Good Strings for an Active Bass

[DrPepper09]

I'm in the market for new strings for my active P/J. It runs SD Actives. What strings would sound best for the active set up? Or does it not matter?

[Tommygunn]

Steels

[darkstorm]

The best strings are going to be the ones whose sound tweak you like the best. Irregardless of wether its a active or passive bass and irregardless of what pups and electronics it has. There never was and never will be a "string brand esp good for active or passive basses. So no it doesnt matter that your bass is active preamp equipted.

So how to proceed with reasonable direction? What do you like about your current sound? What small changes would you make to that sound? Only with those things established can a worthwhile answer be had. Otherwise your only going to get regurgetated this is my fave string answers that dont take into concideration anything about what your wanting sound tweak wise. Cause youve given no direction for what sound tweak your wanting and what current had qaulities your wanting to retain sound wise.

[DrPepper09]

Well I was wondering if there was any difference between the two for strings. I play post-rock/indie-rock. I've had lo-riders on my other bass, and wanted to try out some other strings. I also have rather sensitive fingers and stopped playing ernie balls after the steel wounds destroyed my fingers (not to mention they died in about a months time).

I apologize for not providing enough info.

[southshoreconor]

i always see how the strings sound unplugged. how they feel in my fingers, how they resonate with the instrument. if they pass that test, i plug it in and all is well with the world.

[Moosehead1966]

Try Elixir coated rounds..I use on my Active Spector. Smooth & round and stay bouncy for ages ( I sweat and can kill steels in days..). Worth every extra penny!!

Marc

[John Wentzien]

Check these out...
I like them a LOT!
http://www.webstrings.com/electric_b...ngs_index.html

[darkstorm]

DRPepper, the main diff between active and passive bass is well illustrated by the tone diff had from switching a passive to active. This tone diff is mainly the result of the switch to HiZ the preamp gives. A HiZ signal means less loss over long cable runs and also less loss of the pups articulation and treble content. You hear the pups full voice from bass thru treble more easilly. When Ive installed preamps in passive basses Ive mostly noticed more detail in the sound and little tighter bass as well a little bit of treble extension. This doesnt make the bass sound brighter. However it can make any harshness to the sound as a result of either the pups or body woods, more noticeable. This comparrison is based on fully passive compared to with active preamp whose tone controls are set flat.

If you like crunchy voice, active tends to be crunchier so long as the pups are crunchy rather then smooth voiced. So lets say you want more crunch. Ernie Ball would be good choice imo. However if your wanting mellower, Daddario would be good choice. Rotossound and GHS dont affect crunch or mellow factor enough to be worth mentioning imo. So they are great choices imo if you want to maintain current voice with good difinition and nice balance of lows thru highs. If your wanting more treble without cranking your preamps treble control then Dean Markley Blue steels are worth trying. Theyre just about the brightest strings made that retain crack of thunder lows in good measure.

So again its about what tone tweak if any do you want? With your active basses tone controls set flat. Listen. Do you want more grind and kick? Mellower, brighter, less or more crunch, more low end?