NWB - Community Blog

Only had my Bass guitars for three years so way too early for me this one Trig. Got a set of Adam Blacks from a comp last year but reckon it will be years before I restring and try em out.

Got some Bass strings in the cupboard?
bin there about 5 years!
cant seem to thread em through the bridge on mi telecaster????
I'll have to get a bass to put em on!!!

when they need changing is the answer trig.
sometimes they sound bright for ages, other times they just die, if we are doing a high profile gig, they have got to be new.
your going to tell me your a boil in the bag bassist or some thing like that are'nt you trig hahahaha

oh yeah, my bass is super long scale 5 string, so iam limited to the actual sets that i can aquire, using diaddario at the moment.

change them?

ho ho ho how we laughed trigger.

I resemble that remark Trig lol

boil the bastards !!!

boil trig!

look, if you are skint, boil the bastards hahahaha personally i would never do it again, my bass sounded like the local jailer was coming !

used to boil them but cant be arsed now. change mine when they start to lose that'rounded'tone and just sound bassy and top rattly - with nothing in between - bit like guitar strings really!!! LOL!!!

by the way, I hate NEW strings...need to bed in for a few gigs til I like 'em.

PS; greatest bass player EVER never changed his strings!

We could "String" you up over the pot Trig?

i like new strings, mike, i cant do with the rotten flesh syndrome, our old guitarist (fungus) had a full scalp in his machine heads once, some poor bloke was headbanging at the front of the stage, he had really long hair,unfortunately his hair got tangled in fungus's machine heads, it was stalemate so fungus decided to relieve him of his hair, fungus being the guy that he was proudly displayed this guys scalp on producing his guitar at the next gig we played, that is true, the kent tavern in kendal, the dirtier fungus's guitar was, the bigger the prize hahaha by the way, the guy screamed like f*ck

No No No - flatwounds are just....No! got to be roundwounds every time! I wore out the board on a Rick 4001 once with them but ....gotta be roundwounds!!

got pissed off with the price I had to pay for double ball end strings to play headless basses!!

so, axe of pref?? or is that a whole new blog??

"fungus decided to relieve him of his hair,"

hahahah!!! love it!!!!

You can buy NEW strings???
F*** me! I keep buying new basses!

dont tell the wife Ian!!

I usually change the strings once every two years, it really depends on how often do you play the instrument and the quality of the strings, as well as humidity. I personally like the sound of newies after being gigged three or four times, so they get nicely settled. Well taken care of (y'know....oil and the lot), the fuckers will do the right job for the next 24 months.

think my Thumb 5 string will have to be prised from my hands on my deathbed - out of every bass I have owned, this is the ONE. its just perfect for me - bit heavy on the shoulders after a long night though!!

Luis get them strings changed you minge!

Ha ha ha, they probably are! Did you pay in sestertii or denarii?

Ahhhh....back in the day when money didn't count....but I wouldn't have paid more than one daughter.... :P

the neck thru Thumb (pre 1996 if poss) is the business!! my stingray went after I got the Thumb in 1995 - just too clean in comparison(though I recently invested in an OLP Stingray).

I have the 1990 NT 5 string and a defretted 1988 NT 4 string thumb - with EMGs! talk about hot!!!

just the 'feel' of the Thumb neck is amazing.....you'd never regret it.

love rosewood neck stingrays, mine was all white/ivory with rosewood neck. still paled against the thumb though. cant justify spending big buck$$ on basses now (though i would if I thought I could get away with it!!!) LOL!!

speaking of strings...I believe we were....I'm going to go and change mine now as I had the "deader than the rest" A string syndrome this weekend so, new set for the next gig.

later..........

After Xmas Gordon, after Xmas!

After Xmas ????
We dont usually keep hold of a bassist that long?
I like the way your showing commitment Luis or are you blagging me???

Elite strings on all my basses, usually change the strings on average after around 10 gigs. The strings seem to last longer on some basses than others. I too used to get free strings by just buying new basses, but the wife says if I buy another it's divorce, mmmmmmmm hard choice

In theory, this coming Xmas...I actually have the strings in waiting! Only two need restringing tho, the others have a bit longer left. Shit!!!, that reminds me that I need to find me pliers!!!

Luis is a little gem Trig!
dont think we'll be needing a dep for long while?
Unless he snaps a string before Xmas????

Ha ha ha!!!!, it's true you don't keep them for that long!!!! Well, at least I should turn up to the next audition with me bass looking prettier than usual with shiny strings, ha ha ha!!! :)

I'm touching wood about that string snapping business!!!! Never happened to me on a bass guitar, but that doesn't mean it won't happen!!!

