Brightest Strings with Long Life Span

I had pretty good success with D'Addario ProSteels. They do sound bright for quite a long time (3-4 weeks when I played them almost every day for several hours).

 

Yeah, Prosteels.

 

Kalium strings! Fodera steels, R. Cocco steels... and nickels too actually.
DR lasted long for me but they don't for some, I guess it's a lot about chemistry.

 

Elixir, they are not the brightest to start with, but after 2 days of playing on a uncoated stringset they already sound deader than the Elixir will do after 6 months, Elixir outlast other strings with superior margin, and you will maintain that metalic trebly sound for months. I would recommend: Elixir stainless steel nanocoated strings, the ones I have on my bass is 18 months old and sound like what normal strings do after maybe 2 weeks or so. The difference is really night and day.

ps im not an endorser or salesguy I just love these strings

 

^^ what he said.. I love elixirs.

 

Give the Elixir Steels a shot as well. They are brighter than the regular Elixirs.

 

At the risk of beating a dead horse, I swear by Elixir stainless steels 45-105, bought from Jason at BassStringsOnline... Won't rip your face off with sizzle yet will live to fight the good fight for a very long time... Marc

 

Elixir Nickel Nanowounds 45-105

not as bright as D'Adarrio Nickels but they sound exactly the same today as they did on Sep 2nd when they were put on

 

For me, DR Stainless Steel. Anything with a hexcore. They last much longer than most other strings for me.

Fodera Stainless last pretty well too and aren't as expensive as you might think.

 

I suppose coated strings are the answer. I don't like them, but they're designed specifically for long life.

Some day labella may start sharing their new vapor shield molecularly modified strings with the world and they might change bass string longevity as we know it. We'll see.

 

did you make a choice op? what do you think you will go with?

 

I just put a set of SIT Rock Brights Stainless Steel on my Fodera Tom Kennedy 5 Standard. Very brilliant piano like. Punchy mids and flexible feel. I'm going to give them a spin. I use to use SIT Rock Bright Nickels on my Stingray 5 and they use to last a long time.

 

Dunlop super bright steels.
Does what it says,they do kinda mellow out after a while but there still bright in fact just nice,had mine on for 3 months now gigging 2/3 times a week.That,ll do me then.

 

Gotta add to the Elixir's list... I use them on all my [gigging] guitars too.
Pricey, but they DO last!

 

Actually they are the cheapest strings there is if you start doing the math on longevity/price

 

I like the GHS Super Steels.

Bassically, Michael

 

DR High beams are what I use. I love Rotosound strings but they die in a week or two. The DR's last much longer. Coated strings may work for you. I've only tried the Black beauties' and I didn't care for them. Maybe the Elixers are different?

 

I swear by Elixirs and have them on every guitar in our house and my acoustic bass...... unfortunately they don't make a short scale set so i use D'addario pro steels. As another said, the Elixirs aren't as bright as uncoated strings are for a day or two, but after that the Elixirs will be brighter and last a LONG time.

 

OK, all you Lixirphilobes, how about FEEL? I use Thomastiks because they sound great, feel great, and last a LONG time. TI Flats on fretless NYBW 6 (at least two years a set) and Infeld Superalloy on my fretted NYBW 6 (at least six months). I love them.

So why did I try D'Addario coated EXP on my fretted? Who cares? ;-P They were apples/oranges. The Infeld still won for feel and overall voice, they tied for longevity, but the EXP won for slap and articulation. I have phenomenal basses so I have the luxury of enjoying a variety in string choice. I wish the EXP had the smooth feel of the TI. But to my surprise, the coated string was sticky - grabby, like steels which is why I stay with nickels. Or I wish the EXP were smooth to the touch and voiced like the TI - very smooth full midrange.

ARE YOUR ELIXIR SMOOTH?!?!?! IF THEY GRAB MY SKIN LIKE EXP COATED OR STEEL I AM NOT INTERESTED. BUT if they are smooth then they might meet that middle ground for me between the Infeld Superalloy and D'Addario EXP as I describe above. Oh, and I play 35.5" scale New York Bass Works 6-string basses - basically monster 'Jazz' passive single coil basses.

Thanks! (So, Elixir; smooth like nickel or sticky like steel? And what else?)