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Guitar strings for a bass player
- Thread starter Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati
- Start date
As a relative electric guitar newbie, I find the Ernie Ball Hyper Slinky for 25.5 scale awesome, but admit I had to get used to their "Slinkiness." It is now what I prefer, though I generally do not go light on bass. Once you get used to it, it's fine. Imagine it's a different instrument altogether (which it is!) and all will be better-I use medium to light strings for classical violin as well.
Hi fellow TBers.
The thread’s title may be misleading but nothing better came to mind
Well, first of all Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you ..
Today I decided to take my old electric guitar out of the box alongside with the ‘90s boat-anchor-like combo amplifier I bought .. many years ago (during those days my bass-playing inspiration went to zero and I decided to buy a guitar and .. I remember I enjoyed it).
I recorded a short piece of a track and I liked it but, man, those strings were so hard to bend and so thin … difficult, difficult to play.
For those who enjoy recording guitar from time to time, can you suggest me what brand and model of flatwound guitar strings a bass-player should buy in order to get a good flexibility without running the risk of cutting his/her fingertips?
To get you an idea of what I like to play in my basses .. well TI JF344 for the win!
Is there something which can be considered equivalent in the guitar playground?
I apologize if I put this request under, maybe, the wrong forum but I could not find anything better .. the Mods may move it to where it may better belong.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
Cheers
Hmm... not sure what to recommend. I do have guitars - 5 of them - but, the '87 Rick 330 is a project in progress, and the really inexpensive Strat copy... I'm not sure what strings it wears. 10-something Slinkys, IIRC. I never play it; the strings at the nut are much too close for my Bratwurst- sized fingers. All the others? They wear Dogal flatwound guitar strings. The Gretsch Electromatic Classic wears their Expressive Jazz R40D's (12-52); The old Epiphone EA-250 wears the R40B's (11-50). The Eastwood Sidejack "Baritone" guitar (which is not only not a Baritone, but is a Gibson scale guitar - although the "normal" Sidejack guitars are Fender scale...
) wears Dogal's Evolution flats; the EV105 set. 10-46's, with a wound G string. I like the Dogal flats a lot; very smooth; almost no finger noise (unless you try to make some); not real stiff, but far from limp feeling; and they seem to last a good long while, too.As for the TI's? Well... several years ago, I bought some to put on my MIK Epiphone Sheraton II. IIRC, they were the 12-50 JS112s. When I tried to put them on that guitar? They were so ridiculously long, that the silks on the D and G strings went completely past those tuners. You can imagine how much too long the E strings were... I have no idea what they were supposed to fit, but it sure wasn't a Gibson-scale hollow- body electric guitar. I gave them to an acquaintance, who said he had a guitar they might fit. Hope he was right...
Anyway... that's about all my experience with guitar strings. I picked up a guitar very late in life; that Eastwood Sidejack "Baritone" was my first one. I always wondered why the baritone strings I put on it, seemed too long...
Roland GR 88
Commercial User
If comfort is your goal heavy gauge guitar strings aren’t the answer. The tension will be high and flexibility will be low.
Light gauge sets will take less effort to fret, will bend far easier and play well with a lighter touch.
13’s or 14’s are getting into specialty territory like jazz hollow bodies and resonator guitars.
Light gauge sets will take less effort to fret, will bend far easier and play well with a lighter touch.
13’s or 14’s are getting into specialty territory like jazz hollow bodies and resonator guitars.
D
Like others have said, if you specifically want flats, TI's Swing Jazz strings are in pretty much a league of their own. They're absolutely superb strings, no other guitar flatwound strings come even close IMO.
However, the problem starts when you mention "bending" and "flats" in the same context. Even the lightest .010 TI Swing Jazz sets have a wound G-string, which isn't suitable for bending at all. I guess you could buy a single plain G-string of a suitable gauge and make yourself a custom set (TI strings are available as singles from several dealers).
But make sure it's a TI plain string. With other string manufacturers I honestly can't hear much (if any) difference between their plain strings. But TIs plain strings are noticeably different and warmer sounding to my ears. Maybe it's the brass plating? TIs singles are also available with tin plating, but I've only ever tried the ones with brass plating.
The strange thing is that I could swear that TIs plains strings also have a slightly more supple feel than plain strings from other manufacturers (which doesn't really make sense at all... unless they're actually slightly thinner???). Maybe it's just a setup thing. TI Swing Jazz strings can handle a VERY low action without buzzing. With a good setup they almost play themselves!!! I've got a .010 set on a jazz-style hollowbody. It plays like a dream! Most actual jazz players would want heavier gauges though.
