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I hate strings

JimmyM

JimmyM

Apr 11, 2005
127,255
125,172
Plymouth NC
Disclosures
Endorsing: Yamaha, Ampeg, Line 6, EMG
#1
I really hate strings. I hate giving them a second's thought. But over the past copule years I have, and I've done a little experimenting, and it never turns out good. I spent over $500 on strings for my upright until I settled on the cheapest good set you can get (Thomastik Superflexibles for those of you scoring at home) and I got off easy compared to some.

Tried a few really expensive electric sets as well, and I hate them all. Some I hated less than others, but I always go back to the old reliable D'addario XL's and Fender flats, again, the cheapest good strings you can get. But even they have major burdens to overcome. The flats are really stiff and annoying to play but they sound so good. The rounds are easy to play but they sound more clanky than what I'm into these days, even when they're dead.

I've tried to bump down the gauges to make them more tolerable, and the light strings are a lot easier to enjoy playing on a 4 hr. gig, but you do sacrifice some tone, especially on the notes below the 5th fret. So now I can't even use extra light strings anymore because I play a lot in the middle register and need those notes.

Nothing seems to work. There's always a tradeoff to be made with strings. And no matter how much money you throw at it, you can't fix it. I want a set of strings that are all things to everyone, and I want them available in a twin-pack for $24.95. But that's not going to happen. In order for me to be happy with my sound, I'm going to have to play strings that annoy me. And that sucks.

I doubt it'll happen in my lifetime, but I look forward to the day when strings are replaced with laser beams.
 
#4
hah, i wasn't going to say anything but since you brought it up....

I'm in the process of pulling an all nighter and need to keep myself occupied. I also need to catch up on some well deserved talkbass time.

But back to strings..... hahahaha

Lately I've been using a 4 string set of rotosounds (105) with an extra regular gauge high c for drop c tuning. I like how loose it is and easy to tap with this but i wish i could have higher tension sometimes because of the tone sucking qualities of low tension strings. also, not a HUGE fan of rotosound. I have yet to be wowed by them.
 
#5
I used to share this frustration as well... particularly with flatwounds for electric. I recently got a set of DR Hi Beam flatwounds and they were exactly what I was looking for in terms of tension, tone and feel. I'm not saying they'll work for you but it might be worth a try.

For my other electric (my Jazz Bass) I am using DR Fat Beam round wounds which are nice and warm sounding, flexible, lower tension and feel like nickel even though they are stainless. They are a brighter string but they are not clanky bright like some. Again, it's all preference but I thought I would throw something out there that might appease your frustrations. I have tried every flatwound string ever made for an electric and these DR's worked the best for me. They are about $35 for a set but they will probably last a super long time as well.

For my uprights, I've been using D'Addarios but I cannot remember the exact series. I haven't changed upright strings in 10 years!
 
#6
I went through this for a while and spent a fortune on strings. They seem to be a very personal thing. My solution was to totally unexpected and it was that I eventually became a big DR fan. I kept trying other manufacturers and eventually all 5 of my basses have Dr's. Each one has a different model and I did go through different ones till I found the exact one that I thought fit that bass. I have Sunbeams, Fat Beams, Black Beauties, LoRider Nickel and Steel. The only set I am not completely sold on is the Black Beauties but they sure look good on an all black bass :hyper::hyper:
 
#7
The Black Beauties are basically coated hi-beams. I've also been told that Sunbeams are the exact same string as the hi-beams only in nickel instead of stainless steel. It doesn't matter to me because they are all great strings. I could put any of their sets on any of my basses and be satisfied.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
I really hate strings. I hate giving them a second's thought. But over the past copule years I have, and I've done a little experimenting, and it never turns out good. I spent over $500 on strings for my upright until I settled on the cheapest good set you can get (Thomastik Superflexibles for those of you scoring at home) and I got off easy compared to some.

Tried a few really expensive electric sets as well, and I hate them all. Some I hated less than others, but I always go back to the old reliable D'addario XL's and Fender flats, again, the cheapest good strings you can get. But even they have major burdens to overcome. The flats are really stiff and annoying to play but they sound so good. The rounds are easy to play but they sound more clanky than what I'm into these days, even when they're dead.

I've tried to bump down the gauges to make them more tolerable, and the light strings are a lot easier to enjoy playing on a 4 hr. gig, but you do sacrifice some tone, especially on the notes below the 5th fret. So now I can't even use extra light strings anymore because I play a lot in the middle register and need those notes.

