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Looking for “stiff” roundwounds ?
- Thread starter stuntbass77
- Start date
Boomers are among the stiffest rounds I've played. Way more stiff than Rotos or DR (LoRiders).
I haven't used Boomers in a long time and didn't really remember how stiff they felt. If they're really that stiff, then I'll have to give them another try.
Nyxl from d'addario are the stiffest strings I've ever encountered personally
The pure nickel (NOT nickel-plated) Fender roundwounds are the stiffest rounds I've tried.
In an experimental mood, I'm about to try some Fender pure Nickels on the bass which normally has GHS Boomers, so I'll attempt to adjudicate between these two challengers.
I do love a stiff string. My one complaint about the 45-105 Boomers is that the E string doesn't quite have the gloriously nervy feel of the A and D.
Theoretically I'm curious to know what the 110 would feel like instead, but I hate to think how much putting together a custom set of GHS strings every 3 months would cost here in the UK, so this is definitely something I'm just having to suck up!
I don't find it ridiculous that one string manufacturer has one line of strings that caters to those of us who like stiff strings
Me too. The stiffest strings I've tried were the D'Addario NYXL and the DR Lo-Riders.
For what it's worth, the DR website talks about the Lo-Riders having a "slight bit of stiffness"
I realize that perceived stiffness is subjective and depends on the bass and setup, anyway my opinion based on the strings I tried is the following, sorted by the stiffest (all 45-105 NPS hex core):
1. D'Addario EXL165
2. Ernie Ball 2833 Hybrid Slinky (very similar to #1, a little bit more flexible)
3. Rotosound RB45 Roto Bass
4. Warwick 41200 Yellow Label
5. GHS 3045 Bass Boomers
6. Ken Smith Burner
7. Dunlop DBN45105
8. DR Nickel Lo-Rider NMH-45
9. Fender 7250M
10. D'Addario NYXL45105
11. LaBella RX-N4D
12. Warwick Red Label Nickel
13. Dunlop Super Bright DBSBN45105 (way more flex then the others)
Personally I settled on 7250 on my Fender P and J and LaBella RX (130B) on Yamaha BB 5 strings
1. D'Addario EXL165
2. Ernie Ball 2833 Hybrid Slinky (very similar to #1, a little bit more flexible)
3. Rotosound RB45 Roto Bass
4. Warwick 41200 Yellow Label
5. GHS 3045 Bass Boomers
6. Ken Smith Burner
7. Dunlop DBN45105
8. DR Nickel Lo-Rider NMH-45
9. Fender 7250M
10. D'Addario NYXL45105
11. LaBella RX-N4D
12. Warwick Red Label Nickel
13. Dunlop Super Bright DBSBN45105 (way more flex then the others)
Personally I settled on 7250 on my Fender P and J and LaBella RX (130B) on Yamaha BB 5 strings
I really don’t want to file my nut to accommodate the larger gauges. I have found that if I want to got back to a smaller gauge there tends to be rocking in the wider slots that can cause a chorus like effect. I have had to fill in nut slots with bone dust or baking soda and water thin super glue and refile slots and it’s no fun. If I knew I was gonna stay with a heavy gauge string I would do this. In the end it’s not out of the realm of possibility’s but would like a string change of the same gauges first but thanks for the suggestion.
Since my BB is strung with a 45-105 set of Boomers, I have selflessly elected to try a set of RB45 on it next, so I can add a second opinion to this snippet
(Incidentally the actual tensions of the two sets are virtually the same)
I think I'll also try replacing the 7250M on my P with a set of 7150M, so I'll report back which feels stiffer of the two. (What their actual tensions are, I've no idea.)
I'd have to go with the hex core Boomers. Even the short scale set I had on my headless Kramer Duke were probably the stiffest SS rounds I've ever played. I loved the sound, but they got replaced by a set of DR Legends last year. But, only because nerve damage in my fingertips makes rounds very not fun to play. Plus, on the Duke, the Legends sound almost the same. I also had Boomers on my '13 Gibson Thunderbird for years. I loved the factory strings on it, but Gibson quit selling them - and Boomers were the strings that came the closest. Those strings were most definitely the stiffest rounds I ever played; perfect for a pick, too. But, again - replaced by flats. The Dogal R44 Traditional Flats don't sound much like those Boomers - and they're more flexible, too. But, they sound good and make me happy. I do miss the Boomers, though...
Right, the 45–65–85–105 set of 100% nickel Fender 7150M is now on my Squier P. There is indeed a proper step up in stifficity, as expected.
In the spirit of experimentation, I lowered all 4 strings the half step to Eb Standard. This was still a fairly pleasing degree of stiffness. Interestingly, the sound was quite a lot more characterful. I had been finding that without any steel in the strings, a lot of the P's growl was gone, but at this half step lower, some of that growl came back. Perhaps the 40-100 set would be better on a P?
At any rate, I was expecting the 7150s to whelp my Matt Freeman, and indeed they have
Next time the poor thing will get some Pro Steels to cheer it up.
Turned out I couldn't bear the poor thing being lumbered with them a moment longer, so the 7150s are off, and a fresh set of 7250 I thankfully had to hand are on, and my P is purring once moreAt any rate, I was expecting the 7150s to whelp my Matt Freeman, and indeed they have