We dont Sack em Luis!
we wear em out!

There's no need for divorce!
just buy em all the same colour!
woman only look at how pretty they look???

yer did Trig!

Ha ha ha, it's all down to energy drinks and water on stage, plus some Dyehouse-proof multivitamins every morning!!!

Sharon..lock Holmes I presume, Dr Status!

Keep taking the pills Luis!! ha ha!

Used to use Rotosound all the time but changed about a year ago to EXILIR strings after doing a double header with a band one time and couldn't believe his strings sounded absolutely brand new and they were 8 months old.. Best strings ever and I'd never buy anything else.. They're expensive don't get me wrong but I've had mine for 7 months now and they still sound brand new..

http://www.elixirstrings.com/


Shaun

I bought my bass about 19 years ago (admittedly I've played 6 string guitars for most of that time) and the same strings still work fine. In reggae you tend to kill all of the higher frequences anyway so bright sounding new strings are the last thing that I need.

Oh bugger are we back on bloody strings again?

Thought we'd hijacked it?

anyways i forgot its my blog Ha Ha

yer just nit pickin now Trig!

Do wanna swap something for it Trig? [No, not the mackies!]

I never change mine unless they break

haven't broken any for ages

so I haven't changed em on my main bass since about April this year

D'Addario 45-105's, nickel, but i'll have any pretty much nickel except for boomers which sound too harsh, and ernie ball, which seem to go dead within a week

used to use stainless steel but got fed up of that sound and ripping my fingers to shreds... plus I got 2 Elites packs in a row each with a duff string so I gave up on Elites (they used to be great too) and couldn't find a stainless steel string that sounded good

rotosound - forget it unless you've got hands like a feckin builder... far too rough

I think the Musicman is the very best most versatile bass you can get!
I swapped mine for a Telecaster ha ha!
But miss not having it around,they great fun to play!
"do you fancy a Telecaster"

You guys are animals....feck....
And whats this about status and plastic strings..."i will still have to cut them up to fit my Status, which incidently is supposed to have shitty plastic covered strings supposedly to help the sound due to the neck being Graphite"

First I have heard of that, been playing status for 15+years...lovely nice bright status DB strings. When I was gigging regularly (1/2 gigs week) I change the strings every 4-6 weeks....

I assume its the flat wound nylon things you are talking about that they make to try an emulate the upright sound..its anyhting but what is recommended by status due to the graphite neck......ditch them and get the standard DB hex core sets...your status will love you for it....I bulk buy from status as it works out a bit cheaper, would never even think of going down the nylon route for a standard bass tone.

Trig!
I want that Tele as well!
need a spare one for the quo stuff!
I'll swap ya that Musicman Bass for it?

Tend to break E or A after about 5mths so try to change before then. Elites for me (strings not condoms these days)Stadium stainless steel.

Innuendo

Never snapped a Bass string in my life! What the hell you guys playing with? A drill? :)

Shaun

I've never broken a bass string! Wow, what do you lot do to them? Strings for me tend to last a few months, I usually replace them when they start sounding really dull. I've never tried boiling them, I thought that was an urban myth!

The Musicman is a cracking bass, but the P Bass is the king for me.

Re; Never snapped a Bass string in my life! What the hell you guys playing with? A drill?
and I've never broken a bass string! Wow, what do you lot do to them?

I suppose plectrum players like myself tend to be more susceptible to breakages rather than finger stylists? I keep a spare bass at gigs pureley for this purpose. My 78 pecision has no sharp points on the bridge etc. Must just be a heavy handed bugger! 99% perspiration 1% inspiration!

Innuendo

I use Daddario XL Pro Steels Round Wound Bass Strings (long scale) 45 65 85 105. I prefer a 'zingy' type sound! I get the best sound out of them from about 2 to 6 weeks of use! I usually replace every 6 months or so.

RE: I suppose plectrum players like myself tend to be more susceptible to breakages rather than finger stylists?

Fair point, but even still you must use some force to break one of those bad boys!

As for boiling strings.. Used to do it myself but they go so downhill so fast after it it's just not worth doing..

Go and buy some Elixir's I tell you! They have a special coating on them and they just stay bright for months!! I think I paid about £40 odd quid for a set but when you think how many times you'll end up spending £15 every so months it just makes sense!

I'm using Rotosound swing on my precision, they last for ages but I do change them every 3 to 4 months, just to keep the brightness and tones.

