Hi Beams for DJ5 ?

[Sparkdog]

HELP! I need the deep wisdom that can only be found on TB.

I have a Lakland DJ5 that I'm still trying to find the right strings for (does that journey EVER end?

So far I've tried:

- D'Addario XL Nickels. good strings, but I found the .130 B a little muddy.

- DR Sunbeams. Too mellow for me.

- DR Nickel Lo Riders. Really nice strings, but still not giving me quite what I want.

So what DOES this guy want you ask!

Well...I'm not very good at describing it, but I think what I'm looking for is more growl, bite, and punch than what the Lo Riders are giving me. Those things are there, I just want more.

I think this bass is capable of bigger and badder tone than I'm getting from it (you can't find a DJ5 owner here who doesn't rave about it) and I'm hoping strings are the piece of the puzzle I haven't found yet.

I tried the Hi Beams on a different bass some time ago and recall that they were very present and bright, but still had a nice smooth surface to them, especially for stainless steels.

Given the completely inadequate info I've provided do these sound like the solution for me?

Thanks folks.

[kirkm24]

Hi Beams are great strings. They are very bright but not obnoxious or brittle sounding. They also have warm, deep lows.

You are correct, they are not rough like other Stainless Steel strings, they are almost as smooth as nickels.

[CElton]

I had a DJ5. The strings I liked best on there were Sadowsky SS Black Label and then Hi Beams. The Hi Beams will feel smoother than the Sadowsky if that's important to you. The Sads kill on the DJ.

[kirkm24]

Originally Posted by CElton

I had a DJ5. The strings I liked best on there were Sadowsky SS Black Label and then Hi Beams. The Hi Beams will feel smoother than the Sadowsky if that's important to you. The Sads kill on the DJ.

+1 I liked the Sadowsky strings tone too. I didn't like their rougher feel though. They are nice, well made strings none the less.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by kirkm24

Hi Beams are great strings. They are very bright but not obnoxious or brittle sounding. They also have warm, deep lows.

You are correct, they are not rough like other Stainless Steel strings, they are almost as smooth as nickels.

+1 NICE strings for a J bass if you want stainless steel zing in a string that feels more like Nickel wound than steel wound.

On that particular bass (at least the one I had with the Aero pickups), I actually really dug the DR Lo Rider Steels. These strings sit right in-between the classic Rotosound sound and feel (rough, grindy) and the more pure 'funk' voicing and smooth feel of the Hi Beams. They are a bit tighter tension than the Hi Beams, and have a more aggressive upper mid response (similar but not quite as extreme as the Sadowsky Blue label steels) that many describe as the J Bass grind. AND, they last A LOT longer than the Roto's.

IMO and IME!

[tallboybass]

Originally Posted by KJung

+1 NICE strings for a J bass if you want stainless steel zing in a string that feels more like Nickel wound than steel wound.

On that particular bass (at least the one I had with the Aero pickups), I actually really dug the DR Lo Rider Steels. These strings sit right in-between the classic Rotosound sound and feel (rough, grindy) and the more pure 'funk' voicing and smooth feel of the Hi Beams. They are a bit tighter tension than the Hi Beams, and have a more aggressive upper mid response (similar but not quite as extreme as the Sadowsky Blue label steels) that many describe as the J Bass grind. AND, they last A LOT longer than the Roto's.

IMO and IME!

Ken, posts like this are why we are lucky to have you on TB. There's more info here than in MANY entire threads.

Thanks, Alan

[kalle74]

try DR Long Neck. basically they are Hi-Beams in extra long scale for thru-body stringing...

[Nakedfish]

I have D'Addario Chromes flats on my DJ5 and it sounds incredible. Very balanced across all strings. Full, punchy, with thick n chewy low mids. Really cuts in a band situation. I couldn't be happier with the tone of that bass.