How often do you change strings?

[JohnS]

On my Tele i go between 4 to 6 weeks between string changes. The last time I changed the strings on my Musicmaster Bass was 20 years ago . Seems like a bit too long. It has D'Addario half rounds. What is a good change interval for a non-pro occasional jammer?

Thanks.

[ChicknPickn]

[Tim Armstrong]

Note that he's asking about BASS strings!

I use flatwounds strings (which tend to last a long time) and I change them when I start having trouble with sustain and/or intonation. In my case that tends to be about once a year (about a hundred gigs).

I kept the same set of strings on a Rogue Beatle Bass copy for a couple of years, and it was truly shocking to me how much tone and sustain came back after finally changing them!

Tim

[StuH]

I get incredibly long life out of my strings.

Lets see, my Nashville Power Tele is just about 4 yrs old and has gone through 1 string change (last year). Only reason I changed them was to put thicker strings on it. My American Series tele HS is just about 4 yrs old and hasn't had the strings changed yet. My Epiphone LP is almost 2 yrs old hasn't been changed. My Cort G 290 is 3 yrs old and hasn't been changed.

I live in a dry environment, I don't sweat very much, clean my hands before playing, and wipe the strings down after playing. I'm not a power player. I generally play 30-40 mins every other day.



WOOOPS didn't realize I was in the BAss Place

[psycho gun]

I change when the string is broken.

Flatwound rules !

[claudel]

I use gold Maxima/Optimas and change them when they wear out or every 5 years or so, whichever comes first...

[JohnS]

I think that yearly plan sounds about right. Next weekend for sure!

[Lerb21]

NEVER.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA.

Seriously though. I suppose flats don't really wear out. I might switch to Elixirs so that my rounds won't either.

We'll see...

but until then...

[Donnie55]

Unless Im doing studio work,, I only change them when they break.

www.myspace.com/redtele2

[Pinball_Wizard]

When they get uncomfortable from the oils from your hands. (I love how long they last).

So it's shortly before they would break, I don't like the abrasive feel strings get in the end, or how fast it happens on guitar strings.

The frequencies you'd be losing from wear and tear, aren't enunciated on bass that much anyways. And Bass amps compress naturally, so you get an even frequency response throughout the strings lifespan regardless.

(yeah sidenote, unless you're recording in the studio [direct] or using a high fidelity PA, a compressor won't do anything for bass. The shape of the speaker on a bass amp causes compression.)

[4mal]

When they won't intonate, or begin to sound unpleasant. Not often in other words. This is also why I tend to go for longer lived, somewhat more expensive strings. TI Jazz Flat, Super Alloys or Power Bass Rounds - it is not uncommon to go multiple years with those. Makes the initial outlay more tolerable.

[dr. love]

I think most of it depends on the conditions you play in and your body chemistry. For me hot+smoky+sweaty=dead strings. My record for one brand of strings back when I played the bar circuit was killing them in less than one set. Lovely rubber band tone the rest of the night. DR's lasted the longest-maybe a month.

Now that I play in less harsh conditions, I change rounds about every 3-6 months and flats about yearly (when I remember).

[bobbybigmac]

Say what now ?
Are you suppose to change the strings ?

Yes I do change them. I use Roto Swings and change 'em when they start to sound dull to my ear or when I do a new setup. So that's maybe twice a year ?

When I used to tour professionally and was playing almost every night for a few months, then I changed them a lot more often, say every month.
What can I say... I was younger, sweated more, and was paid quite nicely so I could afford 'em.

[Paul in Colorado]

Every few years. I haven't changed the strings on the P-Bass I got from Tim. I think it's been close to ten years on my Hagstrum that I use Half Rounds on. Do the still make Half Rounds?

[Vince a]

Flats on my Jazz or P??? Never!

Rounds on my 5 . . . about every 6 weeks . . .

[JohnS]

Cool. I thought I was lax on changing strings. Paul, I don't know if they still make half rounds, but I have 2 D' Addario sets from who knows when that I will be using (sometime)

[psychetelec]

My gigging basses(both with flats):
Hofner-every 6 months
Ric 4001S-every 4 months

Other basses:
The ones with roundwounds-when the strings get dead.
The ones with flats-rarely.

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by Paul in Colorado

Every few years. I haven't changed the strings on the P-Bass I got from Tim.

That means they're about six years old. Those TI flats are certainly durable!

Tim

[JPark]

I use Roto rounds as well so I change about every six months or so.

