How dead or fresh do you like your strings?

lasteffect

lasteffect

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I just put Rotos on my SS2, Thumb NT and $$, I don't really like the clear and treble of new strings whatever the brand they are.

I like them to fade a little and thats when they come alive to me.

How about you guys? Do you changes strings one they are completely filthy or when they start to mellow a bit or what?
 
I like my strings right after I put them on --- perhaps the second day of being on my Thumb bass. Lots of liveliness and zing :) I always look for deals on strings so if I have plenty to choose from and I leave them on for 2 to 3 months. I'm pretty much stick to DR or D'Addario strings in either steel or nickel.

Dave
 
In the past I would play on a set until I broke a string. Now though, it's about the sound so long lasting strings are a must unless I feel like spending a fortune on strings. I have noticed though that once the strings start to get dull, I tend to do more finger-style than slap. Harmonics don't matter either way (sound just as good on old strings as on new) but "broken in" strings give that extra bit of warmth to me for finger funk. :)
 
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I absolutely despise new strings.

I die a little inside when I break an old string.

Other than breaking, or otherwise damaging, a
string, I never change them just for getting 'old'.


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I'd change every week if I could afford it :D

The strings I use sound very musical even brand new, no overly harsh treble or anything. They also sound good old.
 
I like them after a week. Not too new, not too old either. I just tried Fat Beams (DR) on my Marleaux bass, and they sound great right out of the box. Not too clanky.
 
I usually like a little of the zing worn out of them, say the second to 4-6th weeks on a bass with light use. The first couple days are a bit too bight for me, and i recon they start to die after a while. I find it quite uninspiring to play on really dead strings.
 
On my fretless I like them old... old... old... I never change them unless I'm trying a different type of string. On my fretted, I like them after they've settled in a bit but still sound lively, so after a week or two I guess, and I play them right up until they're dead.

;)
 
i prefer new strings, will replace then when they are dead ;p
 
golem said:
`

I absolutely despise new strings.

I die a little inside when I break an old string.

Other than breaking, or otherwise damaging, a
string, I never change them just for getting 'old'.


`
Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it any better.

Now, what do you new string lovers do to your dead strings?
If you could just pass them along ... Hahaha
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I like them new, and I change them when they start to feel rubbery and non responsive. In studio I can change a non coated set of strings even after 1-2 days, and for gigs after 2 weeks.
 
Me I like them brand spanking new. Change the EQ if you don't like the extra treble new strings just give you better transients which is a big deal to me. Every note played should sound like it could kill a drumkit.
 
Well, I used to prefer the sound of fresh strings — on both fretted and fretless. In the late '70s and early '80s I used to play Roto, but was frustrated with how quickly their sound deteriorated, and also how lousy their quality control was, as I all too often pulled dead strings right out of the package.

In the past decade I've mostly played Alembic CX and various sets by Thomastik-Infeld (Jazz Flat, Jazz Round, Powerbass, Superalloy), all of which are quite to extremely durable. The Alembic set even will keep a decent slap sound w/ an explosive attack until near the end...
 
+1 for new strings! And I prefer steel strings over nickel too, because I love the presence & extra high frequencies of brand new strings. it's helps a lot too for a nice overdriven tone
 
I don´t like brand new string sound, maybe when they are one or two week old.

As I said in other threads, I´ve used Dean Markley´s Blue Steels for many years, but lately I´ve been using coated Auroras, which sound nice, and last a lot.
 
A couple of days old is usually good, the worst "zing" is gone and the highs and lows are great. After this it's downfall. How fast, that depends on strings. Many people forget that both high AND low frequencies are at their best when strings are new.
 
Fresh strings for me, I've been using coated strings for a while, and I'm enjoying them.
 
I love the sound of a fresh G string (hayoo) but like the strings a little more broken in as we get down the neck. Unfortunately, in real life, the strings settle in the opposite direction :P

I love Rotos and they sound great when broken in - although they'll eventually sound like flatwounds by the point they're completely dead. The whole QC thing happened to Rotosound in the 80s and people still talk about it. I've never had a problem or broken a string while playing. I've only broken 2 strings in my entire life and they were both contact-core G strings, at the bridge, while installing them.
 
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