I wish I didn't swap string brands like socks!...

[Geri O]

Arrghhh...

Seems like every few months I'm changing string types.

At the beginning of the year, I was into the D'addario Pro Steels. However, I got interested in a more-in-the-middle between steels and nickels brought me to the NYXLs again (tried a couple of years ago).
So I got the NYXLs and started using them. Pretty much achieved what I was hoping for and I really like their long life.

However, early this week, I was playing a week-old set of the NYXLs and realized (through the headphones, then my small 210 combo kickback amp) that the B and E strings weren't, well, what I was used to. Not dead, but not very lively, especially with slap-style playing. Admittedly, I hardly play slap at all on gigs, but I still practice it because, well, I just like to.

This made me go "hmm...", then think back that I still had two sets of Pro Steels that I was about to give away (except that I can hardly give away new un-used strings because they are a little heavier than my other bass buddies use). So I put them on and yeah, there we go. Pro Steels are bright, but I seem to hear a little more warmth to them than other stainless steel strings I've tried. And yes, I'm loving the B and E strings with these strings. I put them on both my Jazz-style Lull and my Precision-style Lull. Same characteristics, much happier with the B and E strings.

All that to get to this point. I've been around the world with DRs, Dunlops, Ernie Balls, and other brands. Either the gauges were funky-feeling (how descriptive, I know!) or just didn't care for them. And Pro Steels come standard on Mike Lull basses. So hopefully, I'll stick with these for the foreseeable future.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Pro Steels are bright, but I hear a little more warmth to them than other stainless steel strings. And yes, I'm loving the B and E strings

The only gauges of Pro Steels I know are the funny 50-65-85-110 set I've put together, but yeah, that E string is a glorious thing.

And yes, Pro Steels have a reputation for being a bit chilly, but the warmth of my G&L's MFD pickup nonetheless comes through effortlessly. For a while the only bass I was playing had Pro Steels + Dimarzio — I was pleasantly surprised by how versatile they proved.

 

[HaphAsSard]

IMO brands are immaterial. While there's something to be said for consistency, and it's inevitable to feel some form of attachment to those brands that provide it, the most important thing to me is the specific product: if it delivers, I'll stick with it, and if I also want something different for another instrument that another product can provide, I'll also get that one regardless of it being made by others.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I'm the opposite. For 20+ years I used Rotosouns Swing Steels on my pants bass, then Roto nickel for the last 20. I've had nickel Lo Rid3rs on my Lull P4 for the last 20, other than occasional flats. My fretless jazz has had the same half-pound since I trad3d for it several years ago.

 

[geeza]

I used Rotosounds for many years until I switched to DR and those are (pretty much) the only things I've used since '76 or so.

Acoustic and electric guitar strings, on the other hand...

 

[JRA]

Seems like every few months I'm changing string types.

i'm not "changing" preferences (yet) but i'm trying different round wounds --- mostly based on the things TB players are recommending.

in spite of having some favorites, i'm having great fun trying out new-to-me string sets just to see what i might be missing (or could be adding) in the feel/sound departments.

certain sets aren't always satisfactory, overall, but the 'experimentation' is kinda fun!

 

[Geri O]

i'm not "changing" preferences (yet) but i'm trying different round wounds --- mostly based on the things TB players are recommending.

in spite of having some favorites, i'm having great fun trying out new-to-me string sets just to see what i might be missing (or could be adding) in the feel/sound departments.

certain sets aren't always satisfactory, overall, but the 'experimentation' is kinda fun!

Oh, no doubt there!

But the last couple of years, and after trying a lot of other brands, I’ve settled on D’addario as my brand. I just wanna settle on one type of their strings.
I’m hoping the Pro Steels will at least help keep my hunt-for-something-else down. For a while anyway….

 

[mrjim123]

DR for the win. Sunbeams or Pure Blues

 

[Killing Floor]

Only way to find “best” is to keep looking. I know what I like so far after decades but I’ll still try anything I can find.

 

[Scott Bland]

I put Fodera Stainless on my “inside gigs” Lull and Elixirs on my “outside” Lull. The Elixirs are ok and last a long time in the Texas heat. But the Fodera sound incredible. Giant low end crisp B. In all the foh recordings on phones it cuts through warm and happy in the mix.
Not sure who makes the fodera strings but I like them.

 

[michael_t]

Not sure who makes the fodera strings but I like them.

