GHS Boomers for boomers?

[staurosjohn]

On a semi-(GHS)-related note... just put a set of Brite Flats (& QP pu) on my newest FrankenFender ‘creation’... sounding nice!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

It’s just one more string choice. Solid slightly dark mids and punchy sound. Good choice for rock IMO. When they came out they were a nice middle ground alternative to the thump of flats and the ring you got with Rotosounds.

They were a very popular choice for many years. Of course there’s always the hipsters who will only use the latest boutique strings that are hand-wound by beautiful half naked young Polynesian women in a small secret private island workshop located somewhere in the South Pacific. So they can’t let themselves like anything that’s popular and will come up with all sorts of “reasons” why anything readily available and costing less than $100 a set can’t possibly be any good. But that doesn’t change the fact GHS makes some fine (as well as affordable) strings. And their Boomers are well worth at least trying out for yourself.

Re: Polynesian String Factories

Does anybody know if there are facility tours?

 

[brianrost]

I got hooked on Boomers after using double ball GHS rounds (not Boomers, however) on my Steinbergers. They are very reasonably priced, as Arthur wrote they are not too bright when fresh out of the pack and they break in quickly to a tone that lasts for months of gigs. They are also available pretty much anywhere in case I need a set in an emergency.

I suppose I could go out and experiment with strings to see if there really is something better out there, but when I like what I hear from a set of strings on a particular bass I just stick with it.

 

[bass81800]

I just started using Brite Flats and generally like them, although the G string seems to have too much tension. Will see how long they last.

 

[40Hz]

Re: Polynesian String Factories

Does anybody know if there are facility tours?

See my earlier post.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

See my earlier post.

the was what I was referring too...LOL

 

[JW56789]

I love Boomers. I'll always have a soft spot as the first music store I worked in had the big GHS wooden box with all the single Boomers in all the offered gages. I experimented like crazy on 'build-a-custom-set' bender that lasted for months trying light tops, heavy bottoms, you name it. Big fun and great memories.

In those days (late 70's / early 80's) they were one of the few alternatives to RotoSounds and they were cheaper, BUT they were far more consistent. I always wondered how Rotos could be that uneven over time, until it dawned on me that Boomers WEREN'T at sea in salt air for at least several weeks . . . .

 

[dagrev]

Very nice! I’ll be watching for your review!


Even though I’m a creature of habit, I have to admit besides wanting to try a set of Super Steels, I’m a bit curious about the Balanced Nickels and the Round Core Boomers.

I prefer regular Boomers, generally, but the RC Boomers are also a very nice variation on the Boomer sound. Great if someone wants a slightly warmer and less aggressive sound. I have yet to find a bass the Balanced Nickles sound great on, despite wanting to. Even tried another set after selling two previous sets to try again. Still no go. So I have an almost brand new set that just doesn't work on anything for me.

 

[JW56789]

Somehow, I DON'T think they're named Boomers after this, out on patrol with either its Blue or Gold crew. The other 'Boomer' I always think of . . . .

 

[PBandJazzBass]

I've used Boomers (the strings, not cranky old people) on and off for years and have found them to be a solid choice for a roundwound BG string. The Presswounds are also nice. They are my favorite string of that type on the market.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

OK, I’ll take the bait........

I think I recently read GHS brought out Bass Boomers in 1975.

I’m a bit in the dark about the term: “Boomer”. It seems lately it’s used as an insult to people born during the Baby Boomer era (?) I was born in 1963, - which I think was at the tail end of the Baby Boomer era.

But getting back to GHS Bass Boomers : There’s quite a love/hate thing about them here on TB.

They’re personally my favorite nickel plated roundwound bass string. I’ve been buying them since the late 80’s. What I like about them is fresh out of the package, they’re not very bright sounding. And what little new string “zing” that they have wears off in the first week of steady playing. After that, they have a punchy tone with lots of low mids, and they keep this tone for me for about a month of steady playing. I also like their tension, and their outer surface feels nice to my fingertips.

