Fresh Strings?

[Tim Bishop]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

How often do you guys and gals change your strings and why? What do you look for in your strings as far as tone and feel and at what point to do you feel you need a new set?

Because I am a freak of cleanliness, I make it a point to keep my hands clean before playing, I can get some pretty good mileage out of the Smith Medium Taper Cores. Given this, it is hard to come up with a typical "life-span" for the strings I play, however, as soon as my ear hears a loss in that "sparkle" and tone (i.e. that "grand-piano-like" resonating clarity, sustain and brightness) or that "fresh feel", I change them.

I really hate setting up a bass with a "fresh" set of strings only to learn that a string or two are DOA. It's rare this happens, but I have experienced this on occasion, but then I go through many sets of strings each year. I keep a large supply of strings on hand in my climate controled room, so fresh sets are always near-by.....which begs the question.....

Ken, is there an average shelf-life for strings?

Thx,

Tim B.