Fodera strings are actually made by Fodera in their own little "string-winding shack".

 

[michael_t]

My four basses are currently wearing four different brands of strings. That's like wearing four pairs of socks all at the same time!

 

[Relsom]

I went years and years....probably decades on GHS Boomers. 45-100. They were cheap and sounded good, so I wasn't too interested in looking elsewhere.

When DR strings first came out I tried a set, don't know what model, wasn't impressed and went back to my trusty Boomers.

Fast-Forward several years and I've come to really love DR Pure Blues. I upped my gauge on the E to 105, but thinking about migrating back down to the 45-100 set to give the higher strings a little more presence relative to the lower ones. Some basses that I've received have come with D'Addario XLs, and I've not hated those...even tried a couple of sets on my own, but I've really settled on the PBs.

For the basses that I want flats on, those TI JF-344s are great, my #1, but haven't found a set of flats that I can't stand.

I've become a big fan of black tapes within the last year too. The smaller Labella's and D'Addarios are my choice there. I don't like anything larger that would require me to widen the nut slots....I'm not that committed to them.

 

[Egg250]

Headphones will lie to you.

 

[Discount Bassy]

I've known a few people who I wished swapped socks with the frequency that I change strings.

 

[RGerhart]

String swapping is fun, part of the chase.

This last year has been my string pilgrimage, of sorts. I finally acquired all (or most of) of the basses that I've been looking for since I started playing, and I'm good on amps/effects, etc, so the string thing was next. I feel like string preference changes along with your tone preferences. Or maybe the latter informs the former, who knows?

One thing I've confirmed, though, is that D'Addario is like the Starbucks of string makers. Not a particularly amazing product, but available everywhere and very consistent. I'm a big fan of DR, but I've had a couple wonky sets from them that turned me off. I'm now a big GHS Pressurewound fan for a few basses, and Ernie Ball for a a few others.

 

[Egg250]

String swapping is fun, part of the chase.

I dunno, doing a full set up each I change strings....
I will admit, I went through 3 or 4 different brands before stumbling on my GHS Precision Flats on accident. They were on a used bass I bought and sounded/felt great. They work on my 3 basses. Once these no longer please my ear, I dread searching again.

 

[RGerhart]

I dunno, doing a full set up each I change strings....
I will admit, I went through 3 or 4 different brands before stumbling on my GHS Precision Flats on accident. They were on a used bass I bought and sounded/felt great. They work on my 3 basses. Once these no longer please my ear, I dread searching again.

Indeed, though I'm one of those weirdos who likes to do bass setup stuff. Clean the fretboard, neck, adjust the intonation, polish frets, you name it. It's relaxing.

 

[biobass]

I was a dedicated RotoSound Swing Bass user for 30 plus years. About 16 years ago, I went on a quest to see if there were other strings that I might like more. Over the course of a few months I must have purchased 25 different sets of strings to put on my ‘65 Jazz. Once I got to Thomastik Jazz Rounds and Jazz Flats, I stopped and have been using them ever since. Currently, I have Jazz Rounds on my Roscoe Beck V, Jazz Flats on my ‘65 Jazz and Precision A/E fretless, and Acousticores on my Turner Renaissance V fretless.

Although the Thomastik strings are expensive upfront, they are the longest lasting strings I have ever used, thus among the lowest cost when amortized over the life of the string. The rounds last me at least 6-7 years, still sounding crisp and intonating perfectly. I don’t know how long the flats will last yet, but at least 16 years.

For many years, I used Thomastik Helicores on my ‘39 Kay upright, but I now have it strung with Evah Pirazzi Weichs.

 

[trothwell]

I have Labella tapewound strings on one bass, and don't plan to change those for anything else.

I have -- a recent "discovery" -- Ernie Ball Slinkys on another bass, and am surprisingly delighted with these. It seems they get mixed reviews, often trending toward negative, but at least on this bass, they're really working well for me.

And on my third bass, I've used Rotosound 66 and GHS Progressives a lot, but just recently decided to poke around a bit on other choices. Currently have a plain standard set of D'Addario XL170s on it, which actually sound quite good. Maybe a little too mid-scooped for my taste, but it's a fine string set. Planning to try the Ernie Balls on this bass eventually too. Might end up wrapping back around to Rotosounds (or GHS Progressives, if they come back) in the future, but exploring what different strings can bring to the table is fun and exciting.