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I'm Fed Up With Researching Strings

#61
Sonoma Bass said:
Since strings contribute one of the biggest aspects to an electric bass feel and tone, and instead of wallowing in Opinion Land of TalkBass, why don't you spend a couple hundred dollars and try out a bunch of strings on your bass? That's what I did and the physical and aural experience of doing that was WAY more educational than these threads. You spend thousands of dollars on basses, amps, etc. A few hundred on strings isn't much to ask!
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This 100%, back in the day i asked so many bass players what strings they used what they thought would sound this, that way and we also use different words to describe different tonal phenomena and my mind was blown. In the end i took on a couple of extra shifts pumping gas for a few weeks and bought a stack of different strings and gauges.

Spent a whole weekend swapping strings in and out making notes and came to the conclusion that whilst my dad's 1962 Gibson EB3 was stunningly beautiful bass and it was privileged to play a 30 year old instrument, it wasn't even close to the sound I wanted.

Oh and i learnt a ton about strings as well and settled on a brand that felt great and made the bass sound as close to something i wanted as possible.
 
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#62
Is it true that Hex core strings stiffer than Round core? (Does that answer depend on the brand? -- for example, DR vs. Dunlop)
For the most part, yes, but it depends upon brand and, more importantly, how the string is constructed. As a general rule of thumb, though, yes.

Is it true that 45-125 is going to be stiffer than 40-120? (Both cores being the same)
Yes.

Is it true that a 120 B string is going to be floppy no matter what? (I can't tolerate going below 100-80 on the E and A strings if that matters)
Typically yes.

Is it true that a 130 is going to be stiff no matter what?
Not necessarily. It depends upon string construction and scale length.

Is there going to be a (noticeable) tone difference between 40-120 and 45-125? (same strings, just different gauges)
Typically, no.

IF . . hex is stiffer . . AND IF . . . 40-120 is less stiff than 45-125 . . would 40-120 Hex be about the same stiffness as 45-125 Round core?
I don’t know that there’s really an exact 1:1 comparison but it would probably put you in the ballpark.
 
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#66
Instead of fretting over string construction, specs, tension, coatings, nickel, stainless, round, flat, tape up, or all that….

Why not describe what you want. In detail.

Now, what do you already know? Preferences you want to stick with? Outer wrap, stuff you like.,,

Then email Jason at FretNation and ask for a list.

Buy a bunch of sets. Go through them week by week. Make notes, record. Swap em out. Keep at it.

Seems to me, strings are less expensive than they have ever been in terms of dollars spent.

Here’s my list of things I’m after. And I went through tons of strings dialing in what I want.

Light gauge, low tension, nickel or alloy outer wrap, pretty easy to find and reasonable priced rounds.

No stainless. Not stiff. Not heavy. Not coated.

DR pure blues VW, .040 fit the bill. GHS boomers in the .035 set. Payson nickels, and he will set me up with 90-.032.

Flats: easy TI jazz flats. But one set, they last forever. Move them from bass to bass. About $100. Done.

Since I know this. I’m not jumping all over the place, of messing around with huge set up changes.


Strings are everything. Treat yourself. $25 for a set of strings? That’s a hamburger fries and a beer plus tip.

Set yourself up with a way to soak used strings in denatured alcohol. Clean, dry, label with notes. There’s a set strings already cut and wrapped. Ready to go on for more research.

I’ve always thought we should have a Talkbass string swap section in the classifieds. With string reviews.

FretNation.com for strings!
 
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#68
singlemalt said:
DR pure blues VW, .040 fit the bill.
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What is the "VW" in the Pure Blues description?

Are those strings the same as this? 👇

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...-round-core-bass-guitar-strings-040-120-light


singlemalt said:
Strings are everything. Treat yourself. $25 for a set of strings? That’s a hamburger fries and a beer plus tip.
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Those DR PBs are $35

The economy is far from recovered in my little corner of the world, so I can't be screwing around like I was when I first started playing. (Hell, prices are still going up around here)


This string search started because I was hoping to find something more flexible than my EB Slinkys for my injured fretting hand.

