How do you string your bass?

[hankhill]

Here’s one for discussion. I’m restringing one of my P basses, normally I like my windings to look neat and tidy but in this case the E string seems to be taking a deep dive over the nut when wound bottom to top like this (photo).  Should I be winding the E top to bottom, to reduce the angle over the nut, or am I worrying too much?

[neepheid]

You're worrying too much - there's only a problem with break angle over the nut when there isn't enough of it.

[ezbass]

46 minutes ago, neepheid said:

there's only a problem with break angle over the nut when there isn't enough of it.

^^^^ this.

[Grahambythesea]

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

[MartinB]

 

3 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

☝️

Press each string down on either side of the nut as well, so that it doesn't curve like a banana over the top. Reduces your chance of weird chorus-y noises. Same thing at the saddles too.

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, MartinB said:

 

☝️

Press each string down on either side of the nut as well, so that it doesn't curve like a banana over the top. Reduces your chance of weird chorus-y noises. Same thing at the saddles too.

I’m going to try this as have a bit of a chorusy sound on my A string. In all the years I’ve been playing I never knew this.

[Stub Mandrel]

6 hours ago, Grahambythesea said:

Too many windings, 3 is enough.

 

I usually go for 1 ½.

Have never had an E-string slip.

 

 

 

[paul_5]

Always wind to the bottom of the tuning peg, and check that the strings aren't in torsion (twisted) when they go through the bridge. I do this by getting the string tight enough to produce a pitch (not anywhere near the final tuning), grip the string between my thumb and forefinger and run them down the length of the string from the nut to the bridge - when the ball end spins then you're taking the unnecessary twist from the string. Doesn't happen everytime I re-string, but it's worth doing every time, just in case.

[chris_b]

17 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Always wind to the bottom of the tuning peg, and check that the strings aren't in torsion (twisted) when they go through the bridge. I do this by getting the string tight enough to produce a pitch (not anywhere near the final tuning), grip the string between my thumb and forefinger and run them down the length of the string from the nut to the bridge - when the ball end spins then you're taking the unnecessary twist from the string. Doesn't happen everytime I re-string, but it's worth doing every time, just in case.

 

This.

 

I prefer 2 windings around the post.

 

Locate the string in the tuning peg with just one wind then hold the string so the bridge end is free and can untwist and straighten out. Then tune up. I can't remember the last time I had a dead string. 

[Musicman666]

i try not to cut the strings too much ...got caught out a few times when transferring from say a stingray to a jazz ..i just make sure that the capstan is always top to bottom even when there is a string tree ..force of habit. 

[BigRedX]

The break angle over the nut needs to be sufficient to hold the string in place whilst not reducing the compliance of the string.

 

If you look at the first photo in the OP you'll see that the G and D strings pass under a string retainer and therefore their break angle is fixed by the position of the string retainer. Since this is obviously a sufficient angle, it follows that ideally the E and A strings should have the same break angle. That means the A string should probably have one more turn around the post and the E one less.

[hankhill]

All good input, thanks everyone. Believe it or not I’ve actually been playing bass for 49 years, but like most non-pro players, string changes are quite a rare occurrence!

[SteveXFR]

I always cut the string at 75mm past the post and that gives me 2-3 turns and I always wind towards the bottom. I also bend a kink in the string and cut as tight as possible to that while keeping it. I was taught that this reduces the chance of the core slipping inside the string. I don't know whether its necessary but its never caused me issues. 

I generally change my strings about every 3 months to keep them bright.

[BigRedX]

You only need to worry about the core slipping on strings with a round core. Unless it specifically states on the strings that they are round core you can safely assume that they are hex core and it's OK to cut the strings to length before bending them.

[Dan Dare]

On 21/11/2025 at 09:44, hankhill said:

like most non-pro players, string changes are quite a rare occurrence!

 

Like a lot of pros, too.

[SteveXFR]

Frequent string changes are common for metal bassists, especially ones who have to cut through a wall of heavily overdriven guitar noise and double bass drums.