Who has tried these? How good are the lows mids and highs? I'm thinking about trying these on my Ibanez sr506 which I've been using DR Hi-Beams on. They sound good but I'm looking for something a little different and easier on the frets. Anyone used both of these that can compair?
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D'addario half rounds
- Thread starter bassistgook
- Start date
I'd peg D'Addario Halfs as being between their nickel rounds & their chrome flats. I wouldn't recommend them to someone into Stainless rounds, other than on their 2nd bass to broaden their tonal options. A LOT different.
I would try any other brand first, my experience with them was horrible. The tension was just plain bad...like barbed wire bad.
I'm planning on trying them on my ibanez sr506. I haven't been using it much lately because my btb456qm gets more low end and I've been enjoying my new ibanez atk750ka. I'm kinda at the point where I wanna try some new things to help really find "my tone" Thanks for the replies and keep them coming.
I tried them once. They felt rough,rougher than roundwounds, and to me they sounded pretty dull. It was strange, but with the ground off outer winding, it actually felt like it grabbed my fingers more than a regular roundwound. Also, I got just as much or more finger noise.
What kind of strings have you tried so far, & what have you liked/disliked about their sound? A broad string palette is a good idea, but there are lots of types out there; cheapest to go at this with a plan. If purchasing a set, I suggest you get a 5 set & try them out on all your basses. Best first choices to my mind would be average Steels, Nickels, & Flats. D'Addario tells you the string tension, so you could get sets that minimize or rid any need to setup after each change.
I'm inclined to suggest a set of D'Addario Chromes. Not too dull for Flats, yet they'll give you the idea.
I routinely gig D'Addario Grounds. Nothing wrong with their sound, though it doesn't seem very popular. I've noted none of the above issues with the strings.
Got 'em myself very recently, tension was a pain at first, but a slight neck adjustment fixed that. I like that they sound warmer than rounds, but still bright enough to do some slap and pop. They FEEL much better than rounds to me; I can play longer periods without aching fingers. These were only $20, so they were worth it to try, though I may go for full flats next time.
The "roughness" stated by some people went away for me after a few days, and I don't really hear much finger noise now either.
The "roughness" stated by some people went away for me after a few days, and I don't really hear much finger noise now either.
I've used most strings out there on various basses I've had. It's a little harder to find a selection for a 6 string bass. It came with elixer strings that I quickly discarded. I had to use a set of ernie ball slinky's when the shop didn't have and dr's which I've been using for a while. I used lo riders for a long time then switched to hi-beams and liked their tone more and being able to do bends easier. On my ibanez sr with bartolini mk1 pickups and eq it just doesn't get the same low end rumble as my btb with same pickups and ibanez eq. I've used flats on my old fretless and enjoyed them but not too sure how well they will work on this bass. I've even used nylon wound before, loved the tone but they just didn't stay in tune. Thanks for the replies.
These strings, in the 5-string set, have quickly become my ONLY choice on my Sadowsky PJ5 and Fretless Warwick Thumb 5. To me, they combine my favorite qualities of both rounds and flats. They have the full range clarity of rounds, sound great when slapped, but have the tension and added warmth of flatwounds. I won't play with anything else.
i too really liked the half-rounds. they will "grab" your fingers at first cause they have an edge to them (where the round curve is ground off). but, after some playing they smooth out. they do a great job of splitting the difference between flat and round. how they sound will, of course, be a matter of how you play and the sound of your band.
my only problem was that i would find that when i slid up the neck from one note to another, i would sometimes get a terrible dead "bleh" instead of a note. i know of no one else who has had this experience. probly something in the way i fretted the string and how that ground edge interacted with the fret.
these days, i just use flats and am happy with that.
my only problem was that i would find that when i slid up the neck from one note to another, i would sometimes get a terrible dead "bleh" instead of a note. i know of no one else who has had this experience. probly something in the way i fretted the string and how that ground edge interacted with the fret.
these days, i just use flats and am happy with that.
I believe Guy Pratt uses Status half wound strings on his fretless Lakland. You can hear a DVD quality sound here:
the tone stands out at 2:57
the tone stands out at 2:57
I really like SIT halfrounds. The tension isn't any different from a similar gauge roundwound, and they feel pretty smooth, approaching a flatwound sort of feel. No grabbyness. They didn't seem like they'd feel like that out of the package, but once I had them strung up to tension, well I was suprised. They don't burp and growl like a roundwound, but they certainly have more color than a flatwound.
I agree. Half wounds are no substitute for a full round wound string but they are a lot more responsive than flats if thats what youre after. I use Status half wounds which I would think are very similar to D'addario and any grabby-ness went within a few days and I now find them very smooth to play.
I have them on my fretless 6(oh look- there it is 
)& love them. You will likely soon find that most will either love or hate them.
)& love them. You will likely soon find that most will either love or hate them.
I use D'Addario half rounds almost exclusively and have for many years. I found them to be perfect for that old school thump with a touch of brightness that was noticeable but not obnoxious like some round wounds. The major complaint I read over and over again is how they feel when you play a new set. Apparently they're not polished after they're ground down, so when you first put them on they feel almost sticky, definitely offering more resistance to the touch than either flats or rounds. My experience is that this wears off pretty quickly. After a couple hours of play time, I think they play just fine. They last longer than flats and almost as long as rounds before they need replacing.
I've recently discovered that Tapewounds (rounds with a flat black tape on the outside) retain a LOT of the roundwound high end when using magnetic pickups (not so for piezo bridge pups). They are very easy on the frets and fingers as well
Either you got that backwards, or you just threw your credentials out the window.
That has been my experience. Nothing to do with my credentials, whatever that means. I play bass.
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