BTW, the lighter gauge sets of TI's BeBop Jazz strings come with a plain G-strings, but the BeBops are roundwounds of course. They're VERY warm/smooth roundwounds (think TI Jazz Rounds bass strings) but still VERY different from flats.
Or you could look into flatwounds sets with a plain G-strings from other manufacturers. But I have a feeling you would prefer the ultra-smooth tone/feel of the TI Swing Jazz strings.
However, the problem starts when you mention "bending" and "flats" in the same context. Even the lightest .010 TI Swing Jazz sets have a wound G-string, which isn't suitable for bending at all. I guess you could buy a single plain G-string of a suitable gauge and make yourself a custom set (TI strings are available as singles from several dealers).
But make sure it's a TI plain string. With other string manufacturers I honestly can't hear much (if any) difference between their plain strings. But TIs plain strings are noticeably different and warmer sounding to my ears. Maybe it's the brass plating? TIs singles are also available with tin plating, but I've only ever tried the ones with brass plating.
The strange thing is that I could swear that TIs plains strings also have a slightly more supple feel than plain strings from other manufacturers (which doesn't really make sense at all... unless they're actually slightly thinner???). Maybe it's just a setup thing. TI Swing Jazz strings can handle a VERY low action without buzzing. With a good setup they almost play themselves!!! I've got a .010 set on a jazz-style hollowbody. It plays like a dream! Most actual jazz players would want heavier gauges though.
BTW, the lighter gauge sets of TI's BeBop Jazz strings come with a plain G-strings, but the BeBops are roundwounds of course. They're VERY warm/smooth roundwounds (think TI Jazz Rounds bass strings) but still VERY different from flats.
Or you could look into flatwounds sets with a plain G-strings from other manufacturers. But I have a feeling you would prefer the ultra-smooth tone/feel of the TI Swing Jazz strings.
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You may already know this (so my apologies if I’m just repeating the obvious here and you know well what gauge and general type of string you’re looking for), but just for reference, in my experience, most electric guitarists use 9s or 10s, roundwound. 9 - 42 or 10 - 46, something like that.
Of course, other gauges and types of of strings are made, and you can play or certainly try whatever you wish. Good luck with getting back into guitar
Of course, other gauges and types of of strings are made, and you can play or certainly try whatever you wish. Good luck with getting back into guitar
I really like LaBella Electric12-52 Jazz Lite nickel wound for guitar (Gibson 335).
Flats don't cut it for me.
Flats don't cut it for me.
Don’t know anything about but better not being able to bend than being cut I guess
they should be tested .. I’m a bass player after all .. or maybe I’ll leave it in its case 
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I use D'Addario roundwound 9s on my Tele, 10s on my 335, 11s on my hollowbody, 12s on my acoustic. I cannot imagine bending 13s or 14s at all unless you are Iron Man.
I have flats on all my basses so I tried Thomastik flatwounds on my archtop and took them straight off and put the rounds back on. Horrible imo.
What guitar do you have?
I have flats on all my basses so I tried Thomastik flatwounds on my archtop and took them straight off and put the rounds back on. Horrible imo.
What guitar do you have?
That’s why I didn’t bother telling you what others have told you. You’re going to do it anyway.Don’t know anything about but better not being able to bend than being cut I guess
But I will tell you my favorite Stevie Ray Vaughan story. He used heavy strings and bent the heck out of them when playing leads, and he would tear up his fingertips so bad sometimes that he’d put super glue on the tips, put them on his arm, then tear them off, taking a fresh layer of arm skin with them.
The truth is, however, no matter what strings you use, you are going to have to create a different set of calluses for guitar anyway. It’s a different instrument, and nothing you can do about that.
D
Yamaha Pacificas are very good instruments, a true Strat wouldn't necessarily be an upgrade, depending on which series of Pacifica we're talking about. Yamaha Pacificas come in all kinds of price ranges, from "good but not great" entry-level models to the amazing MIJ boutique/custom shop Pro series that will blow any true Strat out of the water (IMO).
But flats... I have to ask... Is there a particular reason why you want flats? Flats on Strats isn't something I see very often. In fact, I can't remever EVER seeing it. I'm sure it will sound great, but it's a rather unusual combination, isn't it? I would perhaps be slightly concerned with flats and that sharp break angle over the saddles on a strat-type guitar. Still, TIs are PROBABLY flexible enought to handle it without breaking, so they're still my recommendation.
