Bass guitar

[PaulF]

As a side question, how often do those more experienced players chnage their strings?  I've seen varying reccomendations such as monnthly, 6 monthly, every 100 hours, when you think you need to ...

Lots of variables: how much you play, how acidic your fingers are and what you like. Some people prefer the slightly dead sound of old strings to the zing of  a fresh set. On my main acoustic guitar I change every couple of months. But bass strings are more expensive….

Also coated strings are supposed to last longer but I’ve hated the feel so they actually never last as long.

[ElyDave]

I'm the o[pposite, I'm noticing the hollow-bodied electric is starting to sound a bit dull, which doesn't really work so well with the finger-picking.  Loooking in my copboard I have a spare set for the acoustic, but not that one. Another thing for the big river company to bring me

[JefO]

As a 5 day bass player (  ) I would never even consider changing springs that have not broken. 

One of my friends (Kenneth Petrie, "The Reverend" of Mr Spankey and the Hipthrusters) plays pub gigs and has a HUGE international following via t'internet, so he changes strings before every gig.

[fd3]

#2 son has been learning the acoustic guitar for about 18 months now and is still on his first set of strings. There may be an element of insufficient playing though.
On the bass the strings are bigger so last longer, enough that you can forget that they do need replacing.
JefO, congrats on taking the leap.  I'm thinking this or next summer to do the same.  Prob got to PMT and get a PJ bass by Squier.

[Mr Larrington]

Rejuvenate steel strings by taking them off the instrument and immersing in boiling water for a while.  Allegedly.

Rock'n'roll's Martin Turner claims his first set of wire-wound bass strings were a used set pinched off John Entwistle.

[MattH]

There was a story about John Taylor (Duran Duran) being bequeathed the MusicMan Stingray that Bernard Edwards (Chic) owned. Then getting rather annoyed with a someone who "helpfully" changed the strings from those that Bernard had left on it.

There's a video about it here:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfcOnTwT1wE
Also interesting that he says that traditionally bass players didn't change strings as they developed their own tonal qualities with the build up of gunk and sweat.

[ElyDave]

Rejuvenate steel strings by taking them off the instrument and immersing in boiling water for a while.  Allegedly.

Rock'n'roll's Martin Turner claims his first set of wire-wound bass strings were a used set pinched off John Entwistle.

I know (a) John Entwistle

[JefO]

#2 son has been learning the acoustic guitar for about 18 months now and is still on his first set of strings. There may be an element of insufficient playing though.
On the bass the strings are bigger so last longer, enough that you can forget that they do need replacing.
JefO, congrats on taking the leap.  I'm thinking this or next summer to do the same.  Prob got to PMT and get a PJ bass by Squier.

You won't be disappointed by the quality of Squier, FD3. There is a really nice one on FB marketplace currently for £265, with some good upgrades. It took the guy 3 days to respond to my messages (so it was too late - I had already bought elsewhere), because messenger is not notifying properly. The guy is in Rayleigh I think. 

Don't be scared, if you have an ear that can distinguish one note from another, bass guitar is relatively easy to pick up, and learning is great fun, practice a little every day. Some stuff sounds great and you can learn it in a couple of hours.

Jef

[cygnet]

I don't know why you can't see the fb posts. I don't do instagram etc, I do do strava, but playing guitar is not generally accepted as physical exercise.

Any ideas as to how to get photos or video to show here and prove my guitar exists?

Let's have a go:

[fd3]

^nice

[fd3]

Jef, how are you learning?  Book? YouTube? Bass playing friend?

[JefO]

I don't know why you can't see the fb posts. I don't do instagram etc, I do do strava, but playing guitar is not generally accepted as physical exercise.

Any ideas as to how to get photos or video to show here and prove my guitar exists?

Let's have a go:

Thank you for doing that 

[Mr Larrington]

Danny Willson*, one of the guitarists in the band wot Mr von Brandenburg plays drums in, has a Squier of some sort which IIRC he prefers to the Fender-badged version.

* ex-Showaddywaddy, but I don’t hold that against him.

[Genosse Brymbo]

Danny Willson .. has a Squier of some sort which IIRC he prefers to the Fender-badged version.

In the early/mid 1980s there was a widespread opinion that Squier copies were better than the equivalent Fenders.  A friend of mine has a mustard coloured Telecaster from that era and it's very nice indeed.

[JefO]

Danny Willson .. has a Squier of some sort which IIRC he prefers to the Fender-badged version.

In the early/mid 1980s there was a widespread opinion that Squier copies were better than the equivalent Fenders.  A friend of mine has a mustard coloured Telecaster from that era and it's very nice indeed.

I can well believe that, I cannot see any cut corners in the quality of mine. I guess they could relax the quality control of real Fenders, and they would sell the same number, because it is the household name for electric guitars. On a lot of badge engineered items (I am thinking cars primarily) there is a snobbery preference for the primary marque by its owners, and a sense of practical "why pay more for the same thing?" attitude, amongst the owners of the also rans. IE Skoda / VW.