How long do You use a set of flatwound strings?

[Johannes]

Over the half century I’ve been playing the bass my preference of strings have changed from rondwounds to flatwounds. Reason for it is not the subject about my post but I prefer more fundamental sound flatwonds offer. I have enjoyed Ernie Ball cobalt flats 45-130 set on my main instrument, Sadowsky Metro modern for little over 7 years now. I am always very strict to clean my hands before playing and fortunately my hands doesn’t sweat at all. I also clean my strings daily with microfiber cloth and about once in a month with isopropynol alcohol.

However, last months I’ve noticed especially B, E, A - strings getting duller sounding. 
I know stories about Duck Dunn’s ancient strings but I wonder how long they last without breaking. My father tought me how to to break a nail by twisting it back and worth. I guess that same phenomenon is happening when a string is vibrating. Your toughts?

[AndyTravis]

I think if you’re not enjoying the sound from your bass…

 

that’s when you change them.

[Johannes]

You’re exactly right😀

[Burns-bass]

I love the sound of my flat wounds and I have done 50 or more gigs with mine. 
 

What I do find is that the longer you had them, the more frequently you need to tune them.

 

Ultimately, I love my bass and the strings, so will change when they break or drop out of tune during a song!

[neepheid]

It's "forever", isn't it?

[fretmeister]

Ed Friedland famously has La Bella’s that are over 20 years old.

 

 

[Johannes]

I have not encountered increasing tuning stability problem with aging strings You mention. Anyway it should be logical as metal weakens under stress.Yes, loving Your strings is a bit of a problem if You break a string.😉

[Johannes]

8 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Ed Friedland famously has La Bella’s that are over 20 years old.

 

 

I am not sure if Ed played that bass 3 hours/day 20 years. There’s couple of basses in my warehouse too I haven’t touched for 20 years.

[Burns-bass]

19 minutes ago, Johannes said:

I have not encountered increasing tuning stability problem with aging strings You mention. Anyway it should be logical as metal weakens under stress.Yes, loving Your strings is a bit of a problem if You break a string.😉

It’s not a huge problem. I am lazy and I don’t like change. 
 

The pink bass I have does everything I need and has done for 5 years. I think I’ve used it for 40 gigs a year for 5 years all with the same strings. 

[snorkie635]

I'd say flats should be good for at least five years gigging 2-3 nights per week if cleaned after each.

[Johannes]

2 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

I'd say flats should be good for at least five years gigging 2-3 nights per week if cleaned after each.

That is my estimation too. 

[bassbiscuits]

My La Bella flatwounds were secondhand when I got them about six years ago, so I don’t know their age. They still sound good to me though. 

[Johannes]

3 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

My La Bella flatwounds were secondhand when I got them about six years ago, so I don’t know their age. They still sound good to me though. 

If they sounds good to You they are good! 

[AndyTravis]

Genuinely, I don’t keep basses long enough for me to know the true answer.

 

Generally I use rounds, but the flats I use on basses are usually recycled.

 

if they’re not losing tuning - and they feel right…that’s the aim, surely?

 

Half wounds - I’d say a year, I got really annoyed with the half’s on my ripper and changed them for new. Like a new bass.

[Johannes]

I didn’t quite understand  Your message exactly… perhaps because I’m not native englih speaker. Anyway I agree about half-rounds, to my experience, they are absolutely garbage.

 

[Bagman]

I got 18 years from a set of Chromes on my Precision 

[LowB_FTW]

I currently have 9 year old Rotosound flats on my Yamaha BB1025x, which has just been put away in it's case for a bit to be replaced by my Reverend Triad 5, so the flats on the Yamaha are gonna be on there for some time yet I suspect.

 

Mark