Why does my Jazz Bass eat strings?

[bobyoung53]

Do you carry the bass around using the strings as a handle?

Every time I do that I know my strings go dead.

 

[Jakedog]

They don’t have to sound brand new to make me happy. Just not totally dead. *brand* new is typically a little too zingy. I like em to break in for a gig or two. Then they’re good. I have no problem playing my L1000 for a couple months on a set of strings. Typically, over 35 years of doing this, I’ll change strings on my main bass every couple months. That works for me. This Jazz doesn’t allow for that.

 

[bobyoung53]

They don’t have to sound brand new to make me happy. Just not totally dead. *brand* new is typically a little too zingy. I like em to break in for a gig or two. Then they’re good. I have no problem playing my L1000 for a couple months on a set of strings. Typically, over 35 years of doing this, I’ll change strings on my main bass every couple months. That works for me. This Jazz doesn’t allow for that.

I have a feeling a lot of posters here just don't get it or haven't read your posts good enough, just by saying you've been playing for 35 years they should realize this is an out of the ordinary problem.

 

[foolforthecity]

Jazz Bass eating your strings . . . . OK . . . . try this: Next time you install new strings (pretty soon from what this sounds like), first rub them down in jalapeno juice or Tabasco, THEN put 'em on.

Believe me, that'll stop that right NOW.

Being a Texan, I wholeheartedly approve of this message

 

[Zooberwerx]

Interesting idea, never thought of that.

If the strings are perfectly serviceable on every other bass but not the Jazz, it’s not the strings. You’ve got something going on...or not going on...which has eluded detection so far.

Riis

 

[bobyoung53]

If the strings are perfectly serviceable on every other bass but not the Jazz, it’s not the strings. You’ve got something going on...or not going on...which has eluded detection so far.

Riis

Right, they sound good when he first puts them on and go completely dead after one gig, that is not normal, this guy has been playing for over thirty years, I take his word for it that there is something out of the usual going on with that bass. I mean if they sounded dead when first put on and got worse that would be understandable but not going from zing to rubber bands in one gig.
I mean the bass itself can't drastically change over the course of one gig, something on that bass has to be ruining the strings, the best way to do that is to somehow pull the outer wrapping and make it go loose from the inner windings.
I had already guessed a bridge problem but this is very interesting to me. Just another guess but I would bet they would sound dead on another bass but not as dead as on the Jazz where they came from as when you let strings sit without tension even for a few minutes they sometimes get some of the brightness back.

 

[foolforthecity]

I did the weird thing and read the whole thread before commenting. I'm not going to comment on preferences, that's silly. We do have different preferences however.



Do this. I fix things for a living, and I'm sure there's something off that can be fixed. Doing a deep dive on the bass may be warranted. I'd bet the broken in sound is your real sound, and the sound you like is masking a problem on the bass.

Bruce Bennett (bennettmusiclabs.com - no affiliation) suggests chamfering the neck bolt holes inside the neck pocket. the idea is that when screws are tightened they sometimes create what appears (visually) to me as a small volcano (more obvious when over tightening screws in sheet metal). So the chamfering allows the little volcano to have room, and it gets the necks to rest fully on the back of the neck, and not on the four (standard 4 bolt right?) little mountains. That would definitely kill sustain that may be masked by the zing of the new strings till they break in.

I haven't tried any of his tips on his website, but he seems to know his stuff. Good read anyway.

I'd go full detective mode and inspect as much as you can. No detail is too small. Something is causing this, and it should be fixable.

Yeah, trade it in for a German Warwick and you’ll be good

 

[bobyoung53]

I did the weird thing and read the whole thread before commenting. I'm not going to comment on preferences, that's silly. We do have different preferences however.



Do this. I fix things for a living, and I'm sure there's something off that can be fixed. Doing a deep dive on the bass may be warranted. I'd bet the broken in sound is your real sound, and the sound you like is masking a problem on the bass.

Bruce Bennett (bennettmusiclabs.com - no affiliation) suggests chamfering the neck bolt holes inside the neck pocket. the idea is that when screws are tightened they sometimes create what appears (visually) to me as a small volcano (more obvious when over tightening screws in sheet metal). So the chamfering allows the little volcano to have room, and it gets the necks to rest fully on the back of the neck, and not on the four (standard 4 bolt right?) little mountains. That would definitely kill sustain that may be masked by the zing of the new strings till they break in.

I haven't tried any of his tips on his website, but he seems to know his stuff. Good read anyway.

I'd go full detective mode and inspect as much as you can. No detail is too small. Something is causing this, and it should be fixable.

