Best stainless steel strings?

[Brandon Shea]

Depending on how quickly you kill strings, I'd recommend DR Hi-Beams or Dragon Skins. They're pretty similar in my opinion, but Dragon Skins are coated and last a lot longer on my basses. Hi-Beams sound fantastic when they're new, and then my hands get sweaty and they're completely dead after a couple weeks. I've heard from others that Hi-Beams last a long time though, so YMMV.

 

[ryco]

Another recommendation for the Dunlop SS, but I like the Super-Brite Marcus Millers on my Jackson Concert V (45-125). Very sharp attack and aggresive sound. The Jackson is the only bass on which I have a SS set. The MM SS keep their zing for a good 6 months -- and I play a lot.

RotoSound 66 SwingSet are a good string altho they receive much dislike. I like to keep them on for years 'til they are deader than door nails. No, I don't mind that for the first few months they are a little ruff - that's what callouses are for.

 

[logdrum]

I've been trying out Magma rounds lately, so far so good. Their lights are denser feeling than other strings. I like them. But staple DR Hi-Beams and Fat-Beams user. GHS Super Steels and D'Addario Pro steels are good too. Did not like Dunlops, lost love for Rotosounds..

These Magmas are as inexpensive or maybe even cheaper than D'Addarios but if you do though body you may have to do some silk winding surgery. They offer an extra light gauge 90 - 30 as well as 115 - 55. Hex Core.

 

[klokker]

Another vote for SS Lo Riders.

 

[Dust2Dust]

Strings are so much fun to experiment with. But a set of ProSteels, a set of Swing Bass 66 and maybe a set of DR Hi Beams and have some fun!

This.

Based on what you said you are looking for, when you find your tone it's going to be one of those.

Again, - based on what you said you are looking for - I would start with the ProSteels . . . BUT, as bassist4dalord said

Rotosound Swing Bass, . . . . . . . . are the absolute standard in SS strings,

Fact.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Greetings,
I know that everyone prefer their own strings for their own reasons but when it comes to stainless steel (SS) strings I've never used or played on any. I asked the local seller and he said D'Addario Pro Steel, but he only sells D'Addarios and Ernie Ball strings.

I've read elsewhere that the D'Addarios are "softer" to play on than Rotosounds and that the Ernies dies quite fast.

The gauge I currently play on is .045 - .105 and I most usually play on LaBella strings (NP) but I want to try something new. If it matters the only bass I have left is a Jackson JS2 Spectra.

The ones I can't decide between are: D'Addario Pro Steel, MarkBass Energy, Rotosound RS66LF and Warwick 40200 M Black Label.

Have any of you tried any of these strings? Or can you recommend anything else? I'm looking for a colder and snappier sound than what all the NP strings I've tried so far gives me.

SIT Powersteels.

 

[depalm]

DR Lo Riders - High tension, very balanced, bright but perfect for digging hard.

 

[baxter_x]

D'addario prosteel and Sadowsky black label. I used the prosteel for a very long time but recently switched to the Sadowsky as it feels stronger and more present.

 

[Iristone]

Out of your list, Rotosound by a mile. I like how it balances across all 4 strings without a dead E string. I prefer the RS66LD gauge, though.
Some "boutique" strings can get even better, such as Sadowsky, La Bella Super Steps and Super Polished, or Rotosound's own RS55 pressurewounds. They are more "different flavour" than "better", though.

 

[A Bass And Its Boy]

I really like the Apex Strings stainless steels. Made by former Dean Markley employees who bought the factory and equipment and improved on what DM had been making.

 

[MartinSwe]

Amazon.se

Amazon.se

(Apparently .005" in diameter are worth 172.45 kronor!)

Thank you! Never crossed my mind to check Amazon. Have you tried any of the LaBella Stainless ?

 

[MartinSwe]

I really like the Apex Strings stainless steels. Made by former Dean Markley employees who bought the factory and equipment and improved on what DM had been making.

Never heard of this brand but I’ll check it out. Thank you !

 

[HaphAsSard]

Thank you! Never crossed my mind to check Amazon. Have you tried any of the LaBella Stainless ?

Afraid not ^^'

 

[Iristone]

Thank you! Never crossed my mind to check Amazon. Have you tried any of the LaBella Stainless ?

IME the Rx isn't very consistent across strings: E and A (less extent) are darker than D and G. The Super Steps are a bit better, and I believe it will last a long time due to being exposed-core.

 

[Wyrdlow]

I did a lot of experimenting in the 80s and early 90s and eventually settled on RS66s, which I've been very happy with for 40 years. When I finally got my Ric, put on a fresh set and fired it up - there it was... the sound I'd been after for years.
When I play other people's basses at jams and the like, other strings just feel weird to me now.
They might not be your thing - they're clearly not for a lot of people! - but if you're comparing stainless steel roundwounds, they should be on your list. If only to cross them off it!
Have fun on your quest and let us know your verdict.

 

[MartinSwe]

I did a lot of experimenting in the 80s and early 90s and eventually settled on RS66s, which I've been very happy with for 40 years. When I finally got my Ric, put on a fresh set and fired it up - there it was... the sound I'd been after for years.
When I play other people's basses at jams and the like, other strings just feel weird to me now.
They might not be your thing - they're clearly not for a lot of people! - but if you're comparing stainless steel roundwounds, they should be on your list. If only to cross them off it!
Have fun on your quest and let us know your verdict.

Thank you, these are on my list. I’ll let you all know which ones worked best for me. I just don’t know which ones to start with or to have as a reference

 

[Bodeeni]

I have been happy with the Dunlop Super Brights 45-105

 

[E2942]

The ones that D.R. makes, which have the smaller diameter windings. They just sound better.

 

[dune]

I would eliminate Rotosound 66s.
1. They're very rough to the touch (to the point where they made my fingers bleed)
2. They die quickly (John Entwistle changed his strings before every show and studio recording)
3. Rotosound's QC is not great compared to D'Addario and La Bella

Having played Rotosounds (66s, 55 pressurewounds, and 77 flatwounds) for 12 years before switching to D'Addario, I can tell you firsthand that they're not the best strings.

I used RS66's almost exclusively from the early 80's through the mid-90's. Occasionally I couldn't find them and had to use GHS "Boomers" or Markley "Blue Steels". Two things I remember in particular that finally drove me away from the Rotos: the E strings were dead on arrival at least 50% of the time, and the residue left on them from the manufacturing process had increased to the point where I had to wash them before putting them on. That second one wasn't a huge deal, as I took my strings off and washed them every day when I was gigging 6 nights a week.

I like DR HiBeams. Plenty snappy and zingy, not too "grippy" on fingers, with a fairly even frequency response across the lows and mids.

These are what I changed over to in the mid-90's when I finally had to give up on the Rotos. I've been very happy with them. I have also had their "Lo Riders" and think they're great as well. Lately, I've also been trying DR's "Pure Blues" as well as their "Sunbeams" though going forward I think it likely I'm sticking with the "Hi's" or the "Lo's".

Mmh, I personally fail to understand the Rotosound criticism. They come in sealed packs these days. I go through a lot of strings and haven't noticed any particular QC issues. Not sure whether or not they die any faster than the competition - I don't find the SB66s particularly zingy even when new. They're also usually the cheapest name-brand SS strings here in EU (often by a wide margin).

Given what I've read here from @Windreaper and others, I think I'm going to try some new RS66's for the first time in nearly 30 years. I LOVED them back in the day and was beyond disappointed when their QC seemed to become non-existent. Now, I hung in with them for probably two years longer than I should have, because I loved them so much. When they were good, they just had something uniquely special - nothing else sounded and felt like them. If they really have gotten it all back together and are as good as I remember them being in their (and my) "glory days" (yeah, they pass you by) I'm going to be one very happy camper.

 

[Lenny JG]

Newtone strings for me nowadays