How Much Changing Guitar and Bass Strings Affects the Sound? (Before and After Comparison)
It is recommended to change guitar and bass strings before starting the recording process of a song. While it’s easy to just say “change the strings, because it will sound better”, I wanted to demonstrate how much it actually affects the sound. In this short video you’ll hear the difference before and after changing strings to guitar and bass:
As you can probably tell, the difference isn’t that earth shattering. It’s surely not the biggest thing that keeps you achieving pro sounding results. That being said though, changing the guitar and bass strings definitely adds extra crispness, attack and presence to the sound.
The old strings sound a bit dull in comparison, whereas the newer strings sound more exiting and they have more bite. Depending on the genre of course, that’s most of the time what you want.
In modern rock and metal changing the strings of both guitar and bass will definitely help to achieve that in your face hard-hitting sound. Combine that with some new drumheads and you’re again one step closer to a polished modern mix.
It’s all about the mindset. Your mixes will improve dramatically once you leave behind the “fix it in the mix” mentality and try to get the best possible sound from the source. That happened to me as well, so I know what I’m talking about.
Even though the change of tone might seem quite minor, you might as well do it as it improves the sound from the start. While you’re at it, check the intonation of guitars and a bass. Remember: Tightness comes from great timing and tuning.
Hopefully you found this video helpful. If there’s anything you want me to cover in the future videos let me know. Send me an email or leave a comment below. Ask if there’s anything unclear or if I left something out. Cheers!
