Double Bass Bass Strings for Playing Bluegrass music

[Ed S]

Yeah - a used set of spiros would be cheapest. About $100 for a set over on the classifieds?

But seeing as how strings last quite a while, and many/most are <$350 new, your talking a maximum difference of $250 over 5 years to get what you really want (if that isn't a used set of spiros). Unless you don't know where your next meal is coming from, you might be pursuing a false economy.

I already said that Andy's set of used Innovations looked like a great deal for BG. I'd personally prefer those over spiros for BG.

 

[bassgrass]

I know of one guy around here, really good bassist, who plays guts. Great sound.

Most bluegrass bass players, though, probably play what strings were on it when they got it. So if you can get some used quality strings at a good price, that might be the best way.

I don't play bass too regularly, maybe once a week during busier times, so I use Superior Bassworks Deluxe strings and like them a lot. Very easy on the hands, good sound to my ear.

 

[drivin5string]

I like guts - the feel and the sound. Can lay into it and drive it back down the banjo with a good mando chop. I'm an American Standard / King guy vs. Kay, but have heard some good Kays. A lot of it comes down to the driver.

 

[Sam Reese]

Evah Pirazzi Slaps sound great for bluegrass. I played a gig with my Spiro equipped bass last night and wished I was using my all-synthetic EP Slap equipped bass for "that sound". I think the notion that Spiros are jazz strings has its place. I think EP Slaps are a stable alternative to natural guts and are highly recommended for bluegrass, if my recommendation means anything!

 

[Paul New]

I like EP slaps with the gut D and G, and have found them to be pretty stable. I 've used guts indoors and outdoors for years and years and the only time I had a stability issue was with LaBella Golden Spirals. That said, on my carved bass EP Weich are good for everything, and if the Slaps die before me a set will go on my Kay too.

 

[bobsax]

I put on some Eurosonic whites medium . They were pretty good price a little bit over 100 bucks

 

[Ed S]

Not strictly BG, but another vote for EP slap guts. The one thing I regularly find weird about them is that under certain conditions, the D and G will go sharp, while the (synthetic) A and E will go flat. Yeah - different materials. But just never ceases to mildly surprise me as wvery other set of strings I had, if they moved, all 4 moved in the same direction.

(On edit - drat! How could I have forgotten that I already responded to this thread something like 4x already?! The mind is the first thing to go! I must REALLY be trying to avoid work this morning!).