Do I need new strings already?

[Busker]

About 2 months ago I put a new set of GHS stings on this bass I bought. The strings are not expensive for bass strings. They can be bought for as little as $12 for a 4 string set, but they sounded good to my ear. They are round wounds I guess. Whatever GHS makes that isn't flat wounds.

Even though the bass is "in tune" and the twelfth fret harmonics and fretted 12th sound very close. The bridge was adjusted for intonation and it was very close - close enough where the bass would play in good tune all the way up the neck.

Now however, I'm having troubles. For instance, when I play the E note on the A string, it sounds flat as can be.

Is two months as much as I can expect out of a set like this? And what would you recommend for a good, not too expensive set?

 

[SGT. Pepper]

Did they happen to be GHS Bassics?

 

[Busker]

Yes, why? I know they sell at a budget price, but they are made in the USA.

 

[bgavin]

I understand that GHS go flat fairly quickly. It depends on playing hours and your body chemistry. I always wipe my basses down after playing, so perhaps I get a bit more mileage.

I used GHS Progressive Alloy 52 for quite awhile. Nice sound, but it seemed to not last all that long. I have a few more sets in my string locker, but haven't used them in ages. I shifted over to TI Jazz Flats and have 7 years on that set.

I put a new set of TI PowerBass rounds on my L1500, but that combination is too bright, so I will probably move them to my fretted MIM-P. The GHS Alloy 52 might be right for the L1500.

 

[maurilio]

Yes, why? I know they sell at a budget price, but they are made in the USA.

Hi,
so because they are made in USA they can not be crap?

If they are so cheap, there's a reason

Have you tried a different brand/mod?

M

 

[Busker]

Hi,
so because they are made in USA they can not be crap?

If they are so cheap, there's a reason

Have you tried a different brand/mod?

M

So you're saying they are the Ford Pinto of strings? No, I haven't tried any other strings yet, other than an inexpensive Fender set on another bass I used to have. They were OK. GHS was always a good brand, for guitar strings anyway.

Note to self: don't try to skimp so much on strings from now on.

As far as flats, I've never tried those on bass. Maybe I will. I played a guitar once with flats. Hated it. On a bass it's different, I'm sure.

 

[Pilgrim]

You must be playing roundwounds. I have had very good luck with GHS flats.

My solution is simple: play flatwounds. I have them on a number of basses, and the same strings have been on those basses from 2 years to 35 years, depending. Never broken one, never had a problem with them going bad. One of the basses has GHS flats on it and they're probably 3 years old now.

I do have one bass with rounds - a 2000 MIM Jazz. It has the same rounds on it that were on the bass when I bought it 2 years ago, so I assume they're original. They've lost their annoying "zing" and sound pretty good.

 

[SGT. Pepper]

Yes, why? I know they sell at a budget price, but they are made in the USA.

On GHS' sound scale they are suppose to be equal to Boomers. I always found Boomers to be hard to play on, I prefer D'Addario XL's. They're about $16.00 a set. They last a good while too and seem to sound better when about a month old. I just ordered a set of DR Sunbeams, I never tryed them before. I currently use D'Addario XL's, or DR HI-Beams. From what I heard the Sunbeams are good. I'll probably put them on my Schecter Elite 5 after I wear out the HI-Beams a bit that are on it. If you want a good cheap string for bass try Darcos.

 

[cdef]

I don't really enjoy raggin' on a brand that seems to work for many people, but GHS strings never lasted for me either. The roundwound Boomers sets I've put on have died within days, and I avoid them now, even though I can get them very cheap. D'Addarios are generally available, and are much better strings at a reasonable price. Even Warwick's bottom-of-the-line Red Label rw's are preferable to GHS.

 

[kingbolterz]

i'd say you should just fork out for a good set. i fitted my bass with rotosound swing 66s (the orange set) two years ago and they still sound great

 

[Phalex]

I guess it's all in your definition of "dead". I would say that Boomers "break in" quickly and last a good long time.

 

[ishouldbeking]

My solution is simple: play flatwounds. I have them on a number of basses, and the same strings have been on those basses from 2 years to 35 years, depending. Never broken one, never had a problem with them going bad. One of the basses has GHS flats on it and they're probably 3 years old now.

I've seen this offered as a solution to a lot of beginning bassists, and while I think flats are totally great, I don't think it's the best solution for most people. Flats are just a completely different animal from roundwounds. Personally I play both, flats on my fender jazz and roundwounds on my stingray, but I use them for completely different sounds, and I think nowadays most people (not all, obviously, but most) would be looking for more of a roundwound sound. When you recommend them to the uninitiated, there's a good chance that person might wind up with a relatively expensive set of strings they really have no use for.

If you like the sound of roundwounds, I say just go with nickel roundwounds like D'Addario XL's or Ernie Ball Slinky's. Both are relatively cheap and pretty reliable and should last a normal amount of time. And nickel rounds like these are probably the most tonally versatile of strings, as opposed to flats or stainless steel rounds. I've played boomers a few times and thought they sounded decent but they didn't last too long for me either.

However, if you play heavily it's not strange to have a set of rounds go dead in 2 months. In fact I'd say most of my roundwounds last between 2 to 4 months when I'm playing on them frequently. On all of this though, YMMV.