As mentioned above, do I need to re-do a setup on my bass after changing strings? What if I am replacing a broken strings with a new one of the same model, brand and gauge? And what if I am changing style completely? Say, going to the flatwounds realm?
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You should always check your setup after changing strings. It’s a convenient time to do so anyway, as most instruments will need to have a setup every once in a while, as humidity and temperature changes with the seasons. Setups are not a one-and-done thing in most cases.
You will, however, more often need them after changing string types, due to differing tension.
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Okay, thanks! It really bugs me ‘cause if I am changing strings say every 3 months, I would have to do the setup myself as I cannot afford to go to a luthier every time. I hope I can learn to do it properly ahah
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Yeah it’s a skill you should absolutely learn! It’s very easy!
Josh made a video to show how:
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thanks! I hope I can do it well
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You’ll do fine.
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You will very quickly be able to do a better job than a luthier or guitar store tech.
Because you will learn how YOU like a bass set up, and will be able to set it up to YOUR personal playing style. Someone else is just going to set it to general specs, which may or not be very precise.
You’ll also be able to experiment with different levels of neck relief and action height to find what you like best.
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if you change the string gauge then you may have to adjust the intonation.
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Hi all,
I’d like to know how often do you change the strings?
Reason behind is that I came across this article on Thomann’s website yesterday. It is not specifically about bass but about strings in general and it reads “if you play 1 hour per day it will be necessary to change the strings after 1 - 2 weeks, and if you play 1 hour per week it will be necessary after 2 - 3 months.”
I simply can’t believe this. I haven’t changed the strings on my Squier Affinity PJ since I bought it last year. I mean they’re made of steel, so why the heck should one change them after 2 weeks playing 1 hour per day? Is this simply to push their sales? 
Or is this really true?
I change my round wounds about every two months. I practice almost daily and when I notice the tone falling off I change 'em. Flats will last for years. If your rounds start sounding like flats, you’re past due to change them 
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That seems to me way over the top. Changing strings after 2 weeks playing only one hour a day? No way. Sounds to me like sales talk. Imagine how much it would cost. 
I have my Squier since April. I play everyday and usually more than 1 hour. My strings sound as good as new. I wash my hands before playing, I keep my bass dust free, and I bought some Ernie Ball string wipes. Usually when I clean the strings, the wipes look clean afterwards. I think maybe by being mindful, the lifetime of the strings will last much longer.
I bought a set of new strings, but there is no need to change them just yet. I know many people change them often, but maybe one has to sweat a lot more, play a lot more, or touch the strings without washing the hands first, in order to change the way the strings sound.
I seriously notice no difference in their sound yet. They sound as bright as I like.
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Same. It depends a lot on the strings and the person.
I’ve probably averaged ~5hours/week. That gets split between two basses with rounds (other two have flats). I’m looking at several months between changing strings. Probably around 4 months.
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They degrade very slowly, and you get accustomed to it. I bet if you put on new strings you’d notice a massive difference immediately.
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It is possible, but as long as I’m happy with the sound, I will keep playing with the same strings. It will be easy to notice when they aren’t working anymore with the songs I like to play.
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I play roughly 15hrs/week, just one bass, and I put those string on back in January. Plan to change them again this coming January. I’m sure I’ll notice I difference, but for now they sound fine to me.
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Come, join the Dark Side(Flatwounds😜)
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This is advice for guitar players with their wimpy strings. Some pro guitar players change strings every show. As a bass player, you can ignore it.
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Rounds: When they sound dead. Depends on how much I play them but usually every few months.
Flats: I don’t think you really ever change them from what I hear. They sound like dead rounds out of the box so that’s not an issue.
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This! Very succinct and clear explanation.
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Changing strings regularly is certainly a thing if you want a certain tone. This would mostly be the case if you have a specific expectation for the tone your bass produces and will be mostly for gigging musicians. They will change strings quite often just to make sure they get the right tone when playing. Some will even change them on a daily basis.
Should a beginner change their strings regularly? It probably is not necessary, but it can be an interesting thing to do after some months of playing, if only to hear the difference 
For my part, I will change the strings after a few months if I played regularly (10 hours/week). If I played something more aggressive than blues, I might do so more often though, just to get that bright tone that works better with most kinds of distortion 
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