From now on, only "Circle K" on my Bass

[hyoshim]

It is a perfect string for my Sadowsky. I have been using DR string (Sunbeam, Hi Beam, MM) exclusive but circle K is THE string that I will be using from now on.

[dmusic148]

Until the next great string comes along..........

[hyoshim]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Until the next great string comes along..........

Most definitely!!

[turbo chicken]

is it the balanced thing that does it for you?

or the sound you get from them?

just curious

[mmbongo]

I'm currently trying Circle K's on my Spector, where I normally use Sunbeams.

I LOVE the balanced feel (I have balanced .136) and the strings just feel great. However, they don't have that sweet top end sound that Sunbeams have. I do like that .136 B string much better than the Sunbeam .130 though, no question.

So, I'm torn. I love the feel of Circle K's, but prefer the sound of Sunbeams. I wish DR would release their tension measurements so I could build a set of balanced DR's to compare.

[hyoshim]

Originally Posted by turbo chicken

is it the balanced thing that does it for you?

or the sound you get from them?

just curious

In my case, I went for a "traditional" not "balanced" and I like the tone AND the feel. I may try a "balanced set" and I may like it even more.

[NKBassman]

What's the dif between Balanced and Traditional?

[mmbongo]

Balanced has nearly equal tension on all the strings.

Traditional uses the gauges that they came up with back in what....the 60's? Notice how the tension is all over the place on a normal set of strings? Top strings are usually very tight, and bottom strings are very loose.

[NKBassman]

Cool, so do they tighten the lower strings, it loosen the higher strings?

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by NKBassman

Cool, so do they tighten the lower strings, it loosen the higher strings?

A little bit of both
I liked the tension best of the A string in the Sunbeams set, so I picked a set of Circle K's centered around that tension and it was the balanced .136

I normally use 45-100 sets (for the bottom 4). I'll deal with the B string seperately! If I were to go back to a normally packaged set, I would use 40-100. OR I would build a custom set of DR's at bassstringsonline.com

[lburton2]

I picked up the Circle K balanced set with low B at 136 as well.. Awesome feeling strings.. I have never played a more comfortable string.. However, the tonal balance in the strings wasn't really cutting it for me.. I've just re-strung my 5er with Elixir mediums.. and I may end up divorcing my Sunbeams for Elixirs.. :/

[WilliamSandoval]

Originally Posted by lburton2

I picked up the Circle K balanced set with low B at 136 as well.. Awesome feeling strings.. I have never played a more comfortable string.. However, the tonal balance in the strings wasn't really cutting it for me.. I've just re-strung my 5er with Elixir mediums.. and I may end up divorcing my Sunbeams for Elixirs.. :/

I've always wanted to try Elixirs. How are they?

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by lburton2

I picked up the Circle K balanced set with low B at 136 as well.. Awesome feeling strings.. I have never played a more comfortable string.. However, the tonal balance in the strings wasn't really cutting it for me.. I've just re-strung my 5er with Elixir mediums.. and I may end up divorcing my Sunbeams for Elixirs.. :/

My Spector actually came with Elixers (previous owner put them on)...I couldn't wait to get them off to install Sunbeams! Didn't like their sound at all on that bass. Just didn't have that Sunbeam 'sweetness' is what I call it...makes a fretted bass sound like a fretless.

[Rick Blanc]

Originally Posted by WilliamSandoval

I've always wanted to try Elixirs. How are they?

I love my Elixers. 5 string set with a 130 B thats tapered.
What I love about them is they sound like nicely broken in rounds. And they sound like that for what seems like forever. I also love the feel. Uncoated stainless steel feels very abrasive to me. The Elixers are very very smooth. Even slippery. With uncoated strings I have to get myself all worked up and break a sweat so my hands slide nicely on them but the Elixers are right there from the start.
Now back to your regularly scheduled Circle K thread.

[Rick Blanc]

Hey mmbongo,
You can fit a 136 in your Spector bridge? Are the Circle Ks tapered? I can't fit a 130 B in my Euro5LX so I've gone with tapered B strings.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by Rick Blanc

Hey mmbongo,
You can fit a 136 in your Spector bridge? Are the Circle Ks tapered? I can't fit a 130 B in my Euro5LX so I've gone with tapered B strings.

Yep, not a problem. The Circle K strings are tapered so they fit great. No problems at all on either end with a .136, but if it was a .137 I would have had to widen the nut The .136 just barely squeezed into the nut, which is of course brass so I won't go any bigger.

[Rick Blanc]

Cool. Thanks

[WilliamSandoval]

Originally Posted by Rick Blanc

I love my Elixers. 5 string set with a 130 B thats tapered.
What I love about them is they sound like nicely broken in rounds. And they sound like that for what seems like forever. I also love the feel. Uncoated stainless steel feels very abrasive to me. The Elixers are very very smooth. Even slippery. With uncoated strings I have to get myself all worked up and break a sweat so my hands slide nicely on them but the Elixers are right there from the start.
Now back to your regularly scheduled Circle K thread.

I'll have try them out. If they are good enough for John Paul Jones, then they must be good enough for me!

[lburton2]

I think they are a good responding string. Very balanced tone wise - regardless of what position you are on the neck. Good feel under the hands.. Good harmonic balance.. Great tone whether playing finger-style or slap. Also - The low B actually fit my MIM Jazz 5-string! (rarity).