Bass String Discussion

[Lt. Bob]

the longer the strings are on there, the more wear and tear and if you're a gigging muso, u probably won't want to take that risk.....but NEVER changing the strings on your bass would be a stupid thing to do, and if anyone argues they like the dead thud kinda sound, (i'm being serious for those who havn't heard of the technique) before you put the strings on, boil them in hot water, which takes the twangi new string kinda sound out of em that way you'll get the tone you're after, and you want have to be using rusty old strings. yuk....

I don't really agree with this at all.
First ...... older strings aren't likely to cause any more wear than new strings.
And you boil strings to make them less dead .... not more. Boiling new strings wouldn't make much of a difference in sound at all IMO plus when you boil strings (which I used to do when I couldn't afford new sets ), they absolutely start rusting.

 

[Jouni]

When I bought a bass from a friend, a no-name-local-builder but decent, the strings were stained in blood because their vocalist had played it on their last gig. (bassplayer couldn't make it to the gig).
Played them until they broke. Usually have played a set until they break.
It's a nice change when you get new ones after that.

 

[mrT]

the strings were stained in blood

I've stained my strings with blood many times. You know it was a good show if you have blood on your bass

 

[BillLatsh]

i change my strings 1 every month and a half or so.

i play almost every day though playing alot of funk and some metal too.

i break strings alot so i kind of need to change them often.

i also love the tone of new strings.

as for my fretless, i hardly ever change them. the flatwound strings seem to keep their tone.

 

[warrengtype]

plus when you boil strings (which I used to do when I couldn't afford new sets ), they absolutely start rusting.

That's why you put them in the dishwasher. It works just the same as boiling plus the auto heat dry keeps you rust free.

 

[Lt. Bob]

well .........hmmmm ......... maybe. It's not gonna be as hot as boilng and the water isn't as likely to get deep into the windings to boil out that dirt and oil as boiling, but that might work.
Maybe I'll give that a try next time I change strings just to see.