Aw, hex no!

[Element Zero]

I don’t know what the hex is goin on here. I LOVE stiff strings lol. Although, I QUITE enjoy TI Jazz Flats. Everyone’s different.

 

[Geri O]

The hex you say…(seriously, no one beat me to that one??…)

The D’addario Pro Steels are hex-core, but seem a little flexible to my hands, which has allowed me to play the heavier gauge versions (50, 70, 85, 105, 135). The EXLs in the same gauges had gotten hard for me to play in my old age and I had gone down a gauge. I’m no much happier with the Pro Steels.

Oh, and I’ve been through Dunlops, DRs, Rotos, several small-name boutique sets, none of them stayed on my basses more than an hour or two. I’ve been through the mill. I ain’t missing nothin’…..

 

[Vinny_G]

The hex you say…(seriously, no one beat me to that one??…)

The D’addario Pro Steels are hex-core, but seem a little flexible to my hands, which has allowed me to play the heavier gauge versions (50, 70, 85, 105, 135). The EXLs in the same gauges had gotten hard for me to play in my old age and I had gone down a gauge. I’m no much happier with the Pro Steels.

I don't know if I'm alone in this case, but I've always found the stainless steel strings a little bit more flexible (elastic) than their nickel counterparts.

 

[Geri O]

I don't know if I'm alone in this case, but I've always found the stainless steel strings a little bit more flexible (elastic) than their nickel counterparts.

I had avoided stainless strings after I tried the Ernie Ball stainless strings. I thought those were bright, but lacking in the midrange and I guess I associated that characteristic with all stainless strings. The Pro Steels are bright, but have a really nice mid tone that I really like. So much so that I had been planning a change of pickups while I was using the Nickel EXLs. But the Pro Steels come on new Mike Lull basses and I kept those on the last Lull I bought instead of immediately changing them out. They quickly grew on me and I tried them on the bass I was considering the pup change-out. The Pro Steels immediately had the quality of tone I had been looking for. And as they felt more flexible than the EXLs before them, I went to the bigger gauge of Pro Steels. I'm happier with strings these days than I've been in a long time.

 

[mike buzzetti]

Dude play acoustic nylon LOL!! your a string HO !!

 

[Standalone]

@Standalone - just wondering, if you're looking for flexibility why aren't you considering round core strings? If you're open to flexible round cores I was gonna suggest either DR Sunbeams or GHS Round Core Bass Boomers. But, if you want a lot of zing these may not be the right strings for you.

That’s the point. I do use round core The LoRiders came off and fresh Rotos went on. The LoRiders went on a bass that I was selling with the caveat to the buyer that I’d put new strings on it, but that they were stiffer than I tend to prefer.

 

[Standalone]

Ok, so you liked pretty much everything about the lo riders except the hex core? Any reason you don't want to go back to the hi beams? Because they kinda seem like the obvious answer here... Or do you specifically want more flexible HEX cores?

If that's the case the Dunlop Super Brights that michael_t suggested would probably be a good choice. I don't think you will find more flexbible hex core strings (when comparing similar gauges).

I like Rotos, Hibeams, Ernie Ball Slinkies — all pretty equally. I think dead rotos are what I’ve spent the most time on, so those tend to be “my sound.”

 

[eriky4003]

I'll throw the Marcus Miller signature Dunlop Super Brights into this thread. As they were designed with the regular Dunlop Super Brights (DSB) as their base, they must be hex core. More tension than reg DSBs, and more of everything in it's tone - sort of like Hi-Beams to Fat Beams comparison. This string is the closest I've found to the Roto 66s sound. A favourite of mine on certain basses but I have new found love for Lo-Riders on my Sterling by MusicMan Stingray after going from DSBs, MM DSBs to Lo Riders.