String life, the good, the bad and just plain ugly

[T-Bay]

String life seems to crop up on various topics here and there but no thread I can find dedicated to comparing string life. I use Roto66s 40-100s. They take about ten to twenty minutes to bed in, but are generally dead within a couple of weeks. I do play a fair bit but that is still only 15-20 hours max. I have also used a load of others but the only ones that stand out were Dean Markley Stainless which were still very bright after six months. 

[PaulWarning]

coated strings are the way to go for a long string life, I used Elixir Nanowebs for a while they lasted a long time and stayed bright, very smooth though, not to everyone's taste, I now use DR neons, they last me about 6 months (2 hour gig most weekends plus practicing), again not to everyone's taste, but they look good under lighting if you're in a Punk band .

They do cost more but I think they're worth it

late edit, I should add I change them every 6 months because I broke one during a gig after about that length of time, so I change them as a precaution, there's very little difference between the new and old once the initial brightness has worn off

Edited April 30, 2018 by PaulWarning

[yorks5stringer]

Not sure how you could do an accurate comparison? You'd need to use the same Bass, the same player for every make of string and what about everyone's different attack and even skin chemistry?

[T-Bay]

It’s not going to be scientifically accurate, and doesn’t need to be, but if everyone using string x says they are short lived and everyone says Y is long lived then it’s a pretty good indicator.

[Cato]

I normally go for steel rounds but I was quite impressed with the stock Fender nickel plated rounds that came on a new p bass last year.

I got about 6  months out of those and I like  my strings zingy.

Other than that I generally go for Hi Beams on everything except the fretless. Again I reckon they're good for 6 months or more before they lose their exceptional brightness. Someone who likes a less zingy sound would probably be good with them for a lot longer than that.

I suppose an additional question would be 'At what point do you consider that your strings need changing?'

There are people on here who play the flats they inherited from their great grandad.

Edited April 29, 2018 by Cato

[Lozz196]

Same experience for me with Rotosounds, read about Warwick Red Label Steel Rounds and have tried them, they last longer than Rotos, not sure how long as am still on my first set after about a month and a half, whereas my Rotos would have been dead by now.

[T-Bay]

4 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Same experience for me with Rotosounds, read about Warwick Red Label Steel Rounds and have tried them, they last longer than Rotos, not sure how long as am still on my first set after about a month and a half, whereas my Rotos would have been dead by now.

That’s good to hear, I have a set ready to go on. Also looking at the D’addario range after hearing good things about them.

[thepurpleblob]

You're supposed to change strings? 

I change them when they won't tune any more. But then I don't like a bright sound at all. 

[NJE]

I have had a set of D’Addario NYXL strings on a bass for quite a while now and they have just about outlasted every other non coated string I have ever used and I am very impressed with them.

Dunlop Super Brights were really good too, and they weren’t expensive. Love Ernie Balls but my sweat kills them quickly but they do boil up well.

Best all round for value, lasting tone, quality of tone and feel under the fingers is no doubt Elixirs. I had one set on 18 months of solid sweaty gigging and rehearsals and to be honest they didn’t need changing when I took them off my main bass and are in fact still working nicely on my backup nearly 30 months later.

 

 

[VAMPYRE 5]

Elites stainless give me the longest ‘zing’ on a gig. Solid tuning stability within 10mins. Zing gone after an hour. Non gigged and they’re kinda bright enough except the B & E string sound bit rubbery. Red Warwicks give Roto’s a run especially for the money. 

[Skybone]

Just changed the strings on my No.1 Faker after 3 months, the D string had gone a bit lacklustre. The other 3 strings were fine, the D just wasn't cutting through the mix in rehearsals. Still using Fender 7350m stainless.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Skybone

[Delberthot]

I usually get about 50 hours of gigs and 20 hours of rehearsals out of my D'addarios before they need to be changed but I like my strings to be bright. As soon as they're not bright then they're off.

They usually only take a few minutes after fitting before the tuning settles.

FYI - my hands are always washed before I use them, my fingers aren't sweaty, I don't wipe the strings after use and I play with a heavy right hand

[NancyJohnson]

Elixir Nanowebs here.  They last for yonks.  I stopped using Rotosounds about 30 years ago.  Terrible strings, terrible playing life.

Occasionally you'll read these comments along the lines of 'Oh, D'Addario make Fender strings,' but with little (or nothing) to support this statement.   I would genuinely be interested in knowing how many manufacturing plants there are and who makes what.

