Smooth feeling, very bright roundwound?

mmbongo · #1 11-03-2011, 12:47 PM

I'm looking for a very smooth, very bright roundwound. I prefer nickel because of the smooth feel, but if there is a coated or stainless string that's just as smooth then throw it out there!

Just an FYI to let you know where I'm coming from stringwise...I use DR and Circle K on most everything. So if they are not as smooth feeling as those, I'm not interested. It's just that in this case, on this one bass, Sunbeams or Nickel LoRiders are not quite bright enough. I have not tried Circle K on THIS bass yet.

The ones I'm looking at:
Ken Smith Burners
Sadowsky Black Label
GHS Progressives
LaBella Slappers (or whatever they are now)
RotoSound RS66 Nickels
Elixir
Curt Mangan

And like I said..I'm open to ideas. Other than Mangan and Elixir, I've never used any of the above strings at all.

I currently have a set of Rotosound Rotobass strings on it...they are not bad. Just wish they were a hair smoother and a hair brighter.

I L O V E the sound of DR FatBeams on this bass, but I need something a little higher tension and a little smoother feeling.

Any ideas are welcome!

AmadeusXeno · #2 11-03-2011, 04:45 PM

You could try the DR color strings. They are just coated Highbeams. I've used them before and they have a pretty bright tone to them. The coating helps them last longer too. They lasted me 3x longer then uncoated DR's

SLaPiNFuNK · #3 11-03-2011, 05:01 PM

DR Colored strings and all K3 Coated strings are Nickel Plated Steel over Round Cores...

So they are more like SUNBEAMS.

However, the Black Beauty Tapered B Strings are Stainless Steel Tapered over Hex Cores... (Like Long Necks)

mmbongo · #4 11-03-2011, 05:41 PM

Yeah the round core DR's are my normal go-to string, but on THIS bass I need something a little higher tension. Black Beauties were the first strings I tried. Great strings, just not exactly what I'm looking for on this bass. It's pretty dark.

Essen · #5 11-03-2011, 06:21 PM

Rotosound Solo Bass! Very smooth, and very bright.
Smoothest roundwounds I've ever played!

mmbongo · #6 11-03-2011, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essen

Rotosound Solo Bass! Very smooth, and very bright.
Smoothest roundwounds I've ever played!

I thought SoloBass were pressure wound? I've never used them though. So they are bright like stainless rounds?

Essen · #7 11-03-2011, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

I thought SoloBass were pressure wound? I've never used them though. So they are bright like stainless rounds?

Yup, my bad.
They were very bright, but not brittle. I use D'addario Pro Steels mostly, and the Roto's where pretty much just as bright, only they felt a lot better.

darkstorm · #8 11-03-2011, 06:46 PM

DR hibeams would be my suggestion. Brighter then sunbeams. The neons are a little brighter then sunbeams, but hibeams would be brightest.

mmbongo · #9 11-03-2011, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkstorm

DR hibeams would be my suggestion. Brighter then sunbeams. The neons are a little brighter then sunbeams, but hibeams would be brightest.

Thanks man, already tried them though. Like I said...they sound great, just need something smoother feeling and higher tension.

cableguy · #10 11-03-2011, 07:01 PM

I'd try the Circle K's on the bass since you already seem to like them on your others.

mmbongo · #11 11-03-2011, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cableguy

I'd try the Circle K's on the bass since you already seem to like them on your others.

Tried them today! Didn't like them on this bass.

I think now the list in my original post are the only strings in existence that I have not had on this bass

EagleMoon · #12 11-03-2011, 07:14 PM

How about D'Addario ProSteels? I usually use those on basses that need more tension than DR HiBeams, which I usually use on everything.

mmbongo · #13 11-03-2011, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EagleMoon

How about D'Addario ProSteels? I usually use those on basses that need more tension than DR HiBeams, which I usually use on everything.

Tried them too. Didn't like them. Not a D'Addario fan

If you need more tension than HiBeams, try LoRiders!

mmbongo · #14 11-03-2011, 07:38 PM

I guess maybe I'm after something that doesn't exist.

I need the smoothness of a compression wound nickel, with the bite of stainless steel.

I'm thinking it's going to have to be something out of the ordinary, like Elixer (coated, and the best B string I've ever had on this bass) or GHS Progressives (never used them...but I've read they are smooth feeling and bright sounding).

If I'm going to use stainless, I'll just stick with my FatBeams/HiBeams. They are the smoothest steels I've found.