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Been trying a LOT of strings this year...
- Thread starter NikkiVibes
- Start date
So I've bought and tried a lot of different strings this year. Its getting a bit weird.
I still have all of these in a bag-string-storage area.
I dont really like the "high" tension of Daddario XL's and will always take em off. I have a bunch of these.
For my P bass I have now gone through "trying" the following:
- Fender Flats 9050L: These were good but I didn't like the "light" gauge. Sounded great but I wanted more thick strings to pluck for some reason
- Medium Chromes: These did me good for a while. at some point my left hand decided it was "too much" tension and I opted to change to something else
- GHS 3025: These had super thump and were much easier on my hands for sure. They suffered the same fate as the fenders. A bit too thin. also very dark sounding
- NXYL Med-light: These are the medium bottom light top which is the typical 105-85-65-45. I like the sound of these after they broke in but didn't like the "rough" feeling of the strings themselves. These also have a nice level of tension that wasnt too much.
- La Bella 760FL: These have a really nice tension and really nice thumpy flat sound.
Currently on the bass.
I also tried DR High beams on a different bass and really like em!
Now I'm considering trying a different set of Nickels on my P bass. Am I crazy?
My only complaint about the flats is that the sound is so "Different" than most recorded basses that Im tempted to go back to a Nickel round (thinking DR pure blues) so that I can get tones closer to recordings. With my sound being so different, its a bit strange learning songs by ear. I keep having to adjust to the very different TIMBRE of my bass and the la bellas on it.
Anyone else go thru something like this? Trying lots of different strings over and over to get something "just right"?
I've been doing the same thing and feel the same way about the Nickel XLs. Basically I've found that like low-tension "floppy" srings. DR Sunbeams, LaBella Nickel RX, Labella Low Tension Flexible Flats, and TI Jazz flats. I feel like I can fly once I learned to play with a lighter touch.
I was always anti-flats. Now its all I can do to keep from putting them on every bass. I'm even thinking of buying a bass to put more flats on lol.
I’ve come to believe blackjack, bubble wrap, and new strings all tap into the same part of our brains.
Love all of these strings. I feel like low tension strings, especially those with round cores, are thumpier and have great fundamentals.
I've been trying quite a few strings over the last year or so, mainly to try to find the strings that are best for each of my three basses: a P, a fretted J, and a fretless J.
I knew going in that I prefer more flexible, lighter tension strings, and I also knew based on experience to date that I wasn't much of a rounds guy, but I tried some of the warmer varieties anyway. There are still more strings I can try, of course, but this is what I'll probably choose from for now.
Flats: TIJF, LaBella LTFF, Dunlop 40-100, Sadowsky Blue 40-100, Fender 45-100
Tapes: D'Addario 50-105, LaBella 50-105s (White, Copper, Gold)
Rounds(-ish): TIJR, Sunbeam 40-100, PressureWound 40-96
I've been recording myself with each string set on each bass so I don't have to rely on my memory of how they sound. One thing I've confirmed is that I'm not a rounds guy, though this is more for feel and finger noise reasons than for tone, given that I tried warmer-toned rounds. If I had to use rounds somewhere it would probably be the TIJRs on the fretless.
So far I think I'll go with the LTFFs on the P and the TIJFs on the fretted J. I still have to assess the D'Add tapes on the P (got 'em on there and they sounded pretty darn good, but then the nut broke, so I can't finish until I repair that). TIJFs are a close second on the P so far and the clear choice on the fretted J.
The fretless is still up in the air. I'm leaning towards LaBella whites (better than the coppers and golds, which are more unsatisfyingly idiosyncratic, IMO; all of them feel wonderful). But am still considering the TIJFs and Sadowskys. Also like the D'Add tapes as an alternate choice if I want a different tone, as they are more upright-ishly thuddy and less mwah-y than the other choices.
I knew going in that I prefer more flexible, lighter tension strings, and I also knew based on experience to date that I wasn't much of a rounds guy, but I tried some of the warmer varieties anyway. There are still more strings I can try, of course, but this is what I'll probably choose from for now.
