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Newbie: String Recommendations

S

scrappykraken

Nov 20, 2023
17
39
#1
Hey guys,

I'm a guitar player looking to be able to record my own songs and even play out again on bass. I could just use a "breather" of sorts on guitar.

Anyways, I have a 63 P Bass Reissue and an Ampeg v4b reissue with the 212 cab.

I'm wondering about a set of strings. My p came strung up with some TI flats.

Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression (less so on the tone front).

Not looking for super clanky bright sounds but also not keen on the somewhat muted sound of flats. I'm sure this collection of dudes are all over the place in terms of rig but just looking for that clear yet warm, tight yet girthy, tubey driven sound to support old school punk and power pop tunes: classic punk, stiff records, new wave, power pop, whatever you wanna call it.

I figured I'd check here before just grabbing a set of Rotosounds but maybe it is that simple...
 
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#3
scrappykraken said:
Hey guys,

I'm a guitar player looking to be able to record my own songs and even play out again on bass. I could just use a "breather" of sorts on guitar.

Anyways, I have a 63 P Bass Reissue and an Ampeg v4b reissue with the 212 cab.

I'm wondering about a set of strings. My p came strung up with some TI flats.

Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression (less so on the tone front).

Not looking for super clanky bright sounds but also not keen on the somewhat muted sound of flats. I'm sure this collection of dudes are all over the place in terms of rig but just looking for that clear yet warm, tight yet girthy, tubey driven sound to support old school punk and power pop tunes: classic punk, stiff records, new wave, power pop, whatever you wanna call it.

I figured I'd check here before just grabbing a set of Rotosounds but maybe it is that simple...
Click to expand...
Your amp and cab combo is more at fault than strings. If that was a 2-10 or 4-10 you'd hear a lot tighter sound. I always say that generally a 10" speaker is for you and recording, 12" is for sitting in a band live and 15" is for filling out an arena. Now if you want the strings to help you then I'd look for something like Rotosounds that will break in fast and give you punch but enough clarity vs what you have now. Lots of guys will recommend nickel but I like broken in steels better because it holds that tone longer than nickel before it sounds too dead. If you play these for about a week and it's too bright then you can try something like ghs boomers or diadarrio chrome flats that are some of the brightest flats you can buy. They should get it done for you. Boomers are more mellow than broken in rotos but I'd say a little bit brighter than chrome flats. Rounds in general offer more brightness and grind which sounds nice through ampeg amps. They are some of the best at taking that grindy punchy bass tone and making it sound heavy and huge.
 
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#4
I have very similar taste in players and Music you mentioned but never was in bands that played much of it

I always used nickel rounds and if playing that style back in the day would also have use nickels

But I put EB Slinky Flats (Cobalt) on my Stingray Special and they lean to broken in Rounds out of package and settle in to what you described wanted in my perception

I had Markbass Ultimate Soft Touch Nickels on my Fender Ultra Precision and had a nice 'grind' I hadn't heard with others I have used over the years
 
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#5
red_rhino said:
Maybe something like GHS Pressurewounds? Not super bright overall. They mellow a bit during the first couple of weeks and then hold that mellowed tone for a long time. Sound good for fingers, slap, and pick. Not a lot of string noise.
Click to expand...

Will add those to my list. Have done a lot of business with GHS when it comes to my six strings.
GTHintz said:
Your amp and cab combo is more at fault than strings. If that was a 2-10 or 4-10 you'd hear a lot tighter sound. I always say that generally a 10" speaker is for you and recording, 12" is for sitting in a band live and 15" is for filling out an arena. Now if you want the strings to help you then I'd look for something like Rotosounds that will break in fast and give you punch but enough clarity vs what you have now. Lots of guys will recommend nickel but I like broken in steels better because it holds that tone longer than nickel before it sounds too dead. If you play these for about a week and it's too bright then you can try something like ghs boomers or diadarrio chrome flats that are some of the brightest flats you can buy. They should get it done for you. Boomers are more mellow than broken in rotos but I'd say a little bit brighter than chrome flats. Rounds in general offer more brightness and grind which sounds nice through ampeg amps. They are some of the best at taking that grindy punchy bass tone and making it sound heavy and huge.
Click to expand...

