Anyone here kill a set of strings in one gig?

[markdavid]

As per the title.  Played a gig last night so I put on a fresh set of strings, the venue was really, really hot and I was dripping with sweat, this morning my strings are pretty dead, anyone else have this issue when they play a gig at a hot venue? 

[ezbass]

Some years ago, I lent a bass that I'd recently restrung to a friend. It was a very sweaty night and they were a lively punk covers band. Yeah, the strings were as dead as a doornail after that gig  

[CamdenRob]

Fresh set of strings for each gig for me.

...each rehearsal as well if I could afford it 😕

[Mudpup]

Yep frequently at sweaty gigs. The only ones that last for me are HiBeams and Dunlop Superbrights. I've been buying Warwick Reds for the summer too cos they're cheap and I can replace them without worrying about the cost 

[EBS_freak]

IBTRC

[Bassassin]

Frequently. Used to habitually use Rotosound Swing Bass, always stone dead after one gig or two rehearsals.

[Mudpup]

3 minutes ago, EBS_freak said:

IBTRC

Is that code??? 

[chris_b]

 

30 minutes ago, markdavid said:

Played a gig last night so I put on a fresh set of strings, the venue was really, really hot and I was dripping with sweat, this morning my strings are pretty dead, anyone else have this issue when they play a gig at a hot venue? 

What strings did you put on?  How long do your strings normally last?

My NYXL's have been on for 15 months, get played every week and still have life in them.

[Ant1972]

As a bass noob... How often do you guys normally change your strings (based on your home/practice bass, i.e. one not covered in gig sweat!)?

[Marvin]

I think I'm quite lucky that I don't get sweaty palms and fingers ( 😯  ) and subsequently don't seem to get this issue.

I only really change my strings when they start, possibly, getting 'overstretched', if that's even a thing, and don't stay in tune for long. Even when I used roundwounds, it could be 2 years in between changing strings.

[Dubs]

I like playing with dead strings 

I put new strings on in Jan, they just played gig 31 last night...

[markdavid]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

 

What strings did you put on?  How long do your strings normally last?

My NYXL's have been on for 15 months, get played every week and still have life in them.

Wow 15 months!!! I need to try the NYXL's, how are the mids? I find Daddario xl's a bit scooped.

Am using Rotos at the moment, I usually change strings once a month, have used Daddario XL nickels before but they lasted about 3 weeks before going completely dead

[ambient]

Maybe try wiping your hands and the strings down in between songs?

[stingrayPete1977]

1 hour ago, EBS_freak said:

IBTRC

Rotosound comment. 

Yep they go dull after about ten minutes for me. 

[Nicko]

My main bass strings were changed to my preferred ones when I bought it and I don't remember changing them since. Probably three years old  I sweat a lot too.

[FinnDave]

I usually change them in the New Year. I have two similar basses, both Ibanez sixes, one is used for gigs (not many, a dozen or so a year) and rehearsals (maybe 6 a year) and the other is my back-up but is played at home on average 2-3 hours per day, 5 days per week. Both basses are strung with D'Addario rounds.

[RossHetherington]

What I used to do with Rotos is dunk them in some denatured alcohol once they went dead and it gives a bit longer life.

[T-Bay]

Rotos used to last me a couple of weeks max, Warwick reds are cheaper and last longer but the set I have on now are dead as anything as yesterday’s gig sadly proved.

[markdavid]

Thanks for the replies, I took the Rotos off and gave them a 10 minute soak in boiling water with some washing up liquid added and it seems to have brought them back to life.  Am thinking about trying the coated Rotos as I do like the Rotosound tone.

[T-Bay]

Warwick reds sound very similar and do last longer, not months and months but a good few weeks.

[CamdenRob]

This topic has been done to death (which doesn’t usually stop us doing it again on BC 😕 ), but it obviously depends on how you like your strings to sound.

Arguably making the biggest difference out of any component of your overall sound, not surprisingly it’s different strokes for different folks.

Personally I love the zing of brand new strings. Rich, bright and harmonic. Whilst my stings may not sound dead for a number of months after they stop sounding brand new, I still prefer the fresh on sound.

I don’t change them every time I play obviously, but if money (and the dubious ethics of discarding that number of strings) were no object I would 😊

For now it’s new ones for every gig and every 2-3 rehearsal (few more on the fretless) if I don’t gig in between. Which is a less daunting financial proposition now I’ve switched to Newtone Diamnonds from TI Jazz rounds 😕.

[Stub Mandrel]

5 hours ago, Mudpup said:

5 hours ago, EBS_freak said:

IBTRC

Is that code??? 

Intermediate Band Thermo-Radiative Cells.

Kill strings stone dead in seconds.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, markdavid said:

Thanks for the replies, I took the Rotos off and gave them a 10 minute soak in boiling water with some washing up liquid added and it seems to have brought them back to life.  Am thinking about trying the coated Rotos as I do like the Rotosound tone.

I used to do that. Worrying when you see the scum on top of the water...

[Rich]

Yes. It's a real "ewwww, that's my fingers" moment. :lol

[skankdelvar]

51 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Worrying when you see the scum on top of the water..

47 minutes ago, Rich said:

Yes. It's a real "ewwww, that's my fingers" moment. :lol

One time I boiled my strings, got a spoon and drank some of the scummy water so I could say I'd cooked and eaten myself.

IIRC, I didn't taste very nice.