mr dave

i still think it comes down to personal preference.

i've had the same strings on my bass for 5 years now and i have NO plans to change them unless they pop. i have no idea when the last time i changed the strings on my strat either. mind you i 'like' dark muddy tone.

but i will concede that new strings sound WAY brighter and clearer than old ones. if i were to change strings on my strat it would only be the top 3 unwound ones. i really like the sound of fresh high strings but i find new wound strings sound too bright and tinny for me.

as for the steel wool deal. use a fine grain and don't rub too hard, it's just to clean out the sweat and gunk from around the frets. you're not trying to clean off the rust from an engine block.

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