Dead rounds

[68Goldfish]

Ok, with all the talk about rounds and flats here this may be something different. I've always been one that fancies the brightness of new nickel rounds. EB slinkies have always been my go to strings. Baseline every bass I've every owned with these strings. Every now and again I get the itch to put a set of flats on one of my basses and get infatuated with it for a couple of months but always go back to the nickel rounds. I started thinking today that the one thing I've never done is let my rounds completely die. I know some folks actually prefer dead rounds to anything else. So, question is, why do you like dead rounds and if so what brand string has died and left the most pleasing sound in your opinion. I'm imagining that some rounds die and are worthless and some may die and have a more desirable dead roundwound sound than others? Carrot's? Not worth discussing?

 

[4StringDave]

I like D'addario XLs when they die as the midrange becomes more pronounced as the treble drops off. I have a set that's been on my "rounds" jazz for about 4 years now...

 

[r_bnks]

Only new rounds are good rounds.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I've no idea how to find it, but in the last year or two, someone posted a video of them playing a Thunderbird with a set of Swing Bass that was over 20 years old, iirc. It was a good sound.

 

[soulstar89]

I've no idea how to find it, but in the last year or two, someone posted a video of them playing a Thunderbird with a set of Swing Bass that was over 20 years old, iirc. It was a good sound.

I was going to comment saying rotosound swingbass 66 sound sweet dead.

bass player paul Jackson (RIP) preferred them. He used those strings on all the headhunter songs both just headhunters and with herbie.

I like roto swing66, d’addario XL nickel and DR string (steels) dead.

 

[Killing Floor]

In my experience rounds tend to die at different rates so you get a thud E and bright D for example. YMMV

 

[soulstar89]

In my experience rounds tend to die at different rates so you get a thud E and bright D for example. YMMV

That’s actually a good point.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I can't stand when my rounds die. They sound like flats.

 

[Dincrest]

One of the basses I bought had a dead set of D'Addario ProSteels that had probably been on it for years... and they felt and sounded surprisingly good.

In terms of longevity, I think DR Hi-Beams and steel Lo-Riders are tops. Even a year later, they still sound amazing. Better than some steel strings brand new. When most strings are breaking down, DR steel strings are breaking in.

On the other hand, I don't think DRs nickel strings last as long, at least not for me. My experience with Pure Blues is that they sound amazing for almost a year and then one day they suddenly fell-off-a-cliff died like Wile E. Coyote.

An interesting case, for me, is GHS Boomers. Many people here say they die quick. For me, I think they break in quickly and hold their great broken-in tone for a good 6-7 months.

 

[soulstar89]

I can't stand when my rounds die. They sound like flats.

lol but they have some top end that flats lack. To me that’s heaven lol

 

[Thumpin6string]

lol but they have some top end that flats lack. To me that’s heaven lol

To each their own. For me, there is nothing like a new set of nickel rounds.

 

[soulstar89]

To each their own. For me, there is nothing like a new set of nickel rounds.

If everyone liked the same things the world would be boring right?

 

[Drredplate]

I like new rounds as I like the zing.

Like flats for the feel under my fingers
I use round s as I c can dial back the zing but can’t add it with flats.

dead rounds sound like flats but I find the intonation has gone to cock

I suppose I need to double up on all my bases so I can have a p with rounds or flats rickenbacker jazz mustang thunderbird etc etc lol!
The wife may need to be convinced however

 

[J Wilson]

Well, I bet this thread is gonna go round and round . . . .

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

“My strings leave the bass when they break”: George Porter Jr. says he prefers old strings on his bass

He uses D'Addario rw's. 55-110, I think.

BBB

 

[FullumMusic]

Ok, with all the talk about rounds and flats here this may be something different. I've always been one that fancies the brightness of new nickel rounds. EB slinkies have always been my go to strings. Baseline every bass I've every owned with these strings. Every now and again I get the itch to put a set of flats on one of my basses and get infatuated with it for a couple of months but always go back to the nickel rounds. I started thinking today that the one thing I've never done is let my rounds completely die. I know some folks actually prefer dead rounds to anything else. So, question is, why do you like dead rounds and if so what brand string has died and left the most pleasing sound in your opinion. I'm imagining that some rounds die and are worthless and some may die and have a more desirable dead roundwound sound than others? Carrot's? Not worth discussing?

I have flats and tapes on some basses these days, but for the past 25-30 years i played rounds exclusively. Flats used to sound wrong for my style and just didn't work nicely on my basses. However, i absolutely HATE the sound of new Rounds. To me, new strings don't sound like themselves until about 2 weeks in, after the "new string sound" has been played out. To me, new strings sound like the String sound + New String sound, sorta like new car smell. I used to break a string, get a new set, and try to abuse them to death the first couple of weeks until i got rid of that awful ultra-treble-metallic-twang sound all new rounds have. Then i'd play them until a string broke and repeat the process. I didn't want them dead-dead sounding. But well worn-in enough, from maybe two weeks in, to a few months later when i inevitably broke a string.

I was explaining my taste in Roundwound sounds to Eric at La Bella once, and he told me that's pretty much what insert legendary bassist whose name i can't remember used to do too. So, i can't tell a good story, but there was a great out there doing just that, playing well

 

[GlennRH]

My experience with "dead" strings, in every case, came from the windings loosening around the core.

I caused that myself when installing strings fresh out of the package. Silly me.

I would cut each string to length before putting the bend in them for insertion into the string posts.

That caused the windings to loosen around the core.

Then, it's just a matter of time 'til they loosen so much as to go dead.

Once I learned, using pliers, to put a right-angle bend into each string at the right place before cutting them for insertion into the string posts, I found that no strings would ever go dead. They'd just gradually lose their new-string brightness and become mellower, eventually arriving at a nice mellowness that I could work with for years.

 

[joeLowB]

My experience with "dead" strings, in every case, came from the windings loosening around the core.

I caused that myself when installing strings fresh out of the package. Silly me.

I would cut each string to length before putting the bend in them for insertion into the string posts.

That caused the windings to loosen around the core.

Then, it's just a matter of time 'til they loosen so much as to go dead.

Once I learned, using pliers, to put a right-angle bend into each string at the right place before cutting them for insertion into the string posts, I found that no strings would ever go dead. They'd just gradually lose their new-string brightness and become mellower, eventually arriving at a nice mellowness that I could work with for years.

Excellent pro tip. Thank you

 

[Thumpin6string]

If everyone liked the same things the world would be boring right?

Yes it would.

 

[Killing Floor]

That’s actually a good point.

Maybe use some kind of hand cream on the other strings if one dies long before the others? I get the tone you're describing. I think rounds that have some miles on them do not sound exactly like flats. There is a little difference. I think a mute would be further than you're looking for. Curious to follow this.