Nothing seems to work. There's always a tradeoff to be made with strings. And no matter how much money you throw at it, you can't fix it. I want a set of strings that are all things to everyone, and I want them available in a twin-pack for $24.95. But that's not going to happen. In order for me to be happy with my sound, I'm going to have to play strings that annoy me. And that sucks.

I doubt it'll happen in my lifetime, but I look forward to the day when strings are replaced with laser beams.
Click to expand...


Laser beams are a ways away yet, but this seems to be getting more popular:

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...and for the upright:

double_bass.jpg
 
#9
I use D'A Chromes (ECB81) on EVERYTHING now. I don't even think about using anything else. I just get them and they always work (for me). I transitioned to ALL FLATS about five years ago and after much trial and error, I settled on the ECB81 set without regret. Rounds used to drive me nutz, but no more!
 
#10
JimmyM said:
I spent over $500 on strings
Click to expand...

This is probably the only downside that I found when I got back into playing bass full time. It costs me a small fortune trying to settle into something that I like. Wish it were like my guitars where I can go out for small change and get a bunch of strings to try.

For my jazz bass, I settled into R. Cocco nickel wound. Not too long ago, I played a Rob Allen bass for the first time. I loved the workmanship and playability of that bass, but the La Bella tape wound strings that came with it for me.....were to dye for. I loved the feel and the sound. So I blew my brains out recently on a set for my fretless and love them. I think I'm done for quite some time.
 
#11
I use Darco Electric bass strings. Nickel. They sound great, nobody has ever heard of them but I love the way they sound and are half the price of most strings.

Very hard to find good strings plus you can't really test them. I can't tell you how many times I've bought strings excepting something and then took them off like 10 minutes after I put them on.
 
#12
I tried a few strings sets, didn't spend near $500, but I've settled on Curt Mangan strings for all my basses. The Nickelwound ones. Nice tension and very even tone on all strings at all registers, at least in my experience.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#13
Heavy guage stainless roundwounds like, 50-70-90-110's, turn up the bass volume or amp volume, pluck a little lighter, BAM! Good sound, tone, and volume
without killing your fingers. As far as flats if you like Fenders, use the light guage.
The other soulution would be D'Addario Chromes 50-105's. I don't know if you ever tried those but I found some light with them. { The flats that is}
As far as rounds are concerned I like D'Addario Pro-Steels 50-105's/135 on my 5 strings.
 
#16
What irritates me is when roundwounds go dead - buzz kill. My tone uses a lot of grind and twang and I like Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky but they're nickel and during the humid summer months they don't last so I use stainless steel (which I like less) until the fall.
JimmyM said:
I really hate strings. I hate giving them a second's thought. But over the past copule years I have, and I've done a little experimenting, and it never turns out good. I spent over $500 on strings for my upright until I settled on the cheapest good set you can get (Thomastik Superflexibles for those of you scoring at home) and I got off easy compared to some.

Tried a few really expensive electric sets as well, and I hate them all. Some I hated less than others, but I always go back to the old reliable D'addario XL's and Fender flats, again, the cheapest good strings you can get. But even they have major burdens to overcome. The flats are really stiff and annoying to play but they sound so good. The rounds are easy to play but they sound more clanky than what I'm into these days, even when they're dead.

I've tried to bump down the gauges to make them more tolerable, and the light strings are a lot easier to enjoy playing on a 4 hr. gig, but you do sacrifice some tone, especially on the notes below the 5th fret. So now I can't even use extra light strings anymore because I play a lot in the middle register and need those notes.

Nothing seems to work. There's always a tradeoff to be made with strings. And no matter how much money you throw at it, you can't fix it. I want a set of strings that are all things to everyone, and I want them available in a twin-pack for $24.95. But that's not going to happen. In order for me to be happy with my sound, I'm going to have to play strings that annoy me. And that sucks.

I doubt it'll happen in my lifetime, but I look forward to the day when strings are replaced with laser beams.
Click to expand...
 
#18
I've been using DR Hi-Beams for quite some time on my spector NS2. I have a set of MM on my MM Sabre and a set of BB on my GWB35(Fretless). I like the strings that I use. Normally, I'm a creature of habit. However, I'm going through some changes in my life and I thought I would mix it up a bit.

I just had a setup done on my NS2 and I was talked into trying a set of Jonas Hellborg. The DR rep and the owner of Bass Specialties really like them. I hope that I do. I'm picking up the bass this weekend so I'll let you know how I like them.

I won a set of Bootsy Collins strings at a Bass Extremes clinic; which I'm going to try out on my MM Sabre.

I have BB on my GWB35. I like them for that bass. But I was thinking of trying a set of flats. From what i read and heard I probably won't like them, but sometimes you just have to try things out for yourself.
 

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