Got my Steve Harris strings today,

I started out on Harris strings. They helped a lot because I was sloppy when I started. All that tension helped me clean up my act a little. Of course, my Ibanez looked like Roman architecture after that due to its relatively thin neck, but hey, I was 14, I couldn't tell the difference. And Steve Harris was my idol, so why did it matter anyway?

They're not bad, but I don't see them as much of anything special. They're a good in-between, I'd say. They're very bright considering their construction, but they still have a nice, round lower-midrange.

 

i'm thinking most of that is technique, not gear

 

I love Steve Harris and I love his tone but the very high tension that these strings have just killed it for me, no can do.

 

I've never had any with coating dude.

 

I've been thinking of trying these, I always thought the tension would be too much for me, but I currently have the roto 105 guage flats on my maple neck p-bass and broken in they're pretty loose. I don't even have my truss rod that tight either.

 

Well yeah, that's what Steve Harris himself uses. Fact of the matter is, most bases simply can't handle that kind of tension without a significant truss rod adjustment. I think that's where Steve can use them, aside from his hands, of course.

 

I haven't played a Steve Harris set for a long time but I don't remember any kind of coating on them.

 

No coating, they are just a custom guage set of Roto flats with different silks.

 

More than likley its the way they're made, they don't feel like other flats, but they have no coating at all.

 

Perhaps you're just not used to flats?

 

They don't snag like most flats IME, maybe thats why you thought of a coating.

 

Yea they are a really silky smooth string thats for sure.

 

Technique and really low action.

 

He has a low action? Always imagine it'd be quite high, there doesn't seem to be much of a fret rattley sound when he plays, more of a heavy string clanking, then again they're probably so high tension that they can't really fret rattle that much anyway.

 

Really low action, and he plays pretty close to the bridge, almost drumming on the strings with his fingers(rather than plucking), no buzz, lotsa clack.

 

I dont really understand that, because of all the flats Ive used I didnt think the Roto's were that bad. Now as far as high tension, the Jamerson laBella's that I had on a '53 P bass were the tightest strings I ever put on a bass... and I mean tight