How Often Do You Change Your Strings?

[Dave Vader]

Use Flats on all my basses now, so never really. Don't like the zingyness of new rounds, they need to be played in for a week or two, then they sound good for maybe one night, and then they go off again, though I do sweat a lot, used to have to change my strings after every gig when I played guitar, or they would snap, usually they did anyway.
As to string cleaning, WD-40, spray it on, wipe it down, zing comes straight back again. Perhaps not the most cosmetically pleasing option, but if you like your gear cheap and messy, it works.

[thepurpleblob]

Whenever they won't tune / intonate whatever.

I don't really like the sound of brand new strings but I find the deciding factor is when they become reluctant to responding to the tuners. Either that, or when the neck becomes so filthy I have to take them off to clean it. I've never actually worked out how often that means I change the strings.

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='887158' date='Jul 6 2010, 12:06 PM']Every decade, whether I need to or not......

Hate new strings. All [b]clanky[/b].[/quote]

Excellent desciptive word.

I can't bear them when they're not clanky

Maybe I should play your strings in for you and save the planet?*


*Offer only applies to multiples of 4. May be used in extreme non jazz situations. Consult your doctor if symptons persist.

Edited July 6, 2010 by Low End Bee

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='887239' date='Jul 6 2010, 01:06 PM']Excellent desciptive word.

I can't bear them when they're not clanky

Maybe I should play your strings in for you and save the planet?*


*Offer only applies to multiples of 4. May be used in extreme non jazz situations. Consult your doctor if symptons persist.[/quote]


Intonation can go down as well as up.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='887239' date='Jul 6 2010, 01:06 PM']I can't bear them when they're not clanky [/quote]

I bloody hate the Clanky's (especially the short one ;-)

[OldGit]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='887140' date='Jul 6 2010, 11:45 AM']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.[/quote]

Zactly...

Maybe the OP doesn't want to engage in that discussion.

[Low End Bee]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='887369' date='Jul 6 2010, 03:03 PM']Intonation can go down as well as up.[/quote]

As long as it's OK on frets 1-5 I'll be fine.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='887424' date='Jul 6 2010, 03:37 PM']As long as it's OK on frets 1-5 I'll be fine.[/quote]

1-5? Flash showboating bugger ;-)

[thodrik]

I put monthly but it depends on how many gigs or recording I'm doing with a particular bass. Gigging all the time and they (Generally EB Hybrid 105-45, but sometimes Dunlop Nickels when I'm short of funds) do well to last more than a couple of weeks.

It is all down to a matter of taste though, I used to never ever change strings, whether I was playing flatwounds or nickels. Now though, there is a point where I feel that a string goes beyond being 'worn in' and instead becomes 'dead'.

I generally only change strings on a bass if its being used for gigs or recording though, for the sake of jamming at home or rehearsing I can put up with slightly worn in strings. I've retired my P-bass from gigs and strung it with flats which won't need to be changed anytime soon, so only the Vigier and the Sadowsky tend to have frequent string changes.

I must say that Rotosounds Steels last forever but I can't really get on with the feel of them.

[Kongo]

[quote name='Low End Bee' post='887424' date='Jul 6 2010, 03:37 PM']As long as it's OK on frets 1-5 I'll be fine.[/quote]

Nashville bassist huh?

[quote name='OldGit' post='887108' date='Jul 6 2010, 11:12 AM']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.[/quote]

I recently chucked boxes of old ones away...I had stashed them with an idea of weighing them in, being steel and all...but didn't go ahead with trying...Can you weigh in bass strings?

Other than that, making your own bass-string ball would be legend...

Edited July 6, 2010 by Kongo