I went with those $13 bucks a pair for a 5 string set was worth a go. Just put the fresh set of SS on & I'm liking them too. The clarity & sustain of the B is great but what really matters is that the B fits in with the rest of the set unlike in the past where it was clearly a different tone
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Anyone using/try Dean Markley Bass Helix Strings?
- Thread starter kenstee
- Start date
I went with those $13 bucks a pair for a 5 string set was worth a go. Just put the fresh set of SS on & I'm liking them too. The clarity & sustain of the B is great but what really matters is that the B fits in with the rest of the set unlike in the past where it was clearly a different tone
How would these go with a trb5p piezo bridge? I love the strings on my other basses. Never tried them on my Yamaha though.
Should be no reason why they wouldn't be just fine on it- they are not coated, so no grounding issues. Do you have enough adjustment room for the taper/exposed core?
Yes, totally. I've had several sets now, of the stainless Helix. The tone has been consistent with every pack, from string to string. And that B has more weight in the tone than any other B I have played.
I strung my TRB5P with a SS set. They fit the machine heads nicely too. The tone is much as I expected from these. Intonation was needed of course and there was plenty of saddle space. That low B is thick on this bass. The G is nice and chewy like the rest of the set. The black silk looks great against the rosewood headstock.
My set of stainless Helix arrived last night. As a bonus the strings are long enough that I can string through body on my G&L M2500 and not have to worry about the exposed core over the saddle. So I removed that bridge mod that runs screws and threaded spacers through the through holes to string it up. Didn't have to change a thing from where I was at with DR Fat Beams.
This is the .128 B string -- I've tried the Blue Steel .126 and that's too floppy for me. If I go to .130 or above I get too much thumpiness and sustain cutoff on the 5-8 frets on the B string.
My test for a decent B is how close the tone and sustain of the G on the B string is to the tone and sustain of the G on the E string. This is better than I've heard on any string set I've tried.
I don't feel the advantage of the Helix over the Blue Steel, but I only had time to play for 20 minutes or so last night and since I picked up the new bass that had Blue Steels on it I don't have any idea how old those Blue Steels are.
But these are definitely keepers and I've had some trouble finding a really good fit for the M2500
This is the .128 B string -- I've tried the Blue Steel .126 and that's too floppy for me. If I go to .130 or above I get too much thumpiness and sustain cutoff on the 5-8 frets on the B string.
My test for a decent B is how close the tone and sustain of the G on the B string is to the tone and sustain of the G on the E string. This is better than I've heard on any string set I've tried.
I don't feel the advantage of the Helix over the Blue Steel, but I only had time to play for 20 minutes or so last night and since I picked up the new bass that had Blue Steels on it I don't have any idea how old those Blue Steels are.
But these are definitely keepers and I've had some trouble finding a really good fit for the M2500
is this the case?
all DM Helix strings: nickel and stainless steel have exposed cores
but regular DM Blue Steels: nickel and stainless steel do not have exposed cores
all DM Helix strings: nickel and stainless steel have exposed cores
but regular DM Blue Steels: nickel and stainless steel do not have exposed cores
NOW DISCONTINUED-
HELIX Strings are GREAT stings... - They Really Growl !! - It's Just that the marketing on these strings was
sub-par at best and unfortunately, they didn't sell well. So, instead of re-marketing them... the new owners
that have taken over Dean Markley are now discontinuing HELIX strings- What a bunch of freakin'
MORONS!!!! I got a funny feeling the new owners won't be around long either. These idiots don't consult
with their customers to see what it is THEY really want. But do whatever their newly-owned company feels
it should do. WRONG MOVE!!
HELIX Strings are GREAT stings... - They Really Growl !! - It's Just that the marketing on these strings was
sub-par at best and unfortunately, they didn't sell well. So, instead of re-marketing them... the new owners
that have taken over Dean Markley are now discontinuing HELIX strings- What a bunch of freakin'
MORONS!!!! I got a funny feeling the new owners won't be around long either. These idiots don't consult
with their customers to see what it is THEY really want. But do whatever their newly-owned company feels
it should do. WRONG MOVE!!
Last edited:
whaaaaaaaat. I love the tone for both the SS And the NPS.
Hopefully they simply re-launch them. Maybe without exposed cores? I think that would help balance the feel. The tone on these is soooo good, though. Especially the SS version. Never heard another SS string sound so good.
*Bassstringsonline has these on pretty nice sale. I guess, stock up while you can!
Well, you had BETTER get over to Bass Strings Online .com and get what you can of what Jason has left - They're going FAST!!!
His site, ebay and Amazon are the ONLY ones that have any left. Once they're gone... that's IT!!!
They need to re-package these strings, renaming them and coming up with new packaging.
Their Blue Steels are great sellers because the marketing that was invested into those
strings over the years was a lot better than what they did for the Helix Strings!
But since Dean Markley has new owners (again), Who knows WHAT they will do.
I think they should re-package them like the Blue Steels and call them
"Blue Steels On Steroids"!!
Their Blue Steels are great sellers because the marketing that was invested into those
strings over the years was a lot better than what they did for the Helix Strings!
But since Dean Markley has new owners (again), Who knows WHAT they will do.
I think they should re-package them like the Blue Steels and call them
"Blue Steels On Steroids"!!
there was decent buzz here for awhile. I was certainly pushing them. However, the exposed cores caused warble in tone for some people and also affected the feel of the strings. If they keep the same materials and design, but re-release with balance tension, these would be a force to be reckoned with.
Well, I am now the proud owner of 10 sets! 6 sets of NLP and 4 sets of SS. Personally, I have not had any issues with them on my USA Spector. I love the tone!!
Sorry to hear the loss of your favourite strings. I did like Blue Steels but I went to DR Fat Beams/MM Dunlop Super Brights and never looked back. Blue Steel on Steroids would've got me to at least give these a chance.
I just saw these Helix strings on Bassstringsonlydotcom, if anybody still thinks they are discontinued.
Not sure when they re-releaded them, but maybe they fixed some issues. Never saw them until now.
Not sure when they re-releaded them, but maybe they fixed some issues. Never saw them until now.
Last edited:
They look like the 5 string set I have. I'd love it if they would bring these back.