I’ve used other brands of strings besides GHS, and I’ve occasionally had a dead sounding string, fresh out of the package. I’ve immediately contacted the manufacturer, and Ive been sent replacement strings.

Over the many years I’ve been using GHS strings, I’ve never had a single dead string out of a fresh package. So IMO GHS makes consistently good strings.

The folks here who hate Boomers say they go “dead” within the first few hours of use. And that they’re rough on their fingertips. And they’re too stiff feeling.

If you prefer a very bright sounding string, that stays bright sounding for a longer time frame, - which in my mind is typically a stainless steel roundwound, chances are you won’t be a fan of Bass Boomers.


But Bass Boomers aren’t overly expensive, and they can be easily found in most music stores. So if you’re curious about them, try a set and see what you think.

In fact, there’s two other popular brands of nickel plated roundwound strings that are in the same price range as Bass Boomers: D’Addario XLs and Ernie Ball Slinkys. Buy a new set of each, which will cost you a total of about $70.00. I suggest you try each set on the same bass, and you keep notes on each. Write down the date you put each set on the bass, and what you hear from each set. Take notes on the string tension of each, and how long they keep a useable tone. And hopefully you’re playing in a band, so you can hear how well each brand performs amongst other instruments.


I hope this helps.

I recorded half a LP with Boomers on my Fender PJ earlier this year. The Engineer/Producer as well as band mates loved them. Normally I use DR Lo Riders, which I prefer for live gigs as the cut a little better in the mix. For the price however, Boomers are a good buy.

 

[BadSanta1281]

I've used Boomers (the strings, not cranky old people)

You dang wisecrackin' whippersnapper!

 

[dalkowski]

Somehow, I DON'T think they're named Boomers after this, out on patrol with either its Blue or Gold crew. The other 'Boomer' I always think of . . . .

View attachment 3962706

That a Trident class?

 

[JRA]

GHS Boomers for boomers?




ok.

 

[micguy]

Boomers (the people) are named for the time at which we were born - the baby boom years. As none of us had any say in when we were born, if you want to give us manure for being old, well, blame our parents - they are the ones that decided when we were born, and thus, how old we are now. All we have done to contribute to our age is not die, and I hardly think it's fair to blame us for that.

That said, flats are way too dead for me to make music with - I hate the feeling of trying to dig life out of flats. Stainless round wounds are the opposite - I can't play music when my brain is screaming at me to back off on how hard I play. Boomers - I don't always play them, but they are a nice in between string.

 

[Dincrest]

All joking aside, I like GHS Boomers too.

What I like about them is that they're stiffer and have higher tension than comparable strings in the same gauges. (Compare the GHS and D'Addario tension charts for Boomer vs XL 45-105). Because of that, with Boomers you don't need strings thick as bridge cables for drop tunings, which modern music has called for for decades now. Having the playability of a lighter gauge with the stiffness of a heavier gauge is a nice thing. And, yes, I like that they break in quickly and hold that yummy broken-in tone for almost a year. I don't like "new string zing" or "clank."

Then again I'm 42. To some I'm an old-head, to others I'm still young. I'm generation-fluid. I'm too young to be Gen-X but too old to be a Millennial. I'm not a fan of generational labels. Creates too much of a divisive "us vs them" mentality. I listen to what elders and young cats have to say and give respect where respect is due.

 

[JW56789]

Yes.

 

[garrett77]

I prefer generation XL strings...

 

[bluesblaster]

let me tell you something sonny, back in my day we didnt have fancy matched tension strings, we had crappy strings on crappy basses cause thats all there was see, we didnt know no better so we just played the bejeezus out of 'em and hoped they didnt break and if they did we tied a knot in 'em and maybe caught our fingers on the frayed wire of the knot and that made our fingers bleed but we didnt care, cause thats just the way it was and we liked it. OK, now go away Matlocks startin in a few minutes

 

[TonyP-]

Prior to a year or so ago I never heard so much “self identification” and finger pointing to a particular generation or generations for that matter.
I will go on record saying I think it’s pretty lame in plain English.