Dead roundwound tone...

[WMV2]

Who here loves that tone besides me?

I can't be the only one.

[Jim C]

I used to like this but have now moved to flats and like this sound better.

[Chowderboots]

On some basses, I think dead rounds sound kinda cool. Totally different from brand new rounds.

[Billnc]

nope, flats for me. I don't know why. I like rounds at two weeks, at two months they're too dead for me.

[Stumbo]

+1
How about dead half-rounds?

[Red Rover]

Yeah, I like them too but I have since moved to flats.

[Ozzman]

I think i'm the only guy here who likes the sound of fresh steels. I love the zing.

[Anesthesia]

personally i hate strings straight from the pack. i would rather play dead rounds than new. i hate zing.

[dmusic148]

Funny you should ask. I usually like new-ish rounds, like a week or two old. They keep the sound for a month or so beyond that in my case, then go dead, and I change them.
My P bass E and A have just died, and I might just leave them on for this weekend's gigs, and see how it goes.

[4-string]

The worst of both worlds IMO.

[Kevinmach]

I think i'm the only guy here who likes the sound of fresh steels. I love the zing.

Nope, you're not alone my friend

I was a bit on the obsessive side a while back, where I was wanting to clean or replace strings after less than a month of playing. I've calmed down a bit and now let them ride a little longer, but I really like the clear and zingy tone. On occasion, I find it being a bit too bright when they are totally new, but if you asked me to choose between zingy or dull, I would definitely prefer to error on the side of zingy.

I can't stand the sound of dull rounds, which I admit could be a mental thing because I KNOW they are dirty. But it's really noticeable on the higher strings when they start to getting muddy, and it doesn't take long for it to start annoying me.

As been said many times in discussion about flat vs round, I really think it just depends on what type of music you're playing. With the type of music were doing now, the bass needs to be "heard" more than just "felt" and this becomes a struggle when the rounds start to go south.

[MagicMan_841]

I've had the same rounds on my Sterling for like two years. I don't have sweaty hands, and I wash them before playing, so they (the strings) never get dirty. So yeah... I would say I like the dead roundwound tone!

I use flats on my other basses and like it a lot, too.

[PSPookie]

It depends on the bass but I generally dig the way an old set of nickel rounds sound.

[Double Agent]

I want my rounds to sound like rounds. Not that I want them super-bright, but part of why I buy rounds is to have the bright high-end snap. If I want a smoother, less zingy-sounding string, I play flats.

[bassist4dalord]

I have some 6-month old Ernie Ball Slinky .055-.110 on my P-Bass, and I'm lovin' the tone. IMO their deadness really compliments the versatility of the P-Bass: tone wide open, played at the bridge gives plenty of round snap. Thumb-plucked at the neck, with the tone on 25% yields an almost flat-like sound, with some subdued highs. Really awesome.

[Darkstrike]

Depends on the bass, I have a set on my Roscoe Beck about 8 months, Dunlop Nickles, and I'm loving it right now.

I have a set of Optima Gold's on a SX P-Bass, must be a year and a half, now, and they're perfect, heck they aren't dead, somehow....

My Roscoe LG, on the other hand, just can't wait to throw some bright, snarly, sparkly new strings on it.

[donut]

Thick dead Rotosounds on a P played with a pick.

Lovely.

[MonetBass]

Originally Posted by Anesthesia

personally i hate strings straight from the pack. i would rather play dead rounds than new. i hate zing.

I just tried the Fender 7150s (nickel-wound) for the first time, and they have less zing than others I've tried right out of the package. You might try those.

[BassLife77]

had some 4 year old dead Rotos on a fretless once. interesting flat thumpy sound but not for my tastes.

[eddievanbassman]

I like it.