diff --git a/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.cpp b/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.cpp
index 33d969eb5..74c807ba2 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.cpp
@@ -49,21 +49,18 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 
 AssDialogue::AssDialogue()
-: Comment(false)
+: AssEntry(wxString(), "[Events]")
+, Comment(false)
 , Layer(0)
 , Start(0)
 , End(5000)
 , Style("Default")
-, Actor("")
-, Effect("")
-, Text("")
 {
-	group = "[Events]";
 	for (int i=0;i<4;i++) Margin[i] = 0;
 }
 
 AssDialogue::AssDialogue(AssDialogue const& that)
-: AssEntry()
+: AssEntry(wxString(), "[Events]")
 , Comment(that.Comment)
 , Layer(that.Layer)
 , Start(that.Start)
@@ -73,7 +70,6 @@ AssDialogue::AssDialogue(AssDialogue const& that)
 , Effect(that.Effect)
 , Text(that.Text)
 {
-	group = that.group;
 	for (int i=0;i<4;i++) Margin[i] = that.Margin[i];
 }
 
@@ -81,16 +77,13 @@ AssDialogue::AssDialogue(AssDialogue const& that)
 /// @param _data   
 /// @param version 
 AssDialogue::AssDialogue(wxString _data,int version)
-: Comment(false)
+: AssEntry(wxString(), "[Events]")
+, Comment(false)
 , Layer(0)
 , Start(0)
 , End(5000)
 , Style("Default")
-, Actor("")
-, Effect("")
-, Text("")
 {
-	group = "[Events]";
 	bool valid = false;
 	// Try parsing in different ways
 	int count = 0;
@@ -363,7 +356,7 @@ void AssDialogue::SetMarginString(const wxString origvalue,int which) {
 	// Make it numeric
 	wxString strvalue = origvalue;
 	if (!strvalue.IsNumber()) {
-		strvalue = "";
+		strvalue.clear();
 		for (size_t i=0;i<origvalue.Length();i++) {
 			if (origvalue.Mid(i,1).IsNumber()) {
 				strvalue += origvalue.Mid(i,1);
diff --git a/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.h b/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.h
index 402f7e550..ae4346b0b 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/ass_dialogue.h
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ public:
 class AssDialogueBlockPlain : public AssDialogueBlock {
 public:
 	ASS_BlockType GetType() { return BLOCK_PLAIN; }
-	AssDialogueBlockPlain(wxString const& text = "") : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
+	AssDialogueBlockPlain(wxString const& text = wxString()) : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
 };
 
 /// @class AssDialogueBlockDrawing
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public:
 	int Scale;
 
 	ASS_BlockType GetType() { return BLOCK_DRAWING; }
-	AssDialogueBlockDrawing(wxString const& text = "") : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
+	AssDialogueBlockDrawing(wxString const& text = wxString()) : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
 	void TransformCoords(int trans_x,int trans_y,double mult_x,double mult_y);
 };
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public:
 /// DOCME
 class AssDialogueBlockOverride : public AssDialogueBlock {
 public:
-	AssDialogueBlockOverride(wxString const& text = "") : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
+	AssDialogueBlockOverride(wxString const& text = wxString()) : AssDialogueBlock(text) { }
 	~AssDialogueBlockOverride();
 
 	/// DOCME
diff --git a/aegisub/src/ass_entry.h b/aegisub/src/ass_entry.h
index d758a9329..07b589d82 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/ass_entry.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/ass_entry.h
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public:
 	/// Group it belongs to, e.g. "[Events]"
 	wxString group;
 
-	AssEntry(wxString const& data = "", wxString const& group = "") : data(data), group(group) { }
+	AssEntry(wxString const& data = wxString(), wxString const& group = wxString()) : data(data), group(group) { }
 	virtual ~AssEntry() { }
 
 	/// Create a copy of this entry
diff --git a/aegisub/src/auto4_base.cpp b/aegisub/src/auto4_base.cpp
index e3505f885..ecb2983d8 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/auto4_base.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/auto4_base.cpp
@@ -441,7 +441,6 @@ namespace Automation4 {
 			} else if (first_char == '$') {
 				basepath = autobasefn;
 			} else if (first_char == '/') {
-				basepath = "";
 			} else {
 				wxLogWarning("Automation Script referenced with unknown location specifier character.\nLocation specifier found: %c\nFilename specified: %s",
 					first_char, trimmed);
diff --git a/aegisub/src/auto4_lua.h b/aegisub/src/auto4_lua.h
index 65cb55dd3..9ece935f7 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/auto4_lua.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/auto4_lua.h
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ namespace Automation4 {
 		/// @param set_undo If there's any uncommitted changes to the file,
 		///                 they will be automatically committed with this
 		///                 description
-		void ProcessingComplete(wxString const& undo_description = "");
+		void ProcessingComplete(wxString const& undo_description = wxString());
 
 		/// End processing without applying any changes made
 		void Cancel();
diff --git a/aegisub/src/auto4_lua_assfile.cpp b/aegisub/src/auto4_lua_assfile.cpp
index 0efd12bc2..aeeb16468 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/auto4_lua_assfile.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/auto4_lua_assfile.cpp
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ namespace Automation4 {
 			wxString section = get_string_field(L, "section", "common");
 
 			if (lclass == "clear")
-				result = new AssEntry("");
+				result = new AssEntry;
 			else if (lclass == "comment")
 				result = new AssEntry(";" + get_string_field(L, "text", "comment"));
 			else if (lclass == "head")
diff --git a/aegisub/src/dialog_colorpicker.cpp b/aegisub/src/dialog_colorpicker.cpp
index 1b82d8d8f..794632926 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/dialog_colorpicker.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/dialog_colorpicker.cpp
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ public:
 	ColorPickerRecent(wxWindow *parent, int cols, int rows, int cellsize);
 
 	/// Load the colors to show from a string
-	void LoadFromString(const wxString &recent_string = "");
+	void LoadFromString(const wxString &recent_string = wxString());
 	/// Save the colors currently shown to a string
 	wxString StoreToString();
 	/// Add a color to the beginning of the recent list
diff --git a/aegisub/src/dialog_style_manager.cpp b/aegisub/src/dialog_style_manager.cpp
index 4ff2da6cb..bc35ae8ad 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/dialog_style_manager.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/dialog_style_manager.cpp
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ void DialogStyleManager::OnCurrentCopy (wxCommandEvent &) {
 /// @param list 
 /// @param v    
 void DialogStyleManager::CopyToClipboard (wxListBox *list, std::vector<AssStyle*> v) {
-	wxString data = "";
+	wxString data;
 	AssStyle *s;
 	wxArrayInt selections;
 	list->GetSelections(selections);
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ void DialogStyleManager::CopyToClipboard (wxListBox *list, std::vector<AssStyle*
 
 /// @brief Paste from clipboard 
 void DialogStyleManager::PasteToCurrent() {
-	wxString data = "";
+	wxString data;
 
 	if (wxTheClipboard->Open()) {
 		if (wxTheClipboard->IsSupported(wxDF_TEXT)) {
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@ void DialogStyleManager::PasteToCurrent() {
 
 /// @brief DOCME
 void DialogStyleManager::PasteToStorage() {
-	wxString data = "";
+	wxString data;
 
 	if (wxTheClipboard->Open()) {
 		if (wxTheClipboard->IsSupported(wxDF_TEXT)) {
diff --git a/aegisub/src/scintilla_text_ctrl.h b/aegisub/src/scintilla_text_ctrl.h
index c4e2045d7..117ebb684 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/scintilla_text_ctrl.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/scintilla_text_ctrl.h
@@ -57,5 +57,5 @@ public:
 	void SetUnicodeStyling(int start,int length,int style);
 	void SetSelectionU(int start,int end);
 
-	ScintillaTextCtrl(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id, const wxString& value = "", const wxPoint& pos = wxDefaultPosition, const wxSize& size = wxDefaultSize, long style = 0);
+	ScintillaTextCtrl(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id, const wxString& value = wxString(), const wxPoint& pos = wxDefaultPosition, const wxSize& size = wxDefaultSize, long style = 0);
 };
diff --git a/aegisub/src/subs_edit_box.cpp b/aegisub/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
index 062241c33..167d4c655 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/subs_edit_box.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ std::pair<int, int> get_selection(SubsTextEditCtrl *TextEdit) {
 /// @param tag     Tag to get the value of
 /// @param alt     Alternate name of the tag, if any
 template<class T>
-static T get_value(AssDialogue const& line, int blockn, T initial, wxString tag, wxString alt = "") {
+static T get_value(AssDialogue const& line, int blockn, T initial, wxString tag, wxString alt = wxString()) {
 	for (int i = blockn; i >= 0; i--) {
 		AssDialogueBlockOverride *ovr = dynamic_cast<AssDialogueBlockOverride*>(line.Blocks[i]);
 		if (!ovr) continue;
diff --git a/aegisub/src/subs_grid.cpp b/aegisub/src/subs_grid.cpp
index b3c313102..c53083911 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/subs_grid.cpp
+++ b/aegisub/src/subs_grid.cpp
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ void SubtitlesGrid::InsertLine(AssDialogue *line,int n,bool after,bool update) {
 
 void SubtitlesGrid::CopyLines(wxArrayInt target) {
 	// Prepare text
-	wxString data = "";
+	wxString data;
 	AssDialogue *cur;
 	int nrows = target.Count();
 	bool first = true;
diff --git a/aegisub/src/timeedit_ctrl.h b/aegisub/src/timeedit_ctrl.h
index af82eb74b..30aa68063 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/timeedit_ctrl.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/timeedit_ctrl.h
@@ -94,5 +94,5 @@ public:
 	/// @param value Initial value. Must be a valid time string or empty
 	/// @param size Initial control size
 	/// @param asEnd Treat the time as a line end time (rather than start) for time <-> frame number conversions
-	TimeEdit(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id, agi::Context *c, const wxString& value = "", const wxSize& size = wxDefaultSize, bool asEnd = false);
+	TimeEdit(wxWindow* parent, wxWindowID id, agi::Context *c, const wxString& value = wxString(), const wxSize& size = wxDefaultSize, bool asEnd = false);
 };
diff --git a/aegisub/src/validators.h b/aegisub/src/validators.h
index b35df4b52..fae3da599 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/validators.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/validators.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public:
 	/// @param val Initial value to set the associated control to
 	/// @param isfloat Allow floats, or just ints?
 	/// @param issigned Allow negative numbers?
-	explicit NumValidator(wxString val = "", bool isfloat=false, bool issigned=false);
+	explicit NumValidator(wxString val = wxString(), bool isfloat=false, bool issigned=false);
 
 	/// Constructor
 	/// @param val Initial value to set the associated control to
diff --git a/aegisub/src/visual_tool.h b/aegisub/src/visual_tool.h
index f86a3dee0..6dc565557 100644
--- a/aegisub/src/visual_tool.h
+++ b/aegisub/src/visual_tool.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ protected:
 
 	/// @brief Commit the current file state
 	/// @param message Description of changes for undo
-	void Commit(wxString message = "");
+	void Commit(wxString message = wxString());
 	bool IsDisplayed(AssDialogue *line) const;
 
 	/// Get the line's position if it's set, or it's default based on style if not