amp, two pedal boards, gig bag in and out of the car gets old REAL fast. When I can condense and usually get away with it, great.

 

[tbz]

Flying often complicate things. But for around town sometimes it’s easier to have a spare set of strings then having to take tons of extra instruments that is usually not necessary. My go to it’s flats, but sometimes that’s not the right call for certain songs and when you’re not given anything ahead of time it can be difficult to judge how much stuff to bring. Lugging an upright, 2-3 electric basses, b15 amp, two pedal boards, gig bag in and out of the car gets old REAL fast. When I can condense and usually get away with it, great.

I’ve never encountered a situation where this would make sense. Every producer I’ve ever worked with would have found a string change mid-session problematic and would have tried to work around it. Usually by just providing the required instruments themselves. Or by calling someone else that can show up with the requisite instruments.

Even if you’re not making all of this up, your situation is very uncommon. To the point that it probably makes sense to just acknowledge that your situation is really unique. Your problem is unique.

In your case, yes, you want to reuse the tampon. Because in your unique situation, because of a weird combination of abnormal factors, it makes sense to.

But no one else here needs to. Hence everyone scratching their heads.

 

[sawzalot]

I target 2-3 wraps around the post. That usually translates into a certain length based on the post size and I cut the rest off.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

Reselling strings is like reselling socks.

 

[fabubass]

Reselling Old Used Sweated up Toneless Strings?? An to think, for 58 years, I've been taking old strings off and throwing them away!

 

[thunesBARROW]

I cut my strings not only for aesthetics (I like a neat look), but also more importantly to fit the design of the tuner post. Some of my instruments have tapered tuners and function best with about three wraps. I have a couple basses where the shaft is a uniform width and on those I add more wraps to increase the break angle of the string over the nut.

 

[prowla]

I’ll admit, I’ve never….ever….considered resale value as a part of string purchases.
There’s nothing to resell when I’ve gone bc through a set of strings.

I didn’t know string resale was a thing. When I see tuning post with a fat tangle of string on it, I wonder why. Now I understand.

I see people reselling used things and I really don't get it - who would pay for strings which have been mangled, possibly started to unravel, have lost their initial sparkle, and may have miscellaneous residue embedded?

 

[anightintunisia]

There are like 11 wraps on that e string and it crosses under and over in 2 spots. Some very incorrectly installed strings

You are correct, it’s sloppy and would have benefitted from being installed correctly.

I’ve never encountered a situation where this would make sense. Every producer I’ve ever worked with would have found a string change mid-session problematic and would have tried to work around it. Usually by just providing the required instruments themselves. Or by calling someone else that can show up with the requisite instruments.

Even if you’re not making all of this up, your situation is very uncommon. To the point that it probably makes sense to just acknowledge that your situation is really unique. Your problem is unique.

In your case, yes, you want to reuse the tampon. Because in your unique situation, because of a weird combination of abnormal factors, it makes sense to.

But no one else here needs to. Hence everyone scratching their heads.

I hear you, but was originally just asking a question not asking anyone to change their habits!

 

[J Wilson]

Life just isn't fair.

I think of the more than a few sets of side-cutters I've ruined with Boomers and Bassics and Rotos, etc.

All those little cut-off bits of string that may have maimed wildlife.

And all those greasy, rusty, clapped-out sets I just mindlessly threw away, hell, I could have had a villa on Lake Como, Clooney my next door neighbor, if I'd have thought to re-sell them. Down the road from the MV Augusta factory. Fresh giuncale, good Peccorino Romano, Fiat Dino Spyder in the driveway. The mind reels . . .

It's hard being old and regretting the road(s) not taken.

 

[pbass2]

Every producer I’ve ever worked with would have found a string change mid-session problematic and would have tried to work around it.

Man, if I took the time to change strings to get a different sound with some of the producers I've worked for here in La La land, it would have been met with eye rolls at the very least, and probably not getting called back ever. They want you to grab another bass to try a different sound, and make it damn quick.

 

[tbz]

Man, if I took the time to change strings to get a different sound with some of the producers I've worked for here in La La land, it would have been met with eye rolls at the very least, and probably not getting called back ever. They want you to grab another bass to try a different sound, and make it damn quick.

That is my experience as well. A string change mid session in a high profile gig would be a huge waste of time and money. In a low profile gig no one would care enough to mandate one.

If a producer doesn’t like your sound they’ll usually just have you use a bass they own.

 

[mcnach]

I’m having a hard time understanding why people cut strings. I’ve literally never had a case where a string has had so much extra it wasn’t able to sit on the peg after wrapping it around. Strings for me usually wrap around 3-5 times then continue down to the nut. Never had any problem what so ever with slippage, tuning, etc. Why cut them, then when you go to re-sell your strings they’re a specific length for your specific bass. Why is this a thing, what am I missing?

I could maybe understand if it was a 2+2 at the headstock and the G and maybe D silk was over kill. But I see people selling standard strings saying “cut for a precision”…. That is where I am lost.

reselling strings is not exactly high on my interest list...

I don't like wrapping more than a couple of turns around the post. It makes tuning stable from day zero, it's neater... it makes no sense to me to wrap all of the extra string around the post.

 

[Sam Dingle]

All the fender American Standard or pro basses ive played required cutting

 

[DaveParker39]

1) Different distances between the tailpiece and tuning machines on different instruments/layout of tuning machines on headstock
2) Different lengths of strings based on manufacturer
3) Differences in the tuning machines that more effectively or ineffectively accommodate extra windings
4) Tuning stability issues with overlapping wraps

 

[dragonrob1952]

Also, who the heck is buying used strings?

Some of you guys must not spend much time in the classifieds section, specifically :^ )
For Sale: Parts, Strings, and Accessories

 

[Petethebassman]

I don't cut the strings at all with Fender basses and wind all of it on the tuner post. No problems with tuning stability when they are properly installed. These are flatwounds, so the time between string changes is measured in years.

 

[mcnach]

That moolon E string looks terrible. Just cut your strings. That P bass you definitely cut the strings or they were cut prior to you owning. Silks are lined up, you can't do that without cutting.

I agree it's not the way I would like it either... but the OP does. It's not a crime.

By the way, cutting the ends of the strings will do nothing to align the silks: the distance between the bridge and the nut will not change.