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Played bass few times in 3 years - when do I change my strings?


Chrisbassboy5

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4 hours ago, hooky_lowdown said:

Folks who like super bright round wounds are the ones who change strings most regularly, flatwounds if wiped down now and again, or never if you thats your thing can just let it be. Flatwounds get better with age!

 when I played rounds I changed them before every gig (originals band playing once a month).

 

Now I play on light weight ground-wounds.

I have the had the same set for 6 years. I think about buying a fresh set, but that's more remembering habit rather than desiring a new sound 😂

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Last time I changed my coated round wounds was 2004.

 

They don't zing anymore, obvz, but they sound OK, maybe because I clean them off after I've played them. Couple of years ago I wondered if the intonation might have gone a bit iffy after all that time but I checked the notes up the neck with a tuner and they were fine.

 

They'll be staying on a bit longer.

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When to change strings?

I find doing it on a full moon and a spring equinox ( for obvious reasons as they retain their 'spring' better) facing the direction of Stonehenge ( which will vary depending on your location). I also find winding the strings on the posts the same direction direction as the bath water drains out (or shower) helps them last longer too.

Finally wiping my fingerboard with the blood of a freshly slaughtered goat ensures no one asks to borrow your Bass at the local open mic....

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On these threads, nobody asks what sound you're after or what music you play. People just want their preferences validated I guess.

 

I'm no different but I'll give a little background at least.

I play thrash metal, use steel round wound strings and change them every year when I give my bass a good clean, oil the fretboard and change the 9v batteries in the preamp. I use Dr Strings DDT heavies.

 

Iron Maiden's Steve Harris changes his flats before every gig apparently. 

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1 minute ago, Bolo said:

On these threads, nobody asks what sound you're after or what music you play. People just want their preferences validated I guess.

 

I'm no different but I'll give a little background at least.

I play thrash metal, use steel round wound strings and change them every year when I give my bass a good clean, oil the fretboard and change the 9v batteries in the preamp. I use Dr Strings DDT heavies.

 

Iron Maiden's Steve Harris changes his flats before every gig apparently. 

Cool mate, as a past professional tuba player I love a deep rich bass tone with little treble so these work for me.. 

 

 

 

 

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I've used Flats for the last 6 years, maybe more, on both my basses. I've only changed strings 3 times. Once on my P bass because one of the strings had become damaged, it'd started to rattle so I could only think the core had started to go downhill. On my Jazz bass, I changed my flats to rounds a couple of months ago...then changed them back again after 10 days because I really didn't like the sound of the rounds. So a total of 3 times in 6 years :) 

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I have TI flats on one of my precisions and will only replace if a string breaks, which hasn't happened to me in the past 25+ years. I much prefer broken in roundwounds as when first on they are heavy on the bottom and top frequencies. Once roundwounds age a bit the mids come through better for me.

One trick I use to add a little zing back to old roundwounds is to slacken (one at a time) each string so it's really floppy then pull it up sharply around the 12th fret and allow it to slap back on the fretboard. Do this repeatedly for as long as you can (or get bored) then tune back up. They won't sound new but usually a little brighter IME.

Edited by Sparky Mark
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21 hours ago, TimR said:

If the B sounds dead and the others sound OK, I'd look at reasons for that. I don't think strings lose much if you're not playing the bass much.

 

Buying singles isn't particularly easy for Bass, or at least that's my experience. 

I thought the low B on 5 stringers was notorious for tonal differences, especially on standard scale instruments? Hence the 35+ inch scales.

Edited by Sparky Mark
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  • 7 months later...

H Folks, after ages of looking for the string box they came in I have discovered that they are.. Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Flatwound JF345, .043 to 0.136. 5 string..
 

seems they live forever. Need to change them at all or not?

 

cheers, 

 

chris

Edited by Chrisbassboy5
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2 minutes ago, Chrisbassboy5 said:

seems they live forever. Need to change them at all or not

If they still sound good to you then no, all that happens to flats is that they mellow with time and get smoother , I prefer them like that but some like them to sound brighter 

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Some rarely change their strings. Even with rounds a lot of people like the thuddy sound that comes close to flats. If you're happy with the sound then there's no reason to change. Not everyone likes the sound of new rounds.

Edited by TheLowDown
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