Point of Signature strings?

[HaphAsSard]

Isn't the whole point here that the website is inaccurate?

Hardly. Reading the old blurb, quoted earlier

Standard GHS Boomer Description:
The GHS Bass Boomers® are the classic Power String and they have been for years. Today they are one of the most popular bass strings in the world and are used by bass greats including the legendary Flea. Like the guitar version, Bass Boomers® feature a nickel plated steel wrap that provides brilliance, volume, sustain and strength, unlike any other bass string.

Flea GHS Boomer Description:
Flea uses the tried and tru formula of the GHS Bass Boomers that the world has counted on for decades. GHS Bass Boomers are a Nickel Plated Steel wrap wire with a special combination of Stainless Steel and Nickel Plate on the low E string. The unique Boomer hex core gives this string added strength. The Red Hot Chili Peppers count on Flea to provide that hard driving bottom end and these strings are a crucial part of that signature sound.

there is not one single incorrect point.

Even in the old version, all the information was factually correct. People believed that the sets were different but it is not something that GHS explicitly claimed.

Ed Zachary.

 

[coreyfyfe]

DR fat beams used to have Marcus Millers picture on it. He left DR and the DR fat beams stayed the same but dropped in price as his face isn't on it anymore...

I for one am glad for that. My go to rounds for a long time. When they stopped making the MM strings I was fearful they'd be gone for good. Was psyched to see them back for a lower price.

 

[InhumanResource]

Probably not. Then again I don't really notice any differences between settings other than material, gauge, and round vs. flat. All the same stuff pretty much.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

You can't figure this out on your own?? really?

 

[Rickter]

Does anyone use or find the use of signature strings?
Steve Harris and Flea's sig sets aren't that to uncommon from much cheaper alternatives.
Is this just for marketing or am I just missing something?

Recently tried the Rotosound Sheehan set with an added .135. Custom gauge combination aside, there was definitely something different about them compared to the usual Rotosound RS66s. There seemed to be a significantly different mid-range presence, a little more "zing" than your standard stainless RS66s and they weren't as "grippy" the usual RS66s and had a great tension balance. They sounded great when playing the gig I had bought them for, but unfortunately they were practically dead the next day, partially my own fault because I did not wipe them down post gig.

 

[DavC]

what's the point . ?

overpriced .?

false hope .?

maybe someone's preferred gauges are the same as you'd want . ?

will a Victor Wooten string set make me play better . ?? ha ... that's kinda funny .. !!

 

[Sunset Shalom]

Only signature strings I believe I have tried are a David Gilmour GHS set I put on a strat, I really dig em. Didn't cost much if any more then a regular set either.

Signature stuff in general is often marketing, but then again so is a lot of regular gear I generally shop by price and what looks good.

Opted out of getting Gilmour pickups recourse they are pretty expensive, so I bought some nice similar style pickups hand wound in russia for a fraction of the price off ebay.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Probably not. Then again I don't really notice any differences between settings other than material, gauge, and round vs. flat. All the same stuff pretty much.

I'm kind of the same way. I can only notice subtle differences in sound between 3 of the nickel plated roundwounds I've used quite a bit: Slinkys, XL's, and LaBella nickels.

However, Boomers sound different than the aforementioned three brands, - to my ears anyway, but I wouldn't say they sound radically different. Just fatter with stronger mids and less top end.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Recently tried the Rotosound Sheehan set with an added .135. Custom gauge combination aside, there was definitely something different about them compared to the usual Rotosound RS66s. There seemed to be a significantly different mid-range presence, a little more "zing" than your standard stainless RS66s and they weren't as "grippy" the usual RS66s and had a great tension balance. They sounded great when playing the gig I had bought them for, but unfortunately they were practically dead the next day, partially my own fault because I did not wipe them down post gig.

I liked the Sheehan's too. It was so long ago, I can't remember how long they kept their zing. It's been even longer since I've used Swing Bass 66's, but I distinctly remember they'd lose that brand new, awesome, "springy" sound within a few days. I could easily get better than a month of heavy use out of them, they just didn't have that killer brand new zing.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Hardly. Reading the old blurb, quoted earlier

there is not one single incorrect point.

