I bought a Stingray; what strings should I try?

[GwenOnBass]

OP asks "What are you using on your Stingray?"

Strings that graced my Stingray over these 42 years include
EB Super Slinky
Rotosound Swingbass 66 stainless steel
Dean Markley Super Rounds
D'Addario XL nickels
DR Sunbeams
DR Neons
DR Black Beauties
D'Addario tapewounds
La Bella tapewounds
and the Brite Flats.

And conclude a 'Ray sounds like a 'Ray no matter what.

 

[Michael Jewels]

Right now I have Ernie Ball Cobalt flats on my Stingray.
They are flatwounds, but have almost the sustain of a roundwound.

They also have less thump than most other flatwounds, and they calm a little bit of what many call the Stingray zing.

The brighter a string is by nature, the more a Stingray will emphasize this.

I love my Ray.

Mike

 

[Killing Floor]

Are you saying you like La Bellas on Stingrays or just in general? I loved them on my Precisions, but I remember them sounding hollow (as in mid-scoop) on my Jazzes. I suppose, though, the Stingray is a mid-forward bass and it has a mid control.




Have you tried the Sunbeams as well?

Ooh I like Sun Beams. They feel good.
Even though I kid about it strings are a personal preference. If it were me, I'd try a few sets that are different. Dunlop Super Brites, NYXL, I ended up on Hi Beams. There no bad or good, what do you play normally? Try that. I play both flats and rounds depending on the bass and I happen to think the tone/pickups/preamp of the EBMM Ray lends itself to bright rounds. But try different things because I love passive Fenders too. I can't guess what you like. But I can guarantee that Ray is not like a P or J, it's a different animal. But you'll love it.

 

[Wesley R]

Having never seen a stingray with tapewounds, and being the doorknob I am, I would go with tapewounds.

 

[WarwickE36]

Dr Hi Beams. Dial out some brightness for a couple days then it's bliss.

 

[Greg75]

Another vote for DR Sunbeams.
--my favorite round wounds. I also like Fender 7150 pure nickel rounds for a slight change of pace. Both excellent on my Stingray.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

DR Fat Beams!

 

[SunByrne]

I am a firm believer that you will be stricken from the book of life if you put flats on a Ray. But I am also a firm believer that strings are a personal choice.

Right there with you. For me, on a Ray, it should be bright strings—rounds or even stainless steel rounds. Not tapes, flats, or even 'tweeners like Pressurewounds (which I love on other basses, BTW). You don't buy a Ray for a dull high end, right?

Personally I'm a big fan of balanced tension sets, like the D'Addario EXL170BT. Replace the E with something even heavier if you're in drop D all the time. That's what's on my main Ray.

I also have a short scale Ray. DR Hi Beams on that. Wish I could get those with more balanced tension.

 

[BassNugget]

All my Ernie Ball basses have worn Super Slinky's. I had some flats on the 4 string once. Was odd. I put Slinky's back on.

Most of the FSOs I had owned eventually rocked Super Slinky strings as well.

I either really like Slinky's or am just so used to the tone that everything else sounds odd to me.

 

[Killing Floor]

All my Ernie Ball basses have worn Super Slinky's. I had some flats on the 4 string once. Was odd. I put Slinky's back on.

Most of the FSOs I had owned eventually rocked Super Slinky strings as well.

I either really like Slinky's or am just so used to the tone that everything else sounds odd to me.

I like them too. Might be my greasy mitts(?) but I don't get a very long life out of them but they sound good and feel good. There's a lot of choices.

 

[Gizmot]

I had a Ray for a couple of years and possibly screwed up when I sold it, but I can't roll back the hands of time. On that bass, I used either DR Lo Riders, DR Pure Blues or TI Jazz Flats. I think that DR and TI make the best bass strings on the market by a mile, and there are quite a few choices available so you can get the sound and feel you're looking for

 

[tb-player]

+1 for DR Hi-Beams

I played these strings for 10 years on the same Stingray. Nothing sounds better.

Oh, and flats on a Stingray is sacrilege (ymmv)

 

[68Goldfish]

Had many stingray's of both the four and five string variety. I always like the regular EB slinkies. I did have great success with some TI jazz flats on a SR5 for a while as well. I don't think you can go wrong.

 

[matti777]

Just research what Bernard Edward's used ....flats and dead rounds I believe.

 

[JazzyJacuzzi]

Just research what Bernard Edward's used ....flats and dead rounds I believe.

I could be wrong, but I believe Louis Johnson also used flats.

 

[salmon256]

When I had a Stringray I used very bright D'addario rounds, I also played some funky-metal and RHCP covers, I think I would keep using those types for me personally. Choose what you like, if you like flats, flats sound very nice imo on the rays!

 

[onamission]

LaBella RXN5C or Slinky's

 

[Michael Jewels]

My Stingray.

 

[GreyBeard]

I'm pretty sure that these are what comes on a new one.
Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky Nickel Wound Electric Bass Strings - .045-.100

 

[eastcoasteddie]

When I bought my Stingray, I of course used EB Slinkies. Now, nearly 30 years later, I use EB Slinkies on every bass I own, even the Fretless Jazz.
My backup string choice is D'Addario XL Nickel.