New String Day- Steel Me Away!

[bassist4dalord]

Well I finally did it! This is the first set of roundwound strings I've purchased since 2015. That set was a 5-string set of D'Addario ProSteels. Since then I've been exclusively playing flatwounds (Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky Flats and TIJFs) and tapewounds (various La Bella sets and D'Addario Tapes).

These strings are D'Addario ProSteels 45-100 on my Squier VM Fretless Jazz. They are replacing a set of D'Addario Tapes. I wanted rounds that would be close in tension to the Tapes; the overall tension increase is 15 lbs for the set as a whole.

I have only just now installed these strings but so far I am really enjoying them. I was expecting a cheese grater feeling accompanied by a snarling, overbearing tone but instead I'm finding smooth windings and a present, full sound.

I will keep updating this thread as the strings settle in. I'll be playing in the church band on 10/4 and that will be my first time hearing these strings through a PA. Until then I'll be using my Zoom B1 Four with headphones or my Acoustic practice amp.

Why didn't I try SS rounds again sooner??

 

[Root 5]

As much as I love flats & tapes - I'm a card carrying fanboy - I have to admit that SS rounds can do it all.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Two weeks in to playing these strings at home and I'm hooked. After five years on flats/tapes I was expecting the worst in terms of feel but that is not the case. These strings feel excellent and they offer a wide range of tones.

Still waiting to get them plugged into the church PA. Until then and thus far I am very happy, especially considering their price of $16.50 from GC.

 

[Vinny_G]

Why didn't I try SS rounds again sooner??

Because you've spent too much time on TalkBass . Seriously, you're right, steel strings are the most versatile. Why? Because they have all the necessary frequencies from the start. As Bryan Beller says about the D'Addario Pro Steels, it's better to have highs right off the bat and lower them rather than not having enough and artificially boosting them.

 

[corndog]

I went back to SS rounds (Rotos) after trying flats for a few years. I had convinced myself that flats are what I wanted, lower noise etc etc.

I bought a Ric that had Rotos on it, loved the brightness and note definition and timbre.

I won't be going back to flats.

 

[JW56789]

Swimming against the current, I must admit I'm just not a flat-wound guy, or tapewounds. I'm old enough to remember when most basses had some sort of similar string, pickups and amps weren't all that, and when Rotosounds began to be a 'thing' in the late 70's, I signed up and never looked back. I've since moved on from Roto's, but I agree with Vinny G's post that I'd far rather turn down or tune out some highs or mids on roundwounds than to try and conjure them from the ether . . . . . when there's just not much there to begin with.

I know for some players the flats or tapes are quieter in terms of finger-related noise, but I've never really had a problem with that, your hands just learn what not to do.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Update after having played them in a mix with the church band- these things sound excellent. They definitely have quite a bit of high end shimmer. I'm eager to see what my wife says (if anything) upon hearing them at church Sunday morning.

So far, so good!

 

[Hot Rats]

Steels on a Jazz are something to behold. I've used Rotosound 66's since the 80's but did go through a couple of decades of nickels ( still like nickels ). Just recently put a set of RL66's back on my JB-2 and had the thought of, "what have I been doing all this time?.... This is it!" So now my Jazz has steel and P-Bass has nickel and that's good to go.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Well that didn't last long!

I decided to put the TI Jazz Flats back on my Fretless Jazz. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the SS rounds. I can see myself using them again. But boy these TIJFs are perfect!

Thanks for reading.

 

[michael_t]

Well I finally did it! This is the first set of roundwound strings I've purchased since 2015.

Why didn't I try SS rounds again sooner??

Two weeks in to playing these strings at home and I'm hooked.

Update after having played them in a mix with the church band- these things sound excellent.

So far, so good!

Well that didn't last long!

I went on a spree trying out four different sets of SS rounds on three different basses between April and July. Sadowsky Blue Label SS Rounds 45-130, DR SS Lo-Riders 40-125, Ernie Ball SS Slinky 45-100 and GHS Super Steels 40-102. Prior to this, the last set of SS rounds I ever tried were DR Fat Beams back in Aug 2013.

This three-month "detour" in my string journey did confirm what I've known all along - I'm a nickel guy deep down when it comes to rounds/semi-rounds.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[nonohmic]

View attachment 3979452 Well I finally did it! This is the first set of roundwound strings I've purchased since 2015. That set was a 5-string set of D'Addario ProSteels. Since then I've been exclusively playing flatwounds (Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky Flats and TIJFs) and tapewounds (various La Bella sets and D'Addario Tapes).

These strings are D'Addario ProSteels 45-100 on my Squier VM Fretless Jazz. They are replacing a set of D'Addario Tapes. I wanted rounds that would be close in tension to the Tapes; the overall tension increase is 15 lbs for the set as a whole.

I have only just now installed these strings but so far I am really enjoying them. I was expecting a cheese grater feeling accompanied by a snarling, overbearing tone but instead I'm finding smooth windings and a present, full sound.

I will keep updating this thread as the strings settle in. I'll be playing in the church band on 10/4 and that will be my first time hearing these strings through a PA. Until then I'll be using my Zoom B1 Four with headphones or my Acoustic practice amp.

Why didn't I try SS rounds again sooner??

Hmm maybe I should try them. I've got TIJF on my Squier VM Fretless and I love them, but change can be good.

What pickups do you have in there? And were they a significant improvement on the stock ones? I'm thinking of upgrading mine but they sound pretty good as is.

 

[bassist4dalord]

Hmm maybe I should try them. I've got TIJF on my Squier VM Fretless and I love them, but change can be good.

What pickups do you have in there? And were they a significant improvement on the stock ones? I'm thinking of upgrading mine but they sound pretty good as is.

I have the stock non-Duncan Design pickups (mine is a 2018 model). I definitely enjoyed the ProSteels while I had them on but I think I'm too accustomed to flats/tapes and my technique shows it; I could hardly control all of the squeaks and overtones from the SS rounds.

It's always good to try new things!

 

[bassist4dalord]

So the Squier VM Fretless Jazz is gone (traded for the pictured bass), the EPS170s that got me interested again have moved to my Schecter Raiden Special-4 and I just installed a set of EPS165s on my Ibanez Roadstar II.

Can't wait to see how they sound Tuesday with the church band!

 

[Chad Michael]

ProSteels member, have the t-shirt..

 

[bassist4dalord]

One month review- these ProSteels are very nice. I recently lowered my action on the RB630 and I think I've found the sweet spot of string gauge and setup. I've got a pretty good amount of play time on these and I'm very happy with my tone and the feel of the strings. I can get a nice, warm tone by rolling back the tone knob. On the flip side I can get plenty of high end with the tone wide open and a pick.

I'm a fan of the ProSteels!