Recommendations for dark punk strings. Help.

[tzadik]

Hey, I broke my A-string last night for the first time. w00h00, I am finally becoming a woman. Anyway, I happened to have extras, (even though the dude at the shop told me not to bother - that bass players NEVER break strings!) so I threw a cheap-o no name piece-of-crap string on there. It sounds tinny and miserable.

It's a p-bass and it is capable of a very decent tone. I need to get some real strings for it. I used to play fretless (jazz) so I really don't know anythign about roundwounds or good strings for punk/alternative type music.

Any recommendations? Personal experiences? What did you like about certain brands you've used?

Thanks!

[Gothax]

DR Lo-riders? I assume you play with a pick? Lo riders have higher tension so they won't "wobble" all the time. anyway, just check out a few brands every 'x' months, and after trying, and trying, and trying strings..you will find your 'ultimate' brand/type.

for me, it was D'addario (though I don't have dads on my Precision)

[Doctor J]

Rotosounds and a P bass. Listen to The Stanglers and tell me that's not the greatest punk tone you've ever heard

[dougjwray]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

Rotosounds and a P bass. Listen to The Stanglers and tell me that's not the greatest punk tone you've ever heard

Yes!!
(Although Rotosounds on a P-Bass aren't necessarily "dark"...)

[Calaverasgrande]

for a dark punk sound I think half rounds or ground wounds would be your cup of tea. I personally like a jazz bass withround wounds ala Klaus Fluoride/Dead Kennedys or Rob Wright/NOMEANSNO

[JcHc]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

Rotosounds and a P bass. Listen to The Stanglers and tell me that's not the greatest punk tone you've ever heard

i love rotosounds, last long, and nice and bright

[HELLonWheels187]

If your breaking strings don't get rotosounds they will last you 2 weeks and then you will have to post this same thread again. If you play a higher gauge I would recommend Ernie Ball strings. If not you can't go wrong with DR strings.

[phat5]

GHS Pressure Wounds! Punchy, dark, distinct and LOUD! They're plentiful and inexpensive at juststrings.com
Best ground wound I have ever tried.

[SherpaKahn]

Hey Xar, I'd agree with the compression-wound or ground-wound idea. I just strung up my bass with some Ken Smith Slicks (groundwound), and they sound really...deep, but with a lot of snap as you work your way up the neck, so if you need to have dark sounds coming off the G string, I'm not sure you'd want to. Also, mine are Medium-light gauge, so maybe medium gauge would resolve that a bit. Good luck!

-Stephen

P.S. An added bonus with slicks: NO finger noise! None! It's amazing, they feel much like flatwounds, and you can crank up the treble and zip your hands up and down the neck all you like, and you won't get that scraping zinging noise of roundwounds.

P.P.S. Ken Smith Compressors and Slicks are on sale at Samash.com for $13 a set, if you can mailorder them.

[SherpaKahn]

Okay, I just tried actually settig the tone knobs on my bass at center, and without a doubt, the bass sounds really deep. I dunno about "dark", but it sounds "fat". Maybe the Compressors will sound more bitey.