Daddario XL alternative for Sandberg VM4

[Mikaelbass]

Hey guys. Going on a string journey with my new to me Sandberg. Started with a set of DR Fat Beams which I really did not like for the most part. Mid range sounded “plainly” and I don’t gel with SS feel in the end. They were 45-105.

Chucked on a set of XL’s 50-105 and boom magic. The strings have a midrange thickness I like, can add lows and highs with the 2 band.

Only thing that I desire more from the strings is a little less tension for more musicality in my playing and perhaps a little more detail in the tone? XL’s sound great and were my touring string of choice due to price and availability. But as a studio only bassist now I want a bit more.

Suggestions?
Strings on my own list of curiosity are:
Dr Pure Blues
Dunlop super brights?

Strings I haven’t liked in the past:
Ernie ball’s
GHS boomers

cheers

 

[GTHintz]

I think you'd like SIT foundations, Dean Markley Blue Steel in Nickel, LaBella RX Nickel or Dunlop super bright nickels. All of them are less stiff feeling than diaddario but will have something interesting to offer. For what it's worth I like blue steels on my double buck Warwick the best of any string I've tried. Another exotic option would be Ken Smith Burners which are nickel steel. I like the stainless Smith strings.

 

[michael_t]

Another exotic option would be Ken Smith Burners which are nickel steel...

I'm thinking the KS Burners may be too close to the GHS Boomers, which the OP has tried and didn't like.

 

[GTHintz]

I'm thinking the KS Burners may be too close to the GHS Boomers, which the OP has tried and didn't like.

The only reason I added them was because when I tried boomers they were way too dull sounding but I've had only bright and long lasting tone with Ken Smith. The Burners I haven't tried but anyone on here that has all said they were very bright and had a useable mid range which reminds me of the stainless rockmaster counterparts.

 

[Derek Kay]

I also have a reverse PJ with XLs for studio use.
I use 45-60-80-105 which are slightly lighter.
This is the most even sounding progression I have found.
String tensions are similar, except when the E string Detuner is deployed. OK for bending notes too.

 

[blmeier7]

I no longer have my Sandberg but I remember having a little more trouble finding the right strings for it. Most basses I use medium to medium light strings, but the light gauge worked best on my Sandberg TT4. I ended up liking the D’Addario NYXL’s the best.

 

[micguy]

"More detail" pretty much means stainless strings, unless you want to go with Kalium hybrids, which are about that bright without technically being stainless.

 

[VeryTallBassist]

I wound up going with EB cobalt flats on my VM5. I think they have a stronger midrange than most roundwounds, which fits the character of the Sandberg electronics a bit better.

 

[Dincrest]

If you're able to try the Dunlop Dual Design Hybrid Nickels (the new "red box" Dunlops), those might be your huckleberry. I like them a LOT better than D'Addario XLs and (here in the US at least) are priced about the same. Those strings feel great both in terms of texture and flexibility. Sound good too. They're not my favorites (since I prefer a slightly stiffer string), but they sound like something worth trying in your string journey. They're a new offering from Dunlop so you won't find much on them, but I think they're worth trying. (SuperBrights were too spongy for my tastes).

DR Pure Blues sound like a string that can give you what you're looking for as well.

And if you're willing to give GHS another chance, I think their Bassics line will give you more of what you're looking for than Boomers.

I've been trying to find "my" string for decades and still am. It's like Pokemon; gotta try 'em all.

 

[michael_t]

Only thing that I desire more from the strings is a little less tension for more musicality in my playing and perhaps a little more detail in the tone?

And if you're willing to give GHS another chance, I think their Bassics line will give you more of what you're looking for than Boomers.

I second the recommendation for GHS Bassics. They're different from the Boomers in the sense only the final cover is nickel-plated steel with all stainless steel inner layers. This gives them crispness and clarity of stainless steel along with the smoother surface texture of nickel. I would suggest the light set, 40-58-80-102, which are very nicely balanced across all four strings both in tone and feel without being too stiff.

