Anyone else disappointed with GHS Boomers ?

[Benj-jammin]

I've tried a bunch of strings over the years including the Boomers - I keep coning back to the trusty D'Addario XL-170's - to me, the best balanced string along the tonal spectrum. Yeah, they're a bit on the bright side, but with proper EQ-ing, effects, I can also get a nice , warm sound as well. JMO.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I've been disappointed in GHS Boomers...which is why I haven't tried them in probably 35 years. For all I know I'd love them now, but life's too short to be indecisive.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

IMO There's no one set of strings that's going to suit every player's needs. And luckily, most brands of nickel plated steel roundwounds sets are reasonably priced, so buy 3 different brands of them and experiment. And it doesn't hurt to take notes on each set.

 

[trothwell]

IMO There's no one set of strings that's going to suit every player's needs. And luckily, most brands of nickel plated steel roundwounds sets are reasonably priced, so buy 3 different brands of them and experiment. And it doesn't hurt to take notes on each set.

And if you can, make recordings with the strings. It doesn't have to be anything polished or published (although that's even more helpful to the bass-playing community at large!), but just enough for you to capture how the strings sounds on your bass. Then when you compare with another set, you can actually hear the difference.

I have been surprised!... thinking a set of strings sounds great, better than what I had before, but then comparing the truthful recordings, I hear that I actually prefer a different set. It seems that what I hear while playing is not quite the same as what I hear while listening to a recording of myself...

 

[michael_t]

I have been surprised!... thinking a set of strings sounds great, better than what I had before, but then comparing the truthful recordings, I hear that I actually prefer a different set. It seems that what I hear while playing is not quite the same as what I hear while listening to a recording of myself...

This is my experience as well. And that's why I never go by what I hear on YouTube where someone is doing string reviews simply by playing them by themselves on THEIR basses. When I kept reading about the Boomers "sounding dark and dull" and "dying too fast", I decided to try them for myself by putting them on MY BASS and playing them in the specific musical context I regularly play in with the band I play with. Guess what, they work just fine for me. No disappointment there.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

And if you can, make recordings with the strings. It doesn't have to be anything polished or published (although that's even more helpful to the bass-playing community at large!), but just enough for you to capture how the strings sounds on your bass. Then when you compare with another set, you can actually hear the difference.

I have been surprised!... thinking a set of strings sounds great, better than what I had before, but then comparing the truthful recordings, I hear that I actually prefer a different set. It seems that what I hear while playing is not quite the same as what I hear while listening to a recording of myself...

@trothwell that's a fantastic suggestion! I've never given it a try, but I certainly intend to in the future.

This is my experience as well. And that's why I never go by what I hear on YouTube where someone is doing string reviews simply by playing them by themselves on THEIR basses. When I kept reading about the Boomers "sounding dark and dull" and "dying too fast", I decided to try them for myself by putting them on MY BASS and playing them in the specific musical context I regularly play in with the band I play with. Guess what, they work just fine for me. No disappointment there.

I couldn't agree more. Many times, I've listened to other players sit-in for a few songs, playing my bass, through my amp, and the sound their hands produced was quite different from the sound that my hands do.

I've also had bandmates suggest that I try a certain brand of bass or amp, only to find that these pieces of gear simply didn't work for me. And those experiences were very much an eye opener for me.

I always try everything in my signal chain for myself. I also like to try new pieces of equipment on a couple of gigs, when possible.

For me, having a tone that punches through a live mix, -so I can hear myself, AND blends with the rest of the band is paramount.

For recording, I can play any of my basses. But live playing is a completely different animal, IMHO. It's much more demanding. It determines which type of bass that I use, it's pickups, it's electronics, and lastly the brand and type of strings that I use on it.

 

[lizardking837]

So a buddy gave me a new set of GHS Boomer rounds (45-105) to try on my Jazz bass and I have to say, so far, they are the worse strings I have ever tried. Ive been using D'addario XL Lights and absolutely love the tone and feel of them. Is there an extended break in period for the Boomers ? Im sure there are people here that swear by them but uggg...

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

I use the .115 set on a bass that I have Tuned to BEAD and they work pretty well. The light bottom end helps avoid things getting too muddy and I usually run my amp with a boost in the upper mids.

YMMV, but they fit my needs and have been good so far.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I used Boomers almost exclusively from '80 – '15.
The past 5 years, I've been experimenting with various strings on different basses.
(and over the past 10 years, I've completely re-shaped my sound and set-up)
Now and then, I'll try a set of Boomers but every time I do, they just don't seem to "fit".