Roj

I haven't changed mine in 20 yrs. I paid a lot of money for them back then and they still sound good. I did try to change them but hated the sound and they didn't feel right so I changed them back. Don't fix what ain't broke?

dont boil them, they will sound like shit, all rattly and horrible urrrgh

I used to snap strings a lot, but now I don't... I dunno what's changed... I don't think I play less hard, and my technique really hasn't changed much over the last 21 or so years i've been playing...

maybe string technology has improved... maybe the bridges on the basses i've had recently have been kinder to my strings (I haven't snapped a string since fitting a Gotoh 201 bridge to my Jazz... great bridge, 5 thumbs up from me)... weird, I can't explain it

it's only in the last 7-8 years though, that i've really been using huge watts (800+), so maybe I AM playing slightly softer because i'm not impotently hammering away desperately trying to be heard over everyone else

I play with fingers or plectrum depending on the sound I want. Only broke strings on a Rickenbacker 4001 copy though, sharp bridge thingies. Used to change strings every couple months on that, partly to avoid breakage at gigs and partly to keep that nice hard trebly sound it had.

Hi people,

New on here..so take it easy! String changing? I change strings every couple of gigs (Rotosound 'Swing Bass'...45-105) to keep that 'zing' in the sound! It also helps with the 'intonation' as old strings tend to go out of tune the further up the neck you go. Suppose it depends on how far up the neck you go! Geddy Lee and John Entwistle anyone?

got it from eBay Dave, bout £30 iirc... nice replacement for the standard Fender bridge... a bit more mass, better quality yet doesn't stand out visually as an obvious replacement like the huge Badass II... it's about the same size as the Fender.. grooves for the allen nut thready things mean no slipping like you sometimes get with the Fender (which was why I replaced the original)

no noticeable difference in sound or sustain, but I was happy with those to begin with

gentlemen, its not rocket science, rotosounds are the only choice!

Posted by Steve Dixon Gotoh 201 bridge to my Jazz

Hi Steve , gtta check these out mate , were from and how much are they please ?
Dave

Try WD Music. Sure mine was about £21. Great upgrade for a Jazz or P Bass

I'm half and half between Elixir's and Rotosounds. I used to use Elixir's all the time but I've moved onto Rotosounds now and they seem to last a bit longer before going dull. I'm also not sure whether I prefer 40s or 45s?

Great blog Trig.

As an aspiring Bassist, Its been good to get an expert opinion on the pro's and cons on all the choices out there.
More confused than ever, so I am gonna stick with Rotosound 45s for now.

Trig,
I can also reccomend the Wilkinson Vintage Bridge that "axes r' us" sell for about £11-13. It's heavier and better made than the Fender one and has Brass Saddles. I put one on a P Bass I made and was mighty impressed.
Oh forgot the main reason for the blog, (and this is one that would probably have benefitted from being on the Play Pen Forum IMHO).

Trig,
I can also reccomend the Wilkinson Vintage Bridge that "axes r' us" sell for about £11-13. It's heavier and better made than the Fender one and has Brass Saddles. I put one on a P Bass I made and was mighty impressed.
Oh forgot the main reason for the blog, (and this is one that would probably have benefitted from being on the Play Pen Forum IMHO).
I have tried shed loads of strings to try and stop my fingers getting chewed up as much as sound quality. Best so far are Marleaux. These were fitted to my favourite bass when it came back from their workshop in Germany.
My other Basses are strung with Elites, but the fingers suffer. Just trying a set of Roto Nickels on 1 bass and will report back after i have used it for a few Gigs.
Can also recommend the strings from www.webstrings.com
Made by a well known American Company, (Ernie Ball??), and great strings at bargain price. Especially if you don't have to pay Import Duty.
Cheers,
Stuart

Does it matter anyway, all the bassists I know just crank it up so loud you just feel the noise you don't hear it :)

Yeh but it's the harmonic under tones createing an aura of floor shaking sub sonic richness that determines what strings are best!

Might as well post a comment here also. I need to buy a back up amp and want something reliable but not to dear. Please pm if you can help.

Cheers

Roj

Yeah, I agree with you Trig.

Roj

I only use DR bass strings, they are the best and brightes sound I have ever had, expensive though. I change them every 4 to 8 gigs. The only reason strings go dull sounding (some people like them dull but I like them really bright) is due to the build up of oils, dead skin etc. I have been using coated coloured strings and they are lasting a lot longer. I spoke to John Diggins who makes jaydee basses (mark king fame) and he said the thicker the guage the better as your swinging metal over magnets to get the sound but the thicker the string the harder to play. I tend to stick to 45-105 and thats about average I think.

coatings of dead skin??...ahhhhhhhhh thats why my sound changed after I twatted the lead guitarist of my last band over the bonce with one of my spare machines!!!!

