Are you a string swinger?

[MultiScaleMale]

I am. I go flats, rounds, flats, rounds, repeat, repeat. Ok I’ll keep flats on a Pabst’s and that Marcus-ish J will keep rounds, but the general purpose basses will go through cycles. I like the zing, the I like the mellow, I miss the zing, where’s the mellow? Anyone else in the same boat?

 

[pmatz2]

I am. I go flats, rounds, flats, rounds, repeat, repeat. Ok I’ll keep flats on a Pabst’s and that Marcus-ish J will keep rounds, but the general purpose basses will go through cycles. I like the zing, the I like the mellow, I miss the zing, where’s the mellow? Anyone else in the same boat?

You know you need more basses ….

 

[MultiScaleMale]

You know you need more basses ….

Then I would want to try grounds. Heh.

 

[Geri O]

Nah.

All zing all the time.

 

[arbiterusa]

I went through a period. Cleaning the remnants out of my string box this year. I like the darn Rotosounds too much.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Nope. I did all my string experimenting decades ago, and ever since I've learned to be satisfied with my go-to strings. Now I just stick with 'em. One less thing to worry about.

...or, since I own 10 basses, 10 less things to worry about.

 

[Samatza]

Yes, sometimes. And sometimes I go between gauges too. 45-105, 40-100 and even tried 30-90 but that was going through my "Mark King" stage, they are really too thin.

I've settled now mostly, the P Bass gets the Chromes, I like them when they settle in on that bass. I'm using a lot of DR Hi Beams 40-100 seem to have what I need.

I'm still open to trying new things though so I often order one set of something to try out and D'Addario NYXL came along and I do like those...

...argh!

 

[ahc]

I wish I could clone exact replicas of most of my basses so I could have one with flats and one with rounds.

 

[Hutch801]

On my G&L Kiloton I switch back and forth on flats and rounds. My Schecter is active so only rounds.

 

[superheavyfunk]

When I had only
One bass, that is what I did
And it was alright

- An original haiku by Superheavyfunk

 

[r_bnks]

No

 

[pfschim]

I guess my version is older nickle rounds (for dead/thumpy) vs newer nickle rounds (for kinda zingy ... although I like them better after some of the zing is gone).
Never liked flats and only use them if a producer explicity says they want that.
I like round core, nickle rounds (DR Sunbeams or Pure Blues) for the most part, except for TI Acouticores on my Turner fretless.

does any of that count?

 

[ADHD librarian]

Yeah,
I like flats but always end up putting rounds on at least one bass just because I feel I should. Then I put that bass away and ignore it. Also have a habit of stringing one up as BEAD, then getting confused when I try and play it (and putting it away with the round wound bass).

Then when I think "why aren't I playing those basses" I get them out and put flats on them...
rinse and repeat

 

[FullumMusic]

I am. I go flats, rounds, flats, rounds, repeat, repeat. Ok I’ll keep flats on a Pabst’s and that Marcus-ish J will keep rounds, but the general purpose basses will go through cycles. I like the zing, the I like the mellow, I miss the zing, where’s the mellow? Anyone else in the same boat?

Me? No. Nope. Nah. Never. Maybe.

 

[JimmyM]

I was till I discovered that Dunlop Super Bright Nickels go dead in a way where I can get both zing and big fat thump depending on how I play. Granted, neither is dead on to the other, but I haven’t had to change strings in 3 years

 

[Killing Floor]

Sometimes. Fun to experiment and there’s no best.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

EB Cobalt Flats have put a damper on my swingin' for the last couple of years.

 

[J Wilson]

I'm with Bob Ross, I went through every string out there over the years, and discovered as they all go dead anyway, I'd live with less expensive strings (GHS Bassics, D'Ad XL's, or Fender nickels) and change them more often than trying to nurse more hours out of really expensive strings like TI's and others.

 

[LHbassist]

I used to use nothing but flats. Then, in 1969, I heard a stack knob Jazz bass with Rotosounds.. they were new to America then. I was stunned. After that, I began using nothing but rounds with an occasional foray with flats, like my new '73 Precision bass... which eventually got rounds. I got my Carl Thompson in 1976, and used his brand (made for him by D'Addario) of nickel heavy gauge for years. Now, 55 years after beginning bass, I am solidly in the flat wound area of things. I have several modern fives that are my builds- see my Avatar - strung with rounds. They'll stay like that. I have two five string Sire V7's (J-bass) and one has a new set of Ernie Ball Slinky flats. These are, by far, the most round wound sounding flat in the long history of flats I've tried. And I've tried almost all of them. Yes, including the Thomastiks. I'm about to remove the factory rounds from my newest Sire and install a set of the EB's. Almost all the 'zing' without the nasty upper harmonic rattle and sizzle. They also have a better feel, a better fundamental, and a punch only a flat can give you. The majority of my instruments wear flats now.

 

[pbass2]

I was till I discovered that Dunlop Super Bright Nickels go dead in a way where I can get both zing and big fat thump depending on how I play. Granted, neither is dead on to the other, but I haven’t had to change strings in 3 years

That's how I am with Nickel LoRiders. While I use a P w flats a ton, my "general purpose" bass for when I need to be the most versatile, is a P with very broken in NLR's. I can be thumpy, funky, or grindy with them, just using the tone knob, pick or fingers, and the occasional foam mute. Can play reggae to punk in the same set w that one bass, no prob.