Recommend some half-round strings for me......

[Outshined91]

I just got an Ibanez SR1200 with the Nordstrom pickups. The strings on there at the moment are rounds of unknown provenance . The bass sounds good but It's a bit too bright and zingy.
I need to cut treble and mids to get a sound that isn't too toppy so I'm thinking i could put on some ground wound or pressure wound strings to get a smoother feel but still have plenty of brightness and they might tame the top end a little.

So, what would you recommend?

I'm totally in love with D'Addario half-rounds. They've got a little sparkle in the tone but an overall full, balanced sound. There's just enough grittiness and bark when you dig in, but they're super smooth and quite bright even when you play soft. I very very strongly suggest you try them (they aren't as expensive as Ken Smith's which is another plus) - I myself was looking for the same qualities and my Mustang came with them on and I love them now. Good luck!

 

[Cutter8]

I do like the Compressors, but I like the Ken Smith Slick Rounds even more. They are the smoothest ground-wound string I’ve tried, and they are very expressive strings. They are bright and lively, but not zingy at all, and they feel great.

 

[sonojono]

GHS does it right with the pressurewounds! Definitely gives me that nice bottom tone while taming some of the top end.

“Pressurewounds are tangy not twangy.” - @Linnin

 

[PWRL]

Another vote for GHS Pressurewounds. I don't use halfrounds much anymore, but when I did, those were my favorites.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

They're only kinda-sorta half-rounds, but I simply can NOT recommend highly enough GHS Pressurewounds. They're my #1 go-to for electric bass, fretted or fretless. They're fast and lively like roundwounds, not sticky and dead like flats, but they're ridiculously buttery-smooth and comfortable. They cut WAY down on finger squeak and fret clank while still having enough musical, sweet highs and high-mids to play any style, they just cut the harshness. They last months for me, and they seem to be a high-output string.

I've been meaning to try DR Fat Beams, too. Same construction as the Pressurewounds except with a round core (more flexible than the GHS string's hex core) and stainless wrap wire for a little bit less dark tone.

 

[funkinbottom]

so I'm thinking i could put on some ground wound or pressure wound strings to get a smoother feel but still have plenty of brightness and they might tame the top end a little.

I'm another vote for the GHS Pressure Wound. I would also recommend SIT silencers. Another compression wound, similar to feel and sound to the GHS PW's

 

[Funky Phantom]

I, also like the Smith Compressor series. They are a little ‘smoother’ than rounds.
You might also want to check out the Smith Slick Round series. It’s a roundwound string
‘grinded’ down. A little ‘smoother’ than the Compressors, but ‘brighter’ than flats.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

How would the Ken Smith's compare to GHS Brite Flats or D'addario ground wounds?
I'd have to order the Smith's from overseas whereas the latter two are usually available locally.

Edit: posted at the same time as Michael above. Thanks Michael.

I’ve used D’Addario Half Rounds and GHS Brite Flats since the late 70’s. I like both brands a lot. The tone and surface feel are very similar. I’d say I prefer GHS Brite Flats overall because they keep their top end a little bit longer.

I’ve become a Huge fan of GHS Pressurewounds over the past few years. I suggest you try a set because their tone could very well be exactly what you’re looking for.

Tone-Wise I’d say Half-Rounds and Brite Flats feel and sound more like flatwounds.

Whereas Pressurewounds lean more towards a broken in set of roundwounds, with a much smoother surface feel.

Ultimately you’ll have to buy a set of each to try out to find out which best suits your needs.

 

[equill]

D'addario ENR71 work well on my Ibanez (fretless).

That said, I do intend to try GHS pressurewounds, as soon as I get my hands on a set; for some reason, they've been hard to find over here.

 

[Dragan]

It's a Nordstrand, not Nordstrom.
I only had d'addario halfrounds so here is my experience. After 1st disappointment because A string were dead and dull and other strings felt like l put 4 strings from 4 different sets l took them away but put them back at some point on my bass and after a short while they somehow started to feel and sound good and balanced. A string was still deader than others but " in the band mix" it wasn't a problem.

 

[Funky Phantom]

I’ve used D’Addario Half Rounds and GHS Brite Flats since the late 70’s. I like both brands a lot. The tone and surface feel are very similar. I’d say I prefer GHS Brite Flats overall because they keep their top end a little bit longer.

I’ve become a Huge fan of GHS Pressurewounds over the past few years. I suggest you try a set because their tone could very well be exactly what you’re looking for.

Tone-Wise I’d say Half-Rounds and Brite Flats feel and sound more like flatwounds.

Whereas Pressurewounds lean more towards a broken in set of roundwounds, with a much smoother surface feel.

Ultimately you’ll have to buy a set of each to try out to find out which best suits your needs.

Man, I love that Fletch avatar! “Probably that pedo ass Hanrahan”.

 

[JakobT]

I’ve had good experience with D’addario half-rounds.

 

[2F/2F]

I like the D'Addarios.

The tone is just what I wanted, but the feel takes some getting used to. They struck me as very "grabby" on the right hand until I got used to them and they broke in. If you use a pick, probably no issue.

 

[AMJBASS]

Pressurewounds are great strings. Not true half rounds, but smoother in feel than rounds, and they have a great tone that lasts a long time. The Brite Flats IMO sound more akin to flatwounds, the E is generally pretty dead sounding right out of the box(not necessarily a bad thing).

 

[mikecd1]

I used the D'Addario Half-Rounds for years and they always have decent highs and a tight, round fundamental. I've moved towards a lower tension string, but if I wanted a half round would still use them though I'm very interested in trying the pressurewound.

 

[DavC]

GHS Pressure wounds , or Ken Smiths ... depending on gauges you want ..

i always thought any actual ' ground/half wound ' strings felt like cheese graters .. !!

or if you want very light , bendy and expensive ... Ti jazz rounds

 

[Rbradley649]

I know you asked for halfwounds, but I've really been digging the Ernie Ball Cobalt flats.

 

[Dincrest]

SIT Silencers.

If you are seeking compression wound strings, SIT Silencers are a must-try.

I used to have a Warwick with active MECs and those electronics were overly harsh, peaky, sizzly, and "active" sounding. SIT Silencers smoothed it out big time and I loved their plush feel. Definitely an under-recognized string.

I tried Ken Smith Compressors on that bass and I hated them. They were too twangy and felt rough and grippy to me, wholly unlike the Silencers.

I haven't tried these, but I want to: DR Fat Beams. They're compression wound steel strings. That's rare, as most compression wound strings are nickel plated.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

Pressurewounds... for sure!

 

[sonojono]

I haven't tried these, but I want to: DR Fat Beams. They're compression wound steel strings. That's rare, as most compression wound strings are nickel plated.

I really loved the FAT Beams on my Ibanez Mezzo (shortly after I replaced them with GHS Precision Flats). Definitely hear the compression on those strings. Amazing for studio recording work IME and the engineers I’ve worked with love them as I strung their Basses they have hanging on their walls with them.

Shocked those strings are Stainless Steel as they felt very flexible and not rough feeling on my hands. I’d be interested to see how they compare with GHS Pressurewounds on the mids department since both strings produce a great amount of mids.