How do you change your bass strings?

[madshadows]

1) Take them all off and then replace ?.

 

2) Take off each string one at a time and replace ?.

 

3) Are you mad ?, I never change them !! 😛

 

I always use option 2, how do you change your bass strings ?

 

John 😎

[HMX]

I take them all off before restringing so I can give the fretboard a good clean.

[Burns-bass]

1 minute ago, HMX said:

I take them all off before restringing so I can give the fretboard a good clean.

This. Enables me to do a set up, intonation check and all that as well.

 

Obviously if you’re swapping a busted string then it’s number 1.

[Heathy]

It used to be 2, but now that I’m more minded towards 3, when it happens it tends to be 1.

 

Does that help?

 

 

[BigRedX]

They all come off which gives me the chance to properly clean the fingerboard and the section of the body under the strings.

[Reggaebass]

Number 3 , I only use flats and don’t change them, but when I do get a new bass I fit my strings one off and one on at a time 

[Dan Dare]

28 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

They all come off which gives me the chance to properly clean the fingerboard and the section of the body under the strings.

 

Same here. I use flats and change them once in a blue moon, so when change time comes, the board is normally well coated with dried on skin, sweat and gunk and needs a good scrub

[NancyJohnson]

Detune. 

Snip snip snip snip. 

Unravel. 

=Sum(Rip+Measure+Snip+Install)*4 (or 5)

Tune.

Play.

Recycle.

 

Repeat.

[Hobbayne]

I take them all off too. Not too often these days, as the strings I currently use seem to keep from going dead for a long while. 

[Lozz196]

All off, clean the fretboard, replace strings, check intonation. As I use Elixirs I generally only have to change strings about once a year, if that.

[casapete]

One at a time usually, and then every 3 or 4 restrings it’s  all off and clean fretboard / check the

intonation etc. My P Lyte is the easiest bass to restring I’ve had, can do it easily in 10 mins. 😊

[TimR]

Take them off. Put them in the packet the new ones came in. Write the date on the packet. Put in gig bag as 'ready cut' spares. Never broken a string but guess there's a first time.

 

Look at packet already in gig bag, wonder at the date. Put them in the massive box of old strings*... 🤣

 

*no. I throw them in the recycling. 

 

Do we have a benevolent bass strings thread where we give old strings that may have a little bit of life in them to old retired jazzers?

[Skybone]

In pairs usually, thanks to the 2x2 headstock.

 

Top & bottom, remove & replace, then the middle two, remove & replace.

 

If I need to do any cleaning or anything, then all the strings off before replacing.

[paul_5]

Take them all off, clean the board and between the pickups and fit new ones. I think the only time that you’d do them one at a time would be if you had a floating bridge.

[TheGreek]

Either/ or...depending on whether the fretboard needs a clean. 

[Cato]

I'm another one in the take them all off at once, clean the fretboards and oil the boards that benefit from it camp.

 

To be honest I'm not someone who regularly wipes their guitars down after use, if I didn't make a conscious effort to make it part of the string change routine, I probably wouldn't do it at all.

 

I used to worry that the sudden lack of tension on the neck  might cause problems but I've gotten away with it so far.

Edited February 4, 2024 by Cato

[Rayman]

Take them all off when I don't like the feel or tone of them anymore, clean the fretboard,  then fit new ones.... is there another way?

[tauzero]

All off so I can give the fretboard a clean and dust round the pickups.

[MichaelDean]

Really need to give my Dingwall a clean around the pickups next time I change the strings. I've been more aggressive with a pick and I'm getting more dust around there. I usually just take one string off at a time also worrying about tension. Then I realised that I've been building a bass for 12 years and that hasn't imploded, warped or spontaneously combusted from not having strings on, so taking them off for half an hour will be fine.

[jonnybass]

All off, clean the bass, restring with new ones.

 

Jonny

[ahpook]

Change my own strings ? Good God man, what is the world coming to ?

 

Dear boy...that's what one's Batman is for.

 

Talking of which, I need a shave...."Jenkins !! Jenkins!!!! Where is that blasted fellow ?"

 

[LeftyJ]

16 hours ago, TimR said:

Take them off. Put them in the packet the new ones came in. Write the date on the packet. Put in gig bag as 'ready cut' spares. Never broken a string but guess there's a first time.

 

I like that! *takes notes*

 

I usually change them one at a time unless the frets need a polish, the fingerboard needs a cleaning and oil or other maintenance is due. It depends on the bass too. I have basses with phenolic resin fingerboards (Status Graphite) that require very little maintenance save for a few drops of WD40 once in a while, and I have a few with lacquered maple fingerboards that just don't seem to accumulate any dirt at all and don't require any oil because they're fully sealed. My rosewood and ebony boards regularly get a cleaning and some lemon oil though. 

[Britsie]

Wow, apparently I am one of only a few who does a number 2 (Take off each string one at a time and replace)

[TimR]

50 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

I like that! *takes notes*

 

Thanks. I'm not sure I've used the date part either other than when I've been struggling with my tone and checked the date and realised they really could do with changing. 

[Machines]

FYI a medium sized paintbrush is ideal for dusting without removing strings.