It's because of that hand/wrist injury that I have to change the way I do things now. I'm changing my technique of course, but softer strings would be a big help. Changing my technique is slowing me way down, so floppyness isn't the concern that it once was.

Sunbeams were suggested once or twice in my info search. I played them before and liked the tone, but I was told that the PBs have a mid-scoop thing going on which is fine with me.

Do you know if the Pure blues are as flexible as the Sunbeams?

. . . and just to make sure i'm on the right track, it would make sense to go with 40-120 as opposed to 45-125 . . . right?

Thanks . .
 
#72
HelpImaRock said:
Honestly, the only way to find "your strings" is to play them. Sometimes you get it right on the first try, other times it takes a while.

I like LaBella LTFs and Dunlop rounds. The LaBella rounds I have are ok, and I'm going to try DR and Ernie Ball next. But I know Dunlop works for me. So we'll see if I like anything better.
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Are Dunlops easy to fret without having to squeeze hard?

I'm told squeezing the neck to hard is not helping my hand injury.
 
#75
The DR pure blues VW is the Victor Wooten set. .095-.040.

If price is a concern, the DAddario XLs are a fine, middle of the road, nickel round wound.
IMG_0330.jpeg

These are nice light strings, about $15 on sale, last time I bought them.

Light strings, a good set up, and mindfully practicing with the focus on a light touch fretting will really payoff. Less tension and fatigue in both hands.

Light strings are the ticket for slap as well.
 
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#76
Dust2Dust said:
I've been doing searches through old threads and the info I've found seems to be opinion more than fact. (Lots of debates with no solid conclusions)

I'm just going to throw some questions out there. If this thread deteriorates into the same chaos, I'll just flip a coin and go with it. (My wallet is done with experiments)

(All questions are based on Nickle Wound Rounds) So, here we go . . .

Is it true that Hex core strings stiffer than Round core? (Does that answer depend on the brand? -- for example, DR vs. Dunlop)

Is it true that 45-125 is going to be stiffer than 40-120? (Both cores being the same)

Is it true that a 120 B string is going to be floppy no matter what? (I can't tolerate going below 100-80 on the E and A strings if that matters)

Is it true that a 130 is going to be stiff no matter what?

Is there going to be a (noticeable) tone difference between 40-120 and 45-125? (same strings, just different gauges)

IF . . hex is stiffer . . AND IF . . . 40-120 is less stiff than 45-125 . . would 40-120 Hex be about the same stiffness as 45-125 Round core?

.

Somebody get out your red pencil and sort this mess out for me. Thank You.
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Here's the rundown. So in actual tension numbers everything is relative and they are all in a similar ballpark no matter what brand of string you choose. The only difference is flat wounds will always have more tension because of how thick the final wrap is. They are a different animal. So back to rounds. Tension and feel can absolutely not be hand in hand depending on the string. Things like core thickness and string material really set everything apart from each other. Stainless are almost always a bit stiffer feeling than nickel however I think it's more to do with the bite and grab being more pronounced than actual numbers for tension. Now hex core strings vibrate differently than round cores and it really makes them feel different back to back. Hex is more direct and biting while round core is more open piano like and growls while feeling a little bit more supple. Also generally thinner gauges tend to play more flexible. And every string maker feels different with the same gauge. That boils down to the materials and how they wind them. So try both and see what you think.
 
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#77
Dust2Dust

Thread 'You Can't Pull The Sheep Over MY Wool!'

So, I posted a thread asking about strings, and received a constant stream of replies stating that "Only YOU can determine that."

Can it be? 🤔 . . . am I the Chosen One? :angel:

The only one who can discern that a Dunlop Nickel Wound 120 B resembles a stepped-on rattlesnake if you pluck it too hard :)

.

Yeah, right :facepalm:

So, I went back thru the thread and noticed a whole bunch of "Buy a whole bunch of sets and try them out" . . .

That's when I suddenly realized there must be a bunch of hidden cameras close by me, with a bunch of TB-ers gathered around a video monitor...
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Oh my
 

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