Ed Zachary.

You're right, just intentionally misleading. Thank you for clarifying.

 

[HaphAsSard]

You're right

And you were wrong. That's big of you to admit it for a change.

intentionally

And here we go again. Unproven, so nope.

misleading

That they might have been. They didn't explicitly state any difference being there between the two sets, so it's still a bit of a stretch to call them so. Still, yeah, in a way.

Thank you for clarifying.

I only falsified your point about the old website descriptions being inaccurate, but you're welcome, I guess.

 

[cnltb]

Point of Signature strings?
Mostly marketing.
The only ones I found interesting were those Jonas Hellborg ones.

 

[waynobass]

When did y'all get so cynical? There's nothing wrong with signature strings. If I were a huge fan of Lemmy, I would want to try his Dunlop sig strings. Even if he didn't use them exclusively, he gave them his imprimatur. And the package looks cool!

 

[Crackle]

They are different from standard sets..

There is a jazz bass 77 set with the same gauges as the Harris... But the Harris has extra polishing and feel much smoother than the standard 77...

The fact of the matter is Steve Harris used Rotosound Jazz Bass 77s in a 50 - 110 gauge set for most of his career and through what most fans consider Maiden's best days. The signature set didn't appear until the late 1990s. I wasn't aware of the signature set being polished differently; I thought the difference was limited to blue and red fabric on the ends of the strings and Harris' name.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

When did y'all get so cynical? There's nothing wrong with signature strings. If I were a huge fan of Lemmy, I would want to try his Dunlop sig strings. Even if he didn't use them exclusively, he gave them his imprimatur. And the package looks cool!

There's Lemmy Dunlops? No Way!

 

[matante]

The fact of the matter is Steve Harris used Rotosound Jazz Bass 77s in a 50 - 110 gauge set for most of his career and through what most fans consider Maiden's best days. The signature set didn't appear until the late 1990s. I wasn't aware of the signature set being polished differently; I thought the difference was limited to blue and red fabric on the ends of the strings and Harris' name.

Yeah. I was just about to post about this. The irony with signature sets is that they don't exist until the artist is highly established and has already recorded and performed his most prominent material WITH NORMAL SETS. The Flea signature came out after the Chili Peppers' prime, so any Flea fan trying to cop his tone exactly as it was on the most famous recordings/performances would want the original Boomers, not some new signature formula, if there had been one.

 

[logicman69]

I used to use Flea Boomers for my 4 string Cirrus (before I knew they were just regular GH strings), My only issue was the scale length. The wrap and the end of the E used to sit on the nut. Would drive me crazy. I switched to DR's since then and have been using Low Riders ever since. Of course, only one local shop sells Low Riders and I refuse to go in there, so I usually have to order online.

 

[jwr]

The Marcus Miller sig DR's sounded different to me than the regular Fat Beams. I think it's mostly because I'm crazy though.

 

[smogg]

Does anyone use or find the use of signature strings?
Steve Harris and Flea's sig sets aren't that to uncommon from much cheaper alternatives.
Is this just for marketing or am I just missing something?

Yes, signature sets can be cool. Back in the day (mid to late 80s?) when I was young(er) and still played metal, I used Rotosound BS66 (Billy Sheehan) signature strings almost exclusively. Sounded and played great. Lifespan the same as standard Roto's (too short, lol) but better balance from string to string imo. Ironically, used these strings to chase the Steve Harris sound on my USA Peavey Foundation S (pj) and to my ear got real close.

For the last five years been using a signature set from some famous cat out of like New Jersey or Long Island I think. Goes by the name D'Addario. His signature set that I use is called "balanced tension." (45-60-80-107+130sl) So yeah I like sig sets. Totally dig the BT's & the EXP coated nickels. (using single string option at BSO to build BT coated sets. 45-60-80-105+130sl)

 

[GK Growl]

And the package looks cool!

Yeah, that's my number one reason for choosing strings