Anyone else disappointed with GHS Boomers ?

[booch29]

Although I love GHS strings (especially the p flats and pressurewounds), I feel the same way about the boomers- feel like stainless steel on your hands...
But I know flea has been using them for a long time and a few high caliber bassists...so I guess it’s a matter of taste after all...
I found the Dunlop Nickels are great!!!

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I've never liked Boomers. Or to be more presise: I like how they sound in that ultra-short period when they're starting to lose some zing but before they go all dull and... boomy. But that period is more like days than weeks.

I don't understand the following though:

The tone is more high mids to high with less bottom end

Boomers are all about low mids and not enough high mids IMO. Too dark and muddy for my taste and I normally like dark/warm sounding strings.

In fact, once they're broken in I actually find Boomers to be darker than a set of broken in GHS Balanced Nickels. The BNs have a lot more clarity. The Boomers are just dark and muddy when broken in and they get there FAST. If I want that level of dark I'd rather use flats (or other rounds that have a nicer broken in "dead" sound).

But lots of people like Boomers so it's always a matter or personal taste of course, there's no right or wrong here.

 

[Claymore]

I thought Boomers actually started sounding worse as they broke in. That's why I stopped using them. And they loose their edge a lot faster than most brands.

 

[Chipit]

I have been using Pressurewounds on my Fender PJ, Jazz, and Spector for the 5 years. Mostly because the rounds I have used in the past really tore up my fingers if I didn’t play every day. They do sound more like flats than rounds though. No zing, no finger noise.
I was recently part of a discussion online with Lee Sklar, where he talked about GHS Super Steels being his go-to strings, so last week I decided to give regular rounds another shot. Didn’t want to go all the way to stainless, so went with Boomers and put them on my Spector. Very little finger noise, lots of tone options, and didn’t tear up my callouses. I’m doing a recording of Sheryl Crows A Change will Do You Good with one of my bands this week and really needed the punchy growl of the Spector. I think it will sit in the mix perfectly with the Boomers.
I liked the tone and feel so much, I decided to order a set of D'Addario EXL170's just to compare to the Boomers. I’ll probably put them on my passive PJ since I play that the most, and see how the two sets change over time.
Then I have to decide which ones will go on my active/passive Jazz. My Jazz probably has the widest range of tone options for me, so it will be interesting.
Following...

 

[Fender4Me]

To be honest, Ive only played the Boomers for about 45 minutes but Ive been playing long enough to know how new strings sound. I think what happens is that we get use to a sound in our head that our favorite strings have and anything else doesnt sound right.
I'll spend some time with them today and report back.

 

[BobDeRosa]

There is no better example than this thread to demonstrate that almost everything about bass playing is subjective -- a matter of personal opinion. Love Boomers/Hate Boomers. Love XLs/Hate XLs. The same goes for basses, amps, cabs, pickups and even pick guards. Just opinions, based on individual sets of standards. One of the best favors we can do for ourselves is to learn to trust our own judgment because that's the only one that counts.

 

[michael_t]

I like strings that stay bright and IME GHS aren't great at that.

I tend to prefer the sound and feel of "well broken-in" strings over the sound and feel of "fresh new strings". I've enjoyed using GHS strings because they always sound their best when broken in and stay in that broken-in state for a long time, including the Boomers. GHS seems to know how to design bass strings by putting the lean bass meat where it counts.

The Boomers are not for everybody - certainly not for those who crave for zingy brightness.

 

[michael_t]

When I tried the regular Boomers a few years ago, I didn't think they were anything special or extraordinary - just a run-of-the-mill NPS roundwound.

Then I tried the Round Core Boomers... Now there's something special!

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

I used nothing but Boomers for a long time, once I started ramping up my playing time playing/practicing in a band for extended periods multiple times a week, they didn’t seem to last very long. I eventually moved to DR Fat Beams and never looked back, I have tried other strings and Fat Beams do it for me, I love those strings!

