Acoustic strings

[DanDBassist]

- Bronze (or copper) roundwounds are louder than anything else acoustically, but don't work so well on electric (magnetic-pickupped) instruments (only the steel core can be sensed by the pickups because bronze, used for the windings, is non-magnetic, as is pure copper);
"electric" strings (nickel- or steel-wound - the above-mentioned GHS PW Bronze are included, because only the outermost wrap is bronze, whereas the intermediate layers and core are steel) are less loud acoustically (not per se, but because copper or bronze have been proven to be the loudest);

- yes you can use either, because acoustic bass guitars have, well, hollow bodies, duh, and (not-so-duh) piezo pickups, which sense pressure (ferromagnetic content or lack thereof being irrelevant).
For example, the above-mentioned Thomastik-Infeld AB344 set - but also other similar, less expensive sets - have no steel nor nickel (core is nylon, wrap is bronze) but work great with piezos.
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Point #2 (use whatever you want)* having been established,

popular and strongly argued-for choices for ABGs are:
- bronze rounds (as comes stock) for a bright, downtuned-acoustic guitar tone; if you can find them, Elixir Nanoweb coated bass bronze strings are a little smoother than normal uncoated rounds
- nylon tapewounds (lower acoustic volume but a double-bassy tone)

People also use:
- their favourite "electric" rounds or, for less finger noise, processed rounds (pressurewounds, groundwounds aka semi-flats)
- flatwounds (similar to nylon tapes in that these are relatively quiet but reminiscent of upright bass in tone and feel)
- nyloncore rounds.

I've been using Savarez silverplated-copper nyloncores for some years, but am looking to try a new, nyloncore flatwound set by Galli.

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* [whatever you want, but within reason:
- very stiff strings would require some finagling of setup - a tighter truss-rod for a straighter neck, a lower bridge saddle - to achieve correct intonation (if at all possible);
- heavy-tension strings (which tend to also be stiff, see above) may cause behind-bridge top-bellying, bridge-lifting, or both.]

Some very good points made above. Especially about heavier gauge strings. Another good question is about how you plan to use the bass. If you want the ability to just have it handy for personal playing then use strings that are the most comfortable. And when and if you want to jam with others, the only way to be heard is to plug in.

 

[Ric5]

I just bought a cheap acoustic bass. It has a pickup.
The strings are rough. I want to change them. I go to the store and all strings state for electric guitar.
What makes them different. Can I use either. I plan to play mostly without an amp.
I am new to this so I would be thankful for any good advice
Bobby

here's a few options:

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[bassliner50]

Why are you recommending a set of acoustic guitar strings for someone with an acoustic bass?

In my haste, I midread the original post. Then I thought I had succesfully deleted my response. I stand here corrected.

 

[Tim Skaggs]

There are basically three choices of tones / sounds you have to choose from before you start looking at strings. (By the way, I'm not saying much that hasn't already been said, but maybe it's more concise, maybe it's not)

1) bright & articulate; you want your bass to have a bright ringing tone like a low frequency Martin D28 guitar. This is the phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, and some round wound electric bass string category.
Pros; bright, ringing, detailed tone. More acoustic volume.
Cons; finger noise, limited string life, once dead they are really dead.

2) clear defined tone with some bell-like ring; there are a LOT of strings that will work for this tone mostly because this tone covers a wide range. Nylon filament wound, nickel round wound, & some types of electric flat wound strings will get you this tone.
Pros: lots of choices, good string life, less finger noise, once dead might still sound somewhat OK.
Cons; often stiffer, surface feel might not be good for all.

3) Thump, no ring, short sustain, NOT bright; Nylon tape wound, steel & nickel flat wound, and nylon core strings along with some tone-roll off EQ will get you this tone.
Pros; long string life, no finger noise, old sounds as good or better than new.
Cons; one tone, can be stiff or floppy depending on type of string chosen, if you need brightness it's not available.

 

[N. Kentucky Bass]

There are basically three choices of tones / sounds you have to choose from before you start looking at strings. (By the way, I'm not saying much that hasn't already been said, but maybe it's more concise, maybe it's not)

1) bright & articulate; you want your bass to have a bright ringing tone like a low frequency Martin D28 guitar. This is the phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, and some round wound electric bass string category.
Pros; bright, ringing, detailed tone. More acoustic volume.
Cons; finger noise, limited string life, once dead they are really dead.

2) clear defined tone with some bell-like ring; there are a LOT of strings that will work for this tone mostly because this tone covers a wide range. Nylon filament wound, nickel round wound, & some types of electric flat wound strings will get you this tone.
Pros: lots of choices, good string life, less finger noise, once dead might still sound somewhat OK.
Cons; often stiffer, surface feel might not be good for all.

3) Thump, no ring, short sustain, NOT bright; Nylon tape wound, steel & nickel flat wound, and nylon core strings along with some tone-roll off EQ will get you this tone.
Pros; long string life, no finger noise, old sounds as good or better than new.
Cons; one tone, can be stiff or floppy depending on type of string chosen, if you need brightness it's not available.

These are good. However, how you hear these tones will depend on how large a body the bass has and how the sound is projected. The sound hole position varies by design -- most will push the sound away so you're not hearing what people in front of you are hearing. I've seen ABGs with an extra sound hole on the top side of the guitar, which really lets you hear the tone! I had a Taylor AB-1 where the sound hole was above the fingerboard and close to the top edge of the body, and it seemed easier to hear acoustically (plus it had a big body). You will probably hear different tones depending if the bass is fretless or fretted. And there's the issue of string setup and height above the bass body.

If you need to amplify the sound, a microphone should deliver what you're hearing acoustically. Piezo pickups, however, are a whole other topic. I hate the sound of piezos but some players like 'em. Just saying there isn't a clear formula to answer OP's questions. Some experimentation may be required.

 

[motoman]

I just tried Warwick Red Label strings and I'm very happy with them. The B string is very tight and the other strings have more tension on them than other brands I've tried they're also not very expensive so they're worth a try