Do you have a favorite string?

[TrevorOfDoom]

Legend says that whomever invented fanned frets did so because they wanted all the strings to ring out with the same clarity and decisiveness as the open A string on their bass.

Dunno if it’s true, but it’s a feather in the cap of all you A string lovers.

 

[michael_t]

Mine's A. It just sounds the best. I could jam for hours on A.

Looking at the title, I thought you were asking something else.

 

[Plectrum72]

A-string for feel/playability
E-sting for sound
D & G for wheedling above the 12th fret
D'Addario Chromes for all of the above

 

[tb-player]

Elrick Fundamental Nickel strings. I’ve never played another string like them. Smooth, long life, and beautiful piano tones.

Oh, and to join the fun, my favorite string is string cheese… a healthy, low carb snack.

 

[2thAche]

Elrick Fundamental Nickel strings. I’ve never played another string like them. Smooth, long life, and beautiful piano tones.

Oh, and to join the fun, my favorite string is string cheese… a healthy, low carb snack.

I love how people are replying to the thread title without reading this OP's post LOL.

 

[Fuzzbass]

This is the interwebz where negativity rules, so as a BEADG five string guy I will say that I love them all except the G string. I can't scale back to BEAD four (or drop my fiver to F#BEAD!) because for my needs the G is a necessary evil, however I play it only when it's awkward (or impossible) to avoid it. I can get it to sound fine in isolation, particularly with a flatwound set, but it's always weak relative to the lower strings (and don't get me started on high C and above).

Note: this is my feeling based on all the basses I've played over half a century (mostly 34" scale solidbodies), not just those I've owned.

 

[LG TPAFL]

Looking something humorous to add but all has been used......so, a TI Jazz Flat E.

 

[HolmeBass]

There was that one BlueSteel A string from around 1997/98, such a great string.

I miss it.

 

[tb-player]

I love how people are replying to the thread title without reading this OP's post LOL.

For the record, I read the title and the post. I scrolled to see how many people would say G string (I wasn’t disappointed… lol). But when the conversation went on a tangent talking string brands, I decided to join that conversation too. Free will and all that…

It’s the wild, wild west here on TalkBass. Anything goes.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I love how people are replying to the thread title without reading this OP's post LOL.

I replied to the thread title with a snarky "I like the B-string". Then I read the OP...

So much for my snarky reply.

 

[tindrum]

A good piano tone on the E is a thing of beauty.

 

[REV]

That's like asking if I have a favorite child. I love them all.

 

[DuluthDank]

Favorite: A
Least favorite: high C on a 6 string

On upright bass, my favorite note to bow was C on the A string. when you get the open G sympathetically resonating with that C....sounds nice.

 

[jnewmark]

Mine's A. It just sounds the best. I could jam for hours on A.

I kind of like it myself. I like playing in A, first position.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Mine's A. It just sounds the best. I could jam for hours on A.

Jaco actually said something similar. He emphasized the significance of the A string in his instructional video.

 

[Wyrdlow]

D'Addario Chromes for all of the above

Just getting into these! They came fitted on a Sire V4 fretless I bought a while ago. I had a pack of my usual RS77s ready to go on, but - weeks later - I 'm really enjoying them. Less tension than I'm used to, with a lovely 'slippery' feel, and they sound great! I'll definitely be trying them on a fretted Precision at some point.

 

[Wyrdlow]

I think it's probably A for me too, oddly, but I love E too. In a fresh Rotosound RS66s on a Ric kind of way. Like hitting a piano string with a toffee hammer.

On a fretless though, definitely G, round about the twelfth fret.

 

[Aussie Player]

GHS Balanced nickels. Less finger noise than any other strings I have used.

 

[smatanovic]

This thread reminds me of this:

 

[andymac]

I thought maybe I was crazy!

I love the A string so much more than the others. To me it's the perfect tone. The other strings are all compromises, for my feelings.

For a while I was trying to tune in minor thirds, so that I'd have more strings like the A string. Something like F Aflat B D. Another attempt was E E A A. Never quite worked out but I'm still musing on options.