[randysmojo]

When I was playing bass quite a bit, which at that time was averaging probably 2-3 gigs a week, I would change my bass strings once every month to two months depending on situation. If I played three outdoor gigs in 100+ degree temperatures, I would change them more often of course. Summing it up, every two months for the most part!

[Tim Bowen]

I thought about this a bit and cracked up. I've neither broken or changed a bass string. I've never bought a set of bass strings or a single bass string. Ever.

Among current basses that I own, my Squire Jazz still has the original factory set. My trusty war horse, a G&L L2000, still has the original set of strings on it as when I bought it used many years ago.

I guess I'm sort of like Duck Dunn in this respect. As with slide instruments, I hate the sound of bass guitars with new strings. Much of my prejudice has to do with bassists that I worked with in the 80's. Many at that point were dialing in bright, cutting tones, playing 73 string basses, and utilizing compression and chorus and whatnot. My opinion was and is, "For God's sake, it's bass. Make it sound like bass. When you record bass, play with old acidically worn strings. If you gotta slap and pop, at least listen to Larry Graham and Louis Johnson. Other than that, listen to James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey (also a slap God), Carol Kaye, Willie Weeks, and John Paul Jones. Are you a frustrated guitarist? No worries, you can play mine. If you're uncomfortable with the role and register of bass guitar, give it to me, as I dig it to the core. How about some bass then."

[Mike Bruce]

When intonation craps out, when they stop feeling smooth, when the tone/sustain goes...or when I feel like treating myself or my basses...usually a year, depending on how much I play. D'Addario Chromes on 5 string fretted and fretless.

Mike Bruce

[dalandan]

Originally Posted by Tim Bowen

I thought about this a bit and cracked up. I've neither broken or changed a bass string. I've never bought a set of bass strings or a single bass string. Ever.

Among current basses that I own, my Squire Jazz still has the original factory set. My trusty war horse, a G&L L2000, still has the original set of strings on it as when I bought it used many years ago.

I guess I'm sort of like Duck Dunn in this respect. As with slide instruments, I hate the sound of bass guitars with new strings. Much of my prejudice has to do with bassists that I worked with in the 80's. Many at that point were dialing in bright, cutting tones, playing 73 string basses, and utilizing compression and chorus and whatnot. My opinion was and is, "For God's sake, it's bass. Make it sound like bass. When you record bass, play with old acidically worn strings. If you gotta slap and pop, at least listen to Larry Graham and Louis Johnson. Other than that, listen to James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey (also a slap God), Carol Kaye, Willie Weeks, and John Paul Jones. Are you a frustrated guitarist? No worries, you can play mine. If you're uncomfortable with the role and register of bass guitar, give it to me, as I dig it to the core. How about some bass then."

+100 tim

[Little Ricky]

Why on Earth would you want to change bass strings?
The factory round wounds on my Gretsch are now half-roundsand they sound great after 7+ years.
The strings on my p-bass get changed sometimes, but only for experimental reasons. I have black nylon tapewounds on there now and they sound plastic-y, and have very high tension, so I'm going back to metal flats, but after that, I don't think I'd ever change them again. I think I've broken one bass string in 15 years of playing.
However, if you're popping and snapping, I'd say, just like guitars, once a month or so is probably normal.
I think it was John Lee Hooker said his friend teased him for not changing strings, and he said, "Why would I change them just when they're breaking in and starting to sound good?" I tend to leave guitar strings on for a long time too, but I'm not heavy handed, so they don't break. If flat spots develop on the bottom of the strings, above the frets, then I change them.

[randysmojo]

I have broken strings on bass a few time including the E string on the first set of Rotosounds I ever used. I went to the music store to se if I could just by an E string, and told the guys what happened. They started calling guys up from the back telling them "this guy broke a Roto E string!" like it was a weird freak show thing or something.

i know there are guys that like the deeper rounded sound of strings that are well past just broken in, but I've gotten to liking what I can get tone wise out of a newer set. I don't really like new strings the first night or two out as much, but I still prefer newer strings to 6 month old, worn out strings. I'm not a frustrated guitarist trying to play bass. I played bass way before I ever played lead, and have been gigging in working bands since I was 15 years old on bass. I don't dial in a treble heavy tone because I don't like that. Yes it is called bass for a reason, and that is also why I have tone knobs on my bass amp!

