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Circle K strings...

#121
lokikallas said:
You sir are a nutbag...

In a good way. If you made flats you would be my hero. As it is, I'm running chromes on my 35" 5 string tuned 1/2 step down, with dropped e and b. G#/C#/G#/C#/F#
My .132 is flubtastic, and the .105 isn't the tightest either. I have a rosewood fingerboard, and play rather aggressively with vibrato, bends, you name it. Rounds will kill my fingerboard, so let me know when the flats are available and I'm there!
Click to expand...

You don't specify whether or not you play fretted or fretless, but I presume fretless. If so, you should vibrato by sliding your finger on the string, not like a typical bend. It will keep your fingerboard safe 10x as long. Lightening up your attack will help a bit too. Try a finger ramp?
 
#122
Another vote for exploring flat wound strings. If you can make a set that sound as good as chromes I'll buy them in a heartbeat.

I'm still gonna buy the rounds though, but I'm gonna need to get my bass set up again because of the change in string gauge. My hope with the .136 B string is that my local tech can get it to not rattle. I have a .125 tapered string right now that rattles much less than my old .130.
 
#123
FunkMetalBass said:
You don't specify whether or not you play fretted or fretless, but I presume fretless. If so, you should vibrato by sliding your finger on the string, not like a typical bend. It will keep your fingerboard safe 10x as long. Lightening up your attack will help a bit too. Try a finger ramp?
Click to expand...

Yes, fretless, and I know about the vibrato cello style as opposed to the guitar style, but just the fact that I use pretty high action, and play heavy metal mean I press down pretty hard. The lighter string gauges go sharp with my style, but the heavy strings work well. Telling a metal dude to just "lighten up" is like telling a race car driver to drive more carefully. Yes, there is a fine line between finese and brutality. On topic, I am looking forward to trying these stings on my 4 string fretted bass soon, a balanced drop d set sounds awesome.
 
#124
bassplayer7770 said:
Sorry if this has been asked before. For you Circle K users, how long do the Circle K strings last compared to some of your other favorite strings?
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They are much more responsive than any other string I've played. You can get a lot more nuance out of them by changing the right hand position than with previous strings I've used.

And for effect, here are my old standbys the Ks have replaced:

-Dean Markley Blue Steel
-Rotosound Swing 66
-Warwick Black Label (these are pretty close to the Ks)
 
#132
I don't have an allergy, more like acidic sweat. The first set of them I tried sounded great, but it looked as if my fingers had been in a chimney; they were BLACK. I talked to Dave (one of the three owners) and he thought that while it could happen, it shouldn't have been that severe (maybe just a bad batch?).

The strings I've tried since then have not had the same issue. If I'm playing really hard for an extended period, I may have some darkness on my right hand, but that's the extent of it. Usually with straight nickel, my hands would be a lot blacker.
 
#133
I just got my pack of Circle K strings today. They are the best string I've ever played, and I've played just about anything I can get my hands on!

I got a balanced 5-string set for my Warwick $$ (033, 046, 064, 088, 118). I've had TI Jazz flats on it lately because I'm doing more fingerstyle playing and I did a few musicals that didn't need rounds. Anyway, my favorite strings (in general) and on this bass have been DR Sunbeams as the mid hump on the Sunbeams contradicts a little of the mid scoop in the electronics of the bass, leaving a very even and clear tone.

The Circle K's blow them away in terms of clarity and feel! Scales and riffs some smoother and quicker and, most importantly, easier. I'll have to raise my action a little bit because I don't have to play quite as hard as I used to. The B string is clear and deep, the G string is snappy and it sounds great. They sound just as you'd expect a nickle/steel string to sound: some of the snappiness and tightness from steel strings, without the mid scoop (IME) and all the smoothness and mids I've associated with nickle strings.

The other cool thing I noticed was that an open D sounded different than a 5th fret D on the A string, which sounded different from the 10th fret E string, etc. I've noticed it with other strings, but these seem to bring that tonal difference out more than others.

I'll be buying sets to outfit my other basses soon!
 
#137
Glancing around the Circle K sets, I noticed the gauges are a little different than I'm accustomed to.

Right now, I play 40-60-80-100-125 Dunlop Nickels. I was going to use a similar gauge set or slightly larger, but the B string is drastically thicker than the 125 in these sets. Why is this?
 
#138
I just wanted to report back on my Balanced Standard 106 - 4 String purchase. My GOD! These are just the best rounds ever huh? They are the perfect thing to pair with my Ric 4003, with a great feel, loads of harmonics, and a tone that is more complex than I can really describe in words. Completely unlike stainless steel rounds (yes!) and really a cut or five above any nickel-wrap rounds I've played as well.

These strings have a very loose, gentle feel yet the tension is not floppy. With the hard rock maple of my Ric they resonate and sustain "for days" and make some really cool sounds when chording.

I will literally never buy another kind of roundwound. When they get the credits up for past purchases I'll buy 6 more sets ("Baker's Half Dozen") and put these on every bass I own except for the ones dedicated to tapewounds or flats.
 
#139
Doodaddy said:
Glancing around the Circle K sets, I noticed the gauges are a little different than I'm accustomed to.

Right now, I play 40-60-80-100-125 Dunlop Nickels. I was going to use a similar gauge set or slightly larger, but the B string is drastically thicker than the 125 in these sets. Why is this?
Click to expand...
It's an issue of balanced tension. Circle K offers sets of strings with very balanced tension. A .125 gauge B string is considered too light to be used for a low B. Usually a .135 or higher gauge is good for that. Also, .60 and .80 for the D and A strings is a lot more tension than the .100 gauge E string.

I'm going for the .043, .058, .080, .106, .142 balanced set for my 5er.
 
#140
KingRazor said:
A .125 gauge B string is considered too light to be used for a low B.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure I'm 100% behind this thought. I've never felt my .125 be too small. From what I can tell of most mainstream strings, a .130 is considered to be the "larger" gauge for a low B.

I understand the idea of the balanced tension, but the wild difference in the B to the normal seems a little exaggerated. I may just buy two B's and see how the .142 is and have a .124 on backup.

I had a .145 for a low F# once and it was way too floppy and I wasn't huge on it for a B. Maybe the 34" scale or the particular string had something to do with it.
 

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