Best affordable strings

FiveStringsNme · #1 09-27-2002, 11:03 PM

yea.......another poll by me,but I was wonering,all you bassists,what you think are the best affordable strings,and please......I enjoy hearing everyone's opinions!

Woodchuck · #2 09-28-2002, 09:52 AM

SIT's. Hey, DR's on the list.

ldiezman · #3 09-28-2002, 10:03 AM

another vote for SIT strings... you should add these to your list

blindman · #4 09-28-2002, 10:48 AM

S.I.T.
I'm using a set of Powerwound Nickel 5's right now that I bought 2 weeks ago and I am impressed! I was using DR LowRiders but they went dull pretty fast on me. After a couple more weeks I'll post a review on them.

SuperDuck · #5 09-28-2002, 05:06 PM

In terms of raw $$$, D'Addario XL's are a great bargain if you get a two-pack. You save a good chunk of change and get some good Nickel wound strings. Sounds good to me.

LA · #6 09-28-2002, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuperDuck

In terms of raw $$$, D'Addario XL's are a great bargain if you get a two-pack. You save a good chunk of change and get some good Nickel wound strings. Sounds good to me.

I just put some on my K5. How long can I expect them to last? The two-pack is a great price. Luv that "Corrosion Intercept Technology".

SuperDuck · #7 09-28-2002, 05:43 PM

I wish I had an exact answer, but that depends how often you play, how well you take care of them, what phase the moon is in, etc. They'll "settle in" after a few days, and then you have a month or a few months before the treble starts dropping noticeably. This is just my experience after weekly gigs and practice, though. They could last a lot longer for others.

SMASH · #8 09-30-2002, 07:37 PM

"affordable" is relative. The only Rotosounds I've tried were fabulously expensive yet they're on your list.

LaBella flats aren't that pricey (much cheaper than Rotosound) and they're my fave flats though I don't mind the much cheaper Fenders. I like Fender nickel rounds very much, but do OK with Boomers (though had bad luck in the past) and Ernie Ball are my faves but not the Super Slinkys - I like the Powers.

bassplayer7770 · #9 10-01-2002, 01:37 PM

Consider this as yet another vote for SIT Powerwounds! They're very affordable at www.juststrings.com . IMO, they compare favorably to DRs.

Tim Skaggs · #10 10-01-2002, 08:07 PM

I found that Elixers last me long enought to offset the price. I have 6 basses, with Elixers on four, D'Addario's EXP's on one (the coated D'Addario, the jury's still out on these) , and Stainless Steel D'Addarios on one. The Elixers are still bright and clear. The EXP's are too. The stainless strings are starting to dull a bit. One thing that helped, caught a sale from Musician's Friend earlier this year, Elixers $21 a set. I wish they would try that again!

RR

Thomguy · #11 10-03-2002, 10:26 AM

Since I get reports of T-I's lasting so many players 2 to 5 years (mostly the nickel flats) I'd say that in the long run T-I makes the most affordable string. I know that they "look" expensive on paper, but lets say you spend $30 on a set of T-I flats and they don't need replacing until 24 months. That's $1.25 a month spent on strings: Is that affordable enough?

bgavin · #12 10-03-2002, 01:39 PM

Kev, right on the dime.

chucko58 · #13 10-03-2002, 04:05 PM

While I think T-I has a great product, and the importer's customer service can't be beat (thanks again Kevin!), I'm finding that the tone of their PowerBass strings doesn't really suit me.

I've tried a couple of sets of Carvin's new stainless steel roundwounds (made by La Bella, I believe), and I like them. They have a fairly bright tone and good life. Best of all, they're cheap! $10 for a 4 string set, $13 for 5s, $16 for 6ers. That certainly matches my idea of "good" and "affordable".

I'm going to have to try DR Hi-Beams again. It's literally been a decade since I bought a set. But I remember they stayed bright just about forever.

P. Aaron · #14 10-04-2002, 04:16 PM

I've gotta set of "Swing Bass" strings on my '79 Ibanez Studio Bass.(gauge unknown) I put new strings on in '93. Got 'em 2 for 1, and I still haven't changed 'em yet. But I just started playing again after a 3 year break. So these are the cheapest strings I've ever bought.

Blues Bass 2 · #15 10-06-2002, 08:44 AM

I'm going against the grain here.I play a Millenium 5 and the best strings I found for it are the Peavey Cirrus strings.They are $20 a set for 5 strings.I've tried DR lowriders and Ken Smith Burners at $33 a pop but the Cirrus strings seem to fit my style(finger style) and aren't too brite like the Lo Riders were.I think string choice vary from bass to bass because I've had good luck with Lo Riders on my K5 and Burners on a Yamaha BB2000.If you do find a string that's cheap and sound great it's a big plus.A lot of people have a hard time finding them but my local store has them in stock almost all the time.If you are looking for a good set of nickels these work well.

FiveStringsNme · #16 10-07-2002, 08:09 PM

Thanks for your opinions,people, I know you can get really good strings over 30 bucks,but I wanted to see the good stuff people actually buy..lol

I've tried like only 5 brands, and so far, I love the little kick that DR's give...I used Lo Riders,which were bitchingly rough,but great slap strings.....now I'm on Ernie Ball strings,and they are a good standard,but not as good as DR's....I'm gonna go with Fat Beams next...if I don't love those...I'll use Dean Markley Blue Steels......

I can't find SITs anywhere(in stores in NY)...they seem awesome...any help wheere I can find them(in Long Island) would be greatly appreciated, since my parents aren't fond about INternet ordering yet!!!!!!

blindman · #17 10-08-2002, 07:27 AM

Did you try to e-mail S.I.T. to get a listing of their dealers?There has to be someone in NY who sells them if they are available internationally (according to their website).Good luck.

peteroberts · #18 10-08-2002, 10:34 AM

strings is strings to me, I just use MusicYo strings, they feel like they're really rotosound swings or similar and at $8 for a 5-string set you can't beat it! http://www.musicyo.com

Funkster · #19 10-10-2002, 07:11 AM

Another vote for D'Addario XL's

Tsal · #20 10-10-2002, 08:31 PM

Any flats.. They turn affordable after the six month mark