GHS Bass Boomers hurt!

charliefreak · #1 12-01-2010, 11:23 PM

Hey,
My local store did not have any Warwick black label. So I got some Bass Boomers 45-105 (on recommendation). They have been getting worn very quickly. And after about a week and a half of daily play, my picking fingers are starting to get very sore and sensitive. Has anyone else had this problem?

btw, i think i'll go ahead and stick with Warwick or rotosound (swing bass) from now on!

wes

MRDOOM · #2 12-01-2010, 11:26 PM

This is interesting, because I use GHS bass boomers on one of my basses all the time and they have never hurt my fingers, but Rotosounds on the same bass did.

charliefreak · #3 12-01-2010, 11:31 PM

That is interesting. I actually used rotosound for the first time prior to the ghs. Maybe some long term injury (for lack of a better term)? I don't know. I just noticed it today at the rehearsal studio. Thanks for the help bud! Some more input from others would be rad!

cheers

masonsjax · #4 12-01-2010, 11:34 PM

My Dad used GHS boomers because they were affordable. That was all I played when I started. I thought all new strings were like sandpaper until I started trying other brands. Boomers are by far the harshest feeling strings I've ever used. I'm hooked on SIT now, which are very affordable, have excellent tension and feel, and don't make me bleed.

KingRazor · #5 12-01-2010, 11:38 PM

I use D'Addario prosteels. They really made my fingers raw early on but now I don't hardly feel them. If I play too hard though, they bite.

charliefreak · #6 12-01-2010, 11:40 PM

right on man. I'm sorry your fingers got hurt like mine, though glad someone on here shared my experience! I'm not familiar with the SIT feel, but I'll have to give it go sometime! Thanks for your input chief!

charliefreak · #7 12-01-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

I use D'Addario prosteels. They really made my fingers raw early on but now I don't hardly feel them. If I play too hard though, they bite.

HA. That doesnt sound like much fun. But you do seem very dedicated to D'Addario and proud of the strings you use. +1 for that pal

KingRazor · #8 12-01-2010, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charliefreak

HA. That doesnt sound like much fun. But you do seem very dedicated to D'Addario and proud of the strings you use. +1 for that pal

lol you said I'm dedicated and yet I just ordered a set of Circle Ks...Am I betraying them?

I've only owned my bass for 2 years. I got it with stock strings (elixer nanos as it's an Ibanez bass). About 6 months after I bought the bass, the G string snapped (I was trying to learn slap pop...)

So, I take the bass back to the shop I bought it from and just asked for strings that would sound good in a variety of genres. The guy puts on a set of D'Addario Prosteels. I tried them and liked them enough to buy another set roughly 6 months later.

Next I'm going to try Circle Ks, they should arrive within a week. I'm going to be posting a review about them, first my initial impressions and then another one after I've had them for a few months and they've gotten a chance to "break in".

The D'Addarios are definitely a good string, I'm not knocking them. They play much better than most stock strings I play on at music stores. They're very flexible and if you like bright strings, they've got plenty to spare.

I play my bass usually 10-15 mins a day, sometimes more and the D'Addarios tend to last about 6 months.

charliefreak · #9 12-01-2010, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

lol you said I'm dedicated and yet I just ordered a set of Circle Ks...Am I betraying them?

I've only owned my bass for 2 years. I got it with stock strings (elixer nanos as it's an Ibanez bass). About 6 months after I bought the bass, the G string snapped (I was trying to learn slap pop...)

So, I take the bass back to the shop I bought it from and just asked for strings that would sound good in a variety of genres. The guy puts on a set of D'Addario Prosteels. I tried them and liked them enough to buy another set roughly 6 months later.

Next I'm going to try Circle Ks, they should arrive within a week. I'm going to be posting a review about them, first my initial impressions and then another one after I've had them for a few months and they've gotten a chance to "break in".

The D'Addarios are definitely a good string, I'm not knocking them. They play much better than most stock strings I play on at music stores. They're very flexible and if you like bright strings, they've got plenty to spare.

