New Bass New Strings

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Whenever I get a new (or secondhand) bass it doesn't fell like its mine until I've replaced the strings with TI Jazz flats, tweaked the truss rod & adjusted the bridge saddles (& on some basses, shimmed the neck).

I did this yesterday with my new Epi Pro-V T-Bird & its pretty much perfect for me now. It wasn't bad with the stock strings, no worse than anything hanging up in a shop, but I don't like roundwounds and I know how I like my basses to be setup. It just didn't feel like my bass until I'd set it up. Anyone else this fussy? Or are people generally happy to play whatever strings come on a bass for a while?

[Ajrt]

I don't have the sense to plan ahead and get new strings. Anyway, if I keep the stock ones till I really need new ones, it's like having the new bass experience twice in a row.

[amnesia]

I'm leaving my latest purchase with its stock strings until after Christmas. Then I'll give it to my guitar tech and get it setup for drop C tuning with a fresh set of strings. I don't have a real preference for strings other than I have always played roundwound, and I don't really like Elites.

Out of the case its great for standard E, just about passable in standard D, but rattles like a pill-popping junkie on a trampaline in drop C.

[Cat Burrito]

Being a flats player I usually have to change strings anyway but if I did buy with flats already on it I could certainly live with it

[Hobbayne]

On my two basses I have roundwounds on the P Bass and flats on the OLP. Doing the circuit that I do its nice to try and simulate the original songs bassline with near enough the right sound.
Frinstance, you cant do [i]No Woman No Cry[/i] on rounds, or [i]Going Underground[/i] on flats.

[Prime_BASS]

Unless it's come with a fresh set of EB super slinks or DR hi-beams, I play it a while see what happening change the strings to one of the previous then give it a setup, which for me would take a few days....

[DaveB]

I normally swap the strings straight over unless they came with d'addarios on as i'll use them if im skint or DR's if i've got the money. I find with me EB will last about a week before they are no longer playable so might just run em till they are dead, and Rotowound i will change at the earliest possible moment as they feel like they are coated in glue to me and I find them unplayable.
As for setup I will end up adjusting it but I usually play it for a few weeks tweaking as I go until I find that perfect setup.

[BigRedX]

Unless the strings/action/intonation make a new (to me) bass particularly unplayable from my PoV, then I'll generally leave doing a complete set up until I change the string for the first time - normally after I've had the bass for a month or so.

Also it usually takes 2 or 3 string changes to find the right strings to suit a particular bass, especially getting the best sounding and feeling B on a 5-stringer.

[Fat Rich]

Usually don't change them unless they're completely dead, apart from my used Status S2 which had the lightest strings I've ever seen on a bass. So skinny I couldn't play them and the truss rod had been fully slackened off.

[neepheid]

Because I mostly buy second hand basses, I only change the strings if they're no good.

[Bottle]

Well, I've recently changed the strings on my Ibby - went from the original strings (which were two-and-a-half years old) to some DR Hi-beams - this'll be the first string change on it...ever!

I'm just letting the strings bed in now - bit twangy still.

I'm also looking at getting a new bass in the next couple of weeks, will probably leave the stock strings on for the first few months, and then maybe go for Hi-beams on that as well - we'll see....

Ian

[Lozz196]

I always stick a set of Rotosound Heavy gauge roundwounds on - unless the bass already has them that is.

Just then have to wait for 2 months till they lose the twanginess.

[MythSte]

As a tight fisted so and so whenever I play a bass that isnt strung with flats or elixirs all I can think about is the money trickling away as they gradually die... they do seem to be quite high tension though so yes, I often have to give the truss rod a tweak before it feels like mine

A year on and the elixirs on my jazz are just as bright as the day I got them. Marvellous (if your comfy with the feel of them of course!)

[JTUK]

On my reletively 2 newly aquired basses, I was happy enough to go with what was on them as long as they were lively, I've had them both for a year now and after quite a bit of experimenting, with La Bella, Addario etc etc they will all be strung up with DR's
as they are brighter and stay brighter for a decent amount of time..though not ther longest, IME, but clean up so much better than anything else I have tried so far.
So they are worth the premium as far as I am concerned.

The truss rod and action are far more important than the string in terms of feel, and I generally only have to tweak the rod when the temps get consiatantly colder. Some strings can affect this..and that is another reason for me to keep them all the same make

Edited December 8, 2010 by JTUK

[paul h]

Always new strings for me.

D'Addario nickels on jazz style basses and Roberts "Growlers" stainless on P basses.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='paul h' post='1051878' date='Dec 8 2010, 04:53 PM']Growlers[/quote]