Buying my first set of strings since I bought my bass

[PanteraFan]

OK, I bought a bass at Xmas, and now I want to change the strings. The strings had been on the bass for about 2 months before I bought it, and they were played on, stretched etc. by potential customers. They needed changing, so in a fit of rage(they were manufacturer strings and were very tinny) I took em of and threw em in the bin. I now have a stringless bass that has been cleaned to high heaven.

Anyway, I mostly play metal and rock, and I want some nice fat strings to get some low-end in. The lowest I'll go is Ernie Ball Regular Slinky strings(E string is .105) No smaller. I heard that these strings have a very fat tone and are good strings, but I wanted to know if there was anything else that would suit my purposes better(at around the same pricerange please). Ernie Ball are the only strings that I can find locally, so D'Addario's and such will need to be bought via the internet.

Also, Regular Ernie Ball are the only strings that look about as thick as my old strings, so if you recommend weird string gauges, I may have to change settings of my bass(saddle settings etc), which I have never done and am loathe to do for fear of wrecking my intonation, and having to buy specialist measuring and adjustment tools.

Thanx 4 the help

[dancehallclasher]

what kind of bass is it? new strings generally sound pretty metallic, the manufacturer strings might not be the problem. ernie balls are good. you might want to try ernie ball hybrids - the low strings are the same as regular gauge but the high ones are a little lighter for popping, playing leads, etc. don't worry about wrecking your bass, adjusting the saddles is harmless.

[seamus]

That's unfortunate that the selection is small for you locally, so I thought this might help:
http://juststrings.com/

They have a broad line of strings, and the prices are comparable to local stores I would say. They'll add about $5 for shipping, but at least you'll have a choice.

It sounds like you know what gauge you want, so that's good. Look at that site, even if you don't buy from them, you will see a nice broad range of string types and gauges. By the way, I'm not saying you should buy them, but if you don't want to spend a lot Fender is one of the cheapest sets of strings you can buy.

Some nickel or stainless(brighter) roundwounds would be cool for rock. Depends on what bass you have, your style, and what kind of sound you like best.

Good luck...

[PanteraFan]

I went trawling around some local shops in Liverpool, and found some Rotosound strings, RB45. Here are the specs:
Nickel Roundwounds
.45, .65, .85, .105
Long Scale
Very Bright, metallic tone when played with a pick. I actually bought some stainless steel strings first, but I remembered that someone on this board had said how bright and metallic they are, when played in any style. So, I went back and got some nickel strings. I'm glad, as these things are real bright! I actualy have to turn the treble down on my bass if I want a deeper sound. Basically, the strings can get me the same tone as before, but the extremes are exaggerated. I am very happy with them, but I really have nothing to compare them to except manufacturer strings.
Whatrs your opinion on RotoSound strings?

[rickbass]

Man! I'd think just by association with the Beatles, Liverpool would be bass heaven. Appears it isn't from what you said.

Opinions? Well, you're sure on fertile ground here! I used Roto's Swing 66's for over 20 years when I played rock exclusively. Rotos, in general, are classics and defined the meaning of "roundwound" in terms of sound. They're the "Fender" of roundwound bass strings.

However, I've been using DR's for a several years now. I've just restrung with their "Marcus" Fat Beams and I think I'm in love. However, my playing of R&B and jazz has expanded in the last ten years. My review of the Fats should be appearing on the TalkBass home page soon.

So, if you're a "Pantera Fan", I think you will be happy with your purchase, even as they age. The metallic-ness of the strings will subside somewhat as they age. All GOOD, new roundwounds that I've had sound very percussive and ringing, like a concert grand piano hammer hitting a lower note.

Most likely you are enjoying them more than those which came with your bass, (make?). Until you get into the high end basses, most manufacturers stick on pretty crappy strings. There are very few electric bass string manufacturers in the world but there are many brands. Many brands are just companies that have their strings made by one of the few manufacturers to their own spec.'s and slap their name on them. (No, I won't even touch that joke).