[KevinB]

Hmmmmm....I bought my PBass 13 years ago....and changed the Fender roundwounds to D'Addario flats about 4 years ago.

But I don't play it that much and it never goes out of my house.

[Old Cane]

Once they are soldered in good and snug it's a chore to change them.

[Tim Armstrong]

I've had strings just plain die on me, tonally, and I've had them become weirdly untunable.

Supposedly, the great James Jamerson wouldn't change the strings on his P-Bass (as in NEVER), and towards the end of his life, the intonation problems cost him a lot of work...

Tim

[JohnS]

That's one reason I'm finally changing my strings. The intonation is off and it is getting a bit hard to tune.

[jackajesusfreak]

Originally Posted by JohnS

On my Tele i go between 4 to 6 weeks between string changes. The last time I changed the strings on my Musicmaster Bass was 20 years ago . Seems like a bit too long. It has D'Addario half rounds. What is a good change interval for a non-pro occasional jammer?

Thanks.

I have 4 viola bass guitars and the general consensus that I've been able to research in several different forums, is that good flatwound strings will last for years! (That's a good thing especially for the price we pay for them and how tedious sometimes, it is to get the viola bass guitars intoned.)
Jack

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by jackajesusfreak

I have 4 viola bass guitars and the general consensus that I've been able to research in several different forums, is that good flatwound strings will last for years! (That's a good thing especially for the price we pay for them and how tedious sometimes, it is to get the viola bass guitars intoned.)
Jack

Jack, I had a set of LaBella Beatle Bass strings on my Rogue, and after about a year and a half (lots of gigs), they started going dead, dead, dead on me! They got to the point of just being a thud, no sustain at all, no tone at all...

Tim

[jackajesusfreak]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Jack, I had a set of LaBella Beatle Bass strings on my Rogue, and after about a year and a half (lots of gigs), they started going dead, dead, dead on me! They got to the point of just being a thud, no sustain at all, no tone at all...

Tim

That's what I'm hearing Tim. Depending on the number of gigs. Heck even a year is a getting your money's worth!

On my acoustic-electrics, which I play, on average an hour and a half a day, I have to change strings once a month, at around 5 bucks a pop, that's 60 bucks a year.

My bass guitars I only usually play about 2-3 hours a week and I have 4 to rotate. I figure I can get some good mileage on those strings. I have 4 different sets of strings on each one: My one Douglas I got the GHS black nylons (very nice by the way), on my other Douglas I have the La Bella Deep Talkin' Beatle Bass, on my Rogue I put the GHS precision flatwounds that you mentioned using before, and on my Hofner Icon B I put the TSI flats.

[jkingma]

I don't change mine as often as I should. I can usually tell when they have lost the sparkle, but I don't change them until I feel the grunge. Mind you, I only have a bass to goof around on and with the price of bass strings...

[neocaster]

Usually every 4-8 measures...

[Old Cane]

Oh, now.....that's just......man.....why didn't I think of that?

[slauson slim]

14 years on a set of RW Rotos RS 66 on my '62 P. Changed to Pyramid Golds about 9 years ago and they are going strong. Had a set of Golds on a Tele bass for about 9-10 years.

As above, when the strings begin to sound dead or not intonate.

[jackajesusfreak]

Originally Posted by slauson slim

14 years on a set of RW Rotos RS 66 on my '62 P. Changed to Pyramid Golds about 9 years ago and they are going strong. Had a set of Golds on a Tele bass for about 9-10 years.

As above, when the strings begin to sound dead or not intonate.

I was curious, is there that much difference between Pyramid flats then say TSIs or La Bellas?

[alexpigment]

I actually bought strings for my jazz recently, and I asked the guy at the counter what he'd recommend to get some more p-style growl out of it. he recommended a set of DR lo riders and after putting them on my bass came to life. I really loved how comfortable my other strings had become, but I didn't realize how dead they sounded. they were probably dead by the time I bought the bass from GC. anyway, since this was my first bass string change, I learned how much of a difference strings on a bass make.

[JPark]

Originally Posted by neocaster

Usually every 4-8 measures...

Originally Posted by Old Cane

Oh, now.....that's just......man.....why didn't I think of that?

LOL

[slauson slim]

Pyramid Golds smoother in feel, less tension than LaBellas. TI flats are lighter - 100 if I recall - and not as smooth as Golds, tension about the same.

The Golds have more thump and are more articulate than LaBellas or other stiff flats, but not as much twang as TIs.