Best Bass Strings Results

[Ian774]

Best rounds?

Dunlop Super Bright Nickels.

 

[StevenC56]

I like DR "Black Beauties" mainly for the look, but the coating gives them a nice feel as well.

 

[Wyrdlow]

I've never tried the EB Cobalt flats. I'm very happy with Rotosound RS77s (although I'm very impressed with the D'Addario aChromes that came on my Sire fretless.)
When it comes to roundwounds, however, you are absolutely bang on!

 

[Bob_Ross]

The best roundwound is.... Rotosound Swing 66 Stainless Steel (on a maple-necked American Pro Jazz Bass)**

This is not just an opinion, but I believe also, the objective truth. Feel free to disagree.... but you'll be wrong!

Incorrect

You landed on the roundwound that was the first to market, and most polarizing

Correct

 

[GTHintz]

Threads like this are the reason why everyone keeps picking carrots on here. And why we all use the proverbial YMMV. Everyone will keep posting Thier favorites and what they like but in reality the best are literally anything that sounds good to you and doesn't mess up your hands or bass.

 

[Dincrest]

And as others said, I kinda believe in the Harry Potter maxim "the want chooses the wizard."

Sometimes the bass chooses the player and oftentimes the bass chooses the strings.

 

[Iristone]

The Rotosound is, objectively, the most consistent roundwound strings tonally across all 4 or 5 strings in a set. Unfortunately there tends to be a bit of variation across different packs, and not everyone likes the bright stainless tone (I do, though).
For flats it's much more subjective. I used to have Fender (okay to good), La Bella (okay but vanilla), GHS (very good), Rotosound (long scale very good, short scale not so much), and Thomastik (not to my liking).

 

[Kevin Wolfe]

Strings are probably the most subjective aspect in the wide world of bass. So it ain’t a fact but purely opinion.

 

[iiipopes]

The OP must have really neutral finger/hand perspiration. My finger/hand perspiration absolutely kills the two sets that the OP mentions: Cobalt flats and Swingbass rounds. For me, each set starts with the respective bright signature tone, and they will play, and play, and then thunk - dead with no warning: eaten internally from my perspiration. No longevity at all for me. So I must respectfully completely disagree with the OP. But then again, that is why there are multiple string manufacturers, makes, models, and gauges. So each can find what work for that particular player. One size does not fit all. And after almost fifty years of playing bass, I am NOT wrong.

 

[_Obra_]

I'm free, I disagree and I'm probably wrong!

 

[BassBrass]

I have cobalt flats on a Jack Casady, a Reverend Dub King and on my original bass 82 Carvin, they are perfect for those, but I don't consider them to be a flat wound string really, they are half way, retaining a lot of brightness in the attack, and feel much better than a half or ground wound. It's just been a couple of years using them and they haven't mellowed at all. I have labella ltf on a Sterling Ray 5 and that's perfect too. I Just tried DR Dragon Skins (coated steel) on a Schecter Studio 4 and they pretty much resurrected it, actually more tone in the attack, but a little sticky- not too much. I also love Pure Blues and Fat Beams at times according to the bass.

 

[MidlifeBeginner]

The Cobalt flats are the most popular string I haven't tried yet. I guess because, while versatility is nice, ultimately I do want my flats to sound like flats.

Do Cobalts ever reach a point where they break in and acquire something closer to a traditional flatwound sound?

Cobalt flats won't ever mellow down to sounding like a stainless flat. The different metal does change the tone. You can approach motown, but never get there. They are a rock and roll flat in my opinion. Described as between a flat and round tone, I think it feels like flats with a bit of tube overdrive added. The output of your pickups does run hotter with the cobalt. That is probably a factor in how they sound amazing on some basses.

Cobalt does have a downside of not being rust proof.

 

[Isaac_James]

String preferences change over time. I spent almost a decade playing Rotosound 66s until they were making my hands bleed and I learned there were other options. So I respectfully disagree with the OP about their roundwound findings. I have since switched to D'Addario NYXLs for my favorite rounds. They sound like a combination of the 66s and regular D'Addario XLs, which are also pretty good strings. And they feel much nicer than the 66s. I have a heavy (55-110) gauge set on one of my Ric 4003s tuned to D Standard.

I also love D'Addario Chromes. I have a medium (50-105) gauge set on my other Ric 4003 tuned to D Standard. If I had to pick a set of Rotosounds, it would be the 77s. They're the best strings that company makes. I have a standard (45-105) gauge set on my Precision Bass tuned to D Standard. The Chromes and the 77s are tied for my favorite flatwounds. I can't pick a favorite between them.

I tune too low for tapewounds to work for me. But my favorite set are the La Bella White Nylon Tapes having tried them a few years ago. If I had the right bass tuned to standard, I would have a set of of these on that bass. They feel and sound amazing!

This is true, my preferences change over time. For years I was a die-hard DR Lo-Riders player, which I arrived at after a painstaking process that involved me going to the closest guitar shop and finding that DR was the only brand of bass string they carried (this was well before online shopping, yes kids there was a time when you couldn't do that).

I also find that I prefer different strings for different basses. I don't think I have the same set on any of the five basses I own.

 

[joel the bass player]

For some reason I like Chromes (lighter ones only) but have generally disliked every other D'addario string I have ever tried. About time to throw the TI Flats back on a bass, just for fun.

Lately I have moved everything back to nickel and am quite happy. I stick to certain strings on specific basses, so they aren't all wearing the same thing. Went through a phase where 5 strings all had DR Fatbeams, but some are wearing EB Slinky strings now. I have been running Sadowsky Blue label nickel on a few and have really been liking those. Ernie Ball, Sadowsky, or DR for me. Didn't like the Dunlops I tried a while back either. Maybe I should do some string exploring and see if there is anything out there I should try.

 

[Nebadon2000]

Do Cobalts ever reach a point where they break in and acquire something closer to a traditional flatwound sound?

No they don't I would have taken them off my Stingray Special if they did

They have their own sound and tone balance

EB has just released the Pino Palladino Cobalt Flats and claim they have a more traditional Flat tone

 

[MrAB4003]

I also find that I prefer different strings for different basses. I don't think I have the same set on any of the five basses I own.

Me too! Bass and string pairings are like food and beverage pairings. It took me years of playing and refining my ear for bass to figure this out.

 

[Yahboy]

EB Cobalt flat , Ti flat , La bella LTF4A

Sadly EB Cobalt flat has no super long scale option which i wish to install on Ibby SRMS725 multi scale bass.

 

[2saddleslab]

 

[Justin Keoni]

DR Fat Beams have to be put in the convo

 

[GrowlerBox]

EB Cobalt flat , Ti flat , La bella LTF4A

Sadly EB Cobalt flat has no super long scale option which i wish to install on Ibby SRMS725 multi scale bass.

My two main basses have TI flats and LaBella LTFs respectively, and I love them both; perhaps I need to try the Cobalts …