Ok, here's the resulting recordings of my string comparisons:
http://www.putfile.com/gbagley
So far I've done clips of 4 different string sets:
DR Hi-Beams (almost a year old, with on and off use)
DR SunBeams
Ritter Black Knights
Status-Graphite Tapewounds
For the "Bridge Solo", "Center", "Neck Solo", and "Passive Mode" clips I played part of Jaco's Continuum, with the respective settings on the bass (blend between the pickups). And with the EQ all set flat.
The "Position Scales" clips are probably the best if you want to get a quick idea of how each string set sounds. I kept the pickups panned 50/50, but altered my picking hand position. So the first two scales are played right over the end of the neck, and the next two scales (same scales) are played over the bridge pickup. (for all the other fingerstyle clips I was picking inbetween the pickups).
For the tapping clip, I played the first part of Wooten's version of "Overjoyed". And for the slap clip, I played the start of Erykah Badu's "Stay".
For the mix clips, I recorded the bass with the pickups 50/50 and the EQ flat, in the mix of an original song I did bass for last year. For all the mix clips I kept the volume levels the exact same, so you can listen to how the overal volume of each string set compares as well.
Some of my general thoughts on the strings:
Right now I'm keeping the DR Hi-Beams on my Ken Lawrence bass. I've had them about a year now, with on and off use. So they're really nice and mellow. They sound killer and sit great in the mix. Plus they're super low tension and the best playing strings I've used. Featherlight action.
The Tapewounds are very cool. They're a standard gauge and very low tension. A bit less tension than the Hi-Beams I think. Probably because they use a lighter gauge to begin with so when they wrap the tape it comes out a standard gauge. They feel great. Super smooth and extremely flexible. Vibrato and little expressions on these strings come out so much better than on other strings. Tone is awesome. Kind of a cross between roundwounds and flatwounds. A little more mellow to start with, but from what I understand, that tone doesn't change significantly for years because of the tape. I greatly prefer the Status-Graphite tapewounds to the LaBellas I had for a while. Though LaBella is the only one who makes a tapwound "C" string, so I might get a single C from them and then use the Status-Graphites for the rest, if I ever need a 6-string set. Right now I have them on my DeArmond Pilot Deluxe and I think they'll be staying there.
The Ritter's are awesome strings. Definatly the "high-end" of the string world I'd say. They sound amazing for fingerstyle for a more modern tone. The only reason I don't prefer them is that the playability isn't as good as my Hi-Beams (though I don't think anything else can touch my Hi-Beams for playability
), and I've decided that black strings just don't look as good on my KL. Eventually I'll pick up a set of the regular Swordsteels, since I'd like to try them out with the tapered B and E.
So there ya go. Hope some of you can find that stuff useful