 

[Bassman822]

I started using D'Addario XL170s (45-100) about 35 years ago. Since then, I've tried a handful of other brands, but I keep coming back to the XLs

 

[Mikaelbass]

I no longer have my Sandberg but I remember having a little more trouble finding the right strings for it. Most basses I use medium to medium light strings, but the light gauge worked best on my Sandberg TT4. I ended up liking the D’Addario NYXL’s the best.

I have read a few people mentioning light gauges working best on their sandbergs. Are you meaning 40-100? I’ve never been that light…it feels….wrong haha.

I wound up going with EB cobalt flats on my VM5. I think they have a stronger midrange than most roundwounds, which fits the character of the Sandberg electronics a bit better.

I have those on my stingray 5. They sound rubbish unplugged but once amplified or through headphones holy moly they are a sound. I’ll reserve these for last as once I put flats on I never change them haha.

If you're able to try the Dunlop Dual Design Hybrid Nickels (the new "red box" Dunlops), those might be your huckleberry. I like them a LOT better than D'Addario XLs and (here in the US at least) are priced about the same. Those strings feel great both in terms of texture and flexibility. Sound good too. They're not my favorites (since I prefer a slightly stiffer string), but they sound like something worth trying in your string journey. They're a new offering from Dunlop so you won't find much on them, but I think they're worth trying. (SuperBrights were too spongy for my tastes).

DR Pure Blues sound like a string that can give you what you're looking for as well.

And if you're willing to give GHS another chance, I think their Bassics line will give you more of what you're looking for than Boomers.

I've been trying to find "my" string for decades and still am. It's like Pokemon; gotta try 'em all.

I saw Ian Allison talk about these recently, I’ll do some reading and check them out. I can get them cheaper than daddario XL’s surprisingly here in Australia? Are they much lower tension than XL’s?

I second the recommendation for GHS Bassics. They're different from the Boomers in the sense only the final cover is nickel-plated steel with all stainless steel inner layers. This gives them crispness and clarity of stainless steel along with the smoother surface texture of nickel. I would suggest the light set, 40-58-80-102, which are very nicely balanced across all four strings both in tone and feel without being too stiff.

I’ve seen these strings but the packaging alone made me not even consider them - how shallow is that! But I guess that’s why marketing is a thing. I can get them cheap too, I’ll add them on the list, their gauges are interesting too, I’m afraid of light strings for no reason other than “more is better…right?” But I’m open to try new things.

I started using D'Addario XL170s (45-100) about 35 years ago. Since then, I've tried a handful of other brands, but I keep coming back to the XLs

End of the day this might be where I end up, same string with a lighter gauge than I have now to hit the goals I want. I’m aware lighter gauges can provide more “detail” but I’d always wonder ‘what if’

So far my list is:
Dunlop Hybrids
DR Pure Blues
GHS Bassics
XL’s in a lighter gauge.

I wonder if a lighter gauge in general is what the bass and what I, am calling for but I just don’t know it. Or it has to be the right type of string and a lighter gauge.
I love this community, coming back to bass and having all this wealth of info is unreal. Thank you!

 

[blmeier7]

I have read a few people mentioning light gauges working best on their sandbergs. Are you meaning 40-100? I’ve never been that light…it feels….wrong haha.

I hear you, I never go that light either, but the way the Sandberg was setup the light gauge worked well. They were not as drastic of a change in feel as I thought it would be.

Thank goodness for Amazon order history…I had the regular light gauge strings (45-100).

 

[Mikaelbass]

I hear you, I never go that light either, but the way the Sandberg was setup the light gauge worked well. They were not as drastic of a change in feel as I thought it would be.

Thank goodness for Amazon order history…I had the regular light gauge strings (45-100).

Interesting. Part of me was wondering if Pure Blues 50-110 would be similar to my XL’s in size and feel, with a little more flexibility. I always feel like DR strings feel…slimmer. Maybe it’s all in my head. Maybe going a med-light gauge and learning to work my hands to it would be a good experiment

 

[Dincrest]

@Mikaelbass

I would say the Dunlop Hybrid nickels feel less stiff and more flexible than D'Addario XLs, but a little stiffer than SuperBrights (which are way too spongy for me).