Will keep that in mind but until I get in a band or something changes, likely going to be stuck with the 212 for now. Lots of folks likened it to a close approximation to an 8x10 in a smaller package. Of course that's a compromise. Will check out those string recommendations.
Nebadon2000 said:
I have very similar taste in players and Music you mentioned but never was in bands that played much of it

I always used nickel rounds and if playing that style back in the day would also have use nickels

But I put EB Slinky Flats (Cobalt) on my Stingray Special and they lean to broken in Rounds out of package and settle in to what you described wanted in my perception

I had Markbass Ultimate Soft Touch Nickels on my Fender Ultra Precision and had a nice 'grind' I hadn't heard with others I have used over the years
Click to expand...
Thank you! Yeah, kind of a niche taste. Thanks for the recommendations. I read that Glen Matlock played Roto flats in the Pistols but I think I'd prefer a roundwound set for feel.
 
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#8
scrappykraken said:
Will add those to my list. Have done a lot of business with GHS when it comes to my six strings.


Will keep that in mind but until I get in a band or something changes, likely going to be stuck with the 212 for now. Lots of folks likened it to a close approximation to an 8x10 in a smaller package. Of course that's a compromise. Will check out those string recommendations.

Thank you! Yeah, kind of a niche taste. Thanks for the recommendations. I read that Glen Matlock played Roto flats in the Pistols but I think I'd prefer a roundwound set for feel.
Click to expand...
I used to use Ken Smith strings that were custom spec ghs super steels. Always were good strings with cool purple silks.
 
#9
It is hard to go wrong with Roto Swing Bass 66's. If you want to err on the side of a little less bright, get the nickel ones, but a lot of the players you mentioned make me think you will like the stainless ones just fine.
 
#10
Whatever you decide remove the TI's carefully, try not to mess up the silks and store in a Zip lock bag. You may like to use them later. Just bear in mind that outside of flats there will be fret noise. The Cobalt Flats and the Magma Ultraflats have a broken in roundwound sound without the fret noise. For the sounds you mentioned, I also like steel roundwounds and I recommend FatBeams by DR over the Rotos, they are more supple yet more tightly wound than most RW steels

Even though I have a bass with pressure wounds, I think they are too mellow
 
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#11
scrappykraken said:
Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression (less so on the tone front).

Not looking for super clanky bright sounds but also not keen on the somewhat muted sound of flats. I'm sure this collection of dudes are all over the place in terms of rig but just looking for that clear yet warm, tight yet girthy, tubey driven sound to support old school punk and power pop tunes: classic punk, stiff records, new wave, power pop, whatever you wanna call it.
Click to expand...
Graham Maby and Paul McCartney (IIRC) played Rotosound 88s, which are their really tubby tapewounds. They also played with picks.

Entwistle practically invented Rotosound 66s, which is tonally the complete opposite of the 88s!
scrappykraken said:
Thank you! Yeah, kind of a niche taste. Thanks for the recommendations. I read that Glen Matlock played Roto flats in the Pistols but I think I'd prefer a roundwound set for feel.
Click to expand...
In this case, try the Rotosound 55s. They're marketed as pressurewounds, but they actually feel and sound like more traditional rounds. I'm no longer a Rotosound fan, but if you insist on sounding like your influence, that's what you should go for.

They're kind of in the middle of the 66s (extreme brightness and clank) and the 88s (extreme tubby and fat bass sounds) tonally.

The 55s were the last Rotosound strings that I played. I made parts of my second album with them. Just watch out for Rotosound's iffy QC and the strings not sounding quite like anything else you might have ever heard before.
 
#12
GTHintz said:
Your amp and cab combo is more at fault than strings. If that was a 2-10 or 4-10 you'd hear a lot tighter sound. I always say that generally a 10" speaker is for you and recording, 12" is for sitting in a band live and 15" is for filling out an arena. Now if you want the strings to help you then I'd look for something like Rotosounds that will break in fast and give you punch but enough clarity vs what you have now. Lots of guys will recommend nickel but I like broken in steels better because it holds that tone longer than nickel before it sounds too dead. If you play these for about a week and it's too bright then you can try something like ghs boomers or diadarrio chrome flats that are some of the brightest flats you can buy. They should get it done for you. Boomers are more mellow than broken in rotos but I'd say a little bit brighter than chrome flats. Rounds in general offer more brightness and grind which sounds nice through ampeg amps. They are some of the best at taking that grindy punchy bass tone and making it sound heavy and huge.
Click to expand...
And for flatwounds the Rotosound 77's are made of monel. An alloy some strings are made of. I like Rotosound 77's.

I currently have Chromes and roundwounds on my basses. I am trying to add some brightness to the tone.

