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Biggest string disappointment ever - whats yours?
- Thread starter KF2B
- Start date
Rotosound swing 66's. Read all these great things about them. Bought them for a gig. I could hear them dying as I played our 3 sets that evening. Plus, they hurt.
Pro-steels sound good to me. They are very brilliant off the bat but I find them to have plenty of grind and punch even after a few months, you just have to hit em a little harder as they age.
The op didn't like his nickel plated elixirs but I've been very happy with the stainless steel set I have. Great slightly broken in steel sound with a smooth touch and consistent sound for months.
Lots of GHS and half round hate here too but again, for me there is no better sounding string on my short scale Gibson basses than GHS brite flats. I'd even say they're my favorite flatwound string period. They sounded much better on my Precision compared to La Bella DTB flats 760fs.
The only major disappointment were DR Legend flats. Thuddy dead string duds.
The op didn't like his nickel plated elixirs but I've been very happy with the stainless steel set I have. Great slightly broken in steel sound with a smooth touch and consistent sound for months.
Lots of GHS and half round hate here too but again, for me there is no better sounding string on my short scale Gibson basses than GHS brite flats. I'd even say they're my favorite flatwound string period. They sounded much better on my Precision compared to La Bella DTB flats 760fs.
The only major disappointment were DR Legend flats. Thuddy dead string duds.
Rotosound Nexus black coated strings. I love coated strings and their longevity but these, the g was almost dead after 2 days and then the others started too follow. These became dead superfast and wasnt even bright too begin with. I really dont like rotosound at all tough.
My biggest disappointment I'd have to say is Thomastik Infeld Jazz flatwounds. They're a little too rough on the fingers compared to others and the brighter, mid-focused tone isn't my cup o' tea.
Sadowksy Black Label Flats, the taperwound strings sound way brighter than the regular to the point of unusability.
For me it was D'addario half rounds. Not a round, and not a flat, with the benefits of neither.
Second place would be Roto 66's, in the pre internet days this is just about all that was on offer at my local music shop, I didn't realise for about 5 years of playing that not all strings go dead after 20 mins.
Second place would be Roto 66's, in the pre internet days this is just about all that was on offer at my local music shop, I didn't realise for about 5 years of playing that not all strings go dead after 20 mins.
^ Yes - should have been called flat rounds - as in flat sounding out of the box..
Would now like to add DR DDTs. Sound great, terrific tension, but I have never gotten so many blisters in such a short period of time. I have been playing for twelve years and have NEVER had strings eat my fingers like this.
Hartke Bass Strings
$10 a set, and I think I got ripped off lol
The Elixir Nanowebs aren't so bad, all you have to do it turn up the Low knob on your amp. They DO last six months with exactly the same sound they start with, just tweak your eq to make up for lack of bottom.
$10 a set, and I think I got ripped off lol
The Elixir Nanowebs aren't so bad, all you have to do it turn up the Low knob on your amp. They DO last six months with exactly the same sound they start with, just tweak your eq to make up for lack of bottom.
Ken Smith's Low B strings over .140. I've tried the 140s and the 145s in both nickel and steel, and they suck. First time I thought it was a bum string, but it's happened EVERY time.
I've tried a handful of them from different sources, from a member on here, from BassStringsOnline, etc., and every time, it's TERRIBLE. They're completely floppy sounding, with no fundamental. It sounds like I left them out in the rain or something. I've tried them on 3 different basses, and in 3 different tunings, and its the same thing. I wish it weren't the case, because KS offers their strings in a wide variety of types, tapers, gauges, scale lengths, etc.
I just replaced a set on my fretless with some regular Daddario nickel wounds and it turns out that being able to actually HEAR the fundamental really helps your intonation a LOT
Who knew?
I've tried a handful of them from different sources, from a member on here, from BassStringsOnline, etc., and every time, it's TERRIBLE. They're completely floppy sounding, with no fundamental. It sounds like I left them out in the rain or something. I've tried them on 3 different basses, and in 3 different tunings, and its the same thing. I wish it weren't the case, because KS offers their strings in a wide variety of types, tapers, gauges, scale lengths, etc.
I just replaced a set on my fretless with some regular Daddario nickel wounds and it turns out that being able to actually HEAR the fundamental really helps your intonation a LOT
Who knew?
Roto RS44LD Bronze, for my ABG. Expensive and horrible! Clancy, thin and just all wrong. May have improved if I left them on for more than 20 mins, but no way. Moved on to GHS black tapes and never looked back.
I had Elixirs on my Ibanez....coated string......they weren't a "disappointment"......sounded good/sweet.....but I was leary of using a pick on them which might take the coating off quick.
