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Does this happen to you?
- Thread starter cool breeze
- Start date
I agree. I don't want to change my strings, unless they are dead as a doornail and I don't like the tone. Then I will change my strings, and no sooner. Only change your strings if you want to change your strings.
I have not tried any other nickel round wounds. What probably makes sense is to try the D'Addario nickel rounds, just to see. But DR stainless steel strings were my favorite stainless roundwounds, I would not be surprised if I preferred the Sunbeams to others.
Have you tried any other nickel rounds ever? If so, what did you think? (Specifically, obviously you have stated your preference for Sunbeams.)
I think everyone should experiment with strings a little bit. For the first few years of playing I used whatever the cheapest strings I could get my hands on at my local mom and pop music store. Normally daddario, ghs, Ernie ball, I remember using the peavey cirrus strings for a while. Then for my bands second expensive studio recording I already had a nice rig and nice bass and decided to spend a little money trying strings in preperation for the studio. Ended up trying and preferring DR high beams and they've been my go to roundwounds since. I plan to go through the same process soon with various flats, may even try tapewounds
Even if I was satisfied, I couldn't be satisfied with being satisfied.
So I order strings that I have no idea what they sound like.
Doesn't matter.... because even if I like them I won't be satisfied.
So I order strings that I have no idea what they sound like.
Doesn't matter.... because even if I like them I won't be satisfied.
Sure he does, "long shiny ones"
Can't find the quote now, but I'm sure he's said it.
Exactly! There are so many different results one can achieve when matching up "this-or-that bass" with "these-or-those strings". But then, I am an admitted serial-string-tryer-outer. I have a bunch of different string sets lying around, waiting to be sampled. To that effect, I keep an eye on the TB Classifieds and Guitar Center sales, especially if I can add numbers to my growing hoard of unopened D'Addario FlexSteels (#sadly_discontinued).
To be sure, there are times when the results are negligible or even disappointing, but the whole "voyage of discovery" (re: borderline Mad Science!
) thing is part of the fun for me. And if the outcome of a new experiment yields something interesting or exciting, I keep 'em. If they turn out to be "meh
" to my ears, I can always recoup a little money selling them here on TalkBass. I mean, just because I don't like them doesn't mean they're not right up someone else's alley. 
Hmm.. right now I have four basses waiting for their string change. By odd coincidence, three of them need to have pickups upgraded first, and I've been putting all of it off due to not being in the mood to dig the router out ( for battery boxes, etc. ) So all their old strings have a (temporary) new lease on life!
More to the point: Each of these recent string purchases have been influenced in no small part by the sage advice volunteered by numerous TB'ers
More to the point: Each of these recent string purchases have been influenced in no small part by the sage advice volunteered by numerous TB'ers
I didn't use to use any effects at all. Now I have a pedalboard with 8 of the things on it, plus a stash sitting on a shelf at home. I can honestly say that frequenting talkbass has changed the way I both think about and approach the bass guitar.
TI Jazz Flats, Jazz Bass, neck pickup 75%, Bridge Puckup 100%, tone knob 75%... trust me.
Along with this, I'm very tempted to try Ernie Ball extra slinkies again. Used them through my youthful 80's bands and always got compliments on my tone. I only quit them when I was given free sets of Elixirs with my Ibanez basses. Then I switched to Hartkes. Love that bright piano like tone. But they need changing at least once a year to sound zingy. I want to try the Rotos and Boomers but no idea about the Blue Steels.
So yes, it happens to me. I'm weak minded and try a lot of things without question suggested here on TB.
There is something hidden in the human genome that makes you perpetually crave new stuff, so why fight it? We're all riding around the sun on this giant rock in space and you only get to make so many revolutions - so you might as well enjoy it as much as you can while you can.
Father Time is undefeated.
Father Time is undefeated.
Back when i played out a lot i used Blue Steel strings, changed once a year if they needed it or not.
These days i pretty much us XL Nickel strings on everything except one bass. It's set up for a heavier gauge string set and the only set i've found with the right diameters on all four strings is a DR DDT set, so i order a few of those whenever i put my last set on.
As for changing strings looking for a different sound? I'm happy with what i'm getting. That said, if i do go hunting a different sound i'm more of a different head kinda guy as i've found there is more potential in different heads than in different strings.
These days i pretty much us XL Nickel strings on everything except one bass. It's set up for a heavier gauge string set and the only set i've found with the right diameters on all four strings is a DR DDT set, so i order a few of those whenever i put my last set on.
As for changing strings looking for a different sound? I'm happy with what i'm getting. That said, if i do go hunting a different sound i'm more of a different head kinda guy as i've found there is more potential in different heads than in different strings.