 

[blmeier7]

Interesting. Part of me was wondering if Pure Blues 50-110 would be similar to my XL’s in size and feel, with a little more flexibility. I always feel like DR strings feel…slimmer. Maybe it’s all in my head. Maybe going a med-light gauge and learning to work my hands to it would be a good experiment

FWIW - I use the Pure Blues on two of my other basses (a P and a PJ) and I love them. To my ears the Pure Blues have slightly more mid range texture and fullness compared to the D’Addario XL’s. But I do think the XL’s have a very slight increase in brightness compared to the Pure Blues. But I do feel that the Pure Blues are plenty bright…I like a bright round wound string.

Edit- I also think the Pure Blues have a little bit softer feel to them than the XL’s, not by a huge margin, but noticeable.

 

[Mikaelbass]

FWIW - I use the Pure Blues on two of my other basses (a P and a PJ) and I love them. To my ears the Pure Blues have slightly more mid range texture and fullness compared to the D’Addario XL’s. But I do think the XL’s have a very slight increase in brightness compared to the Pure Blues. But I do feel that the Pure Blues are plenty bright…I like a bright round wound string.

Edit- I also think the Pure Blues have a little bit softer feel to them than the XL’s, not by a huge margin, but noticeable.

Good to know. They are for sure gonna have to make an appearance.

I put my DR fat beams back on today to see if I would change my mind. Nope, they just feel so puny too soft for me. XL's back on and the meat was back.

I might add Daddario NYXL's to the list. I can get them in 50-105 and they have a little less tension. I liked them a lot on my stingray 5 and they lasted a while.

 

[BrentSimons]

View attachment 5438325 Hey guys. Going on a string journey with my new to me Sandberg. Started with a set of DR Fat Beams which I really did not like for the most part. Mid range sounded “plainly” and I don’t gel with SS feel in the end. They were 45-105.

Chucked on a set of XL’s 50-105 and boom magic. The strings have a midrange thickness I like, can add lows and highs with the 2 band.

Only thing that I desire more from the strings is a little less tension for more musicality in my playing and perhaps a little more detail in the tone? XL’s sound great and were my touring string of choice due to price and availability. But as a studio only bassist now I want a bit more.

Suggestions?
Strings on my own list of curiosity are:
Dr Pure Blues
Dunlop super brights?

Strings I haven’t liked in the past:
Ernie ball’s
GHS boomers

cheers

Hi there,
Recently I've been enjoying SIT Foundations? They sound and feel great! Low tension too but maybe not as low as say Dunlop Super Brights? Somewhere in between. Not too expensive either.
Hope this helps,
Brent

 

[bassyogi]

I'm running 40 60 80 100 130 on my Sandberg TM5. My go to string for my 'berg. But, I just started trying Mapes Octacore on some of my basses. Feel/sound great to me plus they seem not as stiff as NYXL's to me.

 

[Mikaelbass]

Today stopped past a local guitar store and they had a set of 50-105 NYXL's for $45aud, priced exactly the same as a set of regular XL's. So I grabbed a set and just A/B'd them with the XL's. So far these are closer to what I am looking for. The string feels more balanced, less boomy lows and high mids that the XL's have to my ear, but in a nice way. Essentially just sounds like a more refined XL. THe strings feel to me a little more course, which doesn't bother me at all. The stiffness is perfect. I could not see myself going lighter in guage or in stiffness. I am trying to learn to play with a light touch, but I am also a powerlifter and have big hands, so my light touch must be more intense than the average player. I definitely can feel my fretting hand being happier playing these strings. A lot less effort required so I can use better technique/fretting hand styles.

Keen to see how they age, and where they 'sit'. Then I might try out some of the suggestions here. I have not seen SIT strings anywhere in sydney, except for one online place and theyre charging $65.