I'm not a roundwound guy so any I've tried although not disappointing (except for cheapo factory sets which ARE a disappointment) just simply don't have the sound I'm looking for.
I had Dad half-rounds....I'd have to say they didn't impress me once they settled in....although playability wasn't too bad....
Right now I've got Dad chrome XL's on my Ibby and Jag SS...........they sound much better on the Ibby.....way better. Sweet tone on the Ibby....tad too punchy on the Jag. Although if I was gigging I'd probably need that little bit of mid-punch somewhat.
I'm going to try Labella Deep Talkin' Flats on the Jag.....
I'm not a roundwound guy so any I've tried although not disappointing (except for cheapo factory sets which ARE a disappointment) just simply don't have the sound I'm looking for.
I had Dad half-rounds....I'd have to say they didn't impress me once they settled in....although playability wasn't too bad....
Right now I've got Dad chrome XL's on my Ibby and Jag SS...........they sound much better on the Ibby.....way better. Sweet tone on the Ibby....tad too punchy on the Jag. Although if I was gigging I'd probably need that little bit of mid-punch somewhat.
I'm going to try Labella Deep Talkin' Flats on the Jag.....
I don't recall the brand, they were some online only brand that sold 4-string SS roundwounds for $10 I believe. They claimed to source their strings from the same manufacturer as other popular brands. So, I gave them a shot. They were totally awful. Tone was ok, but they went from zippy to dead inside of a couple of hours.
Rotosound flats. Lifeless, way too much tension.
Dr Hi-Beams - I was using them for a couple of years, but got two sets in a row with a bogus E string: they both broke (fortunately during rehearsal) just over the bridge pickup on an Ibanez SR800. I play fingerstyle with a fairly light touch, there is no way I broke those strings. Switched to Rotosound RS66's and never looked back.
Rotosound flats. Lifeless, way too much tension.
Dr Hi-Beams - I was using them for a couple of years, but got two sets in a row with a bogus E string: they both broke (fortunately during rehearsal) just over the bridge pickup on an Ibanez SR800. I play fingerstyle with a fairly light touch, there is no way I broke those strings. Switched to Rotosound RS66's and never looked back.
EB Cobalt Slinky string. The E died quickly while the rest of the set remained lively. Back to DR's for me.
Same two for me. I had high hopes for these and neither were what I was hoping for.
My biggest surprise on the other hand would be DR SS Lo Beams. I really enjoyed those strings on my P.
Haven't really deviated much when it comes to bass strings (though I'm hoping to give some Circle K/Kalium's a go soon), but back when I took lessons in high school I had my bass teacher recommend Ernie Ball Extra Slinkys (I had Supers on at the time, which is still my go to), due to the lighter gauge. Not my cup of tea. Sounded pretty dead to me after about a month or so. I don't ever plan on using those again.
My disappointment in strings are flat wounds, they are to stiff, tight and dull sounding. And very tired of getting brand new brand name strings dead out of the box, back when I just had a 4-string Bass, I'd get Swing Bass Roto Sound stainless steel round wounds, Dean Markley Cryogenic Blue steels, DR Hi-Beams, D'adario Super Steels I think, and the worst GHS BASS BOOMERS. All way to many times have gotten a Bad E string, put all my strings on starting with the G string first always sounds great, then my D string, great, then my A string, great, then my favorite Big E string last and Bam! Dead and Dull and lifeless and that just ruin's the whole deal. And now a days I only get Rogue stainless steel round wounds strings for my 4 and 5 string Bass guitars. Order them right out of Musician's Friend, Rogue only uses high quality factory string making equipment and all stainless steel strings that have incredibly crispy clangy sustained piano type sounding strings. All of them, and they get clangier sounding the more you get to the E and B strings, never have gotten a Bad set ever and I get 3 of the same string gauge in a pack for the price of one. I get a 3-pack of 45's 65's 85's 105's and 130's all for $30 or $40 some Dollars. IMO you can't beat that because I like clangy crispy sounding stainless steel round wound strings and they last me months and I jam my Bass guitars every day. I buy a few packs of Rogue Stainless Steel Round Wound Strings once a year, not Bad, not Bad at all. And I don't even use Fast Fret or any cleaner on my strings, my secret is to keep a clean cloth in my Bass case and wipe the strings and fretboard off before and after each use, and just before I jam my Bass I wash my hands real good and that keeps the strings good. After that I clang, slap, pop, tap, and jam the hell out of my Bass and finally enjoy jammin music that I love with no frickin dull string problems anymore. Just the sound of CLANGING METAL STRINGS COMING OUT OF MY SPEAKERS.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.
One more thing, Rogue also sells custom string gauges of all different sizes, for your own custom set, and they sell nickel round wounds too, i'm not interested in nickel strings, but they have them too.
