How Often Do You Change Your Strings?

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Kongo]

[quote name='OldGit' post='886827' date='Jul 5 2010, 11:03 PM']Was that the orginal Elixirs? They were horrible but the second version - the Nano's are much less like plastic tubes.

There was a post on the cleaning tube in one of the "boiling strings" threads. Can't find it now..

[url="http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/how_to_clean_bass_strings.html"]This site[/url] is good on the subject including [url="http://www.tunemybass.com/strings/bass_string_cleaning_tube.html"]The Tube[/url][/quote]

They came on my Ibanez BTB665mp a few years ago, Nanoweb. Dunno if they changed them but they just felt...well...tubey.
That's just me tho, I'm used to raw steel I guess, shame, cause they could save me a LOT of money, I may try some again, come to think of it, I ain't tried em on my Yamaha TRB yet...being a much better bass the tone and feel could work well...It also slightly rejects my usual D'addario Pro Steels something fierce, so I'm on the lookout.

And YES! That site does indeed illustrate and list my ideas in full! Awesome so it has been made and it DOES work!
"denatured alcohol" That's the one...Hmmm gonna have to build one of these when I can now, although for it to work you can't use Elixirs, defeats the object.
My guess is tho that maybe you'd wanna take em off in 2 weeks time to clean them depending how long you've played the strings, as a month could have corrosion set in, and no alcohol is gonna sort that.

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='burno70' post='886818' date='Jul 5 2010, 02:59 PM']^^^ I find that avatar disturbing[/quote]
My work is done

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='andyjingram' post='886837' date='Jul 5 2010, 03:15 PM']That said, it is also the first time I realised that the bag is on fire, and the face must have been drawn first... I winced at the rabbit/motel horror, then laughed at the shocked, burning bag! [/quote]
Yeah! Now that's a shocking avatar.

By the way, the rabbit is just yawning and I am neither the naked dude or the bunny.

[MythSte]

another +1 for elixers so Annually, if that.

I've tried D'addario, DR and ernie ball but none of which seem to last over a month with me. The elixers have been going for about nine!

[foal30]

every day, I love the freshness
I used to just put 'em on inside out to save on washing but it's just not the same

[foal30]

whoh , wrong forum

[BobVbass]

I change mine regularly - about every ten years or so, whenever I buy a new guitar...- rotosound stainless 66's -

[johnny_frog]

On my P I haven't broken any so haven't changed any.
They get a good wipe down after playing and that seems to do the trick.

I probably should change the bronze strings on my coostic... my fingertips go grey/black after a few hours of playing, but i kind of like the muddy tone and I'd probably be doubling the value of the bass if I restrung her

[crez5150]

I put monthly but normally change every Monday after a weekend of gigging (3-4 gigs) as I love the Zing!

[Skinz]

[quote name='JTUK' post='886342' date='Jul 5 2010, 03:08 PM']As soon as I have to start EQ'ing things that I think is down to the strings going off..

I very rarely have to touch my amp apart from levels...maybe a tad for a difficult room.

I'll know when messing around at home that the strings are losing it.
Depending on the make of string, anything from around 4 weeks on..but entirely down the my ears.[/quote]


I like that approach - after spending two hours dicking around with my sans amp settings at practice, it must be time for a string change....

[OldGit]

[quote name='Kongo' post='886944' date='Jul 6 2010, 01:35 AM']They came on my Ibanez BTB665mp a few years ago, Nanoweb. Dunno if they changed them but they just felt...well...tubey.
That's just me tho, I'm used to raw steel I guess, shame, cause they could save me a LOT of money, I may try some again, come to think of it, I ain't tried em on my Yamaha TRB yet...being a much better bass the tone and feel could work well...It also slightly rejects my usual D'addario Pro Steels something fierce, so I'm on the lookout.

And YES! That site does indeed illustrate and list my ideas in full! Awesome so it has been made and it DOES work!
"denatured alcohol" That's the one...Hmmm gonna have to build one of these when I can now, although for it to work you can't use Elixirs, defeats the object.
My guess is tho that maybe you'd wanna take em off in 2 weeks time to clean them depending how long you've played the strings, as a month could have corrosion set in, and no alcohol is gonna sort that.[/quote]


Someone on here has a cleaning tube and is very enthusiastic .. I just can't remember who. If you need to know try "boiling strings" in the search page. It's in one of the older threads...

Ibanez fit nano Elixirs as standad, or did.

I like 'em, even when they go hairy

[Golchen]

Oh, I dunno. 8-10 years maybe.

