I like both GHS and DR and I honestly can’t choose between the two even if a gun was pointed to my head.
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GHS Super Steels on Precision Bass
- Thread starter trothwell
- Start date
An interesting comparison between DR and GHS.
I'm still trying to decide whether I like these Sadowsky SS rounds I've been testing out on my son's Ibby. Started out very grabby and didn't have the zing I expected from SS rounds. "Sterile" may be a good word to describe them, too. And I don't think the taperwound low B is the right thing for it, either. The tapered portion extends too far (almost 1.25") beyond the saddle.
Can't wait to try the Super Steels!
I don’t think age matters if they haven’t been installed and kept dry in the packaging. But l may be wrong. We all know with flats the older the better. Conversely, with rounds, the newer the better. (?)
I was just curious about how old that particular package design might be. That's all.
I was just curious about how old that particular package design might be. That's all.
Don’t know how old but I bought them last year on eBay with the intention of using them but never did. But I keep them inside a ziplock bag Laying flat in one of my book cases if we’re getting technical here
Sounds like some vendor had them on their shelf for quite a while.
I was just curious only because the GHS Tension Guide from Aug 2014 (oldest copy I have saved on my computer) didn't show "XL5000" as an available set anymore. So, this means those sets you have are at least several years old.
Guys, they're stainless steel wrap. Unless humidity or gunk gets to the core, which is not stainless, but carbon steel to hold the tension, the strings should last indefinitely. I mean, after all, the Eads bridge in St. Louis over the Mississippi river was the first bridge made with load bearing members of Carnegie steel, and except for deck repairs, is still going strong 150 years later. And a bigger version of a bass string was used as temporary cabling as a construction aid while the concrete piles down to bedrock were being poured. I don't think we need to worry about 20 years on an unused string taking only @ 30-50 pounds of tension, depending on the gauge and pitch.
All this talk about "the Super Steels vs. the Lo-Riders" got me so curious I decided to order a set of each to try out for myself (on my son's Ibanez, that is...
).GHS Super Steels, 40-58-80-102-126.
DR SS Lo-Riders, 40-60-80-100-125.
Should be an interesting comparison.
My order from Fret Nation for SS Lo-Riders and Super Steels are on their way. Hope to receive them next week.
In the meantime, I've decided the LRs, with their slightly more refined character and modern flavor, are the better option of the two for my son and his playing style. So, unfortunately, my assessment on the Super Steels will have to wait till I get my next bass, which will be my bass for the "80's Rock" sound.
Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath as it might be a long while yet before I can make it happen.
I have a question for the Super steel users: how do they compare to Rotosound stainless steels? Are they just as rough?
I have tried stainless steels a couple of times but each time I stop using them after a week and go back to Daddario round wounds. But maybe the Super Steels are more smooth for both left and right hand?
I have tried stainless steels a couple of times but each time I stop using them after a week and go back to Daddario round wounds. But maybe the Super Steels are more smooth for both left and right hand?
Maybe @trothwell can answer this question for you. I know for a fact he's used both.
When I tried super steels I did not notice a rough feel compared to Rotos. In fact, the super steels will last you quite a long time compared to Rotos.
@Les Fret -- I thought that the GHS Super Steels were rough-feeling -- maybe the roughest-feeling GHS string that I have tried -- but not as rough-feeling as the Rotosound 66 strings.
That said, I don't find Rotosounds to be prohibitively rough. I know some people really don't like the feel of them, but, I don't know, maybe I grew up on the bass with rougher-than-usual strings, and they don't feel all that bad to me.
ok thanks. Yes rough is maybe not the right word, but the Rotosounds 66 feel much less smooth than D'addario nickles. For me most stainless steel strings are too rough and that's why I always end up putting them off my bass after a few days and take the nickles again. I hope the Super steels were different in that regard. I want to try them on my 6 string. But since they are not cheap I don't want to risk buying a string set that I don't like.
$29.99 for a nicely balanced factory 6-string set isn't that bad, is it?
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When I checked a few weeks ago, Fret Nation did have a set in stock.
Idk if this might be an intonation setup I need to work on my Bass but has anyone noticed the super steels on the D and G string sound to be brighter than the E and A strings?
I was recording on Logic Pro last night and noticed the volume increase when strumming with a pick. Not sure if this is something that the Super Steels naturally do and I’m just barely noticing?
This happened to me years ago on a different bass but decided to try them again this year after putting them off.
I was recording on Logic Pro last night and noticed the volume increase when strumming with a pick. Not sure if this is something that the Super Steels naturally do and I’m just barely noticing?
This happened to me years ago on a different bass but decided to try them again this year after putting them off.
Could be... For probably about the first ten years of my bass playing, I mainly used stainless steel roundwound strings (and also tapewound on some less-frequently-used basses). My main bass was a 5-string, and, buying strings at local stores, I was limited to the (probably) one 5-string set in the store.
I remember being surprised when I found out, "Oh, bass strings come in nickel too?!"
So that could be a big part of why Rotosounds don't bother me.
