What strings for Acoustic Bass Guitar?

[DJ Bebop]

What are you kids using for ABG strings?

And if your using something other than the Phosphor Bronze sort of thing, what are you using and how is it working.

As an example, it is said that Jaco used Rotosounds on an Acoustic bass guitar but, I didn't hear how that worked for him.
May not know for a while.

Anyhow. Let me know what you kids came up with.

Thanks in advance!

[jallenbass]

Rotosound Trubass 88 tapewounds. Working very well thank you.

[fretlessguy]

GHS Precision Flats, .40-.95. Wonderful tone. Low tension is less stress on those tops that ABGs have.

[SMILEYSIXX]

A friend of mine used rotosound 66's. They sounded amazing!

[DJ Bebop]

Do the other strings you all are using increase the acoustic volume any, and do they help the ABG sound more like a bass and less like a big acoustic guitar? Or is that not going to happen?

[dmusic148]

ANY type of string will work, or not, depending on how you would like them to sound.
Strings that you like on Electric will work just fine.

[DJ Bebop]

Cool,
I just thought (there I go again, thinking) that one needed the Phosphor Bronze things, but I find the sound too guitar like.

I'm trying to get away from that.

I guess I'll go thru the string stash and see what is what.

[jallenbass]

Originally Posted by DJ Bebop

Do the other strings you all are using increase the acoustic volume any, and do they help the ABG sound more like a bass and less like a big acoustic guitar? Or is that not going to happen?

Bronze are the loudest that I have heard. The tapes on mine still make it sound like a big acoustic guitar but much more like a big classical guitar.

[DJ Bebop]

Originally Posted by jallenbass

Bronze are the loudest that I have heard. The tapes on mine still make it sound like a big acoustic guitar but much more like a big classical guitar.

Well, it's a beginning. I like the sound of classical guitars over steel string guitars.

[ThudThudThud]

I have been using Ernie Ball Regular Slinky on mine for years. It came (back in the early 90s) with Martin Bronze, but they discoloured quickly (must be my chemical make up). The sound was a little too like a piano for my liking. Plus, the tension was odd. With the EB on there, it's not as loud acoustically, but the feel and sound is 'buttah'! I practice most of the time on my ABG. The neck is more P in feel than my Jazz, plus I'm forced to use the floating thumb method. I find it builds my speed up when I play my J. Plus, I really, really love the sound of my ABG. I used to gig with it (with folky singer songwriter girl) through a little Fender Princeton Reverb (and a little SABDDI). Marvelous sound.

[4Mal]

LaBella tapewounds on my Tacoma. Excellent string to string balance and very warm. Not inexpensive but really darned good

[MNAirHead]

ghs tapes.. they're the thinnest

[MD]

LaBella tapes on 2 ABG's for 4-6 years. I haven't felt the need to try anything else. They last a long time, and cost $19.00 from Carvin.

[anonymous122511]

TI Flats for many years. Being similar in construction to Spirocores they always seemed to give the modern steel string double bass sound more than any other string.