Flats: TIJF, LaBella LTFF, Dunlop 40-100, Sadowsky Blue 40-100, Fender 45-100
Tapes: D'Addario 50-105, LaBella 50-105s (White, Copper, Gold)
Rounds(-ish): TIJR, Sunbeam 40-100, PressureWound 40-96
I've been recording myself with each string set on each bass so I don't have to rely on my memory of how they sound. One thing I've confirmed is that I'm not a rounds guy, though this is more for feel and finger noise reasons than for tone, given that I tried warmer-toned rounds. If I had to use rounds somewhere it would probably be the TIJRs on the fretless.
So far I think I'll go with the LTFFs on the P and the TIJFs on the fretted J. I still have to assess the D'Add tapes on the P (got 'em on there and they sounded pretty darn good, but then the nut broke, so I can't finish until I repair that). TIJFs are a close second on the P so far and the clear choice on the fretted J.
The fretless is still up in the air. I'm leaning towards LaBella whites (better than the coppers and golds, which are more unsatisfyingly idiosyncratic, IMO; all of them feel wonderful). But am still considering the TIJFs and Sadowskys. Also like the D'Add tapes as an alternate choice if I want a different tone, as they are more upright-ishly thuddy and less mwah-y than the other choices.
XL's are available in about the widest range of gauges out there. Especially if you buy singles - I've had 35-50-70-95 on a few basses. Those are definitely not high tension.
I think we've all been around this block a few times.
I finally settled on GHS Balanced Nickels 44-106. Great feel, perfect tension and excellent tone.
YMMV but you should at least give them a try.
I finally settled on GHS Balanced Nickels 44-106. Great feel, perfect tension and excellent tone.
YMMV but you should at least give them a try.
Sounds crazy to me. All those strings must’ve costed you about the price of a new bass!!
I just tried about 6 different sets, back to Roto Swing 66. My P seems to like those best. Fun to try different sets though....
Once I get another bass, I wont have to buy a new set to put on
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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Yup...back to elixir nickel rounds. Nothing beats'emSo I've bought and tried a lot of different strings this year. Its getting a bit weird.
I still have all of these in a bag-string-storage area.
I dont really like the "high" tension of Daddario XL's and will always take em off. I have a bunch of these.
For my P bass I have now gone through "trying" the following:
- Fender Flats 9050L: These were good but I didn't like the "light" gauge. Sounded great but I wanted more thick strings to pluck for some reason
- Medium Chromes: These did me good for a while. at some point my left hand decided it was "too much" tension and I opted to change to something else
- GHS 3025: These had super thump and were much easier on my hands for sure. They suffered the same fate as the fenders. A bit too thin. also very dark sounding
- NXYL Med-light: These are the medium bottom light top which is the typical 105-85-65-45. I like the sound of these after they broke in but didn't like the "rough" feeling of the strings themselves. These also have a nice level of tension that wasnt too much.
- La Bella 760FL: These have a really nice tension and really nice thumpy flat sound.
Currently on the bass.
I also tried DR High beams on a different bass and really like em!
Now I'm considering trying a different set of Nickels on my P bass. Am I crazy?
My only complaint about the flats is that the sound is so "Different" than most recorded basses that Im tempted to go back to a Nickel round (thinking DR pure blues) so that I can get tones closer to recordings. With my sound being so different, its a bit strange learning songs by ear. I keep having to adjust to the very different TIMBRE of my bass and the la bellas on it.
Anyone else go thru something like this? Trying lots of different strings over and over to get something "just right"?
Hundreds of bucks to end up where I started. At least I know now.
Yeah, I’ve been using XL’s 40-100 for a few years now and am completely happy with the tension. I can go directly from them to the famously flexible TI flats on my precision without feeling like those are boiled spaghetti.
I've been wandering around looking for the lightest nickel rounds I can find. I don't do stainless, only nickel and alloys. No colored, coated, nylon or tapes. Ti jazz for flats.
The Super P has 35-32" scale, I can get away with GHS Boomers at .30. Super fun.
The Cirrus 35" gets D'Addario XL .35 super lights. Or DR Pure Blues VW.
And the long scale Dingwalls (36-34") are running DR Pure Blues VW .40.
I've tried a bunch more, but I keep coming back to the Pure Blues VW .40 set. They work fine on all the above mentioned basses. I liked them more than any of the other DR strings, but honorable mention go to Hellborgs, Lowriders and Sunbeams. The Pure Blues seem to bring the best feel and sound.
