Question Proper way to stretch strings?

[T-bone]

I have a gig tonight and am debating putting new strings on the 30th. She still sounds great, however, I've never replaced her strings. Is there a tried and true way to insure I won't be tuning after each song? Or does everyone have their own way of doing this?

Thanks ya'll, and for what it's worth, I only use OEM strings.

tbone

 

[Baird]

I always put the new strings on and tune them. Then I bend each string a la a guitar player for a few seconds. Lastly I slap and pop fairly hard on each string for another few seconds.

After that, I retune and I am always good to go. This takes a couple of minutes max.

 

[the unrepentant]

I usually string up, tune up, and then literally just pull them upwards from around the bottom of the neck, tune up again, repeat, and after that they don't go too much out of tune.

 

[adouglas]

A few ideas.....

Get the band to help

Get your wife to hang from it by her teeth

Get some assistance from Mother Nature

 

[gafman]

I pull the string away from the fretboard along the entire length of the string between nut and saddle. Retune and repeat several times. I also give them a wiggle side to side along the way. Works for me and have only ever broken one string in 20 years of using this method.

 

[TNT]

I change strings quite often, because I like "vibrant fresh strings", so here's what I've done for years! I do all the strings the "same" way.

1. I start with the high E string, replacing and stretching "one" string at a time.

2. I tune to key first, then with my right hand, starting at the bridge I put the string in between my thumb and index finger and stretch that small portion of the string (kind of like snapping your thumb), and I do this all the way to the nut about every two inches. The I tune it to key and repeat until it doesn't go out of tune.

NOTE:

If it's a cold night before you leave the house tune it "flat" a few cents and when you arrive at the gig it will come up sharp to key. Conversly, if it is warm do the opposite.

This will save you from having to immediatley use some of your fine tuner screw "allotment" before your gig even starts.

 

[maddog]

Honestly, don't change a thing until after the gig unless you've borken a string. Chances of Murphy's Law goes up exponentially (e^at) when you start changing things right before a gig.

 

[oli@bass]

I string the instrument and tune close to pitch. Then pull every string over the neck heel away from the bass. I do use pretty much force. Tune up close to pitch. Repeat two or three times for every string. After that, the string can be very accurately tuned with the tuners and will keep the tuning.

The purpose of pulling hard is not only to stretch the string, but also to tighten the windings on the string post.

 

[Aussie Mark]

What gafman and Oli said.

 

[the unrepentant]

I string the instrument and tune close to pitch. Then pull every string over the neck heel away from the bass. I do use pretty much force. Tune up close to pitch. Repeat two or three times for every string. After that, the string can be very accurately tuned with the tuners and will keep the tuning.

The purpose of pulling hard is not only to stretch the string, but also to tighten the windings on the string post.

+1 What i do but explained better. Bass strings are pretty damn tough and so are bass necks, you shouldn't break anything doing it unless you have a faulty string or bass.

 

[gafman]

I forget to mention to take care near the nut when wiggling side to side. The ping of the edge of a nut snapping off is a sickening sound indeed. Keep the wiggling down near the neck/body joint

 

[bovinehost]

Tune 'em to pitch.

Fret at 2nd fret (from nut) and THEN yank on them like you're going to fire an arrow. This keeps the nut from going hatstand and pieces are much less likely to pop off.

Then I fret progressively up the neck, subsequently yanking a bit ("YANKING", not the other word) and then I tune 'em all up to pitch again.

Never broken anything, even a string. I've been doing it this way for....well, decades, let's just leave it at that.

Jack

 

[Alvabass]

Or you can try this.

 

[Frantic Slayer]

I usually just push them down at the bridge to make sure they bend at the saddles, usually does it for me.

 

[Oldtoe]

I just put on a set, tune it to pitch, let it sit there for a bit, and then re-tune. I don't ever stretch mine and haven't had to for some reason.

 

[bobalu]

Honestly, don't change a thing until after the gig unless you've borken a string. Chances of Murphy's Law goes up exponentially (e^at) when you start changing things right before a gig.

I know this post is too late (how was your gig?), but Maddog is bang on. Don't ask me how I know.............

 

[T-bone]

The gig was great! Thanks for asking. And after watching the video alvabass sent, I decided to follow maddogs advice (although having my wife hang on them with her teeth was a close second). I'll change the strings later today (after a nap).

tbone

 

[oli@bass]

Fret at 2nd fret (from nut) and THEN yank on them like you're going to fire an arrow. This keeps the nut from going hatstand and pieces are much less likely to pop off.

Good advice. Not that I'd ever snapped a nut, but I'll keep that in mind.

[...] not the other word [...]

Very bad singal to noise ratio at this side of the internet... all I understood from that piece of garbled gibberish was "*anking" and something about "smack up that *itch".

 

[Frantic Slayer]

I just put on a set, tune it to pitch, let it sit there for a bit, and then re-tune. I don't ever stretch mine and haven't had to for some reason.

yea I kinda do the same thing, the reason I do the thing with the bridge has nothing to do with stretching the strings, its a tuning thing

 

[strummer]

Here's more or less what I do, well it's the whole string changing thing but anyway...

fredholm.com

Edit: And yeah, the pics I should have added are still missing. Also, on my EBMM basses I remove all the strings at the same time, but as not all basses are built equal and I don't want someone bitching about how they ruined their bass from my advice the parenthesis in the beginning stays.