Daunted by the sheer amount of choice!

[ItchyPBass]

Its getting time to change my basses strings, and I feel like I should give it some thought, but I have no idea what gauge I want, or what brand. in fact, the only thing I know is that they should be roundwound!

Up until now I have stuck with the strings that came with my bass, any advice on taking the plunge into the confusing world of new strings?

 

[aerodyne1]

rotosound medium gauge are my favorites

 

[NecroticImbecil]

Like most gear buying questions, the answer really is just "try out all that you can and see what you like." I know it can be expensive. Just because I like stainless steel roundwounds lighter than most extra light sets doesn't mean you will.

If your bass was an off-the shelf, mass produced instrument, chances are it came with nickel roundwounds. Probably 100 or 105 E string gauge. If you are not sure of the gauge, bring the E string in or the entire bass to the shop and have the salesperson match you up with the right set. Don't worry too much about the brand, just remember which brand you buy so you can try a different one next time (unless you are happy first time out).

I wouldn't jump right into the very expensive strings unless you have money to spare. Rotosound, D'Addario, and others make very good strings at affordable prices that are easy to find in stores. If you look online, you will find a bewildering array of string brands, types, and prices.

If you are not happy with your current strings, you can try thinner, thicker, or stainless if you want to stick with rounds.

Stainless will usually sound brighter. Thinner will usually be easier to bend and finger notes, but can sound less bassy. Thicker usually is bassier, but can be harder to bend and finger notes. A big change in strings can mean you need to get the bass setup to work well with them.

 

[PlungerModerno]

If you are not happy with your current strings, you can try thinner, thicker, or stainless if you want to stick with rounds.

Stainless will usually sound brighter. Thinner will usually be easier to bend and finger notes, but can sound less bassy. Thicker usually is bassier, but can be harder to bend and finger notes. A big change in strings can mean you need to get the bass setup to work well with them.

+1, I found lighter strings tend to be at lower tension for the same tuning - giving more pronounced lows... but the heavier gauges give far warmer mids IME, so they sound more 'bassy'.

YMMV, I haven't much experience with strings!

 

[mmbongo]

DR Nickel LoRiders are the best all-around strings I've used.

Smooth to the touch.
Lower tension than most others.
Punchy and growly when they need to be, warm and soft when they need to be.
Last forever.

 

[madbassplaya]

Some good advice here so far. I am curious, what bass are you talking about changing strings on? That could help us make some suggestions.

mmbongo is right. DR makes a great string and the Low Riders are a good set. They are more expensive than some other sets though. You don't have to spend a lot to get good strings. Strings are very subjective and if you find a favorite set that you swear by you will find that there are several who also swear by them but there are some who hate them.

Here's my suggestion for you. Go to http://www.bassstringsonline.com/ and register as a VIP member by signing up and telling them you're a talkbass member. Jason (the owner) is a tb member here. You can save a ton of cash ordering your strings from them. You can also email Jason directly and he can help pick the right set for you. The dude is a bad @$$ bass player and knows his stuff!

 

[Morning Beer]

I used DR's for years, great strings. I switched to Dunlops a couple years ago, and at 1/2 the price and couldn't be happier. I like medium nickel rounds. I don't have anything good to say about EB's or D'Addario, but lots of people like those. Honestly though, the only way to know is to try different ones.

 

[ItchyPBass]

Some good advice here so far. I am curious, what bass are you talking about changing strings on? That could help us make some suggestions.

mmbongo is right. DR makes a great string and the Low Riders are a good set. They are more expensive than some other sets though. You don't have to spend a lot to get good strings. Strings are very subjective and if you find a favorite set that you swear by you will find that there are several who also swear by them but there are some who hate them.

Here's my suggestion for you. Go to http://www.bassstringsonline.com/ and register as a VIP member by signing up and telling them you're a talkbass member. Jason (the owner) is a tb member here. You can save a ton of cash ordering your strings from them. You can also email Jason directly and he can help pick the right set for you. The dude is a bad @$$ bass player and knows his stuff!

The bass is just an entry level Fender Precision, nothing fancy, and I'll look into the website, thanks!

