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Do Strings Make The Bass?

Egg250

Egg250

Jan 10, 2022
951
1,672
#1
I have a Sterling Ray 4HH bass. I really like how it looks and I thought I liked how it plays.

A few months ago I got a LTD B4E bass and really love how it plays.

The Sterling is currently strung with Ernie Ball 50 - 105 roundwounds. The LTD has GHS Precision Flatwound 45 - 95. I tried a set of DR flatwound 45 - 105 on the Sterling but didn't like the sound and tried the EBs.

My question, has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays? I'm not talking about sound but how the instrument feels.
 
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#2
Strings on an instrument have a hugely profound effect on the instrument. I equate them to painting a room; the color can determine if that room is bright and lively or dark and cozy.

So yes, strings make the instrument and greatly affect the playing experience. Don't limit yourself to just string type either; be open to changing gauges as well. I have a bass that sings at 45-105 nps rounds and another that kills with a VERY LIGHT set of groundwounds, 40-108 (that's for a 5st BTW).
 
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#3
Egg250 said:
I have a Sterling Ray 4HH bass. I really like how it looks and I thought I liked how it plays.

A few months ago I got a LTD B4E bass and really love how it plays.

The Sterling is currently strung with Ernie Ball 50 - 105 roundwounds. The LTD has GHS Precision Flatwound 45 - 95. I tried a set of DR flatwound 45 - 105 on the Sterling but didn't like the sound and tried the EBs.

My question, has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays? I'm not talking about sound but how the instrument feels.
Click to expand...

String choice can very noticeably affect how a bass sounds and how it feels to play. I can't say I've ever had a particular set of strings, just based on feel, "make" a bass.

I evaluate strings on whether they're right for the particular bass and for me. That doesn't necessarily mean there's just one kind of string set in the world that does that for me and whatever bass in question.

What you may like or works for you as far a certain make, model/type and gauge of string set combined with as a certain make and model bass may or may not translate well to a different make and model of bass.

There's a whole lot of nuance, other factors in setup of the bass, and "it depends" involved.
 
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#4
I don't know if I would say that strings are solely responsible for 'making the bass'. But IME, I for sure believe that certain basses take certain strings better than others. My 2 main basses are both the same brand of PJ5s but with different electronics and different pickup spacings, and I have 4-5 sets of different flats in my closet. Turns out that one of those basses just sounds best with the TI Jazz flats and the other with Stainless Dunlop Marcus Millers. Both basses sound great with other strings, but this combo works for me. I have had those strings on other basses, and they just didn't sound as good. I

As far as your question about strings being an accessory that 'mildly influences how an instrument plays'. I think they can have a major impact. Getting the right balance of preferred tension and desired tone is critical. IMHO it's not the strings that make the bass or vice versa, but rather a combo of the right strings on the right bass. YMMV.
 
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#5
Egg250 said:
has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays?
Click to expand...
IME: it depends. but no matter what = it's subjective! ;)

i've had a few axes that seemed 'to want' certain strings in order to sound good (to me), and i've had others that seemed to sound good (to me) with any of my string choices.

IMO/IME: active vs. passive electronics, the type/brand of electronics and pickups, in combination with string choices have everything to do with the sound of the instrument --- whether or not it "makes the bass" is where it gets personal and subjective.

two cents.
 
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#10
Egg250 said:
I have a Sterling Ray 4HH bass. I really like how it looks and I thought I liked how it plays.

A few months ago I got a LTD B4E bass and really love how it plays.

The Sterling is currently strung with Ernie Ball 50 - 105 roundwounds. The LTD has GHS Precision Flatwound 45 - 95. I tried a set of DR flatwound 45 - 105 on the Sterling but didn't like the sound and tried the EBs.

My question, has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays? I'm not talking about sound but how the instrument feels.
Click to expand...
If I have a bass that isn't getting it for me, I put on a set of Boomers on it. This will usually straighten out the bass. I also use other brands, too, but if it's a problem bass, it's Boomers.
 
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#12
Egg250 said:
My question, has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays? I'm not talking about sound but how the instrument feels.
Click to expand...

I build my own basses, and once built, one of the steps in getting the thing to sound right (there are also circuitry tweaks that I do) is...strings. My most recent build, after a bunch of trials, I decided I needed a different pickup, which meant re-routing the body (luckily the required route was bigger in both dimensions, so it was relatively easy, but I pondered it for a while, because that was a one way thing - no going back once done. I did that work, put the thing back together, put the strings that had been on it back on, and....hmmmm, this is not good. Thought a while, changed to some brighter strings, and...yousah!, this is a great bass. Strings aren't the most profound thing determining a bass's sound (pickup position(s) are), but it is still a strong factor - absolutely you can make or break a bass's performance (in your own biased opinion) with the right or wrong set of strings.

I keep a variety of string types on hand, so I can experiment and find a good match when a bass is finished.
 
#13
Jon Moody said:
Strings on an instrument have a hugely profound effect on the instrument. I equate them to painting a room; the color can determine if that room is bright and lively or dark and cozy.

So yes, strings make the instrument and greatly affect the playing experience. Don't limit yourself to just string type either; be open to changing gauges as well. I have a bass that sings at 45-105 nps rounds and another that kills with a VERY LIGHT set of groundwounds, 40-108 (that's for a 5st BTW).
Click to expand...

JM: When GHS is designing strings, is metallurgy and mass ever considered in terms of alnico, ceramic, etc., how the strings will react magnetically with say a Top Ten of widely used pickups, and is design ever steered somewhat by those considerations ?
 
#15
Egg250 said:
I have a Sterling Ray 4HH bass. I really like how it looks and I thought I liked how it plays.

A few months ago I got a LTD B4E bass and really love how it plays.

The Sterling is currently strung with Ernie Ball 50 - 105 roundwounds. The LTD has GHS Precision Flatwound 45 - 95. I tried a set of DR flatwound 45 - 105 on the Sterling but didn't like the sound and tried the EBs.

My question, has anyone found that a particular set of strings make the bass? Or are strings simply an accessory that mildly influences how an instrument plays? I'm not talking about sound but how the instrument feels.
Click to expand...

You have to consider how a given set of strings feels against the condition of the setup of your instrument. Strings that work with a lot of relief, a lot of 'maneuvering room' may be not so easy to live with, depending on how you play, with a very tight, close action on an almost straight fingerboard.

You have to find that spot where everything intersects in the best way for how you want it to feel, and how hard you play, the relief in your setup, and the strings all form the way it feels to you.

And then there's tone from a given set.
 
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#17
Jon Moody said:
Strings on an instrument have a hugely profound effect on the instrument. I equate them to painting a room; the color can determine if that room is bright and lively or dark and cozy.

So yes, strings make the instrument and greatly affect the playing experience. Don't limit yourself to just string type either; be open to changing gauges as well. I have a bass that sings at 45-105 nps rounds and another that kills with a VERY LIGHT set of groundwounds, 40-108 (that's for a 5st BTW).
Click to expand...

+1! Good post.
 
#20
Well, in my experience, the biggest change you can make to the sound of any bass guitar is switching between rounds and flats. So yeah, strings.
Then once you get into different types of rounds or flats, then different pickups, pickup position, etc it all starts getting way more nuanced...
 

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