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Low tension rounds for a modern sound

Persona87

Persona87

Dec 4, 2012
918
596
DFW, Texas
#1
I recently got a Music Man Sterling bass and I'm looking for some strings for it. My P bass has TI flats on it that have a great warm sound and low tension, and I'm looking for a round wound string with a modern tone for fingerstyle rock and a little slap that has a similar light tension to the TIs. I've heard about DR Sunbeams and Daddario Flex Steels. What about TI jazz rounds? Are there any others that you'd recommend?
 
#2
Lightest gauge Fodera stainless steel! Or nickels. For low tension, get some Kaliums in a really light gauge! They are plenty bright, but full and even sounding.
TI jazz rounds are even looser than the flats IMO but they aren't exactly slap or modern strings by any means. Very dull, warm and much like their flats.
Sunbeams are also very mellow, wheras Flex steels are very bright and not so low tension.
 
#7
Sunbeams and Dunlop. TI's are the best flats ever! Once you let Dunlop's settle and lose that high zing they are a pretty good replacement for the more expensive sunbeams (my favorite round wound). GC carries the Dunlop's but not the sunbeams anymore. Come to think of it GC doesn't carry almost anything good anymore (when they do it's only one or two to choose from, sad). I like slinky's on my EBMM basses, they just sound the best too me on those basses (only on those basses, for me anyway).
 
#8
Ive found the sunbeams, and hi beams to have an abundance of mids. They also wear out and get dull really quickly. Id go with a lighter gauge set of Dean Markley Blue Steels, probably the most vibrant long lasting bright string you can get.
 
#9
Persona87 said:
I recently got a Music Man Sterling bass and I'm looking for some strings for it. My P bass has TI flats on it that have a great warm sound and low tension, and I'm looking for a round wound string with a modern tone for fingerstyle rock and a little slap that has a similar light tension to the TIs. I've heard about DR Sunbeams and Daddario Flex Steels. What about TI jazz rounds? Are there any others that you'd recommend?
Click to expand...

TI Jazz Rounds are the slackest strings I've EVER played. They can also make a mellow PJ totally evaporate in the mix. But your pickup placement ought to counteract that. You might really like them.
 
#11
Persona87 said:
I recently got a Music Man Sterling bass and I'm looking for some strings for it. My P bass has TI flats on it that have a great warm sound and low tension, and I'm looking for a round wound string with a modern tone for fingerstyle rock and a little slap that has a similar light tension to the TIs. I've heard about DR Sunbeams and Daddario Flex Steels. What about TI jazz rounds? Are there any others that you'd recommend?
Click to expand...

Another vote for Kalium strings, they have a very even modern tone and an incredible variety of gauges to choose from.
 
#16
+1 for Dunlop Super Bright Nickels. I switched over to them a couple months ago and they sound exactly like what you're looking for. Super warm but with this killer steely sounding snap to them and quite low tension. Even when they go dead they still retain a goodly amount of that zingy top end, too.
 

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