Another interesting idea as I always crank down on my neck screws and bridge screws, I guess that's not such a good idea unless he screw holes are chamfered, I assume that would mean taking a drill bit larger than the screw holes and drilling down one 1/16" or less to allow for the 'volcano' to be below the level of the body.

 

[MrKpawz]

Only one solution.

Yes.

Time to buy a new jazz. Better to buy 2 or 3 new ones just to be sure none of the new jazz basses will eat strings.

Buy a new bass

Do it

 

[mrperkolator]

Another interesting idea as I always crank down on my neck screws and bridge screws, I guess that's not such a good idea unless he screw holes are chamfered, I assume that would mean taking a drill bit larger than the screw holes and drilling down one 1/16" or less to allow for the 'volcano' to be below the level of the body.

I haven't done it myself, but it sounds good in theory. And yes you can chamfer it with a bigger drill bit if you are careful, but there are special bits for it.

 

[sotua]

I’m baffled. I’ve never had a bass do this before. But I’ve only been playing since 1987 so I’m still kinda new. Ha!

I’ve been using my L1000 for all my gigs since I got it at the first of the year. I also host a jam every Monday, and I’ve let plenty of other people play it there. I’m just changing the factory strings today. They’re not totally destroyed yet, but they’re getting there fast. So two months on a set of strings.

My American Elite Jazz eats a set of strings every time I take it to a gig. After 2-3 hours of play time, they’re like old rubber bands. Just totally and completely dead. I’ve tried different brands, different gauges, string through, and top loading, and nothing makes a difference. One gig and the strings are toast.

Is this an issue other people have encountered? Is there a remedy? Or is this bass just a string eater?

I would figure out what brand/model are the factory strings on the L1000 and try those on the jazz. The only way I know a bass would be a string eater is when it has burrs at the bridge and it actually *breaks* strings at the bridge. Make them sound deader? I don't know. Do you oil that fretboard maybe? Excess oil might be making your strings die faster, but other than that, I don't really know.

EDIT: Reading through the thread, I like the idea that maybe the jazz is just not as resonant/well made as the L1000? I would try this: Use your jazz until the strings go dead, then install those same strings in another bass and see how that sounds.

 

[MrKpawz]

On a serious note, +1 to everyone who said to examine where all your strings come in contact with the bass. Bridge, saddles, nut, tuners. If each set independent of gauge or material breaks then perhaps there is a common failure point for each.
If you can't find anything physical on the strings my next (un)educated guess would be to examine the neck for abnormalities.

 

[Jakedog]

I would figure out what brand/model are the factory strings on the L1000 and try those on the jazz. The only way I know a bass would be a string eater is when it has burrs at the bridge and it actually *breaks* strings at the bridge. Make them sound deader? I don't know. Do you oil that fretboard maybe? Excess oil might be making your strings die faster, but other than that, I don't really know.

No oil at all. It’s a clear gloss finished maple fretboard.

 

[bobyoung53]

On a serious note, +1 to everyone who said to examine where all your strings come in contact with the bass. Bridge, saddles, nut, tuners. If each set independent of gauge or material breaks then perhaps there is a common failure point for each.
If you can't find anything physical on the strings my next (un)educated guess would be to examine the neck for abnormalities.

They don't break, they go completely dead after one gig.

 

[zenrad]

Threads like this make me very glad I love dead strings on my basses and virtually never change them unless one sounds more dead than the others. I've had the same set of tapewound strings on a fretless for thirty years

 

[sotua]

No oil at all. It’s a clear gloss finished maple fretboard.

Definitely try the "put the dead strings on the other bass" experiment then.

 

[MrKpawz]

They don't break, they go completely dead after one gig.

If each set independent of gauge or material *experiences a common failure event*

I hope this fixes my post. Sorry for uncommon worse usage. If I can't use the string like it's intended, in my head it's broken. I can now see how this can be confused with a string in a state of multiple pieces. I do hope you find a resolution soon

 

[GregT]

When you loosen the old strings to take them off of the tuners, do the strings still lay flat with the coil ready to reattach, or do they want to spin on you?

 

[bobyoung53]

If each set independent of gauge or material *experiences a common failure event*

I hope this fixes my post. Sorry for uncommon worse usage. If I can't use the string like it's intended, in my head it's broken. I can now see how this can be confused with a string in a state of multiple pieces. I do hope you find a resolution soon

Got you. I have actually broken strings because of a burr on a bridge years ago, it does happen not commonly though. I broke an A string right at the beginning of a long Who medley once at an outside gig with a bunch of Entwistle solos in it. Highly irritating.

 

[defdog99]

The bass is Haunted.
By an Ex-wife, Ex-mother-in-law, an ex TB'er, or all 3.