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First String Change: Your Reference Strings?

Ivan ddt

Ivan ddt

Guest
Jul 5, 2016
13
12
#1
Hi all, first post here after picking up the electric bass for about two weeks. I have no idea what the factory strings are on my Yamaha TRBX174 so would like to find what are some of the de-facto string sets that you guys use as a reference when making comparisons with regards to things like feel on the fingers, tension, tone etc? As a first set I want to be able to get a feel of these strings and hopefully gather information on how I want my preferred set to eventually be like.

As some background, I use D'addario EXLs on guitar and looking to just focus on fingerstyle bass in the foreseeable future. I am also looking forward to focus on bass as I found that it is immensely helping me understand music better as a whole with the associated music theory and concepts of sitting in a band.

Thanks!
 
#8
D'addario XL nickels, 45-105

The BT set that michael_t suggested will be a bit tougher to find.

The XLs and the Ernie Ball Slinkies are the easy to find, inexpensive reference. And the Slinkies go dead too fast. When you come back here in 6 months saying you are using XLs, but want more this-or-that, everyone will share your point of reference.

The XLs are the perfect starting reference. :)
 
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#9
Welcome, you've got a great name to be a bassist!
In all seriousness though,I recommend D'addario Chromes. They're flats and their true character begins to show once they've broken in. The best part about flats is (for me at least) you never have to change them. Like fine wine, they get better with age.
After familiarizing yourself with them, if you like them, I'd recommend TI's. Once you play TI flats, there's no going back.
 
#10
michael_t said:
D'Addario EXL170BT, 45-60-80-107.

Middle of the road both in terms of tension and tone, affordable and readily available. A good starting point.
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Plus (just as you might think) they are well balanced in terms of string-to-string; feel, tone, and volume. They last a good long while (100+ playing hours or so) before totally losing their upper end harmonics.

GHS Bass Boomers are also a popular stringset and never a bad choice.
 
#11
It's a personal preference thing, really, nobody else can decide what you like. My advice would be to try some good representative examples of different types (flats, tapes, rounds, stainless vs. nickel etc.) and see what you prefer. Of course, that's time consuming and expensive. I'm a big fan of DRs, myself, fwiw (but some other folks, of course, are not). ;)
 
#13
Cool. Thanks for the numerous and quick replies! I'll check for coloured ball ends when I get to do so. Didn't realise that they are unique to D'addario strings. In any case, since they are factory installed, they are most likely not truly representative of whatever I can get from a fresh set.

4StringTheorist is right. I am seeking to come and report what I like and do not like about the set when I have changed them in and hopefully hunt down a set that I really like based on recommendations from you guys.
 
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#14
For various reasons, any 34" scale bass I buy gets a set of Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkys, just as soon as I can yank the current strings off it. The Hybrid Slinkys are my "reference string". D'Addario XL 170s are a good starting point, too, I guess - but I never use D'Addario strings if I can help it, so... Still, like the Slinkys, they're inexpensive, decent, middle-of-the-road round wounds; I've removed them from a few new basses, just as soon as the function check was done. And replaced them with Slinkys. Anyway; whatever you decide to use - after you play them for a while, you should be able to decide which direction you want to go, tone-wise. And, you might just decide you like those strings just fine. Several of my basses sound just how I want them to, with the Slinkys (and they last plenty long enough, too - for me, anyway...):)
 
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#16
since you are here on TB ... hopefully our decades of experience will help you to save time and money in your search ...

i've played piano for 50+ yrs , gtr/bass for 40+ yrs .... having worked at music stores during the daylight hours , i got to try lots o stuff ...

after all that ... my personal fav , a middle of the road for feel and sound ... GHS Pressurewounds ..!! they are Roundwound strings , where the outer wrap is applied under pressure which flats the string a bit into a oval shape ... easy of fingers/frets ... less finger noise ... reasonably priced

easily found at [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] or www.bassstringsonline.com
 
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#17
I think a lot of folks here are missing the question that was actually asked and just treating this like another "What string do you like" thread by each answering our favorite strings we've found that work for us.

Ivan's wanting to get in on the party here as a bass player and a TBer by experiencing the string set that will get him in on this conversation so that we can then give meaningful feedback. If Ivan went out and bought one set of everything we've recommended so far, he could damn near just buy a new bass. What he wants is an inexpensive way to access our experience by having a common point of contact to our experience. The right pack of strings and he can then utilize the experience of as many of us as he can.

Literally, we need to be saying which string EVERY one of us has experience with.

Which is why my answer is with michael and GIBrat: Ernie Ball Slinkies or D'addario XLs. Either one, ultimately, Ivan. Whichever one is cheap and close. :bassist:


Rant over. I was trained as a scientist, so I read Ivan's approach and got all smiley. ;)
 
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#19
4StringTheorist said:
I think a lot of folks here are missing the question that was actually asked and just treating this like another "What string do you like" thread by each answering our favorite strings we've found that work for us.

Ivan's wanting to get in on the party here as a bass player and a TBer by experiencing the string set that will get him in on this conversation so that we can then give meaningful feedback. If Ivan went out and bought one set of everything we've recommended so far, he could damn near just buy a new bass. What he wants is an inexpensive way to access our experience by having a common point of contact to our experience. The right pack of strings and he can then utilize the experience of as many of us as he can.

Literally, we need to be saying which string EVERY one of us has experience with.

Which is why my answer is with michael and GIBrat: Ernie Ball Slinkies or D'addario XLs. Either one, ultimately, Ivan. Whichever one is cheap and close. :bassist:


Rant over. I was trained as a scientist, so I read Ivan's approach and got all smiley. ;)
Click to expand...
I like your username! Are you a theoritical physicist? Or more into Quantum mechanics? And yeah I think the D'addario XL'S would be a good string to base all your string comparisons on. Seems to be a common middle of the road string at a reasonable price and a decent sound.
 
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#20
I would personally avoid getting flats yet. If you are starting out, whilst they sound great can lead to learning poor technique due to the fact that they are so smooth. Then when you try rounds again, you might find yourself with lots of string noise.

I really like DR Sunbeams. They sound great for all styles of music and I feel they have a lot of tonal flexibility with a bit of EQ adjustments.
 
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