Opposite Day! Strings you hate.

[AztecViking]

Never played a set of flats that I liked but haven't tried any in years now. I know there are more choices now than there were in the 80's.

 

[cv115505]

I have never liked any dadarrio set I have ever played.

 

[laslen]

DR Nickel Lo-riders. Just not my thing.

I was using NYXL's in the same gauges, put lo riders on and they're terrible. A lot of factors though, just because they're bad on one bass doesn't mean they are on every bass.

 

[pudge]

I hate the stock strings that come on just about every bass made overseas

 

[RyanKW]

Never played a set of flats that I liked but haven't tried any in years now. I know there are more choices now than there were in the 80's.

Like I mentioned, I really like the EB Slinky Cobalt Flats I just got. Bright and mellow at the same time, and feel nice.

Don't mind my flubs...I was just learning this one...


...or my pajamas..

 

[mmbongo]

Anything with high tension, anything that sounds like rubber bands, and anything that feels like a rusty chainsaw.

 

[twinjet]

Okay, not "hate", necessarily...every string thread I see is mostly people praising this brand or that. Personally, I can find things to like about most strings. I used almost exclusively GHS Boomers for years. Now my rounds are DR Lowriders or D'Addario NYXLs. I love anything Rotosound makes...MOST rounds I can find something I like about.

I'm newer to the flats game. Tried and liked Sadowskis, and liked them. Just finally tried EB Slinky Cobalt Flats, and I'm hooked. Going to put them on another bass too. Also just put some LaBella white/gold tapes on one and they are super versatile.

The only strings I've tried that I can say certainly I don't or didn't like were Elixers (didn't sound good and gave my bass dandruff), Slow Wounds (don't exist anymore), Pressurewounds (liked at first but love affair ended quickly) and I remember not digging TI jazz a long time ago, but I may give those another shot.

So, what strings do you dislike, and why?

LaBella 760FLs. Lifeless sound, super high tension and a one-trick pony. Not for me.

 

[RyanKW]

LaBella 760FLs. Lifeless sound, super high tension and a one-trick pony. Not for me.

I actually may agree on this.

 

[Bassman822]

Dean Markley Blue Steels. Had 1 set, went from too bright to lifeless and poor intonation in no time. Darco- bought 1 set because they were cheap. Soon found out why.

 

[project_c]

I'm not a fan of black tapewounds on a fretless because when they "clack" off the fingerboard, it actually sounds like plastic hitting wood and doesn't sound natural to me at all...

Though I've only tried them on fretlesses with magnetic pickups. I'm not sure if it'd be the same with piezo pickups.

Yeah i've noticed that too, I thought it was just me setting my action too low. That clack is a bummer for sure. I am so used to tapes now that i just put up with it, rather than try different strings. Every time I take the tapes off i miss them straight away.

Other string related things i dislike:
- Nickels. I make them sound like like rubber bands, they don't suit my playing style at all.
- Brand new HiBeams (and other rounds), way too sharp and crisp for me, hurts my fingers, hurts my ears. On the other hand I have some 3 year old dead-ass HiBeams on my jazz which i never want to take off, for some reason HiBeams age particularly well.

 

[gjohnson441496]

I thought I was getting the deal of the century forever...

Hartke HSB4453P Bass Strings Light - 4 String (3 Pack)

 

[OldFunBass]

Tried a set of Fender Bass 7250ML, NPS, (.045-.100 Gauges) and did not like them at all. Very twangy, and the roughest round wounds I have used. Finger sliding noise was hard to hide. But it was the twangy sound that drove me to change them out.

 

[ZenG]

I like D'addario strings....but dislike their Chromes. I don't 'hate' Chromes...because a set of bass strings isn't going to pull that kind of emotion out of me..but nevertheless Chromes suck.

 

[MasonMinor]

I don't like anything low tension. Especially rounds. If you hit them hard they just flop. Even if you don't hit them hard, they still feel funny. I just like high tension flats and high action.

 

[Bodeanly]

I hate all strings. I just play my stringless bass and go "duh duh dum bah bah dum" while my buddy plays air guitar.

 

[Papalampraina]

I play with a pick and I like high tension strings. I found Ernie Ball Slinkies (comes with the name I think) to be very loose and flabby.

 

[Buzz E]

GHS Boomers, Precision Flats and their Brite Flats. I was beginning to think it's a GHS thing, but I gotta say their Pressurewounds are awesome!

 

[Delsan]

D'adds. They die quickly, they don't feel good, and their color coding system makes any instrument look childish imo.

 

[wolfkeller]

Any string in a light gauge. 95 for an E? Really? Get outa here. Weak as newborns

 

[ScarfFace]

So many seem to like those EB Cobalt flats. I hated them. The only other string that I have felt that negatively about were DR Black Beauties. Ive never tried any other coated strings, but I imagine that I'd feel the same about all of them.