I bought a Stingray; what strings should I try?

[Wood and Wire]

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?

+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)

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.

I've always personally favoured stainless steel round wounds, for their brightness, and clarity.

But I was really surprised a while ago, when I found some old 4-track portastudio demos, that I recorded with some completely dead Roto 66's, and used EQ to put some life back : one of my favourite tones I've ever recorded (given how crummy those demos were).

It got me rethinking about the tone I typically use, and I'm really digging what I'm getting by suppressing the treble more than I normally would, and boosting the upper mids a lot more than I normally would (at the amp).

Of course, until my band has gigs again, I've yet to try this in anger, and tweak accordingly - but I'm liking it at home, and on a handful of recordings (although it does feel really wrong removing most of that laser beam clarity, when you know, and enjoy what a StingRay is capable of).


As much as I love Bernard Edwards tone, it's not something I'm striving for, and would probably not work too well in any context I tend to operate, but for what it's worth :

The StingRay originally shipped with flat wound strings (GHS Brite Flats, if I recall correctly), from '76, until Ernie Ball took over in 1984/5, and put Super Slinkys on them.

 

[osonu]

I also like LaBella DTFs on my P bass, but I LOVE the Sadowsky flats on my SR 5HH! I wish I could explain what's different about them, but I do like them better - at least on the Stingray.

 

[N4860]

This question is akin to "what are your favourite strings?" Personally, I have rays with slinkies, cobalt rounds, la bella low tension flats, sunbeams, and more. Just experiment with the strings you like and see what works.

 

[Rib 13]

I purchased a four-string Stingray Special HH this morning and I was wondering what strings to try.

I've spent the last decade playing passive Fenders, so I've no idea where to start on such an instrument. My favourite strings on Precisions were La Bella's Deep Talkin' 760FL. I never found anything I absolutely loved on Jazzes, but I was playing DR Sunbeams recently. I did play TI Jazz Flatwounds for a while on both basses. I loved the tension, but preferred the thumpy La Bellas for the Precision and wanted roundwounds for the Jazz.


I don't have a tone in mind. I'm open to anything, but FWIW, I play pop, dance and rock with my band and I'm learning jazz at home. Something not too trebly, maybe? I do like the tone Joe Dart is getting with his signature Stringray strung with Slinky Flatwounds. I think I'd like to go for roundwounds since the Stingray will be only bass, maybe flatwounds?

What are you using with your Stingray?

Congrats...I have an EB Stingray Special HH as well...I use roundwounds but I always use roundwounds with a simple rule of thumb: 'You can dial back zing on a string type that has zing but you cant dial in zing if you need it on string types that dont have it'

 

[Evets1987]

For some reason Ernie Ball strings sound great on my stingray special.

 

[Mastermold]

What are you using with your Stingray?

My Stingray 5 has had LaBella 760FLs for several years now, great thumpin, not for slappin. Depending on what you want from yours, you may love them?

 

[ComeHomeShane]

- D'addario NYXL: like slinkys but they last a lot longer and stay in tune way better.

 

[Corigan]

Im currently using Fat beams on my Stingray V. Mids monsters and cuts through a mix like a knife.

I'm a big fan.

 

[DrBnz]

Ya "JUST" got it. Whats wrong with the strings that come on it?

 

[Bodeeni]

View attachment 4488579

I had TI Flats on mine for a while but recently went back to rounds and use these same classic strings. Hard to go wrong with Rotosound.

 

[Dan_reeves]

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?

Personally I am saying I like Labellas on a Stingray- I have them on my own Stingray. But Sunbeams sound good also. If you plan on playing more slap then I'd go with the SBs.

 

[chuck1073]

What are you using with your Stingray?

On my Ray35 I'm using DR Hi-Beams and on my Bongo S/H 5 (a close cousin) DR Fat Beams. I like a bright string and would rather tone the the bass down with EQ and technique.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Dr hi beams go on everything

 

[Geri O]

D'Addario EXL Nickels. Not quite as bright as stainless, but to my ear, nicer mid-range.

Super Slinkies sound good, but I seem to get more life from the D'Addarios.

As was said earlier, you could use weed-eater line on a Stingray and it will still sound like a Stingray.

 

[GeneralElectric]

I liked the hybrid slinkies a lot on my regular 4H (modded with an OPB3) but they die very quickly. On that bass I tried a bunch of stuff. Settled on the DR Hi Beam 40-100 because for some reason it didn't seem to like my usual 50-110. It's currently wearing Elixer Stainless Steels which don't sound as good but last longer.

Grabbed a 4HH special on clearance over the summer. It's currently wearing the 40-100 Hi Beams and I can't put it down. It's my #1 bass at the moment.

 

[mrperkolator]

@JazzyJacuzzi I had a Ray4, and I put La Bella 760's on it. It sounded great, but the steel strings were a bit much for the cheap preamp they use. I had constant distortion in lower frequencies. @LowEndLobster mentioned this in one of his videos.... but good luck finding it. It seems his favorite bass to review is the Ray. Anyway, I'd wager that the increased magnetism from steel strings causes too much signal for that preamp, making it distort in lower frequencies. Lobster mentioned this with steel rounds, so I'm thinking steel is the culprit. It did not have the distortion in lower frequencies with nickel rounds.

I recently told my brother that La Bella Tapes would be a good fit if he wanted smooth feel on his Ray5. That way he's not having to swap the preamp. Tapes should have a lower magnetic output, so it'll be fine with that cheaper preamp.

 

[Benj-jammin]

• I was a long time user of the DA XL's - great strings, IMO, however, like many, I wanted something with just a bit less zing, but well balanced along the tonal spectrum. You obviously can't try every brand string out there unless you want to go broke, but for me, I discovered the Dunlop Nickel Medium-Brights, and they have been the perfect strings for my P Special and Ibby SR800. Just my .02
  

 

[Marc valero]

I am using the Rotosound swing bass 66 5 string sets on both my 1990 EBMM and my Sterling Ray5.

 

[LowEndLobster]

@JazzyJacuzzi I had a Ray4, and I put La Bella 760's on it. It sounded great, but the steel strings were a bit much for the cheap preamp they use. I had constant distortion in lower frequencies. @LowEndLobster mentioned this in one of his videos.... but good luck finding it. It seems his favorite bass to review is the Ray. Anyway, I'd wager that the increased magnetism from steel strings causes too much signal for that preamp, making it distort in lower frequencies. Lobster mentioned this with steel rounds, so I'm thinking steel is the culprit. It did not have the distortion in lower frequencies with nickel rounds.

I recently told my brother that La Bella Tapes would be a good fit if he wanted smooth feel on his Ray5. That way he's not having to swap the preamp. Tapes should have a lower magnetic output, so it'll be fine with that cheaper preamp.

I found the pickup to be the culprit. The stock pre on the current sub line (originals did have a hot preamp) is fine but the series wired pickup is way too high output. Some subs come with a four conductor though. If yours has this, you could wire it in parallel to tame it a bit or snag a nice upgraded pickup.

 

[Element Zero]

Man that's a tough one honestly. I recently threw a set of Elixers on my SR5 and was COMPLETELY blown away. The clarity and smoothness to the sound is unreal. I've never really been a coated string fan but these puppies really work with this old bass.