My second choice would probably be Pyramid Golds. Also very nice, just not QUITE as nice as the TIs. But Pyramids have the advantage of a HUGE range of gauges available as singles. If you need to put together a custom set, Pyramid Golds may be the way to go. TI Swing Jazz singles are also avaible in a wide range of gauges IN THEORY, but for some reason many of the gauges are always often out of stock whenever I look for them.
But Pyramid Golds (as well as many other flats like D'A Chromes) are slightly stiffer than TI Swing Jazz. I would be slightly worried about that break angle over the saddles on strat-type bridges...
Are roundwounds not an option? Personally I love pure nickel rounds on Strats. The Pyramid pure nickels in the GREEN packaging are my favorite Strat strings! They're hex core but they have a slightly more supple feel than the cheaper Pyramid pure nickels in the BLUE packaging (presumable thinner cores with the green ones???).
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Well, in Europe any gauge is almost always available and the price is not very high as we’re talking about guitar strings.
My Pacifica is MIJ but nothing custom; it just has SD pickups and a flamed maple top.
But .. eh .. it has got an humbucking pickup at the bridge which sounds too squeaky to my ears and I like the Fender headstock unfortunately
Ideally a nice fiesta red MIM Strat with a white pickguard should do the trick for me visually (with a dark RW board of course).
I also have a high opinion of Pyramid strings; I have flats on all my basses, that’s why I’m pointing at them
My Pacifica is MIJ but nothing custom; it just has SD pickups and a flamed maple top.
But .. eh .. it has got an humbucking pickup at the bridge which sounds too squeaky to my ears and I like the Fender headstock unfortunately
Ideally a nice fiesta red MIM Strat with a white pickguard should do the trick for me visually (with a dark RW board of course).
I also have a high opinion of Pyramid strings; I have flats on all my basses, that’s why I’m pointing at them
Mark Speer of Khruangbin uses Daddario Chromes on his strat, if that’s a sound you want to explore. He changes them like once a tour so they get a lot of mileage.
Personally I use Ernie Ball Slinky 10s. Of flats I have used, I liked Labella’s quite a bit. But honestly I am more of a rounds guy these days so maybe not the sound you are looking for.
Personally I use Ernie Ball Slinky 10s. Of flats I have used, I liked Labella’s quite a bit. But honestly I am more of a rounds guy these days so maybe not the sound you are looking for.
Over the last 49 years of playing guitar, I have played all sorts of flats at one time or another, including the TI's which I do NOT like because they don't have enough definition for me, and Chromes which go from zing to worthless thump relatively quickly, and are unbalanced in tension. The only flat wound guitar strings I have ever bought of which I have gone on to buy a second set when they die are DR Legend flats. They are the closest to my favorite that aren't made anymore (decades, actually), Gibson Sonomatics. They have consistent tone and intonation and are smooth in both feel and tone with definition but without going thumpy too soon. I use the 11's set to get a little more sustain over the bridge compared to 10's. Don't go lighter than 10's because you won't have stability. If you also play acoustic guitar you might try a set of 12's, which is what most jazzers play. Plan on whatever gauge you choose to have a set-up done to the guitar, especially tweaking the truss rod for the added tension that flats have over the same gauge rounds and adjust the G-string saddle for the wound third that these sets come with as opposed to the plain G-string that most 10's round wound sets have. I have one semi-hollow guitar permanently set up with these DR strings.
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He also dumps a buttload of spring reverb on it
. In their case it sounds pretty cool, but I try it and I hate it every time.Yeah, it’s an acquired taste. I don’t like Chromes on guitar either, but they’re available basically anywhere and where many start.He also dumps a buttload of spring reverb on it
25.5” scale run 9’s or vintage (aka voodoo/light bottom) 10s.
24.75” scale run a standard set of 10s.
It’s the same tension for both. don’t go to 11+ unless you have a reason to do so. Plain G if you want to be able to bend it. Same goes with round wound and nickel.
I have 12 Thomastiks on my Gretsch and I have to tune it down to do rockabilly bends.
I’ve run Ernie ball slinky, GHS boomers and D’Addario all with equal success. Fortunately guitar strings are obnoxiously cheap and easy to demo to see what you like.
24.75” scale run a standard set of 10s.
It’s the same tension for both. don’t go to 11+ unless you have a reason to do so. Plain G if you want to be able to bend it. Same goes with round wound and nickel.
I have 12 Thomastiks on my Gretsch and I have to tune it down to do rockabilly bends.
I’ve run Ernie ball slinky, GHS boomers and D’Addario all with equal success. Fortunately guitar strings are obnoxiously cheap and easy to demo to see what you like.
