Strings Similar to Sadowsky Blues?

[Noisicerp]

The best strings I've ever played on were Sadowsky Blues Stainless Steel, unfortunately, the nearest Sadowsky dealer is 2+ hrs away and I don't have time before my next show to order them online. Anybody know of any more common strings similar to them? We're playing a lot of Phish and Chili Peppers, so I need them bright for slapping, but also some Cream and Led Zep so I need the low end decent as well. Thanks!

[mmbongo]

Not sure how similar they are, but DR FatBeams are the best stainless strings I've played. HiBeams are a good choice as well, you should be able to find one or the other locally.

[Jim Carr]

What strings are available to you on short notice?

[madbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

What strings are available to you on short notice?

This is the question!

What is available to you? Recommending a set that is similar but not available to you would be counter productive.

[datsaxguy]

Dunlop nickels

[KJung]

If available, the DR Lo Rider Steels are somewhat similar... aggressive and grindy in the upper mids, nice and big down low, and relatively stiff. The DR Fat BEams and Hi Beams are a totally different thing, and almost the opposite in feel and tone (i.e., smooth, slinky feeling, relatively low tension, and a dip in the upper mids).

While they don't last as long, the Dunlop Steels would get you through the night, and also have a bit of that aggressive upper mid response in their voicing, and a relatively tight feel.

If you have a 5 string bass, you will have to adjust your B string saddle, since none of these strings has the articulated winding on the B String like the Sadowsky.

[chinjazz]

Originally Posted by KJung

If available, the DR Lo Rider Steels are somewhat similar... aggressive and grindy in the upper mids, nice and big down low, and relatively stiff. The DR Fat BEams and Hi Beams are a totally different thing, and almost the opposite in feel and tone (i.e., smooth, slinky feeling, relatively low tension, and a dip in the upper mids).

While they don't last as long, the Dunlop Steels would get you through the night, and also have a bit of that aggressive upper mid response in their voicing, and a relatively tight feel.

If you have a 5 string bass, you will have to adjust your B string saddle, since none of these strings has the articulated winding on the B String like the Sadowsky.

Interesting!

I must have missed the boat on other threads somewhere here on TB. I just switched my Nordy vJ5 classic off the Dunlop Nickel plated steels back to high beams mainly because there was some depth or mid bump that seemed missing to me. DR stainless just seems more lively in the meat and potatoes zone (first 7 frets).

Do Sadowsky Blues have a better focused B string than DR High Beam or Low Riders?

Cheers!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by chinjazz

Interesting!

I must have missed the boat on other threads somewhere here on TB. I just switched my Nordy vJ5 classic off the Dunlop Nickel plated steels back to high beams mainly because there was some depth or mid bump that seemed missing to me. DR stainless just seems more lively in the meat and potatoes zone (first 7 frets).

Do Sadowsky Blues have a better focused B string than DR High Beam or Low Riders?

Cheers!

Not sure about 'focused', but definitely different than the High Beams (that round core really results in the Hi Beams being a very different feel and tone... soft feel, low tension, sweet top end, dip in the upper mids, big bottom with more open tone than 'punchy meat' IMO and IME). More low mid/first harmonic 'meat', and MUCH more upper mid content, which results in the B string 'grinding' a bit if you want it to (and have a rig that reproduces it). Also, tighter tension.

The Lo Riders are a bit more similar to the Sadowsky Blues to me in feel and tone.

The Sadowsky B, again, is 'articulated, so will require a set-up (saddle lift and intonation tweak) if you go there.

[chinjazz]

Originally Posted by KJung

Not sure about 'focused', but definitely different than the High Beams (that round core really results in the Hi Beams being a very different feel and tone... soft feel, low tension, sweet top end, dip in the upper mids, big bottom with more open tone than 'punchy meat' IMO and IME). More low mid/first harmonic 'meat', and MUCH more upper mid content, which results in the B string 'grinding' a bit if you want it to (and have a rig that reproduces it). Also, tighter tension.

The Lo Riders are a bit more similar to the Sadowsky Blues to me in feel and tone.

The Sadowsky B, again, is 'articulated, so will require a set-up (saddle lift and intonation tweak) if you go there.

Thanks for the expanded detail. Would you say that the Sadowsky B is sort of like an MTD exposed core ss? My reference to that string was of about 5 years ago when that was all I played....

Thanks!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by chinjazz

Thanks for the expanded detail. Would you say that the Sadowsky B is sort of like an MTD exposed core ss? My reference to that string was of about 5 years ago when that was all I played....

Thanks!

I used the MTD steels on my MTD, but that bass had such a strong voice, and such a huge low end, that I can't really say what the impact of the string was versus the extreme active electronics and unusual wood combination (wenge neck) in that bass. So, no help there, sorry.

Also, I don't think the MTD B (if I'm remembering right) is 'exposed core'. It is more of an articulated (i.e., reduced) winding over the saddle like the Sadowsky.