All around work horse string??

[clokwise]

I'm sure this gets asked a lot but here goes. Oddly enough I've been a bass player for a while 10 years or so and always been content with the strings that came on my basses. All my basses still have he original strings on them. I play a lot of cover tunes, country, rock, classic rock, blues the typical answer of everything. What is a good work horse string that would be a good all around sound? I've honestly never bought a set of strings for a bass and am lost with all the options! Thanks

[oniman7]

Ernie Ball power slinky's and D'Addario XL's are usually pretty good for that, with the exception of the the flatwound thumpiness that some things might call for.

[clokwise]

I thought about the Ernie balls are they very twangy? I hate a twangy bass string but then again don't like a super dead sound either

[clokwise]

I play a squire vintage modified jazz by the way

[20db pad]

D'Addario XL for me too - been using them around two decades. Tried all the others at some point in time and always go back. I'm of the opinion that there are strings out there that may be a little bit better but I'm too used to D'Addario to change brands permanently. They're on every bass I own, aside from my P-Bass which has D'Addario Chromes.

As a plus, they're comparatively cheap and most brick and mortar stores and all online vendors stock them.

[clokwise]

I've always wanted to try flatwounds. I kinda like the sound. Considering trying to d'addario chromes flatwounds.

[FrenchBassQC]

Originally Posted by clokwise

I've always wanted to try flatwounds. I kinda like the sound. Considering trying to d'addario chromes flatwounds.

Good choice, that's what I have on my Squier Jazz Deluxe...

[clokwise]

Yeah been reading some of the posts here. Worth $25 to find out lol

[Blue_Whistle88]

D'Addarios are great, probably the most durable string I've ever used. I've had sets last over a year without breaking. They also sound good, a little brighter out of the packet than the Rotosounds I use now, and they retain their tone well as they go dead. I'm inclined to believe that there's minimal difference between string brands, except for overall quality which usually manifests as durability/longevity. That said, Rotosounds are famous for being good with more vintage instruments (Fenders, Rickenbackers, etc), possibly due to the fact that they did invent the roundwound bass string.

One of the neat things about Rotosounds is that they all have a small taper at the bridge end. It's large enough to accommodate tiny string slots in bridges, or the small ball slots on older Warwick bridges, but large enough to not have the taper resting on the string saddle. That's a biggie, cause any time I've had a taper rest on the saddle, sure enough, it breaks there after a month or two.

[oniman7]

I've never broken a bass string and had some of them on for over a year... my girlfriend has had hers on for four years. I play very heavy fingerstyle with my nails and I manage to get a click sound if I'm playing heavy music with roughly 5-6mm action at the 12th fret. I also played 40 hours a week at practice for roughly a year. Never understood how bass strings get broken.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by clokwise

What is a good work horse string that would be a good all around sound?

Id recommend a pressure wound/ half round if I had to pick one set to last me a long time. I've tried a few brands of flats, and I like some of them when new, but IME they settle in to a dark sound and retain that until they break.
Rounds have a noticeable decrease in "brightness" and begin to get a little thump to them. After a while, they just sound dull and lifeless.
Pressure wounds are a compromise between the 2. They start off a little darker than most rounds, but settle into a brighter sound than typical flats do. They don't cut quite as much finger noise as flats, but are much smoother than your average rounds.
All this to say, They are very middle of the road tone wise.


Your results may vary

[kurosawa]

If you have 10 y/o strings and you like 'em, then don't change 'em, 'cause it'll take ya 10 more years to get the new ones sounding like the old ones. Even if the intonation isn't perfect, just consider the way that pales compared to the crimes against pitch committed by paid fretless and URB players all night long, planet wide, and no one notices.

[clokwise]

I wouldn't say I have 10 year old strings. Jus saying I've been playing for 10ish years. I have a few basses and just never changed the strings on them. I'm taking a new bass I got since I'm gigging a lot more now to get setup and I'm trying to find a good string.

[ReiPsaeg]

Originally Posted by kurosawa

If you have 10 y/o strings and you like 'em, then don't change 'em, 'cause it'll take ya 10 more years to get the new ones sounding like the old ones. Even if the intonation isn't perfect, just consider the way that pales compared to the crimes against pitch committed by paid fretless and URB players all night long, planet wide, and no one notices.

Haha, crimes against pitch. You caught me.

D'addario XL's and Chromes are just about my favorite for their respective strengths. And right now I think I'm at a point where I'm leaning towards the Chromes if I had to pick one.

[clokwise]

Originally Posted by ReiPsaeg

Haha, crimes against pitch. You caught me.

D'addario XL's and Chromes are just about my favorite for their respective strengths. And right now I think I'm at a point where I'm leaning towards the Chromes if I had to pick one.

What would you consider each strengths to be?

[jamersonburton]

For an all around string, daddario xl. Not an overly special tone, Just neutral and lets your technique and bass affect the sound rather than the strings IMO. for flats, probably GHS flats or daddario chromes.

[kurosawa]

Originally Posted by clokwise

I wouldn't say I have 10 year old strings. Jus saying I've been playing for 10ish years. I have a few basses and just never changed the strings on them. I'm taking a new bass I got since I'm gigging a lot more now to get setup and I'm trying to find a good string.

OK, it's a jazz, you don't like excessive twang, and you cover lots of styles, but you DIDN'T mention punk or funk. I would think you don't have to have roundwounds if you don't need super picking twang or slapping highs.

I played a string I really like and will soon get for all 'round use, GHS Pressurewound. They are too stiff for me in Medium, and it may be hard to pick gauges that feel even to me, but they can be slapped in an emergency, their sound is (in some way I can't put my finger on) very pleasingly similar to Thomastik nickel jazz flats, and they last forever. However they are made of some kind of alloy that can develop black corrosion unless they are wiped down after use (easy habit to develop). I will probably never get the gauging perfect, but maybe close enough.

[petrus61]

You are gonna get tons of answers on this, but the most versatile and durable string I've ever used are TI Jazz Flats. Not twangy, not dead sounding, lots of midrange and they will sound good for years and years. They only come in one gauge, which is fairly light so it may take some time to adjust but maybe not, depending on what you are used to. Pricey, but you only buy once, so they more than pay for themselves.

[clokwise]

Would the D'Addario Half Rounds be more of an all around string opposed to the Chrom Flatwounds? And by all around we will play country, classic rock, classic blues, a little modern alternative, etc.

[Big Brother]

Originally Posted by petrus61

You are gonna get tons of answers on this, but the most versatile and durable string I've ever used are TI Jazz Flats. Not twangy, not dead sounding, lots of midrange and they will sound good for years and years. They only come in one gauge, which is fairly light so it may take some time to adjust but maybe not, depending on what you are used to. Pricey, but you only buy once, so they more than pay for themselves.

And if you ever do happen to have a problem with a string, they are more than happy to help you out.