Thinner strings = Snappier sound?

[Asomodai]

Hey guys. Ive been playing bass for a number of years now. I have allways used reasonably heavy strings 115-50's

However I have gone away from the low end bass sound and i love a sound with lots of mids and treble a-la geddy lee.

The stock strings that came with my Geddy lee jazz bass, are pretty thick, After the first use of it they started to sound really dull like any other bass strings.

My question being, If i got thinner strings would they keep sounding snappy like new strings? I mean i know they would get duller but not new thick strings seem to sound more bassy.

[Dincrest]

On the other hand, you don't want to go too light either, or it will sound twangy/nasally and less bass-ish. Unless you use halfrounds like SIT Silencers. I use those 45-100 and they have a deep tone.

The answer to most questions is DR Hi-beams. Try them with a more standard 45-105 gauge. They start off really bright and clangy, but they mellow out into something really incredible after a month or two. Last a freakishly long time too.

[bigd4207]

There's a couple things to consider. Different basses work better with different strings. I use 45-105 Ernie Ball Flatwounds on my esp, but when I tried to put them on my Ibanez, it was just too much. It didn't accentuate the bass like the stockers did, which are probably mediums, which I have never used. So...I put the stockers back on, I believe they are Elixer Nanoweb, but yes lighter strings do give a lot snappier sound, much easier to slap and pop with, less tension so it makes sense.

[DavePlaysBass]

I think lighter gauge strings are more "open" on in the higher registers. If you go to thick things get dark and boomy. If you go to thin your tone loses punch and cut. I have set of 40-100 Hard Rockin' Steels on my Sadowsky that sound good all the way across.

Dave