I'm a metal bassist and my current favourite strings are Elixir coated strings. However, i want to experiment with other strings, especially considering that i'm really interested in some sort of metal-jazz fusion stuff (death's "human" and "individual thought patterns" albums for example, despite the fact that my bass is fretted and NOT fretless) so i'd like to give them a try. However, there are many tapes. Regular tapes that come in different brands, la bella's white tapes, gold white tapes and copper white tapes. Which ones are the most interesting? Or atleast the least mellow sounding?
I would say that tape wound strings run from La Bella White Tapes (brightest) to Rotosound Tru Bass 88 Tapes (the darkest). All the others are somewhere in between. I prefer the Roto 88s, myself. However, there's a Tapewound Club here which might give you some useful guidance. And, while I don't like to tell people to use the "Search" function, you're asking a question that's been asked more than once. Doing some "Search"ing might be more help than I can give you...
GHS black nylon tapewounds. I've tried all plenty of tapewounds but none of them can touch these things. Of course, GHS discontinued them over a year ago! I put a set on my L2000 when I bought it last September and would've bought every set I could get my hands on had I known they were going to be discontinued. Took me a year to find another set, from Prussia Valley Dulcimer, of all places. Last set they had! Supposedly they've just been reissued (saw this in a recent thread) but I've yet to see them on any site.
also, when you're saying that the white tapes are the brightest, do you mean the regular white tapes or also the gold/copper white tapes?
From the LaBella website: The Gold White Nylon Tape Wound bass strings are the latest addition to our popular tape wound lineup! Constructed with Golden Alloy (80/20 brass) underlays, these strings are brighter in tone compared to the Copper White Nylon Tape Wounds, and also have dramatically increased attack and sustain. I have to agree, even though plenty of people still say the copper white strings are brighter.
I have a set of copper white nylon on my fretless pbass. Compare to GHS PW 7200ML I put on same bass, tone is pretty similar but more sing and alive. E string has better focus sound.