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Longevity of Tone, your thoughts and preference(s)

#61
isher1992 said:
I love the Super Steels, and it's the only GHS string I like. I love the Contact Cores, myself.
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Once again, I really appreciate your response!

I'm compiling quite the list of different brands of strings to try out! I'm putting GHS Super Steels on my list too. As I said before, I was a hardcore Rotosound Swing Bass 66 user as a young guy.

I had some modifications done to my main bass at that time, and the Guitar Tech restrung my bass with D'Addario XLs, and I really liked them. I used XL's for quite a while and then I bought a set of Swing Bass 66's, but for some strange reason, the felt really sticky. Of course that went away over a few weeks, but I preferred the XL's, so I kind of stuck with them for quite some time. Then I "discovered" GHS Boomers and liked those, so I strung my Jazz with Boomers and my P-Bass with XL's. I stuck with that trend for many years.

I really like Billy Sheehan, so I tried his Signature Swing Bass set, and I really liked those. I also have Prosteels on my P-Bass and they're excellent strings IMO. So quite possibly, I can readjust to stainless steel roundwounds.

I have a couple of different basses in my arsenal, so I really should have at least one bass with stainless steel rounds, just for a different tone, because I'm recording songs with a friend. I think my P-Bass is the perfect candidate for steels. So first up for it will be a set of Super Steels.
 
#63
Jeff Scott said:
Well, one difference between the two is that TI makes their strings, whereas Fodera has the name put on the package by the company who makes the strings for them (to their specs.) I am a huge fan of TI strings, both their Jazz Flats and Jazz Rounds. Very long lasting and great sounding (to me). I bought a set of Fodera VW Sig strings that I put on my former Rickenbacker 2030GF; they were superb strings with a nice balanced feel and long lasting tone (a couple years on that bass when I traded it for another bass). A set of Jazz Rounds were on my old '73 4001 for over eight years when I sold that bass; they did mellow out after a few years but still had a great '60s kind of tone to them at that point.

TI strings may cost more but are more cost effective, in the long run.
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Foderas are practically made to order, by a small group. They are not outsourced to a third party.
 
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#66
Arthur U. Poon said:
Once again, I really appreciate your response!

I'm compiling quite the list of different brands of strings to try out! I'm putting GHS Super Steels on my list too. As I said before, I was a hardcore Rotosound Swing Bass 66 user as a young guy.

I had some modifications done to my main bass at that time, and the Guitar Tech restrung my bass with D'Addario XLs, and I really liked them. I used XL's for quite a while and then I bought a set of Swing Bass 66's, but for some strange reason, the felt really sticky. Of course that went away over a few weeks, but I preferred the XL's, so I kind of stuck with them for quite some time. Then I "discovered" GHS Boomers and liked those, so I strung my Jazz with Boomers and my P-Bass with XL's. I stuck with that trend for many years.

I really like Billy Sheehan, so I tried his Signature Swing Bass set, and I really liked those. I also have Prosteels on my P-Bass and they're excellent strings IMO. So quite possibly, I can readjust to stainless steel roundwounds.

I have a couple of different basses in my arsenal, so I really should have at least one bass with stainless steel rounds, just for a different tone, because I'm recording songs with a friend. I think my P-Bass is the perfect candidate for steels. So first up for it will be a set of Super Steels.
Click to expand...

I've tried a couple Rotosounds, and I've never liked them much. They seem like Ernie Balls to me, here today, dead tomorrow. But I must have a really caustic body chemistry, I guess.

As far as Stainless Steels, I've tried most of them on the market. On my cheap Chinese SCPB, I usually use a .100-.045 gauge. I'd go -.005 lighter with SIT's.

I rank them like this for me (uncoateds, anyway):

1) D'Addario XL Stainless Steels
2) GHS Super Steels
3) SIT Power Steel
4) Ernie Ball Stainless Slinkys

After a few sets of the GHS, they're great strings, but I feel like the D'Addarios are still above them in the consistency and packaging. I've had some of those GHS's sound dead out of the package, but I'm usually buying single strings to make my own set, so who knows how long one of those strings may have sat in some warehouse somewhere... I've been interested in trying the LaBella Super Steps, because I do like the exposed-core strings. I play with a low action, so the exposed core makes me raise the saddle to keep the same action so I have more angle. I just wish somebody would make a set of those with coating even around the wrap towards the bridge. I guess everything is a compromise.
 
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#68
isher1992 said:
I've tried a couple Rotosounds, and I've never liked them much. They seem like Ernie Balls to me, here today, dead tomorrow. But I must have a really caustic body chemistry, I guess......I've been interested in trying the LaBella Super Steps, because I do like the exposed-core strings. I play with a low action, so the exposed core makes me raise the saddle to keep the same action so I have more angle.
Click to expand...

I tried a set of Super Steps, but it was ages ago. As I recall they sounded nice and bright and they kept their brightness for a longer period than I was used to. And I was a fan of bright strings back then. I prefer to have a high tension string that fights back at me. IIRC, the Super Steps were slightly less tension than I was used to, but as I said, that was ages ago.

I have experience with LaBella Slappers; these days their package looks like this: download.jpg
I've been very impressed with them. They feel slightly rougher than other nickel plated rounds that I've used, but by no means are they unpleasant to play.

Definitely try a set of Super Steps.

I know exactly what you're saying about having a caustic body chemistry. I think I may have the same problem, but in my case my hands stay dry; but maybe it's the oils in my hands. When bright strings were my thing. I had to change my strings frequently.
 
#70
Arthur U. Poon said:
I tried a set of Super Steps, but it was ages ago. As I recall they sounded nice and bright and they kept their brightness for a longer period than I was used to. And I was a fan of bright strings back then. I prefer to have a high tension string that fights back at me. IIRC, the Super Steps were slightly less tension than I was used to, but as I said, that was ages ago.

I have experience with LaBella Slappers; these days their package looks like this:View attachment 1089965
I've been very impressed with them. They feel slightly rougher than other nickel plated rounds that I've used, but by no means are they unpleasant to play.

Definitely try a set of Super Steps.

I know exactly what you're saying about having a caustic body chemistry. I think I may have the same problem, but in my case my hands stay dry; but maybe it's the oils in my hands. When bright strings were my thing. I had to change my strings frequently.
Click to expand...
You've sold me on the idea, ordering two sets now. :)
 

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