Are there strings you actually dislike?

[Gorn]

Every coated string on the market and Daddario half rounds.

 

[levis76]

Flatwounds

This.

Also not into any of the gimmicky strings, like the colored or coated types.

A long time ago I wasted a lot of money on a popular brand of coated strings and after just a few hours I had what looked like mini snake skins peeling right off of them, and not just the area where I pluck the strings, but along the neck as well. Without their protective coating, the strings didn’t last a month. Never wasted another dime on a gimmick like that again. Never tried colored strings, I’ve seen enough of them in the wild to see the color does not last very long and they look like crap when it starts to come off and their entire gimmick is “look, colors” rather than tone or feel.

 

[InhumanResource]

Not really, I don't find they make such a huge difference. I have my preferences but I can't think of any that I truly dislike.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Roto Sound Swing bass 66 strings. They literally tore my fingers up, raising blisters on top of blisters. I switched to D'Addario Chromes and never looked back.

 

[rickpascual]

D'Addario Half Rounds. I like Flats and Rounds but this in between doesn't please me at all.

 

[thabassmon]

I always steer clear of Stainless Steel Round Wounds, I have tried a few sets over the years by D'addario, Rotosound and LA Bella. Not a sound I like, so I don't bother with them anymore.

I haven't sworn off stainless steel altogether I am trying GHS Precision Flats on my Fretless and I've used D'addario Chromes on my electro-acoustic guitar for almost 20 years.

It's just the steel round wounds I dislike. Too bright, very unbasslike in my opinion.

 

[TinIndian]

Boomers. Hate em. D'Addario's don't work for me and are the only strings I have ever broken.

That said I think string selection has much to do with body chemistry as I know many use those without any troubles.

 

[lizardking837]

Not really. I have strings that I prefer over others, but I can make pretty much anything work.

 

[G On Bass]

I don't care for high/higher tension strings or flatwounds with a tapered B-string.

 

[ELG60]

I'm not sure of the brand, but the strings which arrived with this relatively recent purchase were almost new so I figured (being the parsimonious SOB that I am) on using them, but they were so stiff and heavy that they actually caused discomfort to my fretting hand.

After a week or so without me getting used to them and the pain actually getting worse, I grew concerned about causing permanent damage so I reluctantly swapped em for the TI Jazz Flats that I put on most of my favs.

I don't know the brand but they have dark blue silks and the windings have a slightly grayish-blue cast to them as you can see in the photo below:

 

[eddododo]

Elixirs

I try not to be insulting about it, but let’s say I really wonder what it’s like to be in someone else’s skin; they feel weird and crappy new, and when they die that coating crap pills up.. it’s hard not to feel like people are just suckered by marketing in Musician’s Friend mail-outs as kids

 

[LoTone]

Half-rounds in general, Pure Nickel strings in general and D'Addario Nickelwound specifically.

 

[Rib 13]

I don't like coated strings or gimmicky strings either.....the rest depend on application:

Live, I only use rounds

Recording, I have basses strung with tapes, flats, and rounds....I prefer rounds on my own originals

 

[leto]

Slinky's

 

[KrisWarrington]

EB Cobalts. Literally the worst strings I've ever used in nearly 20 years of playing. They sounded fine fresh out of the pack but the issue was after a week of light use the strings were completely dull and lifeless sounding and covered in rust. A WEEK. I literally have some old basses I haven't played or changed the strings on in years with strings in better condition than these were after a week. Seems to be a common problem but I've seen some people swear up and down they've never experienced this with cobalts. Guess my sweat is just too much for them to handle, but pretty much every other string on the market can so

 

[fermata]

I don't like high-tension flats in general, and I don't like Fender flats in particular--on my bass. Some strings and basses just aren't good combinations.

What I do like, whether flats or rounds, are smaller gauges (.095-.100 for the E), a supple (but not floppy) feel, and a warm tone with tight lows, sweet mids, and mellow highs. (They call that combination of characteristics Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Rounds.)

 

[JKos]

I do not like D'Addario EXL170-5 (nickel roundwound, 045, .065, .080, .100, .130). They felt really stiff and hard to play, particularly the D and G strings.

Much prefer Sadowsky Blue Label Bright Nickel for rounds and D'Addario Chromes for flats.

- John

 

[groooooove]

I've tried nearly everything on the market. I've always loved S.I.T. rock brights the best, but recently have really been loving the DR fat beams on my long scale 6 string basses.

I'm fine with all the usual suspects- rotosound, d'addario, ernie ball, etc. I have specific reasons I like one over another (mostly what fits on my 35.5" 6 string basses) but they're all fine, with a preference for the above listed favorites.

the only string that I refuse to give another shot is dunlop. i bought FOUR sets from amazon a while back on a friends recommendation, and every single set had a defective/dead string or two our of the box... four is way too many. I can only remember in all my years only encountering one or two times where a new set had a bad string in it, until i gave dunlop a whirl.

 

[jeff62]

I’m in the minority, but I don’t like D’Addario Chromes.

I'm in the minority as well. Chromes blow. As do Roto's that are incredibly high tension. And you won't see me using pure rounds because I don't like the finger noise that accompanies them -- Pressure or half-rounds achieve the same effect.

 

[Dave the Bass]

I don't like Chromes or Boomers...I use LaBella tapewounds on fretless and D'Addario roundwounds on everything else.

 

[superdick2112]

I played Roto Swings exclusively through the 80’s into the early 90’s until I started getting “duds” every few sets. That caused me to dislike them.

+1
My go-to string until the 3rd time they failed me on stage.
Different bass each time, so it was not a bridge or setup issue.