It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 1:57 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: How often should bass strings be changed ?
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:02 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:52 pm
Posts: 12
Location: Ft.Worth, Texas
How often should bass strings be replaced? What are some signs that they need to be changed ? I am using La Bella 760LT-B flats on my Jazz. Thanks!

_________________
Cliff Fitch
'99 American Jazz V
'01 American Telecaster


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:52 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 2:37 pm
Posts: 278
Location: Delray Beach, FL
When your bass starting sounding like crap...time to change your strings!

How often depends on how much you play, sweat, etc......

Some people like the sound of dead strings and don't change them for years! I personally like punchy, bright strings. So I tend to change mine once a month or so.

Since you use flats, the degradation in tone will take much longer then the rounds I use.

_________________
1972 Fender Jazz
Fodera Monarch Standard Special Madrone
Roscoe Century Custom 5
Bacchus Craft Series 5 String Jazz
Crews Maniac Sound Jackson 5 Fretless
Delray Bass Co. Custom P-Bass
NS Design Omnibass Electric Upright
Breedlove Solo Acoustic Fretless


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:45 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:52 pm
Posts: 12
Location: Ft.Worth, Texas
Thanks for your reply. I am pretty new to the bass and wouldnt know if it sounded like crap or not at this ppoint. It sounds fine to me. The strings have been on it for 2 years but, the original owner that I bought it from rarely played it. He has an active Jazz V that he prefers to play. I am really loving this Jazz V though. It really plays like butter. I play simple stuff with a bluegrass band and some gospel, nothing fancy. I wasnt sure if the 5 -string was the way to go but, it feels very natural to me now and the low B adds a lot of possibilies.

_________________
Cliff Fitch
'99 American Jazz V
'01 American Telecaster


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:31 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:33 pm
Posts: 1084
Location: NoHo in SoCal
You might check out a similar/same bass on a rig like what you normally use at a couple of stores. That will give you an idea of what new (or presumably close to) strings sound like. Now compare to you hear normally and that should help you to decide.

I change the strings on my SG bass about once a month -- it has a very deep sound to begin with, so I don't want dead strings. But on the other hand, I go maybe 3 or 4 months on my MIM J-bass because that has a lot brighter sound to begin with and I tend to favor a more subdued sound.


Top
Profile
Post subject: save money
Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:56 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:58 pm
Posts: 10
You can boil your strings in a pot. This will clean them and give them there brightness back. Take one off, boil it for a minute or so, put it back on and then do another. You want to take them off one at a time to keep the tension on the neck. Same thing when you put new strings on. I have had the same strings for at least a year now.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 2:19 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:29 am
Posts: 174
Location: Calstock, Cornwall, UK
Depending on the chemistry of your skin, and how well you look after strings, they can last from weeks to years! If you always keep them wiped down after use, you'll probably double their life. Flats can last a very long time. A nice set of flats, installed now and well looked after, are due a change around, hmm, let's see, about 2015?
:D

I change my rounds about every six months, and I gig quite a bit.

_________________
1996 Fender Precision '51 RI, Blond
2004 Fender Precision Std, Black-as-yer-'at
2007 Squier VM Precision TB, sunburst
Markbass CMD121H and ext cab


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:49 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:20 am
Posts: 805
Telebass wrote:
Depending on the chemistry of your skin, and how well you look after strings, they can last from weeks to years! If you always keep them wiped down after use, you'll probably double their life. Flats can last a very long time. A nice set of flats, installed now and well looked after, are due a change around, hmm, let's see, about 2015?
:D

I change my rounds about every six months, and I gig quite a bit.


I agree...

Boiling can also bring back round-wounds. Though you have keep in mind the strings will dent as they get older. Even if a round-wound sounds brand new after a boil, the intonation can suffer because the strings has dents from the frets. This will become a much bigger issue if you are doing a recording session. Everything becomes magnified in the studio. With the exception of flat-wounds that are good condition, a new set of round-wounds is much safer bet than a boiled set during the recording.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:37 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:29 am
Posts: 174
Location: Calstock, Cornwall, UK
In reality, a cheap set of new strings is usually a far better bet than bothering with boiling, especially, as said, if you're going anywhere near a studio...

_________________
1996 Fender Precision '51 RI, Blond
2004 Fender Precision Std, Black-as-yer-'at
2007 Squier VM Precision TB, sunburst
Markbass CMD121H and ext cab


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: