String Preference for Roscoes

Groovin · #1 11-15-2007, 04:07 PM

Ok, so I'm a fan of Thomastik Infeld Strings. (I also dabble occasionaly with DR's) I currently have a set of Jazz rounds on my fretless but I think I may move these to my new LG 3005 Fretted.

My concern is this: At least in my logic, Roscoes would be very sensitive to string choice since they are such live and powerful sounding basses (and most that I have played have the p/u's raised very close to the strings.) Anyone have any thoughts one the best strings to use on these beasts?

Gard · #2 11-15-2007, 04:24 PM

A "best" is impossible to say, there are many opinions about what is "best" each player that has one.

We use D'Addario XL Nickel strings as our stock strings, and I think they're very very good strings.

My personal preference is for the DR Black Beauties. They have a nice midrange response I really like, and they last FOREVER. I've got a set on my fretless that are over a year old and sound like they did the day I put 'em on. The set that is on my fretted has been there since March, through a LOT off gigging, and is still OK, although I may be replacing them in about a week, as I have a bit of a break from gigging.

**T. B. Player** · #3 11-15-2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

A "best" is impossible to say, there are many opinions about what is "best" each player that has one.

We use D'Addario XL Nickel strings as our stock strings, and I think they're very very good strings.

My personal preference is for the DR Black Beauties. They have a nice midrange response I really like, and they last FOREVER. I've got a set on my fretless that are over a year old and sound like they did the day I put 'em on. The set that is on my fretted has been there since March, through a LOT off gigging, and is still OK, although I may be replacing them in about a week, as I have a bit of a break from gigging.

I'll second the Black Beauties. Have a set of SIT Stainless on my other fretted, and after playing BB's, it feel like there's rosin on them. Gotta love that coating...

JOME77 · #4 11-15-2007, 05:47 PM

I've tried just about everything out there once and eventually wound up back with the D'addario's XL nickels.
For 3 reasons:

1) They're very affordable
2) They sound consistantly good
3) They're nickel and cause minimal fret wear

If cost wasn't a factor I'd probably use the DR Lo Rider Nickel strings (although they don't feel as smooth as the D'addario's and aren't as smooth sounding).

I really liked the DR BB's too (and they look so cool!) but they were SS and I've just worked on too many basses with premature fret wear from SS strings (although I will say the DR's don't seem to wear the frets like the old school SS strings [i.e. Rotosound]).

The TI Jazz Flats were nice on my fretless but I missed the nicer harmonics of the RW.

.....As I said, it's just hard to beat the D'addario XL's.

Saluki · #5 11-15-2007, 09:21 PM

I recently changed out the stock D'addairo to Low Rider SS and it really made me love my roscoe tone more. Is that possible.

DrMWP · #6 11-15-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T. B. Player

I'll second the Black Beauties. Have a set of SIT Stainless on my other fretted, and after playing BB's, it feel like there's rosin on them. Gotta love that coating...

I'll third that, I love the BBs on my SKB 3006

LightGroove · #7 11-15-2007, 10:48 PM

I've tried a few different brands I had laying around and a set of Black Beauties that were given to me. Hands down .. Black Beauties...

CrashClint · #8 11-16-2007, 06:13 AM

Gard turned me on to the black beauties and I love them, but they are just so expensive for a 6 string set

chadds · #9 11-16-2007, 06:39 AM

This is all about touch but... I received a beautiful LG3005 with a Madrone top Spanish cedar body, Ebony Bd. and AG OBP-1 pre. After a change to the AG OBP-3 at Gard's recommendation it was still kind of lifeless in the highs and mids but was showing so much potential. Some while before Jong at Jive Sound had tossed me some Sunbeams to try. I put them on and WOW! Musical mids and highs. They just brought all the tones out. I've been a D'Addario user for years and still use them on another Roscoe but these made this bass step into the extraordinary. On my other Roscoe the D'Addars give a very open acoustic sound very airy for ambient jazz/world with great punch and very usable for R&R.
So yes try all you can.

Groovin · #10 11-16-2007, 11:32 AM

Hmm. Thanks for the info guys. I would have NEVER considered the BB's but now I'll give em a whirl. I used coated strings a few years ago and fell out of love with them. Apparently the Beauties are in a different league?

xkimsungminx · #11 11-16-2007, 12:44 PM

Thanks to Gard, I'm hooked on DR BB's too, and I don't think I'll buy anything BUT BB's anymore... unless DR or some other manufacturer makes something even better?? =| haha

maurilio · #12 11-16-2007, 04:43 PM

Hello,
when I had the Bart pre in my Roscoe, I liked a lot the D'Addario Prosteels. Now that I have a Demeter, I'm back with my love, Dean Markley SR2000!
I've tried Fodera SS, like them a lot, but out of two sets, both of them had bad strings! Just enough to give up on them.

M

Fawkes007 · #13 11-19-2007, 10:03 PM

DR Lo-rider nickels.

Scoopbass · #14 11-20-2007, 06:42 AM

I'm a confirmed DR BB lover too, the first bass I put them on was my SKB3005 and they were a revelation.

I now have them on everything, pretty much, including my Lakland, Ken Smith and Ric 4003. In fact I only have two basses (out of nine I own) where I don't use BBs. My Warwick Fortress One just doesn't sound right with them (I use D'addario prosteels) - and I don't use BBs on my Dean 12 string - I use SITs simply coz they're one of the few manufacturers who make 12 string sets.

And BBs DO look cool, there's no question of that and I need all the cool help I can get.

TCube · #15 12-02-2007, 11:14 AM

Elixirs mediums (125, 105, 85, 65, 45, 32). I have used them on a non-Roscoe (forgive me) fretless, and a set lasted forever, so I'm trying them on my fretted SKB3006. So far, they sound like a million bucks -- almost what they cost

.

By the way, beware of buying these from Musician's Friend. There seems to be a glitch in their ordering/shipping system. Twice, I ordered a .125 B string for an electric bass, only to have 'em send one for an *acoustic* bass guitar. The ABG version is gold and pretty, but needless to say, they suck on an electric. I have to say, however, the customer svc kids were really helpful and friendly, and they tried real hard to rectify the problem. (I get mine from Strings & Beyond now. And no, I don't own shares of these firms.)

Happy Holidays

J.Wolf · #16 12-02-2007, 05:39 PM

I've gone back to XL's too, after trying a bunch of different sets on my fretless. BB's were nice, but very midrangey, and on a bubinga/ash bass, the midrange is already aplenty. They did seem to last a long time though.

Fodera Nickels were my favorites for a while, but I, like Mo, have gotten more than one bad string from them. granted, they replaced the set, but it was still a hassle, and happened on more than one occasion, about a year apart. They are also about $45 shipped for a 6er set! They do have a cool set that is in between 40-100 and 45-105 that I dug in the past. I've always found 40's to be a bit light and 45's to be a bit heavy.

I really want to experiment with DR strings more, the sunbeams seem really cool, I'm getting my Nordy soon and it'll have those on it so I'll get a chance to give them a whirl. and I've always been happy with highbeams on my fretted. I think I might try a set of low rider nickels on my fretless to if they have enough "sing" to them.

End of the day, XL's are the most reliable, consistent and cost effective for me. Ideally I'd change my strings every week or two, but these days its about every 6 weeks, if I'm lucky. I gotta go with whats cheap, readily available, and consistently good.

Good luck with your string hunt, it can get out of control fast with so many options!

malthumb · #17 12-02-2007, 07:25 PM

Black Beauties for my LG-3005 fretless. They hit the trifecta.

They sound mwahvelous......

They feel great.....

They look killer on an unlined ebony board.....

Peace,

James

Groovin · #18 12-03-2007, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfbass1025

I've gone back to XL's too, after trying a bunch of different sets on my fretless. BB's were nice, but very midrangey, and on a bubinga/ash bass, the midrange is already aplenty. They did seem to last a long time though.

Really?? My Roscoe is Ash/ Bubinga... Anyone else hear this?

Gard · #19 12-03-2007, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groovin

Really?? My Roscoe is Ash/ Bubinga... Anyone else hear this?

You have a bubinga fingerboard, Wolf's bass has a bubinga TOP. Big difference in how that affects tone!

(For the record, fingerboards impart SOME effect on tone, but not nearly as much as body woods, IMO & IME.)

Groovin · #20 12-03-2007, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gard

You have a bubinga fingerboard, Wolf's bass has a bubinga TOP. Big difference in how that affects tone!

(For the record, fingerboards impart SOME effect on tone, but not nearly as much as body woods, IMO & IME.)

Thought of this after posting. How thick are the tops on these basses?