[radiophonic]

Same experience with Rotosound and similar short life with Ernie Ball. The longest lasting non-coated string I've used is the D'Addario Pro-Steel. They don't sound like new for any longer, but do seem to retain enough harmonics to still sound rich for a decent stretch.  I've had my current set on for a month, which amounts to about 8 rehearsals, one gig and a couple of recording sessions. I'm not a hard player though, so YMMV.  I've also had reasonable success with DR HiBeams (expensive though) and Dunlop Super Brights - but they do sound very toppy to begin with (almost scooped really).  

[Coilte]

String life : The good.....flats can last up to seven years....or more.    

[ped]

Elixirs. I have a set on my Passion that are about three years old and they sound new. I use them on everything now and don’t even think about string death any more. 

[VAMPYRE 5]

1 hour ago, radiophonic said:

Same experience with Rotosound and similar short life with Ernie Ball. The longest lasting non-coated string I've used is the D'Addario Pro-Steel. They don't sound like new for any longer, but do seem to retain enough harmonics to still sound rich for a decent stretch.

D’addario Pro Steels are fantastic strings. Blimey!! I forgot how good they are!  I still have a pack unused. Very, very rich in harmonic overtones, zingy resonant tone and bendy for soloing too.

@radiophonic good call.

[NancyJohnson]

On the subject of Rotosounds, sure if you're an endorsee, using multiple basses per night and getting your strings for nowt, then sure they're going to sound great for about an hour and you're going to give them two thumbs up.  I just took a look at their artists page.  Loads of bands I've never heard of (which I suppose is fine), but my eyes happened upon Queen.  'Now hold on,' I thought to myself, 'Old Brian uses Optima Golds, doesn't he? Has done for decades.'

'Brian May used' and 'John Deacon used'.  Being a bit liberal with the facts really.

[grandad]

I use flats exclusively because I want that sound. Recently fitted Labella to my 2 go-to basses and I wont bother changing them again. My 2 older basses, 15 -20 years,  still have the flats on they came with. What make I know not.

I suppose once you find the right tone and tension then that's it. The trouble is it's an expensive search.

[VAMPYRE 5]

5 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

'Now hold on,' I thought to myself, 'Old Brian uses Optima Golds, doesn't he? Has done for decades.'

'Brian May used' and 'John Deacon used'.  Being a bit liberal with the facts really.

Very 😉 

If you didn’t know @NancyJohnson the world runs by ‘who you know’. Unfortunately talent alone doesn’t get you the gig (middle class uni types headlining rock festivals!!!) and same with manufacurers whose business is to... wait for it... take our money. Of course they’ll name drop.

I never had multiple basses and artist deals aren’t free, honestly, more like 50%

[Osiris]

Some interesting reading above, especially in regards to when many of you consider your strings to be dead. I personally find new strings to be quite clangy and abrasive and I prefer to play them in for a few hours first before getting the sound that I like - which is the point at that most of you seem to be binning yours! Once they've been played in I can usually reckon on 2 or 3 years before they completely lose all tone and require changing. I find that I still have plenty of definition from the strings once they're played in, certainly more definition that I've ever had with flat wounds, but I'm quite a heavy handed finger style player so there's a good deal of attack in my tone anyway. I wouldn't say that my tone is particularly retro or vintage either, but I do like to keep the mid range detail in my sound rather than scooping it out. 

I currently use either D'Addario or Ernie Ball as they're the only sets that I'm aware of that are readily available in a 50-105 gauge. There's a lot of love for Elixir strings above, I've had a couple of sets but didn't get on with them personally, they were OK but just didn't sound very exciting to my ears. 

[JellyKnees]

When it comes to non-coated round wounds, I've yet to find any make of strings that don't loose enough of their harmonic overtone content within around 2-3 months to require me to change them. I'm currently using Newtones on my Dingwall, and they are as good as any string I've ever tried, but 3 months seems about the limit to me. This is obviously highly personal and relates to my style playing, which relies on a high degree of clarity , growl and snap. Other players with other styles are clearly able to happily use the same strings for far longer than me. Lucky them.

[Cuzzie]

DR DDTs

 

Awesome strings, stay strong long

[VAMPYRE 5]

Elites Stainless 

 

Edited April 30, 2018 by VAMPYRE 5

[EliasMooseblaster]

+1 for Warwick Reds as a substitute for Rotosounds. They're a good alternative and a fair bit cheaper, if you're in the habit of changing strings regularly. Personally I find there's some subtle tonal quality in the Rotos that the Warwicks don't quite nail, but I'd happily go for another batch of them if I were gigging more regularly.