Been using d'Addario EXL 170's but I think I need something a bit different

Been using the EX170's on my PJ and Jazz Reverend phenolics with great results. They seem to really bump the midrange which benefits these basses, especially when played through my more vintage equipment. And they are very inexpensive!

BUT, after playing with them for about a year on my G&L L-2000 I'm kinda worn out. The L2K has a fabulous mid-range bark all on its own and this coupled with the EXL170's has me continuously trying to rein in the EQ when I play through my more vintage gear. With more modern gear, this seems to all go away, so I've been able to avoid the problem for a while.

Yesterday I picked up my Jazz Reverend which wears steels, usually much brighter to my ears, and noticed the absence of much midrange when the neck pickup was soloed. Of course it was because of my mid-cuts on the EQ that I leave on for the L2K but it got me to wondering - perhaps I'm just using the wrong strings.

Anyone out there have some round wound string recommendations that might be less mid-rangie than the EXL 170's? The analogy I'll use here is between LaBella 760's and diAddario Chromes, both of which I also use on other basses. The Chromes have a great mid-range bark that's great for some basses, not so much for others.

 

@michael_t - thanks...seems exactly what I'm looking to try. How do they compare tension wise?

 

Ordered. Hopefully this will be the solution to all of my problems.
Well, maybe not. But at least it might tame the upper mid-range in my vintage gear.

 

@Brent - it might have to do with what you're playing through. I use flats on my other go-to instruments and play every day through a '64 B-15N. The L2K/EX170s doesn't sound as well as it should with this amp and my default EQ (which is rather limited in capability in any case). The L2K/EX170 combo does great though with my more modern stuff (Genzler 800 etc). I use nothing in the signal chain, so the sound of the strings really makes a difference, at least to me.

I'm so set in my ways, I don't think I've bought any rounds but EX170s for over a decade. But I just put on a set of the GHS Pressure Wounds and so far so good - but I do need to break them in and see how they do. I am very curious as to what they'll sound like at higher volume through performance gear.

FWIW, my guitar playing buddy thinks I'm nuts - other than guage he seems to have no preference in strings whatsoever other than cost. But then he changes strings before every performance and buys 20 sets at a clip.

 

Well I can vouch for michael_t's comment - these definitely feel stiffer than my EXL170s - but of course those were really broken in and these are new. Video asides, this E string is stiffer, and sounds more articulate to my ears than than the EX170's, particularly when played thru the solo'd neck pu (a setting I use quite frequently), but that could also be that they're still new. Interestingly, the bridge set points for the intonation are also farther back, which I've found correlates with a stiffer string (more increase in pitch when depressed). Most importantly for me, that upper mid-range bubble seems to have been brought better under control. Still need to check thru performance gear though at volume, though.

And I forgot to add this - the PW are MUCH quieter. I've been recently working on some stuff involving fast long shifts and even with my best technique, I couldn't keep the EX170's quiet. These sound like I've inserted a noise gate in the signal chain, by comparison. While I wasn't actually focused on this aspect of the strings, it's a nice side benefit, at least so far.