I need a new string recommendation: What are the least bright stainless steel rounds?

Try the DR SS Lo-Riders for what you're looking for.

 

I would say the LRs and the D'A Nickels are similar in overall playing feel in terms of stiffness.

No experience with Rotos, so can't comment.

 

Elixir Stainless Steels w/ Nanoweb:
Least bright = √
High tension = √

plus:
long life,
arguably the smoothest SS strings on fingertips,

minus (for some):
36.5" winding length might be too short for some basses,
seems pricey if didn't take into account the long life.

 

I use DR SS lo riders and for me they're the best string I've tried. They are plenty bright, lots of clang if you want that. High tension, hex core etc. Long lasting. Clear. But I want lots of clang and high end. I run mine through a compressor that brightens and shines them up even more.

You can always back the treble off if you want less high end. If they are the "least bright" string out there, there must be some really bright ones available that I haven't tried.

 

Nickel Lo-Riders are less bright than steels.

For me they're perfect....eventually.

I like a mellow sounding string, so all rounds are too bright for me out of the package. Lo-Riders break in after about 10 hours of playing, lose the initial obnoxious zing, and then stay basically the same for hundreds of hours of use. For me at least.

It should be noted that my sound preference probably has something to do with keeping the tone control all the way up, if not bypassed, on all my passive basses.

OP: If you want higher tension just get thicker ones. That's the only way to change tension.

 

As I recall, 45-105 DR Lo Riders feel a little more flexible than 45-105 Rotosound 66, but I would guess their weight-pulling tension about the same.

 

This is true. Nickel-plated Steels are generally less bright (ie warmer) than the Stainless Steel counterpart.

I was just responding to the OP's inquiry about "the least bright stainless steel rounds".

 

Shoot. I missed the SS part of the question. My bad.

 

@Sean775 : Nickel allergy?

 

DR Lo Riders and D'Addario pro and flex steels have been on my basses, but I finally tried Elixir and I'm liking them.
They feel really nice, and I didn't really give them much of a thought back when the early Elixirs would flake all over the place.
A good deal came my way on whatever is current when I picked up a Foto Flame J a week or so ago.

I'm glad I tried them.

Rotos would be the opposite end of the spectrum, in sound and "tear up your hands".

 

Dean Markley Blue Steels. I use #2676. Good controlled tone and very long lasting.. 50-105.

 

Electric Bass Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating
Pick your tension for your feel and use case.

Electric Bass Stainless Steel with NANOWEB Coating
I have 45-100's on my Foto Flame bc I just don't need to beat on that particular bass, it fires off the fretboard pretty fast + loud. It needed a little help from steels, it's not the brightest bass I've got.

I have used DR LR 50-110's on my Spector and thought it was too much, moved them onto a Warwick $$4 with Nordstrand Bigmans.
It works for those particular pickups, maybe not so much for your average setup.

Take your bass and your electronics into consideration when you try strings.
I don't advocate bright on top of bright/sco0ped electronics on a graphite neck.
Not a huge fan of nickel strings with Alnico pickups on a neck thru bass.....muddy and undefined.

 

I love bright strings and have used Blue Steels to achieve that tone. The OP wants 'least bright' so I'm not sure these strings would be a good fit. Of the strings I've used more recently, I'd say Ernie Ball regular Slinky's are less bright than my usual choices (DRs, Dunlops, Blue Steels).

 

I use my tone knob to good effect with the Blue Steels. Takes the edge right off and rounds out the tone. Since all the strings that I have tried go from bright to less bright to dead over time, there might be an advantage (longer lasting) to start with a brighter edge on the tone. In my experience, brightness can be easily mellowed with a tone or EQ adjustment. Works for me, maybe worth a try for our OP.