Does anyone have any experience with groudwound strings

[tehuberc]

I have heard that they offer a nice compromise between roundwounds and flatwounds.

[4stringdude]

I tried ground wounds on my fretless when I was concerned about saving the fingerboard. I really didn't care for the feel of the strings. They chewed up my fingers to much. I thought the sound was just okay. I went back to roundwounds and decided to have the fingerboard dressed as necessary. The sound of the round wounds was so much nicer, to my ears.

Opinions will vary according to your mindset.

[Lokire]

I had a set for a short-while. Never even put them on a bass, but I didn't like the way they felt. Not smooth enough to feel nice like a flatwound might, not round-wound enough to feel like the roundwounds I'm used to. They were just too...different for me I guess.

Probably not much help, sorry

[Phalex]

I like them! They do take a little getting used to, but once they get a little grimy they feel pretty darn smooth. They make for a nice compromise between flats and rounds. Try a set for yourself. That's the only way to know if you'll like them. Bear in mind, they will break in over time, and really start to get to their best feel and tone after about a month or so. Ignore your first impressions and keep playing them, they get a whole lot better!

[lpdeluxe]

I've used ground round-wounds for years now, on a couple of now sold or traded basses, my Carvin LB20, and my Tribute L2000. I like 'em. When I play round wounds there is too much "sizzle" and it's hard to smoothly slide up the frets.

I just got a Fender '50s P and put TI flatwounds on it, so that may be my next big thing in strings. The difference, naturally, is that the GHS Brite Flats cost about half what the TIs go for.

[driver800]

I use D'Addario Half Rounds and love them. They are a great mix of flat-feel and round-tone. IMO, Flats are a little too dead sounding and I can't get much of a modern sound when needed and Rounds are too ringy and too rough on the fingers. The D'Addario Half rounds are ground strings that provide that in-between sound that allows me to do a little of either.

[SGT. Pepper]

D'Addario Chromes are better than the Half-Rounds.
They have a more powerful tone and they last longer and feel better. Half-Rounds also have more tension than the Chromes do. Go Figure? Go with the Chromes your better off. If they are not bright enough go with the XL Nickel Rounds and let them break in for a month or two, and you'll have the sound you want.

[flyman]

Originally Posted by SGT. Pepper

Half-Rounds also have more tension than the Chromes do. Go Figure?

In long scale, 50-105, Halfrounds are tighter. However in 45-100, it's the Chromes that are tighter. Like you said, go figure.

flyman

[Eublet]

I think regular Elixir nano-webs are a good fit for this middle of the road string. Smoother than regular wounds, and brighter than flats. They aren't grabby at all, and in fact are a little slippery which some might not like. Plus they just last so well.

[Bass Mule]

I love them. I tried a set of ground-wounds on a whim, and fell in love. New round-wounds are a little too bright for me, and flats were a little too stiff for me. Now I exclusively use half-rounds (except my P, which will always have flats).

[driver800]

I tried the Chromes a year or two ago and didn't like them much, I preferred the Fender Flats to them. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference on strings. You just have to try them out yourself.

For that "in-between flats and rounds" sound and feel, the half-rounds work for me, though I sometimes get the Elixirs, they're just a bit more expensive but are terrific strings. I recently tried the DR Black Beauties, they are rougher on the fingers and were a bit too bright at first but mellow out after a few weeks.

[greenboy]

I like Compressed wounds like GHS Pressurewound or Smith Compressors better myself. Less finger grab and not so duddy sounding like all the groundwounds I've tried, which frankly don't sound as good as flats anyway.

[Sammy Camden]

I've tried several different brands of ground-wounds (SIT,LaBella, GHS, D'Addario). While they are NOT my favorite type of string, flats are hands down, I do use them on one bass I have that is very dark. I livens it up enough without me having to use those disgusting round-wounds (yes, I hate round-wounds, and I have for years).

Of all the strings I've tried, I've settled on the D'Addarios because they feel nice, once they're broken in. They will feel a little weird at first, but they do break in fairly quick. They last reasonably well and they have a balanced tone.

However, If you like flats, and your bass is biased, tone wise, to the treble side, I certainly wouldn't recommend them.