GHS Bass Boomers

david fitch · #1 11-06-2009, 04:13 PM

GHS Bass Boomers...What do you guys think of these strings ?

smo · #2 11-06-2009, 10:57 PM

I use 'em.
They're not too shabby - but nothing to rave about. I only get 'em because of the .115 on the E (or in my case, the low C).

playbass1983 · #3 11-06-2009, 11:53 PM

I thought they went dead on me quickly, not bright enough for my tastes.

jmceachern36 · #4 11-07-2009, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playbass1983

I thought they went dead on me quickly, not bright enough for my tastes.

Great strings. I like them because the mellow quickly.

david fitch · #5 11-07-2009, 10:33 AM

I have a couple of gigs with a Blues/Rock band,ZZ Top,Tommy Castro,Freddy King type stuff. I'm thinking about using the Boomers, instead of my D'Addario Chomes on a Fender Precision Bass.

NickRich · #6 11-07-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smo

I use 'em.
They're not too shabby - but nothing to rave about. I only get 'em because of the .115 on the E (or in my case, the low C).

+1.
Same thing here. Great strings, get the job done.

Gord_oh · #7 11-07-2009, 10:39 AM

i bought them because they were inexpensive rounds.
IMO they dont last long...
but they sound good for the time they did.
they are actually still on my bass, i just have swapped them out yet.

natw42 · #8 11-07-2009, 10:41 AM

As far as low-cost strings go, I think they're the best out there. They're pretty smooth w a nice top end. They mellow pretty fast as someone else mentioned already, but they take a while to die completely. I used to use them for a while, then moved on to DR Lo-Riders for a few years as well.

....nut now I'm flatwound convert, using Chromes. They make my Lakland purrrrrrrr

Meatrus · #9 11-07-2009, 11:10 AM

I went through a phase of using them, and got through around 4 or 5 sets. I loved the sound of them when new, but as has already been said, they lose that very quickly (like 2 days!). After that they are perfectly useable, and not too dead for a long time, but dont sound much like they did when new, which was the sound I wanted them for. When they lost the zing they just sounded boring to me.

MysticMichael · #10 11-07-2009, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by david fitch

I have a couple of gigs with a Blues/Rock band,ZZ Top,Tommy Castro,Freddy King type stuff. I'm thinking about using the Boomers, instead of my D'Addario Chomes on a Fender Precision Bass.

I used to play Boomers all the time on my '66 Precision Bass, back when I was first starting out in 1976-77. But not so much for roots music, like blues. For that, I'd use D'Addario Half Rounds, which worked great for a more subdued, traditional sound.

I'd use the Boomers for straightahead rawk (what's now known as "classic rawk"), i.e. Foghat, REO Speedwagon, Teg Nugent, Doobie Brothers, The Eagles, and yes, even a bit of ZZ Top. On that P bass, they made a BIG sound. They were LOUD, with lots of sustain and energy.

Go ahead and try 'em for your blues/rawk gig. Just be aware that you may need to adjust your EQ and/or technique a bit, so that they don't overwhelm - especially if they're brand new and haven't entirely broken in yet...

MM

Phalex · #11 11-07-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmceachern36

Great strings. I like them because the mellow quickly.

A Big +1!!

Boomers are the only thing I put on my Ric. On a brite sounding bass like a Ric, mellow sounding rounds are just the ticket IMHO.

darkstorm · #12 11-07-2009, 10:31 PM

Likes GHS boomers as my second fave strings. Rotosounds as fave.

tobin999 · #13 11-09-2009, 04:21 PM

i have used boomers from the begining i love them after the mellow

duff2 · #14 11-09-2009, 04:23 PM

Love 'em. I never use anything else on my basses. Best 'bang for buck' hands down.

Cheers,
Duff2

Big Daddy Mac · #15 11-09-2009, 04:32 PM

I put a set of GHS flatwounds on a Yamaha BBN5 II fretless I picked up in a pawn shop. Very mellow and smooth and gave the fretless a nice warm sound. Like Darkstorm they are my second favourite after Rotos

JTE · #16 11-09-2009, 05:01 PM

I don't like them. I like GHS strings generally, but Boomers just don't work for me (nor do other Boomers in different packages, like the strings G&L shipped on their first basses and Lakland's nickle strings). I've found a very very weird problem with GHS Boomers, bass and electric guitar that I don't find with other strings at all. They don't stay in tune well. I could restring an isntrument with DR Sunbeams, DR Hi-Beams, D'Addario EXL, D'Addario SloWounds, DR XLS (stainless), etc. and play a gig the next day without tuning problems. But any Boomer set keeps slipping out of tune. I string 'em up the same way no matter the brand, and the Boomers just don't stay put for me until after they've been played for at least a whole gig.

The weird thing is that I had the same trouble with Lakland nickles before Dan told me that they were Boomers. I've had the same issue with them on my old Les Paul guitar, my Jazzmaster, and my Strat (this goes back to 1979!). But not with GHS Brite-Flats, "Gus" series nickles, and Super Steels (which is what Lakland's stainless set is).

John

stevetat · #17 11-10-2009, 10:37 AM

They sound great on my 64 P which has been strung exclusively with Boomers since the late 70's. As others have said, their zingy brightness wears off quickly (which is fine with me) and then they offer a consistent tone for a long time before going dead. The medium (45-105) set has just the right tension for my tastes.

RexNFX79 · #18 11-10-2009, 10:42 AM

Sound kind of lifeless to me. I tried them once and haven't used them since.

pasta4lnch · #19 11-10-2009, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTE

They don't stay in tune well.
John

I have been searching for a string for a while. while playing guitar for 20+ years I'm relatively new to bass (d'addario on my guitars) I've been fed up w/ not liking strings. It's way too expensive to swing and miss on bass. DR's were the better I found . . . out of desparation I picked up a set of boomers. probably because they were cheap. I'm totally happy w/ them I'll be playing them for a long time.

JTE as for your tuning issues. . . I never have any issues w/ tuning. Pretty much w/ any string I've tried (blissfully, as my guitars would go out of tune if you looked at them funny) In fact after heavily gigging for the last 2 years I'm just getting comfortable not clicking my tuner on any chance I get. Even during the winter, hard playing, slapping etc ...

david fitch · #20 11-10-2009, 02:16 PM

I strung up the Fender Precision with 45-105 GHS Bass Boomers,and played a gig last night with them. I had no tunning issues at all. This is a Blues band and not the Blues/Rock band I will be playing with this weekend.I thought I would just try the Boomers on a couple of songs (I also took a Flatwound strung P),but ended up using the P with Boomers most of the night. I even stuck a piece of foam under the strings for a few songs. These seem like they may be the strings I've been looking for.....time will tell.