Breaking Strings, Boiling Strings and Tuning!!!
Rokket said:
I've heard that a lot of bass players don't change their strings until one breaks (how often does that happen
). I don't do it because I am a cheap bastard. But also because I don't really like the sound of a new pair of strings. Too much excess noise. I play round wound strings because they have more punch, but I don't like the sound until they've been on my guitar for a couple months. Of course, that's just me. Opinions vary and are welcome...
Rokket I have had a time when I used to break my G on my Precision and could not work out why I did breake them. I did check everything, went to my guitar tech to get the bridge filed and finesanded, but really there were no rough spots noticeable so.............a mystery as to how that one came about.
As it is that bass is now in a different location, so I do not know whether the finesanding and filing has helped or not. It does surprise me that I did break the G often, as my playing technique has not changed so.................
Now to the string boiling and changing your stings:
I used to boil my stings very often, and really it is a "poor-man's" method to getting the sound of new strings. Does it work? Yes it does, but the brightness will soon fade away so you may be better off getting new strings in the first place, as this will save you time and effort.
Strings are far too expensive I believe but that is another subject altogether, but could be interwoven in the subject of this thread.
Do I like changing the strings on the bass often? No not really, I tend to keep them on for a long time as most of us do, however here is again a little story:
I have also a Jazz bass, which is still at my location here, with this one there is an undefinable "strange" sound somewhere. Had it checked and checked, and really it is all fine, but there is somewhere on the E a strange sound. Now I have discovered that changing the strings helps to muffle that sound, so really this instrument could do with changing stings more often that I would normally like to. I think the "strange" sound is just something in the woods, so it is in the nature of the bass. Also I really "like" it that you will start to notice these things after having played the instrument for years. It is almost like: The better you get to know your "childeren" the more you start to see their real behaviour, and usually this all comes out when you are recording, just in the middle of a take and you notice something like: "Well heh what the heck is that?" "Is there some kind of hum on my mike or is it my lead or...............?" and then you notice it is your instrument that has an extra added sound.................
Oh tuning eh? Okay last post was about 7 strings and 6 strings but I do not understand this: Is a 6 string not tuned like D-E-A-D-G-C ?that is low to high , all in perfect 4ths, right or...............?
So assuming this is right that the 7 string bass would have either an F at the top or an A at the bottom. Or is it that we do tune some stings in major 3rds? Have a feeling we may go over old ground here, expecially with all these nice links about 12 strings and alternative tunings, so if this is the case, please do not be offended by my lack of knowledge.
Eddie
Just hope for you that he is willing to pay his share for the electricity bill 
on his face