It seems to me that flats sound great on some basses and rounds sound better on others. I experiment if the tone seems uninspiring.
 
#14
At first I was going to say that I had listened to literally none of the bands you mentioned and couldn't be of any help, but then:

scrappykraken said:
clear yet warm, tight yet girthy,
Click to expand...
It seems like I'm always recommending my preferred strings, maybe I have a problem...

But dammit, I'm doing it again!

I like DR Nickel Lo-Riders. Hex core, nickel plated stainless steel. Warm, but the hex core helps bring out harmonics. I think based on your description of what you're looking for, these would be a good set to try. You can also look for strings with a similar construction from other brands, but the DRs always do right by me.

I'm not so sure about the grindy quality you're looking for. I find these strings can do a lot depending on your bass, the pickups you have, and what you do with the tone knob. For instance, they can do the Jaco growl thing with a J pickup at the bridge and the tone down. If you have a responsive amp that can accentuate the kind of sound you want, all the better.
 
#15
scrappykraken said:
Hey guys,

I'm a guitar player looking to be able to record my own songs and even play out again on bass. I could just use a "breather" of sorts on guitar.

Anyways, I have a 63 P Bass Reissue and an Ampeg v4b reissue with the 212 cab.

I'm wondering about a set of strings. My p came strung up with some TI flats.

Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression (less so on the tone front).

Not looking for super clanky bright sounds but also not keen on the somewhat muted sound of flats. I'm sure this collection of dudes are all over the place in terms of rig but just looking for that clear yet warm, tight yet girthy, tubey driven sound to support old school punk and power pop tunes: classic punk, stiff records, new wave, power pop, whatever you wanna call it.

I figured I'd check here before just grabbing a set of Rotosounds but maybe it is that simple...
Click to expand...
Since you are already used to using round wound strings, I recommend DR Lo Riders. They have a longer life than Roto's and they run under $30 a set. I"ve been gigging these on my PB for 25 years now and have had zero complaint for band mates, sound techs, and or recording engineers. They also have a comfortable tension.

With your rig, you will find these strings will cover a lot of applications tonally.
 
#16
The Rotosounds would probably be right up your alley after playing a couple of weeks. They will settle in fairly quickly (not good for those who like the high sparkle and clank) after playing for a few weeks and have a very nice mid and low-mid tone to them. They sound really good their and kind of stay that way for a while before they start to just lose it.
 
#18
scrappykraken said:
Hey guys,

I'm a guitar player looking to be able to record my own songs and even play out again on bass. I could just use a "breather" of sorts on guitar.

Anyways, I have a 63 P Bass Reissue and an Ampeg v4b reissue with the 212 cab.

I'm wondering about a set of strings. My p came strung up with some TI flats.

Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression (less so on the tone front).

Not looking for super clanky bright sounds but also not keen on the somewhat muted sound of flats. I'm sure this collection of dudes are all over the place in terms of rig but just looking for that clear yet warm, tight yet girthy, tubey driven sound to support old school punk and power pop tunes: classic punk, stiff records, new wave, power pop, whatever you wanna call it.

I figured I'd check here before just grabbing a set of Rotosounds but maybe it is that simple...
Click to expand...
D'addarrio chromes are what you are after. They do it all and will nail those tones.
 
#20
scrappykraken said:
Bass player inspiration/tones I want to chase: Bruce Thomas on the first two Costello records, DeeDee Ramone on the first three Ramones records, Glen Matlock from the Pistols, Graham Maby on Look Sharp, Nick Lowe, Capt Sensible on the Damned's first record, a bit of Entiwstle and McCartney in terms of their melodies and aggression

I figured I'd check here before just grabbing a set of Rotosounds but maybe it is that simple...
Click to expand...
A cursory peruse of the net indicates the following regarding the strings associated with the bassists sound ( apart from equipment and technique of course)

Bruce Thomas - heavy gauge GHS rounds (dunno which ones)

Dee Ramone - Rotosound Swing Bass 66

Glen Matlock - Rotosound 77 Jazz Flats

Graham Maby - Rotosound Trubass 88 Tapewounds


Nick Lowe - Flatwounds ( who knows what brands)

Captain Sensible - Rotosound Swing Bass 66


John Entwistle - Rotosound Swing Bass 66

Paul Mcartney - Flatwounds of various brands, notably Pyramid, La Bella and Maxima. Rotosound Trubass 88 tapewounds.

From that you can see there is dull thud to bright on the spectrum.
 

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