 

[soulman969]

+1 On the Lo Riders if you want a set of roundwounds but by all means check out bassstringsonline.com and don't be afraid to ask Jason for some recommendations. He suggested the GHS Pressurewounds I play and I can honestly say they are the best match for a JBass and my playing style I've ever used. The guys knows his products.

 

[JimmyM]

Everyone will now tell you their favorites. It will do you no good. Strings are an extremely personal choice, and a string I love may be something you hate. So you're on your own.

 

[Matthijs]

Like most gear buying questions, the answer really is just "try out all that you can and see what you like." I know it can be expensive. Just because I like stainless steel roundwounds lighter than most extra light sets doesn't mean you will.

If your bass was an off-the shelf, mass produced instrument, chances are it came with nickel roundwounds. Probably 100 or 105 E string gauge. If you are not sure of the gauge, bring the E string in or the entire bass to the shop and have the salesperson match you up with the right set. Don't worry too much about the brand, just remember which brand you buy so you can try a different one next time (unless you are happy first time out).

I wouldn't jump right into the very expensive strings unless you have money to spare. Rotosound, D'Addario, and others make very good strings at affordable prices that are easy to find in stores. If you look online, you will find a bewildering array of string brands, types, and prices.

If you are not happy with your current strings, you can try thinner, thicker, or stainless if you want to stick with rounds.

Stainless will usually sound brighter. Thinner will usually be easier to bend and finger notes, but can sound less bassy. Thicker usually is bassier, but can be harder to bend and finger notes. A big change in strings can mean you need to get the bass setup to work well with them.

excelent post!

As most of us have said strings are extremely subjective and you need to try out for yourself. What might help a little bit is if you can tell us what strings are on your bass now and in what way you would want your bass to sound different (or not). That way we can at least suggest a direction for your search. Did you leave the old strings on for a very long time? If so, be prepared for a significant change in sound if you put on comparable new strings. Did you like them better when new or when they had aged a bit?

 

[Marty Forrer]

I vote for Dunlop nickels. They are cheap, long-lasting, medium tension and sound good. I dont use them myself, because I'm a flatwound user. However, I recommend them to my students, and all seem very happy with them.

 

[ItchyPBass]

excelent post!

As most of us have said strings are extremely subjective and you need to try out for yourself. What might help a little bit is if you can tell us what strings are on your bass now and in what way you would want your bass to sound different (or not). That way we can at least suggest a direction for your search. Did you leave the old strings on for a very long time? If so, be prepared for a significant change in sound if you put on comparable new strings. Did you like them better when new or when they had aged a bit?

I'm not sure what the strings are, they're just the ones that came with the bass when I bought it (£450 Fender Precision), and they've been on for just under two years. I've been experimenting a bit with tunings (DGDA instead of EADG for example) - would the thickness of the strings make it easier to change the tuning?

 

[u84six]

Everyone will now tell you their favorites. It will do you no good. Strings are an extremely personal choice, and a string I love may be something you hate. So you're on your own.

Very true. And it's worth spending the money and trying a lot of different strings because there's a good chance you'll find a set that helps create "your sound". Otherwise, you might miss out on something really special if you don't experiment. I think you'll find that different types of string dramatically change the sound of your bass.

 

[Matthijs]

Maybe the best starting point is to buy a new set of 100 or 105 nickel roundwounds and start from there. To most of us two years is a very long time to leave your strings on. You might find you don't like the new bright sound and want something darker. Heavier gauges can be better for downtuning, but that is also a matter of personal preference and circumstance.

You might be embarking on a lifelong quest from this moment on. On the other hand, I've been happy with a completely generic set of GHS nickel roundwounds for the last 10 years.

 

[darkstorm]

For basic good inexpensive strings GHS boomers and Daddario are good roundwounds.

I think you get better sound from Dean Markley Blue steel, DR Neon, and Rotosound swing 66. The dr are the most expensive but wont in my experience last twice as long as other strings Ive liked a lot. Maybe one and half times as long. You do also have to like neon colored green, yellow, orange, or pink strings with your bass to with them though. The other dr strings Ive tried did not impress me enough to use other then briefly.