TI jazz flats win out for flats. I have some Payson flats, made for the fanned fret, long scales, and they work great, too.
The TI flats and DR Pure Blues VW .40 will set up with very little fussing between the two sets, so I figure the gauges and tension are pretty close.
The Super P has 35-32" scale, I can get away with GHS Boomers at .30. Super fun.
The Cirrus 35" gets D'Addario XL .35 super lights. Or DR Pure Blues VW.
And the long scale Dingwalls (36-34") are running DR Pure Blues VW .40.
I've tried a bunch more, but I keep coming back to the Pure Blues VW .40 set. They work fine on all the above mentioned basses. I liked them more than any of the other DR strings, but honorable mention go to Hellborgs, Lowriders and Sunbeams. The Pure Blues seem to bring the best feel and sound.
TI jazz flats win out for flats. I have some Payson flats, made for the fanned fret, long scales, and they work great, too.
The TI flats and DR Pure Blues VW .40 will set up with very little fussing between the two sets, so I figure the gauges and tension are pretty close.
I usually go in years-long cycles before I try new strings. When I find something I like, I tend to stick to it.
Oh man. There’s a reason the “Strings” forum is the only TB forum that I watch. It’s my favorite place to waste time.
My #1 bass is my Squier VM Fretless Jazz. I’m coming up on two years since I installed TI Jazz Flats. In that time I’ve dabbled with D’Addario Tapes (one of my favorite strings of all time) and ProSteels on it. The Tapes are great but I don’t love them on this bass. The ProSteels were a fun 1-month detour but I took them off yesterday and put them into a Ziploc for potential future usage.
I’ve been playing flats and tapes almost exclusively for 5+ years; the ProSteels were the first rounds I’ve bought in that span of time.
I agonize over choosing strings. (See my signature). They’re my favorite thing to shop for and I don’t think I’ll ever be done trying new options.
My #1 bass is my Squier VM Fretless Jazz. I’m coming up on two years since I installed TI Jazz Flats. In that time I’ve dabbled with D’Addario Tapes (one of my favorite strings of all time) and ProSteels on it. The Tapes are great but I don’t love them on this bass. The ProSteels were a fun 1-month detour but I took them off yesterday and put them into a Ziploc for potential future usage.
I’ve been playing flats and tapes almost exclusively for 5+ years; the ProSteels were the first rounds I’ve bought in that span of time.
I agonize over choosing strings. (See my signature). They’re my favorite thing to shop for and I don’t think I’ll ever be done trying new options.
I used to use EB Power Slinkys because they were about the only strings in those gauges that I could easily find.
This year, I decided to use lighter strings and try to adjust my technique to a lighter touch. Since there’s a lot more choices of strings available in medium gauged may, I’ve spent a bunch of money trying to find an ideal string. I’ve been through the DRs, Elixers, D’addarios NYXLs and EXLs, Dunlops, GHSs, and finally settled on the D’addario EXL170s just today. Definitely takes a lighter touch, but I realized that they “feel” similar in stiffness to the EBs I used to use for so many years. I’m actually giving 2 sets of the Dunlop strings away (the 6- string set that a lot of 5-string guys use but toss the .030) to make some room in my string set drawer. I liked those strings, but after a couple of months, I was still getting a lot of clank and they felt kinda loose. The EXL170s have cured that and I like the tone. I guess I’m still gonna play somewhat hard, but not like before...
This year, I decided to use lighter strings and try to adjust my technique to a lighter touch. Since there’s a lot more choices of strings available in medium gauged may, I’ve spent a bunch of money trying to find an ideal string. I’ve been through the DRs, Elixers, D’addarios NYXLs and EXLs, Dunlops, GHSs, and finally settled on the D’addario EXL170s just today. Definitely takes a lighter touch, but I realized that they “feel” similar in stiffness to the EBs I used to use for so many years. I’m actually giving 2 sets of the Dunlop strings away (the 6- string set that a lot of 5-string guys use but toss the .030) to make some room in my string set drawer. I liked those strings, but after a couple of months, I was still getting a lot of clank and they felt kinda loose. The EXL170s have cured that and I like the tone. I guess I’m still gonna play somewhat hard, but not like before...
