What are the most brilliant and grindy SS strings out there?

[sratas]

So, my mayo neck-trough is a great bass, but finally I like a more adgy, grindy and aggressive tone even if I do not play classical rock.I tried DR sunbeams nickel (wonderful mids, nor enough highs), DR low-riders (bad match) and DR SS highbeam. The latter ones do have a pleasant edge that disappears rather quickly after some usage. Theu still sound decent, but in a relativaly full and dark sounding bass, they still leave something else to desire.
So, do you know other brand/strings, stainless steel, low-tension, flexible (DR highbeams are nice in this), but GRINDY and BRILLIANT, last at least can stay this way for a reasonable amount of time?
Any info is greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind that I live in Italy, so keep the discussion only on widely distributed brands avoiding not exported ones, if you can.

[Duckwater]

Rotosound SS 66s are the best strings for getting this tone IMO, but they lose that edge after a very short amount of playing time (They still sound great once they break in, but they lose a lot of their signature sound). Dean Markley Blue Steels can come close, they are very brilliant and grindy with a powerful midrange and they're quite easy to play and last a while. Circle K's can get pretty aggressive with low action, and they stay bright for a REALLY long time, I've had mine on for months now and I haven't noticed their tone change at all since I put them on.

[jmattbassplaya]

Hi-beams definitely don't capture that sound. They are rather 'brilliant and clear' strings, but they don't do the aggressive thing that well (even on my StingRay). TBH, I haven't found any SS strings to do the aggressive thing that well. I think Dunlop Nickles do a good job at capturing that sound at a very reasonable price, but they lose their aggressiveness rather quickly (similar to EB strings). My StingRay and Bongo LOVED them, but those are rather aggressive basses by nature.

[rockstarbassist]

I see you have 2 Warwicks:
if you want grind, pretty much throw any set of SS strings on either of those basses and that will help a lot. I don't know what the bass is in your OP but it could be it's just not made for that.
Lo Riders both the SS and nickel grind pretty well for me. Hi Beams, definitely not as much.

I'd say CK's but again you're international so there's that.

Also I like Blue Steels but they aren't exactly "long lasting" IME.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

+1 For Dean Markley Blue Steels, bright, last long, consistent feel and tension, The silk doesnt fray much if you clean them, 22ish$, and can still be tamed for "softer" styles. My favorite SS right now.

Other "commonly available" choices I've tried

Rotosound 66's, IMO have a stronger mid, less zing and shorter life. Definitly an edgy aggressive string. They dont feel any rougher than other SS strings to me.

GHS contact cores, Not nearly as bright as expected, good mids, even feel, low price but require a lot of bridge adjustments.

D'addario Pro Steels, IMO are the worst strings on the market. Boom and clank, absolutly no mids, more finger noise than any other string I've used, extremely rough to the touch, Different tension from string to string, and sounded like a WannaBe Honda race car when played fast. Every other type of string D'addario makes is Great FWIW.

[steamthief]

Roto 66.

[NKBassman]

I love Rotosound RS66.

[Curmei]

Originally Posted by Lowactnsatsfctn

+1 For Dean Markley Blue Steels, bright, last long, consistent feel and tension, The silk doesnt fray much if you clean them, 22ish$, and can still be tamed for "softer" styles. My favorite SS right now.

Other "commonly available" choices I've tried

Rotosound 66's, IMO have a stronger mid, less zing and shorter life. Definitly an edgy aggressive string. They dont feel any rougher than other SS strings to me.

GHS contact cores, Not nearly as bright as expected, good mids, even feel, low price but require a lot of bridge adjustments.

D'addario Pro Steels, IMO are the worst strings on the market. Boom and clank, absolutly no mids, more finger noise than any other string I've used, extremely rough to the touch, Different tension from string to string, and sounded like a WannaBe Honda race car when played fast. Every other type of string D'addario makes is Great FWIW.

Another +1 for Blue Steels. They were the main string I used for twenty years, till I got old and started looking for a less aggressive sound. You can get them pretty cheaply, too, if you look around.

[tappel]

If you're in Italy, you certainly can get Galli strings. The Magic Sound set is stainless steel.

[Kevin67]

La Bella M50M Stainless Balanced set . I converted to these from Roto's and they are now my #1 string . Buy a set and try em you will love them .

[Duckwater]

La Bella stainless are seriously underrated, they have awesome tone even when they get old and dead.

[ZanaZulu807]

I recommend Lo-Riders as well, even though mine recently broke on me (2 strings within a day! And they weren't even 3 months old!), but it was my fault as I'm an aggressive, string bending mofo. I'm currently using GHS Bass Boomers, they're pretty cheap and can put out some beefy tones. I'm also hearing great things about Fodera stainless strings as well, might grab a set of those when I get more Lo-Riders.

[Kevin67]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

La Bella stainless are seriously underrated, they have awesome tone even when they get old and dead.

+1

[G.Bisson]

GHS Boomers and Roto 66's are the two strings I use most often. On my basses, the Boomers are more grindy and metallic than the 66's. Boomers are also cheaper and more readily available then Rotos. Although Boomers have the shortest life of any strings I have experienced.

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by Duckwater

La Bella stainless are seriously underrated, they have awesome tone even when they get old and dead.

Good to know. They are the next SS strings I want to try.

[chaosMK]

+1 Blue Steels

I use Lo-Riders 90% of the time, Blue Steel are my second choice. They last a reasonable amount of time, but not as long as my Lo-Riders usually do.

[keiththebassist]

I use DR Lowriders and love them once they tune up but seems to lose some of that metallic zing that I love so much after only a couple weeks. I put SIT's on my 6 string and everybody in the band was commenting on it, There was so much dirty grind my guitar player could not stop talking about it. But that bass has a different Pup configuration and whatnot so I'm gonna string up a four set and see if the strings are really giving me that tone or if it has to do with the bass I'm playing, it's an extremely inexpensive bass so I'm hoping it's just magical SIT strings...

[agreatheight]

IMO, aggressive strings could include:

Lo-riders
Blue Steels
GHS Boomers
R Cocco

If you tried the Lo's and didn't care for them, try the Blue Steels next?

[pbass888]

I play finger style jazz and fusion in every thing from duos to big bands and find after the roto's
Prosteels and fat beams
Ghs contact cores
Lo riders
Labella steels

I like the higher tension of prosteels but like the long life of dr fat beams, but I get 2 pro's for each fat beam from bass strings online... So more often then not I've been using prosteels.
Good luck!

[smogg]

Another +1 for Blue Steels, very bright & grindy with a lot of snap. They were my string of choice through the metal years. 2nd choice would be Roto 66's.

Now I use nickel rounds (on a hex core) exclusively. Tamer out of the box and easier on the fingers in my old age.