Famous bassist strings and their gauges

[Chrisk-K]

Sting uses Hi-Beams, not Lo-Riders

 

[michael_t]

Sting uses Hi-Beams, not Lo-Riders

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Almost Human 69]

G

Gene Simmons
GHS Bass Boomers

 

[moreblues]

This is a cool thread...Does anyone have any new info to report? Thank you

 

[ColdAsThe Snow]

According to the RotoSound website, John Deacon used heavy (RS77LE, 50-75-95-110) gauges. Saw his name associated with light gauges earlier in the thread.

"John Deacon used flatwounds for all of his bass guitars, and Rotosound was his number one choice! Rotosound being one of the top string companies at the time in England, many artist used these strings. In the early years, he used Rotosound RS66 Swing Bass roundwound strings, as heard on the self-titled album, Queen. Because his playing style was either hard finger picking or normal plectrum picking, he decided to use heavy guage strings to accomidate" - Equipboard

 

[El Tookay]

Did some bass setup work for a friend on and off for several years. During the Vancouver recording of Brothers in 1999, Chris Squire specified Rotosound 66’s in a 45-100 gauge, action set medium low. Tech’d one of his reissues and his original RM1999. The 1999 acoustically was loud as hell...

 

[keith1r]

Gene Simmons now uses D’Addario EXL nickel and JPJ used Rotosound Jazz 77 on his jazz bass up between 71-75 and La Bella and Fender flats before that. His 51 P bass and Alembic used Rotosound swing bass according to an interview from 1977
Roger Waters used Jazz 77 flats and now uses Swing bass also
Sting used Rotosound Jazz flats and now uses DR Nickel low riders
Victor Wooten uses DR Pure blues

 

[Ricky Rioli]

So I was browsing through, looking out for the names of players whose sound or playing I particularly admire and I noticed something recurring:

Donald Dunn
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

James Jamerson
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

Paul Mccartney
Gauges: 43-56-70-110

Pino Palladino
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

Steve Harris
Gauges: 50-75-95-110

 

[AxtoOx]

Nobody gets famous being someone else ( save a couple Hendrix knock offs).

 

[michael_t]

James Jamerson
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

Pino Palladino
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

The same set of strings (La Bella Flats), except Pino tunes his to DGCF.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

The same set of strings (La Bella Flats), except Pino tunes his to DGCF.

Pino's 1979 Fretless Stingray recently sold at a London bass shop. It was listed at £5,000 ($6,666)

 

[trothwell]

So I was browsing through, looking out for the names of players whose sound or playing I particularly admire and I noticed something recurring:

Donald Dunn
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

James Jamerson
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

Paul Mccartney
Gauges: 43-56-70-110

Pino Palladino
Gauges: 52-73-95-110

Steve Harris
Gauges: 50-75-95-110

I think that number for McCartney is a typo; the listed TI flats set has a 100 E string, not a 110.

 

[Jigmay]

Phil Lesh
String : DR Pure Blues
Gauge : .100 .085 .070 .055

 

[SteveFromBerlin]

I love this thread!

 

[Jigmay]

Update my Phil Lesh post above:
Phil Lesh: (in a post from 2015)

String: DR Sunbeams (custom)
Gauge: .040 .055 .070 .085 .100 .115
String: DR Pure Blues
Gauge: .040 .055 .070 .085 .100 .115
Strings: DR Flatwound Legends
Gauge: .040 .055 .070 .085 .100 .115

 

[GTHintz]

I'd love to know the string set up for Ryan Martinie on his Warwick and Prince. Should be interesting.

 

[trothwell]

Any idea what strings Roger McLachlan uses? Or better yet, what was he using circa 1980?

 

[India_Sierra]

Jeff Berlin:

DR DDT Nickels in .40.

He had previously used Carl Thompson strings for many years and moved to DR. I don't know if you can even get Carl Thompson strings these days.

 

[michael_t]

Jeff Berlin:

DR DDT Nickels in .40.

JB used to use DR Nickel Lo-Riders 40-100, then switched to DDT 40-100, which only come in stainless steel.

 

[bassdude51]

Carol Kaye

Thomastik‑Infeld JF344 43-56-70-100