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Sounded good on my PJ for a short time (maybe 15-20 hours of playing time), then it was a steep spiral downward as far as clarity goes. Some people dig that "broken-in" roundwound tone/sound... I'm not one of them.

Got some DR High Beams coming in the mail today and I'm anxious to see if they will be to my liking.

 

[LanEvo]

I love Boomers on short-scale Gibsons, like my old '69 Les Paul Bass. They seem to balance out the tone and add a bit of "honk" to the mids. But I haven't noticed the same magic on regular 34"-scale basses.

For a Jazz Bass, I still love DR strings. Pretty much any of them sound great, though I'm partial to Sunbeams. Their old Jonas Hellborg signature set was pretty cool, too.

 

[Snaxster]

Anyone else disappointed with GHS Boomers ?

...I have to say, so far, they are the worse strings I have ever tried.

The tone is more high mids to high with less bottom end.

Not disappointed, since I didn't expect to play them and had no expectations of them. But I had the same impressions as yours about their sound.

As with many things, and as replies here show, Boomers are for some players and not for others.

 

[Tom Baker]

I put boomers on a Warwick FNA and liked them but then put the same strings on Ken Smith and hated them. Maybe they aren't a good fit for that bass. I've had that type of experience with multiple brands, even TI's. You just have to find the right string for any given bass, it isn't one string fits all.

 

[Root 5]

I used to use their guitar strings, they always sounded awesome fresh out of the box, but after a few days of playing, and not really an excessive amount either, they went dead and lost their fresh ripping sound, haven't used them in decades

I have to agree with this. I have used many sets of Boomers on electric guitar and they didn’t last long. I love GHS Nickel Rockers. As for bass, their Pressurewounds, Precision Flats, Balanced Nickels and tapewounds are terrific

 

[john_g]

There is no better example than this thread to demonstrate that almost everything about bass playing is subjective -- a matter of personal opinion. Love Boomers/Hate Boomers. Love XLs/Hate XLs. The same goes for basses, amps, cabs, pickups and even pick guards. Just opinions, based on individual sets of standards. One of the best favors we can do for ourselves is to learn to trust our own judgment because that's the only one that counts.

You know, I dont like your statement.

=)

I really like the round core Boomers. But Im not a fan of Daddarios at all. S'all good.

 

[TinIndian]

Yeah you can mark me up to another one that hasn't had great results with Boomers. I'll go further that I haven't had much success with any of the various GHS strings I've tried. I have come to the belief that body chemistry has more to do with why strings work for some people really well and others have fits with them. For me I've found that DR's in general work well for me, Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats, even the aforementioned Dunlop Nickle Super Brights.

Anyway, doesn't mean there is anything wrong with them, they just may not be right for you. Or me.

 

[74hc]

I've used Boomers since the 1980s, and I would never describe them that way. Unless, perhaps, I was coming from traditional flatwounds.

As round wounds go, Boomers are pretty much the middle of the road to my ears.

 

[trothwell]

When I tried the regular Boomers a few years ago, I didn't think they were anything special or extraordinary - just a run-of-the-mill NPS roundwound.

Then I tried the Round Core Boomers... Now there's something special!

Agreed... the first time I tried hex-core Boomers, I was pleased; thought they had a good low/low-mid tone. But put a set on about a year ago, and wasn't really thrilled, with either the tone or the surprisingly rough feel.

Round core Boomers are much more to my current liking.

 

[Benj-jammin]

D'A XL 170's - all the way. Tried others, I keep coming back to these, been using them for years - inexpensive, won't grind your frets off, even balance on the tonal spectrum...JMO. I believe I tried the Boomers back in the 70's at one point and time, but man, too long ago, don't really remember all the intangibles, other than yeah, they were rough feeling.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I think strings fit the bass and the player. I love GHS strings personally, but given all of the variables of playing bass: attack, finger strength, bass amp, speakers, electronics, etc. It might be hard to make a broad conclusion about strings overall.

For example, everytime I have used D’addario strings, I am disappointed, but I imagine some people love them.