Optima (Maxima) Gold strings

chanson · #1 09-09-2009, 05:29 PM

I have just recently discovered these beauties and have read as much as I can about them (I've searched) and was wondering if anyone has any light to shed on them for me. I have heard good things about them, but I was wondering if the extra cost is justified by more than just cool gold strings. I have heard they sound good and have good life, but do they sound better and last longer than other strings that are less than half the price? I've been thinking about trying them out but would like to get input before I drop $60-100 on a set of strings

Darkstrike · #2 09-09-2009, 05:34 PM

I have a set on a bass with over a year now, pretty dead, but still useable, lasted much longer than most strings though.

Pretty high tension, espcially for rounds.

chanson · #3 09-09-2009, 05:43 PM

Would you recommend checking them out then?

Darkstrike · #4 09-09-2009, 05:46 PM

Most certaintly would, long as you can handle high tension strings, their 100's are a bit tighter than most 105's.

Great tone, unique feel, and they do look great.

chanson · #5 09-09-2009, 05:50 PM

I'm a bit unsure if I want to try them. I'm not a fan of high tension but it might but worth a shot.

ThaLowEndTheory · #6 09-09-2009, 06:05 PM

Wow those are pricey. If you are just after the gold look, maybe take a look at these.
http://accessories.musiciansfriend.c...ELAID=80899600 I have some on my jazz bass.

garp · #7 09-09-2009, 06:06 PM

I will confess that I initially put a set of Optima Maxima gold roundwounds on my MIM Standard Jazz purely for cosmetic reasons. But now that I’ve been playing them for about two years, I can attest to the fact that they do sound great and have held up rather nicely.

chanson · #8 09-09-2009, 06:13 PM

garp, how would you compare them to other stings that are $20-40 a set?

garp · #9 09-09-2009, 06:25 PM

Sonically and tension-wise, I would say they’re comparable to the Fender Super Bass 7250ML strings that I’m currently using on my other Jazzes. I can’t say that the Optima Maximas are worth the premium pricing, but I do like the way they look on this particular Jazz.

Meatrus · #10 09-10-2009, 05:13 AM

I tried them around 6 months ago, they may last a long time sounding the same, but they sounded quite dull out the packet to me.

They sounded a bit like black beauties except not as mellow, and with a bit more thud. I personally hated them, but thats just my opinion. I would say though if you are after some bright strings don't bother. The high tension stuff is very true also, but I guess you could try a light gauge.

They did look great though.

RAM · #11 09-11-2009, 05:17 AM

I used to use them, pretty much exclusively for about a year or two. I did find them pretty expensive, which is why I stopped using them. All-in-all, though, I found them to last about as long as nickel strings, maybe a touch more. From what I remember they were a bit warmer than steel but still had a bit of a bite - more than nickel. They also felt a bit softer than steel strings - closer to nickel.

I think they're worth a try if you like nickel strings, but if you're a steel round wound kind of player, you might find they're not quite bright enough.

GBassNorth · #12 09-30-2009, 08:21 AM

I've been using the Optima round wounds on my 5 string for a little over a year now. Love the looks and the initial sound. I found them to be comparable to DR Black Beauties in warmth with maybe a little more top end. On the down side they did discolor a bit where I play the most (first position). They held their sound for about 9 months (probably 8 hrs play time a week) then suddenly went dead over night.
At about $125 a set I'm ready to try an alternate to see if I can get near the sound and look at a better price. I think there is a string maker called Aurora that has gold strings. Does anyone have feedback on them or other gold string suppliers?

Darkstrike · #13 09-30-2009, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GBassNorth

At about $125 a set I'm ready to try an alternate to see if I can get near the sound and look at a better price.

Ok, at that price, no way in hell I'd reccomend them, didn't realize they costed that much there, I'm getting them for like 40€, which is a good price.

chanson · #14 09-30-2009, 10:05 AM

You can get them new on ebay for $60 a set

lunarpollen · #15 09-30-2009, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chanson

You can get them new on ebay for $60 a set

Yes, eBay does seem to be the best place to find these strings for fairly reasonable prices.

GBassNorth · #16 09-30-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chanson

You can get them new on ebay for $60 a set

Actually for my 5 string bass the set from Ebay seller Astrings is $81.49. That's better than the $125 from Juststrings but still nearly twice what I pay for DRs or Chromes and nearly 3 times what I pay for regular strings. I do like the Optimas, I'm just looking for a cheaper alternative if there is one. So far I haven't seen any other gold 5 string sets other than Aurora, which I've never heard of before so I don't know if they're any good.

dorfmeister · #17 09-30-2009, 07:12 PM

Has anyone tried the flatwounds?

Fealach · #18 09-30-2009, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorfmeister

Has anyone tried the flatwounds?

Yes. Let me say first: I hate flats. Hate the feel, hate the sound. FI've tried them a few times over the years from different makers, and every time they just seem lifeless. If I pick up a bass that has flats on it, my initial reaction is "ick," followed by a wave of pity for the poor bass. I know plenty of people love them, and I'm not debating the merits of them, just letting you know where I'm coming from.

I liked the Optima flats. Very smooth sounding. They gave my fretless a mellow, jazz/blues tone (that's the best I can describe it). I didn't keep them on long because that tone absolutely did not work with the aggressive rock music I was playing, but it seemed to me that for other styles of music they would be great. I found myself noodling little jazzy improvs at practice while waiting for the drummer or guitar player to get done with whatever screwing around and knob tweaking they "had to do" between songs. This drove them mad; maybe I should keep a set on a cheap fretless just to annoy them.

I have the rounds, 95 I believe, on my Mouradian. Initially because they looked cool with the gold hardware, but I like the sound. Not as bright as steels, but they have been consistently good. After 4 years they could finally stand to be changed, but I can still get some mileage out of them by boosting the treble. I think they were around $50 when I bought them, I expect they've gone up since then. This isn't a bass I play every day, or even every week, but even so 4 years is quite a while.

GBassNorth · #19 10-01-2009, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorfmeister

Has anyone tried the flatwounds?

I have not tried them but I have heard them and they did sound very nice. I originally wanted the gold flats for my 5 string but unfortunately they didn't make the flats in a 5 string set, so I wen't with rounds. Like the sound, like the looks, like the lifespan but don't like the price.

dorfmeister · #20 10-01-2009, 02:58 PM

Thanks for the responses about the flatwounds. Has anyone compared them to Pyramid Golds? Those are my flats of choice right now.