Most recently, on a Jazz Bass that I had just installed PV '64 PUs. They sounded a bit "fuzzy" – lacking clarity vs. the Lo Riders that were on it. They seemed to be missing a presence in the upper mids…

But I've come to understand that each string / bass combination can react differently in many ways including that perceived "frequency response".
My experience the last 5 years when I try a new type of string, is, even if I don't like them on the 1st Bass I try, eventually I usually find a good "match" for them.

That has not been the case w/Boomers though.
More and more, Pressure Wounds are becoming my most used round.

 

[michael_t]

Most recently, on a Jazz Bass that I had just installed PV '64 PUs. They sounded a bit "fuzzy" – lacking clarity vs. the Lo Riders that were on it. They seemed to be missing a presence in the upper mids…

More and more, Pressure Wounds are becoming my most used round.

This is something I may have mentioned earlier in this thread, but I'll repeat it anyway...

When I switched from Pressurewounds to Boomers two months ago on my 5-string Yamaha, my hope was the Boomers would add extra bite to my tone while retaining the same punchy low-mid presence. I was quite surprised when the senior sound tech at my church told me my bass was sounding darker. I think he was referring to the lack of upper-mids you speak of.

I will be switching back to Pressurewounds next month as I've been missing their crunchy mids that seem to sit better in the mix.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I will be switching back to Pressurewounds next month

Your contributions to posts on strings brought my attention back to PWs the past couple years.
It's just part of the endless(?) process...

 

[Root 5]

And if you can, make recordings with the strings. It doesn't have to be anything polished or published (although that's even more helpful to the bass-playing community at large!), but just enough for you to capture how the strings sounds on your bass. Then when you compare with another set, you can actually hear the difference.

I have been surprised!... thinking a set of strings sounds great, better than what I had before, but then comparing the truthful recordings, I hear that I actually prefer a different set. It seems that what I hear while playing is not quite the same as what I hear while listening to a recording of myself...

Blind listening is very illuminating. One might find out they prefer a string they'd otherwise never consider.

 

[Root 5]

I have given up on all nickel-plated steel strings and now use stainless steel exclusively ( roundwounds). I can get all the brightness I need and tame it when I want warmer tones. I really am surprised more bassists don't use them.

 

[michael_t]

I can get all the brightness I need and tame it when I want warmer tones. I really am surprised more bassists don't use them.

I do get the point about SS rounds being able to be EQ'd down for a warmer and mellower tone. But you can't EQ down the way they feel in terms of surface texture.

 

[Root 5]

I do get the point about SS rounds being able to be EQ'd down for a warmer and mellower tone. But you can't EQ down the way they feel in terms of surface texture.

Yes texture is the one variable that cannot be adjusted but by a different string choice.

I don't think SS rounds feel objectionably rougher than nickel plated strings and when playing rounds I don't mind some texture.

 

[Swipter]

I put a set on my Pedulla. Hated them.

 

[zontar]

I do get the point about SS rounds being able to be EQ'd down for a warmer and mellower tone. But you can't EQ down the way they feel in terms of surface texture.

I do like them on bass--feel wise--but not on guitar.

And they sound great on my short scale.

but tough to find them in short scale--at least around here.

 

[marc40a]

10 days with my new Boomers, and I'm very happy with the way they're working out for me so far. NO DISAPPOINTMENT...yet.

One thing people need to understand is the Boomers are about 4G's, ie grit, grind, growl and grunt. If you expect a clean, crisp and sparkly "piano tone" from them, you would definitely be disappointed, guaranteed. It's all about expectations.

And regarding their being "too stiff", I would highly recommend the light set, 40-55-75-95-120, which are light enough to be comfortable but still firm enough not to feel loose and floppy. And let me assure you "thinner gauges" DO NOT translate to "thinner tones".

Grunty is exactly how I would describe them. They make my Precision sound like a tuned kick drum. Big fan. Regular gauge, please.

 

[michael_t]

Grunty is exactly how I would describe them. They make my Precision sound like a tuned kick drum.

As I recall from a couple of years ago, the Boomers did sound better on my P bass than on my Yamaha. Their strong low-mid punch with grunt and grind seems to sit well in the mix for certain musical contexts when matched up with a P.

Meanwhile, though, I finally came to the conclusion my Yamaha with relatively "polite and laid-back" alnico humbuckers could benefit from strings with stronger magnetic properties such as Alloy 52. So, back to the GHS Pressurewounds...

 

[PWRL]

I only tried them once about fifteen years ago and thought they just weren't for me. Good rock sound, though.

 

[4StringDave]

If you like the D'Addarios better then just stick with those. It's not a crime to not like something. I don't like P Basses for example.....