who else here prefers high tension?

UPTHE1RON5 · #1 01-23-2008, 07:35 PM

i know i do. a lot of ppl on talkbass seem to see low tension as a good thing but i don't, i find it much easier to play without floppy strings. any one else agree?

unclekebm · #2 01-23-2008, 08:10 PM

i agree, been using fender 9050ml's on my AM deluxe P for 3 years...

Kael · #3 01-23-2008, 08:57 PM

Stainless steel hex core roundwounds for this guy. TI Jazz flats were comparable to a wet noodle.

MyUsernameHere · #4 01-23-2008, 09:05 PM

You got agreement from me brother. I hate low tension strings.

Justin Tuskey · #5 01-23-2008, 09:07 PM

i guess i am in this category as well, i havent put any high tension strings on my regular bass yet, but i had tapewounds on my fretless, and they were high tension and felt amazing. i also put high tension flats on my guitar and wow i love them (everyone else gets freaked out but that means they wont touch my instruments!)

BryanM · #6 01-23-2008, 09:15 PM

I play high-tension on pretty much all of my basses, and I keep the action pretty high on all my fretted basses. In regards to jusballs13's last post, what flats do you use on your guitar? I've got some (forget the brand) that I like the sound of, but the tension is ridiculous. It's an LP so the longer length and high-tension flats tend to make it pretty rough to play, but I usually downtune it and use it to play slide (the main reason I went flats on the guitar) so it's bearable.

jenderfazz · #7 01-23-2008, 09:26 PM

I pulled a near 180 about a year and a half ago, going from 40-95s to 50-105s. I prefer low-action/high-tension to high-action/low-tension and I got tired of fretbuzz and lack of sustain. I like having a wider range of dynamics to choose from. With light tension strings, my dynamics ranged from light to medium, while now I can still play lightly or dig in a lot. Especially with a pick, I prefer to dig in.

I can still appreciate low tension strings, but they don't suit my playing at the moment.

Justin Tuskey · #8 01-23-2008, 09:34 PM

they are Fender stainless flats. I love em, because they are perfect for the melodic chords i play. I usually drop it to a Dsus tuning and they sound perfect clean or with a little overdrive

colorblindbass · #9 01-23-2008, 09:37 PM

im a high tension man,

RS77LD's

110-50

Flatwound.

D'addario Chromes,

105-50
Flatwound.

Rota · #10 01-23-2008, 09:39 PM

I use Fender flats on my hollow body and Fender 7250M Hex-Core Nickel wounds on my ATK. High tension for the win. When my SX P shows up I'll most likely throw some Fender flats on it.

Phalex · #11 01-24-2008, 06:32 AM

Like I tell my wife: If it aint tight it aint worth a &$#*!

glwanabe · #12 01-24-2008, 07:07 AM

"I'll take highter tension for 2000 Alex."

"These flatwound bass strings are for those who seek tone, not for girly men"

"What are Fender 9050's Alex!"

"Right!, and with that you move into the lead and take control of the board, well done."

BryanM · #13 01-24-2008, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rota

I use Fender flats on my hollow body and Fender 7250M Hex-Core Nickel wounds on my ATK. High tension for the win. When my SX P shows up I'll most likely throw some Fender flats on it.

They sound amazing on the SX P, you will not be let down. I've got them on mine in 50-100s and man do they cut through.

stratovani · #14 01-24-2008, 02:12 PM

I've got 9050MLs on my Squier P, and I love the sound. The high tension was not a problem at all for me to get used to.

Darkstrike · #15 01-24-2008, 02:33 PM

I have high tension on some, low on others, different tools for different jobs.

+1 o flats on guitar, very cool, alhough I use Thomastic Jazz Flats on mine.

BeyondFiredUp · #16 01-26-2008, 09:08 AM

+1 for high tension and HEX core. i find it's much easier to play fast and articulate the notes. i like lower action and to have the high tension. floppy strings don't cut it for my style, and actually they hinder it.
i just put on a set of roto 77's 50-110 swingbass roundwounds (which are very high tension) on last night. a brand i hadn't used in awhile since experimenting with others and lighter gauges...i said to myself, why did i wait to do this??!!!

projectMalamute · #17 01-26-2008, 09:16 AM

Anything much less than a .45-.105 set doesn't feel right to me. Right now I'm using GHS flats 45-105, I've been known to use the Rotosound Jazz Bass set, which is like 50-110 or so.

MysticMichael · #18 01-26-2008, 10:33 AM

Absolutely. High-tension strings allow me to use a relatively light gauge, yet still keep the action nice and low without concern for too much fret buzz.

Such a set-up requires one to play with a soft touch and a good deal of manual dexterity. But it also allows one to play with much economy of motion - a very valuable capability indeed for certain styles of music...

MM

knuckle_head · #19 01-26-2008, 04:34 PM

I like that you can dig in harder - much more dynamic for me.

KrispyJones · #20 01-26-2008, 08:22 PM

hi guys ! i allways thought thiner strings are better for pick playing and easyer on the fingers ....
man was i wrong! i putted the stock fender 110 to 45 on and i have to say i love the tone and the way you can "hit" the strings !
they also are a bit stiffer which makes fast a lot easier !!!
thanks again guys !