An interesting impression, thanks.
I’ve had a 44-106 set on a jazz bass for a few weeks now. Overall, I like most every aspect of them except for this clank (or maybe the “crunch” described by Michael T here). Now that they’ve had more time to settle in, I now see that this clank thing (or the remnants of it) depends on how hard you play them. I play with a light touch now although I played harder for decades probably because I was coming from playing DB.
I hear you on the compression analogy — I agree that these strings do that, in the same way that I think flats do it — but I like it (as long as they don’t overdo it, which I don’t think they do). I play rhythm based music (I know, all music is rhythmic…) where the bass is more like a melodic drum, so the compression effect works. Other strings “jump out” more but I think these strings with their strong mids and tight low end and this mild compression effect sit very well in a mix. But I do think that those mids are more what we call “textured” as opposed to what I might call the “harmonically rich” mids of DR nickel lo riders (the only other round wound string I use). And as in the old saying, “the music is in the midrange. Sometimes I miss that liveliness that the lo riders bring.
Also — the usual disclaimer applies here — results vary. There are other variables at work: the bass, what kind of pickups, etc. I like other strings more on my other basses, but on a very nice modded 90s Fernandes jazz w Alleva Coppolo pickups and preamp, the pressures work.