I don't gig so maybe that makes a difference, but to be honest I can live with old strings for the most part. If you get your bass out every day for a bit they are fine, but if you go a few weeks without playing they feel a bit naff until played in again.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='886952' date='Jul 6 2010, 02:03 AM']By the way, the rabbit is just yawning and I am neither the naked dude or the bunny.[/quote]

Y'know, I'm really not sure that improves the situation.

Getting back OT (sorry) I still don't understand who it was who criticised the OP for daring to use old strings on his P-bass. Old Git picked up on this too.

Who on earth (apart from another bass player) is ever going to notice whether your strings are old/new?

The guys in my band (all experienced musicians aged +/- 50-ish) don't even comment when I swop between a 5-string P-bass strung with flats and a 4-string Wal strung with rounds!

[crez5150]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='887046' date='Jul 6 2010, 10:02 AM']Y'know, I'm really not sure that improves the situation.

Getting back OT (sorry) I still don't understand who it was who criticised the OP for daring to use old strings on his P-bass. Old Git picked up on this too.

Who on earth (apart from another bass player) is ever going to notice whether your strings are old/new?

The guys in my band (all experienced musicians aged +/- 50-ish) don't even comment when I swop between a 5-string P-bass strung with flats and a 4-string Wal strung with rounds![/quote]

Its not about other people noticing, it's about yourself noticing.

[Bottle]

Never changed the strings on my Ibanez jazz bass - still sounding good two years on (and that was with regular playing and practice up until last October)

Had the P-special since then, and again, not changed the strings on that either.

My old Ibanez 5-er did have a string change after about three months - only because the original Elixirs were absolutely f***ed (they musta easily been three or four years old when I got the bass second-hand last February). Once I moved the Ibby on, I gave the new owner a set of the Hartke strings I won at the SE Bass Bash last year - they're still on the bass now, and sound magnificent every time I hear the bass being played.

Anyway, I guess I only change the strings when they need doing. They do get a clean after every session - rub down with a cloth to remove any sweat and gunk, that'll kill strings really quickly in this weather.

HTH, Ian

[Low End Bee]

2-3 months for DR Black Beauties. 2 or 3 weeks for Rotosound RS66's. Or whenever they stopped sounding 'zingy'. I use a fair bit of gain/overdrive so it sounds too woofy to my ears if the strings aren't bright. The back up Precision gets the dead strings. This is useful for recording when it needs thump.

I can however see how ancient strings are the best thing in the right context. Doesn't Herbie Flowers keep his black nylons on (ooh matron) until they disintegrate?

[OldGit]

So where do all the old strings go?
I know some charities make jewelry out of celebrity players' old strings and sell them to raise funds but what else can we do?

We should have a string re-cycling thread.
There must be hundreds of people on here who'd be very glad have a set of one month old strings for free or postage rather than them going in the re-cycling.

There was a charity taking them to Africa (where guitarist often use bike cables and fence wire as strings, I kid you not) but they ran into problems with the governments and transport from the city to the bush where they are needed most.

[dave_bass5]

Ive given out quite a few sets of strings on here, some almost new.

I change mine about every 6 weeks if im gigging every weekend. While i dont like the strings too zingy i dont like thme when they go dull.

Saying that im going back to Chromes for a while as i like how they sound and they last forever so i should save a bit of money.

Edited July 6, 2010 by dave_bass5

[fonzoooroo]

I only tend to change mine when I try a different sort. Most of my basses have flats of halfrounds on though... The one with rounds on tends to have them changed every 6 months or so, just depends on when I notice there's no top end left and start to get annoyed! The thomastik flats on my fretless 6 string've been on for 3 years, and no sign of changing them any time soon...

[Geek99]

My cij jazz is still wearing the elixirs it had when I got it from oldgit.they still work well enough for my purposes.
My vintage ray copy has new ish rotosounds from bgm mag which seem to be lasting well although I don't gig.

I've bought a three pack of hartke strings off the bay so will try those next

[dave_bass5]

I wonder if the poll should have been based on gigging basses. That would maybe give a better indication of how much playing time a set of strings get.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='crez5150' post='887060' date='Jul 6 2010, 10:13 AM']Its not about other people noticing, it's about yourself noticing.[/quote]

I understand that Crez, but the OP stated "[i]after being slated at practice this weekend for having three year old strings on my P-Bass[/i]" so clearly this is about other band members noticing.

[Bilbo]

Every decade, whether I need to or not......

Hate new strings. All clanky.

[Deep Thought]

Every gig, although we don't currently gig that often so in practice only once every couple of months. But if we're busy, more regularly. Soon as they start to lose the zing, they're off. I'm currently on D'Addario XL chromes, which seem to last longer than most, and I've tried all sorts. On non-gigging basses, less frequently.