When to change Flats

[walrus]

I have been using TI Flats on my 4001 for years and love the sound and feel. I have probably had the same set on for about 5 years and play fairly often. I think they were a bit more zingy when first installed but they don't sound horrible now.
When do most of you change these guys?

[FretlessOnly]

If you haven't changed them after five years, you could probably leave them on for another 25.

[walrus]

Well...just because I didn't change them, doesn't mean that I shouldn't have.
What's the general feeling out there??

[peewee]

My rule is "only when one breaks" and that hasn't happened yet.

[rickenbrother]

I only have flats (D'Addario Chromes) on one of my basses, which is my 4001FL. I think I'll only feel the need to change them, if they begin to get any sign of corrosion on them.

[FretlessOnly]

I believe that Jamerson never changed the strings on his '62 Precision, so I really meant that.

Sure, a new set will have some brightness, for about a month or so, but seriously, if they aren't corroded or frayed, you might as well keep them on.

[teb]

Yep, unless for some reason you don't like the current sound or feel, or they won't stay in tune, you're good to go until you get bored and want to try something different (at which point, there are always several "valid" reasons that can be drummed up as needed for switching). If they were tape-wound, they would last even longer because they don't seem to corrode, even if you only wipe them off every ten years or so. I have tape-wounds on one bass that I put on in the early '70s and I have recorded proof that they sound just about the same today as they did back then.

[rickendelic]

once they're dead, they can't get any deader... what does paul think... oh look at him over there, i made him scream

[hieronymous]

One reason to change them would be if you noticed that there were intonation problems - strings get beat up where they touch the frets. Usually not a problem, but something to keep in mind just in case, especially if you play a lot. Might be more of a problem if you took them off and then put them back on, or put them on another bass.

[walrus]

Looks like they're staying on!

[sloop_john_b]

Good move.

[cjj]

Yep, unless for some reason you don't like the current sound or feel, or they won't stay in tune, you're good to go until you get bored and want to try something different (at which point, there are always several "valid" reasons that can be drummed up as needed for switching)...

+1
And in reality, the same goes for roundwound strings...
Oh, and I suppose, if you happen to break one, it's probably a good idea to change at least the broken one...

[jps]

I have been using TI Flats on my 4001 for years and love the sound and feel. I have probably had the same set on for about 5 years and play fairly often. I think they were a bit more zingy when first installed but they don't sound horrible now.
When do most of you change these guys?

You change strings? Hmm, I better go look at my basses.

[VRICKY63]

Never.

[cassius987]

I believe that Jamerson never changed the strings on his '62 Precision, so I really meant that.

Not true. He changed them every few years--his son confirmed this in an interview. He actually got fired from some gigs in California, very late in his career, because he was refusing to change strings at all and the intonation really began to suffer for it. Also info his son provided. When you think about it, Jamerson probably played 8-10 hours a day every work day--so for him to change every few years would be for a lot of people to change every decade, roughly.

These were LaBellas and I think they were steel. Won't nickel strings (TIs) degrade faster?