I Need some suggestions: P bass Strings

[leonard]

I play the basic D'addario nickel plated rounds EXL170 and get very mellow tones rolling back the tone knob.

 

[quickfix]

Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. Nice feel. Also a great deal of clarity...and thump.

 

[GIBrat51]

I'd be inclined to go with some "Bright" flats - like Chromes. From what you say you're going to play, IMO you don't really want to "cut through" the mix. You want to "Sit" in the mix; like the original bass players did. And a P-Bass with flats was born to do just that...

 

[Kmonk]

Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. Nice feel. Also a great deal of clarity...and thump.

I really like Ernie Cobalt rounds. Great tone with plenty of growl. The only problem I have with them is that they are very aggressive on the frets. I used them for about 3 years on my 2011 MIA Jazz bass. In that time I have more fret wear than on my 1976 Precision that has always had either nickel or stainless steel strings. For the last couple of years I've been using Curt Mangan Nickel Roundwound and have been happy with them.

 

[bassliner50]

Best all around strings for my P-basses. Dean Markley Blue Steel. Mediums. #2676. These last and last. Very versatile, responsive, good feel and tone. I've tried so many others.Flats, Round wound, half round, blah blah blah. All these others were disappointing to me. The Blue Steels while not perfect, are the best I've found. I live by 'em.

 

[waynobass]

LaBella low tension flats;
Lower tension, traditional sound

Sorry Chef: worst string I've ever used. Way too loose, and sounded like mud inside a paper bag.

Another Ernie Ball cobalt flats vote here.

 

[quickfix]

I really like Ernie Cobalt as well. Great tone with plenty of growl. The only problem I have with them is that they are very aggressive on the frets. I used them for about 3 years on my 2011 MIA Jazz bass. In that time I have more fret wear than on my 1976 Precision that has always had either nickel or stainless steel strings. For the last couple of years I've been using Curt Mangan Nickel Roundwound and have been happy with them.

Indeed! I'll have to watch for that. Got them on my Yamaha BB735A. Haven't put them on my Fender Precisions yet.

 

[quickfix]

Sorry Chef: worst string I've ever used. Way too loose, and sounded like mud inside a paper bag.

Another Ernie Ball cobalt flats vote here.

I've come to feel that way about my LTFs as well. They sit unused on a shelf, along with my Golden Alloy Labella Flats. A case of "I learnt that lesson well."

 

[grimjim]

Always ran boomers on my pbasses. 4-strings=45-105 for standard or drop D and 5 strings= 45-130 for A standard or drop C.

 

[quickfix]

I'll put in a plug for the Labella 760FS. Good strong fundamental, and feel as smooth as glass.
Also, I'm able to achieve a ridiculously low action with these strings and hence a very fast technique.

 

[Jason Hollar]

I’m trying labella medium flats now and like them - but they’re dark.

I’ve used rotosound flats for over a decade and they are a worthy consideration. I always chose mediums for R&B and reggae/calypso/jazz gigs, but the light 40-100s are amazing. Bright and almost like a pressure wound.

 

[Chef]

Sorry Chef: worst string I've ever used. Way too loose, and sounded like mud inside a paper bag.

Another Ernie Ball cobalt flats vote here.

Well
That’s sure 100% different than my experience with them

 

[John Wentzien]

Fender flats 9050

 

[crucislancer]

I was thinking about trying: GHS Balanced Nickel, DR Pure Blues, Sunbeams?

Try the GHS Balanced Nickels. They sound awesome on a P bass.

 

[FirewalZ]

Right now it's a toss up between:
Chrome ECB84's
GHS Balanced Nickel
DR Pure Blues

 

[Element Zero]

Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats

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They’re Grrrreat!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Im getting involved in a new project supporting a female singer, its a mix of old school Country (think Patsy Cline), new Country and some classic rock thrown in the mix. Of course Flats are the first thing that come to mine, however, we will be in larger room/festival type gigs and IME flats dont always cut well. Im looking for "tamer" rounds, maybe something i haven't tried yet...something that 1) Works well on a P bass/classic sound. 2) Warm and full yet can still cut through. 3) Flexible/responsive to tone knob...(Patsy to Bad Company).
I have Medium Boomers on it now, they sound fine good, but the tension is a tad high and they go from good to dull fairly quickly. Ive also tried Pressurewound, but IMO those work better on a Jazz.
I was thinking about trying: GHS Balanced Nickel, DR Pure Blues, Sunbeams?

With a PB for C&W, you certainly can use round wounds which IMO will stay less dull than flats over a longer period of time, unless you have a very light touch. I’m taking a guess based on you mentioning a set going dull, you hit your strings relatively hard.

For that genre, I would run the volume at 80% off full to take off the treble boost when running at full volume, and leave the tone wide open. Bump the low mids and adjust upper mids to taste.

I could use DR Low Riders, DiAdarrio Stainless, you will not go broke buying them, and they don’t dull very fast. Typically, I’ll get about 100 hours out of a set, and I finger pick, very hard, but others may get longer play out of them with a softer stroke.

That said, I’m with you, nothing worse than a dead set of strings.

 

[JakobT]

GHS Pressurewounds might fit the bill.

 

[4SG]

I was just looking at the Chromes....I think the Super Light gauge (95-40) maybe to thin a gauge for me feel wise....The lights (45-100) look better, but according to the tension chart, they have an even higher tension than the Medium Boomers, which feel really stiff to me. Ive played Med Chromes before, they were very much bridge cables....how are the 45-100's?

I'm wondering if your neck has some kind of intonation issue. I have two Precisions strung with Chromes, one light set and one medium set. Tension is not an issue on either bass, at all. No reason why a medium set of Chromes should feel like bridge cables unless your set up is off (or you've got tiny hands).

 

[TjMetalhead]

I have some D'addario light custom gauge that's .40-.70-.80-.100. The tension is not bad at all on those and I play speed and prog rock on them. There's also rotosounds in the same gauges and their tension is a littler lighter than D'addarios but I haven't tried them yet. Been curious about rotos, haven't tried them in 6 years.