Growly Strings Suggestions?

PaulMacCnj · #1 10-03-2007, 10:11 AM

I currently have a set of La Bella flats on my Spector Euro 5 LX. Great strings, great sound, but I miss the growl that I used to get from roundwounds. I'm looking for strings that have plenty of growl, but don't feel too coarse.

I checked the string reviews on the BassPlayer website. In searching for Nickel roundwounds, 4 different strings sets were described to have growl:

1) Dean Markley Nickel Steel, Feel: Medium - I tried these strings a year ago. I liked them when I first put them on the bass, but I found that they went dead very quickly.

2) Fender 7150M Nickel, Feel: Medium - It appears that these are only available for 34" scale basses. The Spector is 35".

3) Mike Lull Nickel Plated Stainless Steel, Feel: Medium - These might just be the ones to try.

4) Warwick Yellow Label Nickel, Feel: Medium/Coarse - I do like the growl of Warwick basses and their website says that these are the strings used on all new basses. My concern is the "coarse" feel, which I didn't like on a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinkys that I tried before.

Any comments, especially on the Mike Lull strings, and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul Mac

kyral210 · #2 10-03-2007, 11:48 AM

D'addario Pro Steel have a bucket full of growl, but are very corse on your fingers. Try their nickel wound, really great tone. Alternatively why not try Ernie Ball nickels? I have only ever used D'addario and Rotosound.

One piece of advice, NEVER use rotosound. They just suck all over, I will never waste my money on them again.

One Drop · #3 10-03-2007, 12:01 PM

DRs growl nicely, too, maybe try the Lo-Riders. They are also very long lasting IME.

WovenGraphite · #4 10-03-2007, 12:18 PM

I like the DR Lo-riders but they tend to be still abit bright (but much better than the Hi-Beams).

Strings that are never talked about are the Zon strings... I really dig them, especially the UltraSonic stainless steels.
I recently setup a Warwick Thumb 6 with a set of their regular gauge... very nice, much better than the warwicks, IMHO.

You can order them direct from Zon, I think Bass central carries them as well.

Nighthawk551 · #5 10-03-2007, 02:32 PM

DR Lo-Riders are a good choice.

Double Agent · #6 10-03-2007, 02:55 PM

DR Lo-Riders...growly as heck, and feel great for a SS roundwound. No complaints from my fingers or my ears.

1kinal · #7 10-03-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double Agent

DR Lo-Riders...growly as heck, and feel great for a SS roundwound. No complaints from my fingers or my ears.

+1

PaulMacCnj · #8 10-03-2007, 06:53 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I listened to some recordings of jam sessions from when the Spector was first purchased last year and it had the factory strings. The growl is there but I didn't like the crispy top end. The same can be said for the Ernie Ball's that I tried. The Spector has plenty of top end and I want to keep that tamed with not-so-bright strings. With that said, do you think that the DR's are still for me?

Bass Thunder · #9 10-03-2007, 08:04 PM

It's the "Rough" that makes them good - steel roundwound always - even fretless!

Rota · #10 10-03-2007, 08:10 PM

DR lo-riders. They're growly, have a nice tight feel, and are nice on the fingers. I don't play anything else, except for flatwounds on my semi-hollow body Univox because I actually want a mellow, boomy sound out of that one. My other basses are nothing but growl and punch with the lo-riders.

Slain · #11 10-03-2007, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

Thanks for the suggestions. I listened to some recordings of jam sessions from when the Spector was first purchased last year and it had the factory strings. The growl is there but I didn't like the crispy top end. The same can be said for the Ernie Ball's that I tried. The Spector has plenty of top end and I want to keep that tamed with not-so-bright strings. With that said, do you think that the DR's are still for me?

I couldn't tell if the strings that came on my euro 5 LX were Spector or not, but I did like them alot. I wish there was a way to tell but after I boiled them after changing to D'Addario Nickel Wound mediums I noticed that the strings that came on the bass looked alot like warwick strings that I have on some of my other basses. Does anyone have a clear picture of Spector strings?

markdavid · #12 10-03-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulMacCnj

I currently have a set of La Bella flats on my Spector Euro 5 LX. Great strings, great sound, but I miss the growl that I used to get from roundwounds. I'm looking for strings that have plenty of growl, but don't feel too coarse.

I checked the string reviews on the BassPlayer website. In searching for Nickel roundwounds, 4 different strings sets were described to have growl:

1) Dean Markley Nickel Steel, Feel: Medium - I tried these strings a year ago. I liked them when I first put them on the bass, but I found that they went dead very quickly.

2) Fender 7150M Nickel, Feel: Medium - It appears that these are only available for 34" scale basses. The Spector is 35".

3) Mike Lull Nickel Plated Stainless Steel, Feel: Medium - These might just be the ones to try.

4) Warwick Yellow Label Nickel, Feel: Medium/Coarse - I do like the growl of Warwick basses and their website says that these are the strings used on all new basses. My concern is the "coarse" feel, which I didn't like on a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinkys that I tried before.

Any comments, especially on the Mike Lull strings, and suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul Mac

Ernie Balls are not especially rough strings , unfortunately it is just a characteristic of roundwounds that they feel rough , ,my advice would be definately to go for nickels if the coarse feel of rounds is a concern to you

PaulMacCnj · #13 10-04-2007, 09:58 AM

Are you using Stainless or Nickel-plated?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rota

DR lo-riders. They're growly, have a nice tight feel, and are nice on the fingers. I don't play anything else, except for flatwounds on my semi-hollow body Univox because I actually want a mellow, boomy sound out of that one. My other basses are nothing but growl and punch with the lo-riders.

PaulMacCnj · #14 10-04-2007, 10:10 AM

I've used rounds that didn't feel coarse. The Dean Markley NickelSteels and Fender Super Bass among them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdavid

Ernie Balls are not especially rough strings , unfortunately it is just a characteristic of roundwounds that they feel rough , ,my advice would be definately to go for nickels if the coarse feel of rounds is a concern to you

BellBottomBlues · #15 10-04-2007, 10:22 AM

I'd go for the Rotosound Swingbass 66, very growly and midrangey string

Asa Samuel · #16 10-04-2007, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyral210

One piece of advice, NEVER use rotosound. They just suck all over, I will never waste my money on them again.

Don't say that, some people like rotosounds, including me.

LzeroKI · #17 10-04-2007, 12:09 PM

Looove the growl I can get from my rotosounds, but some people do find them to be quite coarse. With the price of Rotosound swing 66's though, I suggest you try em out, at most you've only lost $20

mvw356 · #18 10-04-2007, 12:33 PM

rotosound 66

thread closed

Naggon · #19 10-04-2007, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyral210

One piece of advice, NEVER use rotosound. They just suck all over, I will never waste my money on them again.

How can you say that? I tried about 40 different kinds of roundwounds before switching to rotosound FLATS because somehow they just have way more growl than anything else.

PaulMacCnj · #20 10-04-2007, 05:17 PM

Flats that growl? Can I hear a recording of this? I'd love to stay with flats since they feel great. Add growl, my kind of string!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naggon

How can you say that? I tried about 40 different kinds of roundwounds before switching to rotosound FLATS because somehow they just have way more growl than anything else.