I play my bass usually 10-15 mins a day, sometimes more and the D'Addarios tend to last about 6 months.

That is funny! I'm sure the seemingly painful D'Addarios won't mind! I might give them a shot sometime as well. I look forward to finding out how those circle ks go for you!

southpaw420 · #10 12-02-2010, 12:05 PM

I always found boomers to be relatively smooth with little string noise. However I am officially hooked on light Daddario XLs on my Carvin SB5000. Just recorded with them last night and it sounds great in the mix.

krafty · #11 12-03-2010, 08:11 AM

I had Boomers on my 5 and felt the same way as you, they really were pretty harsh in comparison to the DRs and D'Addarios I've used. I don't know if it is because they were the "bulk" unpackaged boomers ($15 plus a little more for the B) but they felt very rough to me.

G.Bisson · #12 12-03-2010, 12:06 PM

Boomers don't feel bad at all to me. Roto 66's feel stiffer and rougher than Boomers, and DR lo-riders made my fingers hurt much more than any other strings I've tried.

wshines1892 · #13 12-03-2010, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by southpaw420

I always found boomers to be relatively smooth with little string noise. However I am officially hooked on light Daddario XLs on my Carvin SB5000. Just recorded with them last night and it sounds great in the mix.

I'm glad someone shares my love for simple XLs. All of the shops around here carry more Prosteels than they do XLs because everyone wants them for some reason. Prosteels just don't have the same thump that XLs get. I'm currently trying to burn out a set of prosteels on my jazz bass but they aren't going without a fight.

Marty Forrer · #14 12-03-2010, 02:56 PM

Man, you guys must dig in pretty hard!

KingRazor · #15 12-03-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Forrer

Man, you guys must dig in pretty hard!

I blame the fact that half the time I play unplugged.

southpaw420 · #16 12-04-2010, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marty Forrer

Man, you guys must dig in pretty hard!

only sometimes...

Metal Mitch · #17 12-04-2010, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by G.Bisson

Boomers don't feel bad at all to me.

+1

I have them on 1 bass tuned down to C# standard. 55-75-95-120. The 120 is too light, but the others are up around 45 to 47 lbs of tension. No problem.

masonsjax · #18 12-04-2010, 02:39 PM

I play nickel strings without issue. Boomers are awful. They feel like they have splinters on them. They get smoother over time, but the first few hours of play are like running your fingers on a cheese grater. No thanks.

I'm very happy with the SIT power wounds, and rock brights. I have some nickel DR sunbeams on my Roscoe now. They're smooth, but they feel slightly too bouncy to me, and cost a fortune compared with SIT. I'm letting them wear out a little more before ditching them.

KingRazor · #19 12-07-2010, 08:56 PM

Quoting my review of Circle K strings from the main thread:

Quote:

Originally Posted by KingRazor

Alright, now that I got my bass back all set up with a new Circle K balanced .136 five string set, here is my initial response:

I played the bass right away at the shop I got it set up at. At first, I have to say I was not thoroughly impressed. The strings didn't seem much better than my D'Addarios, although the balanced tension was nice.

Then I got home and played for about 10 or 15 minutes. I AM IN LOVE. These are the best strings I've ever played. I have so much less string noise than I've ever had before. The strings are nice and supple and SO CLEAR. It is a night and day difference. Plus, the tone is already warmer than my D'Addarios so by the time they break in they should be perfect!

Here's a recording I did of my bass with the new strings: (LOW QUALITY WARNING: I did not use an audio interface or amp or anything, this is my bass hooked directly to my computer's motherboard and recorded with audacity, no effects, no compression, just the bass).

newbassstrings.mp3

BeyondFiredUp · #20 12-08-2010, 07:14 PM

I don't know what happened or who got a bad set, but boomers are some of the smoothest rounds many of us have played. esp compared to rotos, DM blue steels, and even DR's (although DR makes a good smooth string) and also diadarrio pro steels are also "rougher" than boomers, although the xl nickels from diadarrio are pretty smooth much like boomers.