Nickel Plated - need more high end

[Thumpin6string]

need more high end? are you playing a p bass?

Not me, way too many highs. No P bass, just this.
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[GTHintz]

A couple of things: If you like the sound of strings right out of the pack, you either need a string endorsement (aka free strings) and a roadie to change strings for you, or you need brighter strings or a brighter bass. All strings have an initial zing that goes away quickly. Most strings settle into a stable tone for quite a while after that. If you want long life from your strings, they need to bite a bit too much when new.

This is responsible for a lot of the differing opinions you read on strings - if someone likes the sound of a set of strings when they’re broken in, tgey’ll say they have a long life. If you like the sound right out of the pack, you’ll say they “go dead” fast.

Very true! I want them to be almost too bright that way I can let my tone knob do the work and find the sweet spot. Bright but fat sounding. I think the op should give DR, SIT, or Dean Markley Blue Steels a shot. Any of those should have a long shelf life for him.

 

[eriky4003]

Maybe string care may help especially if you are now in a spot with higher humidity. I usually wipe down my strings after playing (with a paper towel) and case the bass always. I usually have strings lasting 3-6 months with some bite remaining.

 

[monkeyfinger]

I agree that wiping down the strings after each use will prolong the life of your strings. Unfortunately, I haven't developed the habit of doing that. I consider that an opportunity for improvement.

 

[Jogobass]

Don't forget about this bad boy. Yes they leave a residue on the strings which attracts more muck. But use it once a week and you get back some of those higher frequencies at least for a while. It's all about the applicator. It really rubs out the gunk. I notice it most on my B string. It just loses that additional frequency response in the high mids and highs and this stuff is adequate in bringing that back. My roundwound nickel strings are over a year old now and they still sing.

 

[ctmullins]

Thank you for your truly insightful post. It still does not address the fact that SS strings tend to sound more scooped.

Gosh, I don't think I can do anything to change the fact that SS strings tend to sound more scooped. I would if I could, believe me. I love the SS zing, but also love some good fat mids!

 

[_Some Dude]

Well… after putting too much thought into this, reading all the replies, then thinking some more…

I’m going to go pick up a set of DiAddario NPS, some Elixer coated strings, and a set of stainless steel… (haven’t settled on a brand, will probably pick on a whim to start, then try a few other brands until I find what I like).

I’m also going to play with my amp settings. I don’t think they’re the problem (I think the problem is garbage in = garbage out and amp settings can’t really fix that), but playing with settings will cost me nothing but time and I might learn something in the process. I also want to play around with reducing the bass since I normally focus on dialling in my mids/highs and the bass knob never really gets touched unless it’s boomy.

Failing that, I’m going to try to find a sugar mama who’s rich uncle owns a string factory and get really good at changing strings.

 

[michael_t]

I’m going to go pick up a set of DiAddario NPS, some Elixer coated strings, and a set of stainless steel…

If you prefer nickel over stainless steel but want the brightness and the "bite" of SS rounds, you can also try DR Pure Blues. They're nickel-steel alloy and brighter than a typical nickel-plated steel roundwound. The only thing to keep in mind is they're round-core and a little more flexible than D'A or Elixir.

EDIT: I should also add the Pure Blues are not "scooped".

 

[_Some Dude]

Does anyone know how long Elixir’s tend to last compared to uncoated strings?

Didn’t know how much these things would cost….

 

[pickaxe]

Wash your hands before you pickup your bass and wipe them down with alcohol after seems to extend string life for me.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

"Nickel-plated Steel"... The Boomers are "full sounding", yes, but "very bright"? No. They're all about the low-mid punch with grit and grind. I would never look for a top end presence from them. Not what the OP is looking for.

Spot on! Boomer are also known to lose the "zing" very fast. Personally I like Boomers but if I wanted strings to stay bright for a long time Boomers would be near the bottom of the list.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

My problem with SS strings is that they tend to sound scooped in the mids and pingy at the top end. I like my mids. When I am looking for bright, I am looking for upper mids, the presence range, like a snare. I am not looking for top-end ping, like you might hear from a ride cymbal.

Yeah, most stainless steel strings are a bit too scooped for my taste as well but the Roto 66s are of course the exception. The Rotos are all about the mids IMO and no other strings sound quite like them. But of course they lose the zing very fast. If you want them to stay bright you'll have to change them once a week if you play regularly. Luckily I love the tone of "dead" Rotos.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Does anyone know how long Elixir’s tend to last compared to uncoated strings?

Didn’t know how much these things would cost….

I've never played a set of Elixirs bass strings long enough to know. I don't use hex core nickel plated steel strings much so the Elixirs weren't the right choice for me. But I've used Elixir acoustic guitar strings a bit and I'd say they last somewhere between 5-10 times longer than uncoated strings. Personally I prefer a mellower tone on guitars so I stopped using them because it took forever to get them where I wanted, lol. If I wanted strings that stayed bright they would probably have been my first choice. There are of course other coated strings than Elixir but in my (very limited) experience with other coated strings they didn't seem to last quite as long as the Elixirs. Personally I now avoid coated strings but if you want strings that stay bright they're the best option by far IMO. The question is of course whether you will like the tone/feel of Elixirs, or coated strings in general.