Biggest string disappointment ever - whats yours?

[Lethgar]

The regular Dunlop SS and nickels. Have the super brights on my NJ5, love them. The regular sets? Dead out of the box. Both sets I tried. from two different Retailers. No treble or high mid growl bite or bark whatsoever. Just bland. And felt sticky. No thanks.

 

[FrankLowend]

Has someone here a Rudy Sarzo Cirrus bass?
What strings are you guys using at this bass?

 

[nashman]

Interesting - both ends of the spectrum experiences for the same string sets.

 

[UnofficialMusicTherapy]

I wonder how many of these dislikes would not be if the same strings had been tried on different bass- some strings just don't work on certain basses.

My biggest disappointment:
D'Addario Half-Rounds- ok on someone else's bass (that's where they went after trying them on several of different construction).



I saw where they are making some (most?) 37.5" now, to fit more basses.

38" is too long for many 34" scale basses, especially w/o stringing thru-body, or have a B or E tuner close to the nut. No idea why they want to limit their sales that way.

It might be 37.5 - I just know it was longer as I have a 35inch scale Lakland that wouldn't quite fit the standard 36.5 length.
Anyway in a thread of disappointing strings - these are fantastic! but I'm sure others have quoted them as being their biggest disappointment.
I think disappointment comes down more to expectations than anything else. If you expect one thing because of the way they are marketed, or because of their reputation on TB, and then the reality in your situation is completely different then it's disappointing.
Although I do my research I'm a guy that always has to try things (unfortunately) but then I almost instantly know if a piece of gear is going to work for me or not. 95% of the time my first impressions were right!
Good business for the string companies!

 

[ptleftybass]

Ernie Ball Colbolts

 

[HoboCop]

I really disliked the set of warwick EMP strings I bought. They only had thump and clank, seemed like there was no midrange presence at all. The good news is they sounded exactly like that for 6 months though!

 

[basses51]

I HATE Blue Steels....Tried a set about 20 years ago, Went dead overnight....Never bought them again!!!

 

[bluesblaster]

Im with the OP, those Elixer nanowebz sucked ass, worst string I've ever tried. Thomastik jazz rounds were another huge disappointment

 

[taylor16]

DR Sunbeams. When worked in after a week or so of regular playing, they become fantastic but very quickly begin to leech the life out of them. Maybe it was the extra $$ that DR tend to cost, but I do expect that "flavor" to last a lot longer. I've been rocking D'Addario Prosteels nearly ever since and they are a perfect compromise of value and performance.

 

[FrankLowend]

Im with the OP, those Elixer nanowebz sucked ass, worst string I've ever tried. Thomastik jazz rounds were another huge disappointment

Why exactly?
I'm asking this because i use Elixir Nanoweb at all my basses actually due the sound remains the same for months.

 

[joel406]

Dr's. Tried sunbeam and high beams. Clankiest strings I've ever played. Will never use them again.

 

[bluesblaster]

Why exactly?
I'm asking this because i use Elixir Nanoweb at all my basses actually due the sound remains the same for months.

didn't like the feel and the sound was nothing to write home about. I have been using Labella flats, I have a set that's almost 10 years old that still sounds good.

 

[Obese Chess]

DR Fat Beams, the Marcus Miller String. Blah tone, died within two hours. I hear they last forever for other people, so go figure.

I like the way they sound but yeah, they die really quickly.

Also I love how DR's sound but as some other folks have mentioned, they just eat through my fingers.

anything and everything GHS. What a sack of turds.

This is just the weirdest thing to me - GHS is contracted out to make some of the best-received sets of strings here (Ken Smith, Dingwall, and Lakland) but all of their own options have been crap in my experience.

Planning on trying the Dunlops next and if those don't strike my fancy I'm just gonna go back to Blue Steels, which have always treated me well.

 

[Geddaric]

Blue Steels were terrible. Tried `em out once DM quit making the Magnums(which I loved). A "+1" on the intonation problem with Elixirs. GHS Bass Boomers=bass bummers.Tried Fender tapes - not impressed. Had the best luck with Roto RW 77 nickels.

 

[tallboybass]

DR Low Riders....no detectable fundamental and wouldn't die. Gave the G string to a gap-toothed friend to floss with.

 

[tallboybass]

Fender discontinuing the 9050CL flats set 45-60-80-105, and not selling singles

I stumbled into making this very set when I bought some 9050L's and didn't like the wobbly E string, and so stole the .105 out of an unused pack of 9050M's! They seem pretty nice so far...sad they discontinued the 9050CL.

 

[adamaarts]

DR Red Devils. They died within like 3 days. Terriby inconsistent tone between strings. They did send a replacement set but again the same issue.

 

[bluesblaster]

tried a couple different DR sets, no like those either.

 

[JustForSport]

I am disappointed with D'Addario electric bass and guitar strings, but it's because I'm allergic to something they use in the final polishing/finishing process. I always wonder if some of them might give me the sound I'm looking for;

There does seem to be a residue from lubing the rollers and dies in winding that leaves a part of it on the fingers when new, but I just wipe them down (don't soak) with denatured alcohol or
unscented mineral spirits and it seems to remove it from the playing surface. I think they may last longer if it's not dissolved from between the windings, as a lube there can help prevent wear.

 

[GIBrat51]

The only thing that seems to work for me is a very thorough scrubbing with 1,1,1 Trichlorothane, then cleaning that off with lots of alcohol and clean rags. Very time consuming, to say nothing of the danger of using the trich. I have done it when I have little choice (my baritone guitar, for example; sounds best with the D'Addario mediums), but other than intellectual curiosity, not worth the trouble. I suppose if I had tried every other string with no success, I'd suck it up and try them; but I haven't reached that point yet..