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Are there strings you actually dislike?
- Thread starter FunkyYeti
- Start date
I dislike most stainless rounds. Other folks can make them sound great,but they're just too bright under my fingers.
I like softer tension steel strings. I have used nickel but steels get to sound more like them after some playing IME. Consistency tonally string to string and softer tension. I've been using Elites Stadium Series 40-100 for around 25 years, never had a dud string in that time, not one.
While I like the Roto Stainless, I tried the Roto RBs on an Ibanez TMB300 and found it to seem to have no clarity, like a blanket was muting the sound.
I doubt I will try those again.
I doubt I will try those again.
Yeah, there are. They're called round wounds...
Seriously, though; in addition to the twangy brightness most of them have when new (can't stand that), and how much it would cost me to keep 23 basses in them (can't afford that), I have hand problems that make rounds... unpleasant... to play. As in, like running my fretting hand's fingers up and down a cheese grater - hard. As much as possible, I avoid round wound strings - like the plague. Even on my guitars; almost all of them wear flats, too. However... I do have 3 basses that regularly wear rounds. Two of them wear hex core GHS Bass Boomers. The third one? When I had my Warmoth Mini-Precision built, the only set of strings I could scrounge up on short notice was a set of DR Sunbeams. I keep meaning to replace them with GHS precision Flats, but... They sound so good, I can't bring myself to rip them off the bass. I also have a set of "short scale" TI Jazz Rounds, which actually feel like they'd be OK to play. The bass I want to put them on might need some serious neck work; so, installing them is on hold for now. Which is OK, I guess. I can afford to keep 4 basses in rounds, and, with 23 basses, it's not like I have nothing else to play when my fingers are acting up...
Seriously, though; in addition to the twangy brightness most of them have when new (can't stand that), and how much it would cost me to keep 23 basses in them (can't afford that), I have hand problems that make rounds... unpleasant... to play. As in, like running my fretting hand's fingers up and down a cheese grater - hard. As much as possible, I avoid round wound strings - like the plague. Even on my guitars; almost all of them wear flats, too. However... I do have 3 basses that regularly wear rounds. Two of them wear hex core GHS Bass Boomers. The third one? When I had my Warmoth Mini-Precision built, the only set of strings I could scrounge up on short notice was a set of DR Sunbeams. I keep meaning to replace them with GHS precision Flats, but... They sound so good, I can't bring myself to rip them off the bass. I also have a set of "short scale" TI Jazz Rounds, which actually feel like they'd be OK to play. The bass I want to put them on might need some serious neck work; so, installing them is on hold for now. Which is OK, I guess. I can afford to keep 4 basses in rounds, and, with 23 basses, it's not like I have nothing else to play when my fingers are acting up...
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I completely agree, and for the same reasons you posted. Boomers are my favorite nickel plated roundwounds.
About the only strings I've tried that I didn't like were LaBella Super Steps. Not because they sounded bad, they sounded quite good, but I didn't like how they felt. They didn't have enough tension for me. I've avoided tapered strings ever since.
I won't buy Rotosound flats short scale anymore. The E string is crap. It tunes but sounds sharp of flat depending on the fret. Rather spend a few more dollars on Chromes.
I can remember putting on a set of Warwick strings. I think they were called black label, but I'm not sure.
These went off after two days. They felt so rough, they were eating my fingers while I played.
And when I bought my first fretless, it had a set of flatwounds on. They were terrible, too - they had a tiny bit of a gap between the windings and the edges were quite sharp. After an hour of mwah, I suddenly wondered where my callouses went.
These went off after two days. They felt so rough, they were eating my fingers while I played.
And when I bought my first fretless, it had a set of flatwounds on. They were terrible, too - they had a tiny bit of a gap between the windings and the edges were quite sharp. After an hour of mwah, I suddenly wondered where my callouses went.
Roundwounds. Last year I tried some DR Sunbeams for the first time on my J-Bass. My fingers got pretty sore the first few times I played them, so my J was relegated to backup duties. Soon as my $1200 comes in I'll be switching back to flats, probably GHS Precision Flats. No more rounds for this boy!
Coated strings, flatwounds, and the Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalts.
I've tried DR Black Beauties and one other coated string and didnt like how they felt. On two occasions in the last 3-4 years I've tried flats on my Precision and both times was very underwhelmed. Then, finally the EB Cobalts just felt kind of strange and sticky to me.
I've tried DR Black Beauties and one other coated string and didnt like how they felt. On two occasions in the last 3-4 years I've tried flats on my Precision and both times was very underwhelmed. Then, finally the EB Cobalts just felt kind of strange and sticky to me.
I tried the stringjoy strings.
Just awful. Didn't last over a week with minimal playing and weren't that great to begin with.
Love DR Low Riders but they also don't last as long as I would like.
Trying MJc Ironworks stainless now due ti the good things I hear.
Just awful. Didn't last over a week with minimal playing and weren't that great to begin with.
Love DR Low Riders but they also don't last as long as I would like.
Trying MJc Ironworks stainless now due ti the good things I hear.
I cannot abide the famed and overpriced TI flats. They feel like spaghetti and have no balls on 4 different basses I tried them on.
I used Rotosound 77's almost exclusively for a few years but started getting really weird sets where 1 or 2 random strings would be duds and/or the E strings would be really bright and never settle down so I stopped using them and switched to La Bella 760FS on my main electric bass. This ended up being a positive change because the La Bellas definitely get more of that classic flatwound sound. That being said, I use a variety of strings on my other basses so I can get whatever sound I need and/or want.
I tried GHS Pressure Wounds and DR Pure Blues. They're well made strings and are high in quality.
But both use some sort of nickel/iron alloy of which I'm not fond. To say they lack "slickness" would be an understatement.
But both use some sort of nickel/iron alloy of which I'm not fond. To say they lack "slickness" would be an understatement.
Stainless Elixirs (which came with my bass) didn't work for me; i didn't like their tone and they felt harsh to the fingers. The higher tension than that of my favourite Sunbeams was nice though. Kept them for around a year, but eventually i threw them away.
