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Biggest string disappointment ever - whats yours?
- Thread starter KF2B
- Start date
1. Any roundwound string i have ever tried.
2. TI's =great sound but no tension
3. Chromes= Only sound good if about a year old
4. GHS Precision wont make a 50G
5. Fender Flats wont sell singles.
2. TI's =great sound but no tension
3. Chromes= Only sound good if about a year old
4. GHS Precision wont make a 50G
5. Fender Flats wont sell singles.
One persons trash is another persons treasure.
Way back in the 70s... I used black tapewounds on my fretless P (not sure who was making them back then.) My band was on the road in some small town in IL or IA and I bought a set of teflon (?) coated strings at a little music store. Strung them up and they were coated in some kind of soft shiny black substance. Sticky as hell and toneless. Like playing surgical tubing. Played one set and threw them out.
D'Addario Half-Rounds. I tried them around the time I was first starting out on bass, a time when I had only used Chromes. I thought I would like the half-round/half-flat thing... nope. They were super sticky, had way too much friction, sounded like garbage... Now I'm exclusively a roundwound user and I love my XL Nickels and the occasional ProSteel.
Most rounds.
LaBella flats. Are they spraying the sticky on those or what?
I pretty much use chromes. I just have to recognize that they are unusable to play with others for the first 3 weeks after purchase. Luckily I rarely need new strings.
LaBella flats. Are they spraying the sticky on those or what?
I pretty much use chromes. I just have to recognize that they are unusable to play with others for the first 3 weeks after purchase. Luckily I rarely need new strings.
I was, at first, very disappointed with La bella Deep Talkin' flats, 105-45, but not anymore. Allow me to explain.
When I bought my (one, solitary) bass I also bought D'addario Chromes (105-50) to install, and loved the musical, almost bell like sound they provided.
Upon further study I decided to try the above mentioned La bella strings. Imagine my surprise when I first played them and heard that horrible, empty thump. I was crestfallen to say the least. My wife thought I'd broken something in the amp. I gave 'em a week and yanked them off to sell on Kijiji.
Something bothered me about that decision as I really wanted to like the La bellas. Luckily there were no buyers on Kijiji so I decided to give them another shot just for $#!ts and giggles. That was a while back and they're still on the bass providing yeoman like service. I now believe it was my failure to set the amp's EQ properly, as they can provide almost as well as the Chromes did. There is also, a certain "je ne sais quoi" that the La bellas give that is very pleasing, and perceptibly more satisfying.
So, first impressions can sometimes be wrong. Mine was.
When I bought my (one, solitary) bass I also bought D'addario Chromes (105-50) to install, and loved the musical, almost bell like sound they provided.
Upon further study I decided to try the above mentioned La bella strings. Imagine my surprise when I first played them and heard that horrible, empty thump. I was crestfallen to say the least. My wife thought I'd broken something in the amp. I gave 'em a week and yanked them off to sell on Kijiji.
Something bothered me about that decision as I really wanted to like the La bellas. Luckily there were no buyers on Kijiji so I decided to give them another shot just for $#!ts and giggles. That was a while back and they're still on the bass providing yeoman like service. I now believe it was my failure to set the amp's EQ properly, as they can provide almost as well as the Chromes did. There is also, a certain "je ne sais quoi" that the La bellas give that is very pleasing, and perceptibly more satisfying.
So, first impressions can sometimes be wrong. Mine was.
Sticky? Yeah, I noticed that too. That goes away with playing time. They're definitely a stiffer string. Stiffer than a larger gauge of Chromes in fact.
I still like Chromes though. Nice strings.
- Feb 23, 2009
- 81
- 25
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Markbass Amplification
You can get GHS precisions in 38 inch winding length from BSO now. I didn't see the option at first, sometimes the site is a bit hard to navigate all the options.
Hahahaha, for me these are my definitive strings. Its looks and sounds fresh for months and i just dry after playing with a dry and soft wipe, no big care.All things being subjective... meaning your mileage may vary:
Elixir Nanoweb 045-100 (14052)
Those are mine - what a huge, HUGE, disappointment
They cost an arm and leg and whilst they do feel slick and durable what an utterly bland tone.
Well, all affecting everything I really cannot blame the strings per se but the mismatch with my bass (stock 2001 MIM Classic 60´s Jazz - one of the first batches) is apparent. - The force is not strong with this combo so out goes the Elixirs. Never again.
GHS Brite flats - what d'ya know, they're nickel-wound instead of steel, so not as bright as I'd hoped.
(To anyone here complaining about flats in general: if you're up for one more try, test out La Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats... They're steel, so brighter than other flats, and their flexibility and low tension provide a great sound and feel overall. This coming from a rounds guy too! They blew me away.)
Rotosound Pressure-wound (55's I think, hybrid gauge in green box). I thought these were supposed to be a little softer than rounds on the fingers (and therefore fingerboard, for my fretless), which turned out to be dead wrong - they felt more zingy than rounds! They might have sounded OK but I accidentally put a kink in the G so it was dead dead dead, and between that and the feel I just changed them too fast to get any other impressions.
Elixirs - great on guitar, and although nice-feeling on bass they don't sound all that great in my opinion. Not enough overtones to cut through.
===
I'm excited to try out DR Hi-beams! I hear good things.
(To anyone here complaining about flats in general: if you're up for one more try, test out La Bella Low Tension Flexible Flats... They're steel, so brighter than other flats, and their flexibility and low tension provide a great sound and feel overall. This coming from a rounds guy too! They blew me away.)
Rotosound Pressure-wound (55's I think, hybrid gauge in green box). I thought these were supposed to be a little softer than rounds on the fingers (and therefore fingerboard, for my fretless), which turned out to be dead wrong - they felt more zingy than rounds! They might have sounded OK but I accidentally put a kink in the G so it was dead dead dead, and between that and the feel I just changed them too fast to get any other impressions.
Elixirs - great on guitar, and although nice-feeling on bass they don't sound all that great in my opinion. Not enough overtones to cut through.
===
I'm excited to try out DR Hi-beams! I hear good things.
- Sep 9, 2007
- 5,309
- 4,977
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
Actually, they're nickel-iron (Alloy 52), but correct. Still not as bright as ground stainless steel strings.
GHS P Flats have always been available in "long plus" (38").
My bass needs the "long" (36.5") for the E; otherwise, the main body of the string would ride up on the tuner post. Most people would tell you that's not a big deal. But it is for me as I tend to be abnormally fussy about these little details.
I never found them dead at first, but 2 weeks in they would go dead instantly, turned rubbery, then snap. The only strings I've had break on stage, and it happened twice. Literally, they would be fine at the beginning of the song and rubber by the start of the first chorus, and broken by the second verse.
Ernie Ball Slinkys/Hybirds - Broke or unwound after 3-4 weeks, every. single. time.
Ernie Ball Cobalts - Worst sounding/playing strings I've ever had. I ripped them off after 2 weeks and put my dead Lakland Steels back on. Replaced those with Lakland Nickels and I'm happy as a clam. Gotta do a bulk order soon.
Ernie Ball Cobalts - Worst sounding/playing strings I've ever had. I ripped them off after 2 weeks and put my dead Lakland Steels back on. Replaced those with Lakland Nickels and I'm happy as a clam. Gotta do a bulk order soon.
The D'Addario "balanced" sets they put out last year. The concept was good but the execution was weak. They would die after a week or two of regular use, where I can get months out of DR strings.
That's crazy because back when GC carried them (6-7 years ago) it's all I bought, because I could get months and months out of them. I once had 3 set ups in a year, once every 3-4 months, and I kept the same Blue Steels on every time. I could not get them to die. They were amazing. Always had great luck and great tone with those bad boys. They were a magic set. I've moved on since, but I'll hold a place in my heart for Blue Steels.
