Best strings for tapping?

[smackbass]

I have just ordered a book on two hand tapping workouts for bass and was wondering what the best strings would be for this technique.

 

[RickenBoogie]

Personal preference mostly, but stainless steel rounds would be a good start.

 

[playbass1983]

Personal preference mostly, but stainless steel rounds would be a good start.

I agree. You need to the brightness of SS rounds. Lower gauge normally makes it easier as well.

 

[jbailes]

I was hoping to ressurect this thread. I've got an Ibanez SR500 on the way, and I thought I'd set it up for tapping. My other 2 jazz basses have 45-105 DRs (fat beams and nickel plated low riders). Of course, they're quite tough to tap with. I saw that DR sumbeams and SS low riders are recommended for tapping and can come in 40-95 gauge. Anyone have any thoughts on this or other suggestions?

 

[randysmojo]

I don't really know, but I would guess a lower gauge Fatbeams or Hibeam set would be preferable over Sunbeams due to the SS instead of NPS of Sunbeams. Like I said, just guessing and someone with way more tapping experience will know better!

 

[jmattbassplaya]

String gauge and material doesn't matter nearly as much as a proper setup. I can tap on flats and nickles just as easily as I can on SS strings.

 

[randysmojo]

Is the key to tapping the lowest action you can get?

 

[Epitaph04]

No its to get it as high as possible ; )

 

[jmercer91]

I would imagine circle k's would be good because even tension would help.

 

[Thomas Kievit]

String gauge and material doesn't matter nearly as much as a proper setup. I can tap on flats and nickles just as easily as I can on SS strings.

+1 on. Although slightly different then bass, Chapmanstick master Tony Levin has a 200+ string gauge on his stick and taps it with ease

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Light gauge...

My 6 that I tap a lot on I have 40-95 as my main 4 strings. 28 / 120 complete the six set...

Victor Wootens former Fodera signature set was 40-95 to give you an example of someone who taps a lot...

 

[darkstorm]

Why would one brand of strings be better for tapping, or slap, or fingerstyle, or pick use? Its all personal preferance. Other then suggesting light gauge strings for tapping theres no reason to think one brand would work better then another.

 

[Rip Topaz]

Why would one brand of strings be better for tapping, or slap, or fingerstyle, or pick use? Its all personal preferance. Other then suggesting light gauge strings for tapping theres no reason to think one brand would work better then another.

+1. Isn't setup infinitely more important?

 

[iplaymetal]

I would imagine circle k's would be good because even tension would help.

+1

I like the even tension because it doesn't feel too strange when string skipping, and they are quite bright so they really can cut through quite well.

 

[ixlramp]

I've spent years optimising my bass for tapping, my experience is that a light tension, low action and a progressive tension set are optimum ... tension falling from low to high. I recommend 100 70 50 35 as a starting point and possibly lighter. A 95-40 set has tension increasing from low to high which is the very opposite of what is optimum. Build a set from single strings and design your sets using this: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf