Appropriate string upgrade? please help

[crozier247]

I'm a novice bass player I've only been playing a little more than 2 years. I have been using Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky bass strings (the orange pack) and I used to play exclusively with a pick but I have been playing more with my fingers lately because it just feels so natural and groovy but I'm looking for a good pair of strings that will last me a while while retaining a nice tone. I am looking fro something that sounds good both picked and fingered (lol )
I'm super disapointed with EB's because my last set had one dead string out of the pack and the rest lasted like a freakin' week before getting all flat and ugly. I put them on my squier P bass (Squier Vintage Modified P Bass and more 4 String Electric Bass at GuitarCenter.com.) and they sound god-awful after like 2 weeks. The freaking stock strings from that bass sounded better and I put those on another bass of mine. I was contemplating getting DR neon's are those a string that retain some quality? is it worth the 45 bucks? I've never payed more than like 20 bucks for a set of strings so I want to ensure that my money is being well spent. I play alternative and punk if that helps you answer my question. thanks a ton and rock on

[JustDavid]

Bad strings & oxidized sets happen the odd time. Doesn't hurt to complain to the seller & maker.

Versus going for 'different' I'd suggest you go for 'better'. Folk here can give a lot more focused advice with a more focused explanation of how you hear these strings & how you want to sound.

[crozier247]

I complained to the company via email and conveniently enough there was no response. Have you any experience with DR neons?

[JustDavid]

Sorry, no experience with DR Neons.

[FunkMetalBass]

Never tried the Neons, but I wouldn't expect them to be much different than the Black Beauties, which sounded great.

Do you wipe down your strings after playing? Do you sweat profusely? A week of constant play and not wiping strings can definitely kill strings quickly - especially if you're a fan of the brand new string sound and use Ernie Balls, which have a reputation for having a short string lifespan.

For a string upgrade, I recommend everyone use Circle K strings. They're seriously amazing and last quite a while. I just finally put my 3 month old strings in the string cleaner because they were going a little dull.

[darkstorm]

Been useing the neons for several months now. Only strings Ive tried that I like as much as rotosound swing 66. Slightly brighter then those and with a tad more articulation in the low end. With otherwise similiar tone char to me.

[crozier247]

I wash my hands before every play but I don't wipe down at all after I play

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by crozier247

I wash my hands before every play but I don't wipe down at all after I play

Me neither, but if you want your strings to last longer before going dead you should.

To me, Ernies and D'addario XL's might as well be the same strings. However, any company can have a bad set, plus the way you put them on can also contribute to them going dead early. When you put them on, do you wind the excess around the post by hand and then tighten them up with the tuner? If so, this can cause twisting, which causes them to sound deader. You should wind them using the tuner and let them wrap around the post naturally, and let the other end be loose in the bridge until you start to get tension on them.

Just a suggestion in case you were wrapping them by hand.