Do I need to setup again after changing strings?

[faydout]

@howard

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.

Also, not all strings last the same amount of time. Elixirs and Dragonskins will last longer being coated. Pressurewound and half rounds will last longer than rounds, not as long as flats. TI Rounds will last longer because of unicorn magic.

[fennario]

On fresh rounds, the overtones will ring out clearly. Once they start to “die”, you’ll hear the fundamental but the overtones won’t ring out as clearly. Try just playing some harmonics and see how they sound.

I swear there has to be an objective way to measure this and make the determination that a new set is needed.

Heck, Justin Chancellor from Tool will get fresh strings mid-set!

[BeerBaron]

@Krescht

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

Yeah. Play style and genre choice matter a lot.

I do a lot of like Post Punk and New Wave stuff where I’m playing hard and/or using a pick, and I want a really bright tone with a bit of drive. Fresh strings matter for that.

[Anja]

@andrea-slnd

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.

Exactly. I do the same and I feel my strings sound the same as 1 year ago (maybe even better??). Probably it really has something to do with keeping hands, instrument and strings clean.

[Billn]

@david.addis

Some pro guitar players change strings every show.

So do some bass players. Justin Chancellor of tool has his tech changing strings halfway through the show.

ETA: Oh, @fennario said it before I got into the thread. To add something useful my strings start to sound dead after about a month of playing every day, but I’m replacing them more like every 2-3 months or if I plan on recording something to share.

[Anja]

@Bassic

If your rounds start sounding like flats, you’re past due to change them

Thanks. Luckily, I have a new bass with flats now, so that I have something to compare with. And I can say that the rounds after more than 1 year don’t sound like the flats at all. So I’m going to use the rounds even a little longer than I already do.

[Anja]

@BeerBaron

I bet if you put on new strings you’d notice a massive difference immediately.

This can well be. To me, my more than 1 year old rounds still sound great, but yeah, I’m a) a noob and b) accustomed to them, so I’m curious about the difference when I’m going to change them (some day).

[Anja]

@Krescht

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

Hm, now I feel like changing them, only to hear that difference. I’m really wondering whether they only sound good to me because I’m so much used to them and didn’t notice the degrade so far.

[andrea-slnd]

Hmm… It would be interesting to play and record once a month the same song with the same strings, and months later compare the recordings to see if there’s a difference in sound, when it started, and how long it took before it became a problem (of course that’s subjective).

[Anja]

@BeerBaron

Yeah. Play style and genre choice matter a lot.

I’m not the speediest player and I only play finger style + practice the light touch, and I never use a pick. Maybe this is not too bad for the strings.

[Anja]

@andrea-slnd

It would be interesting to play and record once a month the same song with the same strings, and months later compare the recordings

Indeed. I have never recorded myself so far but I intend to buy a looper for practice reasons and then I could accomplish that. I’ll let you know then.

[Anja]

@fennario

Once they start to “die”, you’ll hear the fundamental but the overtones won’t ring out as clearly.

I doubt that my noob-ish ears will be able to detect that.

[Anja]

@howard

Rounds: When they sound dead.

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.

Great, thank you! I have a comparison now that I bought the fretless which has flats. From that perspective I can say that my rounds don’t sound like the flats at all. So they seem to be still okay

Nevertheless I’m curious now on whether I would be able to detect the difference if I exchanged the old rounds.

[Anja]

@david.addis

This is advice for guitar players with their wimpy strings.

This thought had come also to my mind. But it’s the “conclusion” page from an article which was divided into a guitar and a bass part, so I thought it might apply to both.

[Anja]

@Mr.SweatyPalms

join the Dark Side(Flatwounds😜)

I already did. On one bass I have rounds, on the other I have flats.

[Anja]

@jefflangford67

I put those string on back in January. Plan to change them again this coming January.

Then you have them nearly as long as I have mine (not quite, mine are even older).

I would like to hear your experience when you have done the change.

[BeerBaron]

@Anja

@fennario

Once they start to “die”, you’ll hear the fundamental but the overtones won’t ring out as clearly.

I doubt that my noob-ish ears will be able to detect that.

You know how you develop more experienced ears? Experiment. Try new things and see what the result is.

After a year of semi-regular playing, it is definitely time to replace rounds. Do that and see how much of a difference it makes. You will now have a data point to compare and understand how much strings degrade over time. Going from dull rounds to fresh ones, you’ll hear what happens when you add in those overtones.

Do it.

[Ardea]

So, if I want the sound of flats but I’m cheap and lazy, I could just play with “dead” rounds for a few years?

[BeerBaron]

@Ardea

So, if I want the sound of flats but I’m cheap and lazy, I could just play with “dead” rounds for a few years?

Not really. Dead rounds sound like dead rounds. Flats sound like flats.

It’s like… you’re looking at a computer monitor. Rounds are like turning the brightness up full. Flats are like turning the brightness down halfway. Old rounds are like caking dust on the screen until it’s half as bright.

[HighlandBass]

@faydout

TI Rounds will last longer because of unicorn magic.

I wish! Especially at their price! I had the D on a one year old set snap a week or two back.