Posted by DAKOTA - 21/10/2009, 18:58 (GMT)

Cheers Stuart ,thats what i call some great info mate and ehh , this blog aint play pen Fodder, its about time we had some natter on for the bass boys lol
Trig

Exactly, A Bass secion on the Play Pen, simples. Any invasion by the skinny stringed widdlers gets deleted by the Bass Topic Moderator, (any volunteers?)
This blog has actually kept pretty much to the point for a change.

Posted by GibsonBass - 21/10/2009, 21:38 (GMT)
The only reason strings go dull sounding (some people like them dull but I like them really bright) is due to the build up of oils, dead skin etc.

I read an article by Marcus Millar who was doing a masterclass and had put a brand new set of strings on his Bass. He passed it to someone to play an excercise and when he got it back, the strings were dead.......
Just shows what the oils on your hands can do. I have got into a bloody ritual of using "Fast Fret" before i play, A "Swipe" rub down of the strings after playing. But I always wash my hands before playing. Bloody guitarist from 1 band accused me of being nervous as i always went to the bogs before going on.
Cheeky Bastard.... When i told him how much a set of bass strings are, it made sense.
Certainly helps to prolong the life of them.

you can change them???

when I went to uni, didn't change my strings for 4 years, they actually had dents in the back from fret wear...

guess I could have turned them over :)

Well F**k my old boots! I bust an E string during sound check last night!

Innuendo

Hiya mate, I use Rotosounds cos they've never, ever gone on me buuuuuuut I do change them every 3-4 months, if you go on-line to stringsnthings (I think) they do a set of 3 for about 38 quid. It's a piggin bargain.

You wanna try sourcing double ball end strings cheaply for hohner/steinberger headless basses!...Change mine every half dozen/8 gigs or so. Never busted one in anger!...(gulp! thats a fate-tester,eh?)
Lucky break recently....bid on a set of DBE 606's on ebay and won the bid at £16...then read properly what I'd bid on...turns out the auction was for 6... yep SIX sets, brand new still in packets. These were built by the firm which eventually turned into Rotosound!RESULT!

These are my babies...

3 Bloody Ricks Ian ! now thats just out the bloody question mate lol

Heres my latest addition to the family

Ian superb basses sir..... Green with envy
Have you ever seen a double neck with a 12 string ?

Best wishes

John

I don't think doublenecks with a 12string bass are out there!!

Flatwound or Roundwound ?? whats your pref lads ?

I like flats, but generally it's roundwounds on my basses.

only just seen this blog...loads of bass players!!!!
Right who is up for packing their band in and joining us??
NB this also applies to bass players who haven't yet found this blog LOL

Hi Ian , me to mate ,Rotosound flats ,thats when i can get em , and thats usually from the US,grew up with them on an old futurama bass in the 70's, after the nylon coated jobbies that were on wore out ,i found only flats would do on that particular guitar, also used em ever since on my Status etc
happy new year dude
Trig

hey im james from ocean bend i tend to change them every 6 months

Hi guys just got to this one!! Thats me get to train station as the train pulls away from the platform..

For what its worth I use DR lo riders after years (27 of em) of searching and the DR's are the brightest ive heard. Ive got a geddy lee fender jazz and it sings with em on.... I use em for a month and then boil em as it cleans out the crap.... After boiling em wrap em in tin foil and put em in oven for 10 mins to dry em.....NOW LET EM COOL DOWN. Apparently this process can only be done once or twice as they do degrade a bit but its ok short term you get another 3 weeks out of em each boil and that saves about £50.00, and thats about 20 pints!!! My tuppence worth anyways.

Hey, i change my strings every 9-12 months and dont boil em, I tryed it once and went horribly wrong! I use Ernie Ball hybrid stainless steel strings or sommit, but there great and only around £15. :)

Hurray, I got it.

well guys, why not do as I do - buy 'em 6 sets at a time on ebay - the cheapest I can find (128-028) stainless or nickle r/wounds. Don't sound that different and can be e-q'd to suit on any of my basses. Favourite is me Yamaha TRB6JP Sig. Crush has the right idea!

When I used to play bass, I never ever changed my strings. I liked that dull in the background sound. LEM-OIL fret board conditioner used to take take of them if they got too shitty.

I didny know you could change the strings, do you rake it to a music shop?

basses have strings? How, err, quaint

:-)

Different sets of strings for different basses.

4 string - Picato flats about 6 months old, will change when one breaks

5 string - Ernie Ball Rounds, about 3 months old, change every 2/3 months.

Liam

I've had the Yamaha 9 yrs, using same flatwounds, don't really matter 'cos the V-Bass pedal can't tell a roundwound from a tow rope!!!

Any one else use a V-Bass set up?