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Roundwounds with lots of mids?
- Thread starter Ryno1330
- Start date
"Mids" come in all different flavors... Smooth mids, crunchy mids, grindy mids, punchy low-mids, clanky hi-mids, etc. etc...
What kind of "mids" are you looking for?
What kind of "mids" are you looking for?
Whoa, I hadn't thought about all that. I guess more punchy/ honky mids for a jazz bass would be the best way I could describe it.
Now we're getting somewhere...
The more specific you're in describing what you're after, the better we will be able to help.
I like GHS Round Core Bass Boomers best on my 2012 Fender American Standard Jazz Electric Bass Guitar. For punch with more mid crunch go with GHS Pressurewound. For shear rude power rock brutality original hexcore GHS Bass Boomers have been the winning ticket since 1975.
- Rotosound Swing Bass 66 stainless steels
- Dunlop Super Bright Nickels
- Dunlop Super Bright Nickels
Yes, Dunlop Super Bright Nickels bring the mids, for sure. Very nice strings all around.
GHS Boomers and Pressurewounds also offer a very nice midrange presence.
Thomastik Infeld Jazz Rounds are on the mellower end of the roundwound spectrum with a nice (not overbearing) musically useful high end and a beautiful midrange emphasis. They're my favorite type of string, and this interview helps explain why.
This guy has a bunch of videos with TI Jazz Rounds on several different basses:
Greg Bagley
GHS Boomers and Pressurewounds also offer a very nice midrange presence.
Thomastik Infeld Jazz Rounds are on the mellower end of the roundwound spectrum with a nice (not overbearing) musically useful high end and a beautiful midrange emphasis. They're my favorite type of string, and this interview helps explain why.
This guy has a bunch of videos with TI Jazz Rounds on several different basses:
Greg Bagley
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Strings are so cheap I would buy the sets that interest you and see what floats your boat. I am trying to sort out my jazz bass and am trying R.Cocco steel, Lo-Rider steel, Dunlop Super Bright steel and D'Addario Pro Steels (all 105-45 sets). I might check out some GHS steels before I'm done. So far I wasn't crazy about the Coccos, I have the Dunlops on now and I like them much more for 1/3 the price.
Dunlop Super Bright and DR Sunbeams are among my favorites that are rich in mids. Once broken in, the balance of the Sunbeams shifts from being bright and seemingly lean on the bass end, to a very well balanced string with lots of potential in the mids. The SB’s can sit back in the mix or get a bit more aggressive sounding when you dig in.
Having said that, if you play with a heavy hand, you will need to make some adjustments with setup and technique to figure out how to get the most out of them. Both sets respond beautifully to variations in touch and playing closer to the bridge will yield boatloads of mids.
Having said that, if you play with a heavy hand, you will need to make some adjustments with setup and technique to figure out how to get the most out of them. Both sets respond beautifully to variations in touch and playing closer to the bridge will yield boatloads of mids.
You're right and I will grab a lot of these recommendations to try. As a side note I use the Lo-riders on my Stingray and I absolutely love them. You're going to notice a big difference between those and the Dunlops - higher tension and fat low-mids.
The Dunlop SS 45-105 set sounds good and gnarly in the mids. I am using a roadworn jazz with SJB-1’s. The tension is nice. I feel like the mids on these are going to be voiced higher than the Lo-riders, good for a nasally bridge pickup sound but not ‘fat’ sounding. Definitely better than the Cocco set to me. I’ll keep them on a little while longer...
They definitely will be. I will definitely be trying them or the nickels on my jazz next as I think they'll be what I'm looking for in the mids dept.
For example: Fender 9050L flats have a mid-mid growl. They sound great, with a good beefy low end to go with the growl on something like a neutral toned alder body bass. But on one bass I have which the body is Pacific rim mahogany, which has an upper mid characteristic, they sound nasally with no low end. And D'Addario XL's have a natural scoop to their tone which sounds great on Ibby basses with the same mahogany body, but sound hollow to me on an alder or ash body instrument.
But to answer the OP - Ernie Ball nickel rounds and GHS Boomers have good, even, broad band mids.
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For increased mids I’d normally recommend GHS Bass Boomers or GHS Pressurewounds. But you said you like brighter tone, and IMO you’re not going to get an overly bright tone out of Boomers or PWs.
I recommend Rotosound Swing Bass 66’s.
But hopefully you’ll buy a set of PWs to try out on your Jazz Bass. I think you’ll be surprised how well their tone works. Especially live.
A Jazz Bass was my main gigging bass for over 10 years, and I swore by Bass Boomers on it.
I recommend Rotosound Swing Bass 66’s.
But hopefully you’ll buy a set of PWs to try out on your Jazz Bass. I think you’ll be surprised how well their tone works. Especially live.
A Jazz Bass was my main gigging bass for over 10 years, and I swore by Bass Boomers on it.
I'll give them a shot - you talked me into it!
Rotosound Swing Bass 40-95 Stainless Steel. For some reason, lighter gauge Rotosounds sound more pronounced. Maybe the core is thinner? There use to be a couple of threads on this subject with Rotosounds Light Gauge.
Or.......... S.I.T. RB Stainless. S.I.T. is a small company out of Ohio that makes excellent strings. The S.I.T. RB Nickels sound great too with punchy mids. S.I.T. makes a set called "Foundations" which are excellent as well. Look them up online. You can order direct or Juststrings.com carries them as well.
Or.......... S.I.T. RB Stainless. S.I.T. is a small company out of Ohio that makes excellent strings. The S.I.T. RB Nickels sound great too with punchy mids. S.I.T. makes a set called "Foundations" which are excellent as well. Look them up online. You can order direct or Juststrings.com carries them as well.
So I still have the Dunlops on. They are still going strong for me, I have seen reports they go dead fast and I think those much be from players who want that ultra high end. (I haven't noticed any deadening at all though). I would be surprised if there is a better string for what these cost me (I think like 13$). They are pretty rough strings and they haven't lost that rough feel. Not a bad thing necessarily. If they lost some of the upper mid grind over time that would be fine with me.
You are looking for Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky Rounds...
I just slapped a set of the DR Pure Blues on my Moollon P Classic IV and they instantly became my favorite round. Really nice mid content that responds well to EQ. Great feel and very balanced across the board on tone and tension. IMO they are a little more aggressive in the upper mids and high end then the Dunlop Super Bright Nickels which I still love. Take on some SS characteristics and have really settled in nicely over the past week or so.
Specifically on a Jazz the Super Brights and Fodera Nickels have been my go to for rounds. Haven't tried a set of Pure Blues on a J yet but am curious now. Might put the Dunlop Flats back on the P and move the Pure Blues over to the J. Got nothing but time on my hands rn with this social distancing and have been doing a lot of experimenting with strings.
Specifically on a Jazz the Super Brights and Fodera Nickels have been my go to for rounds. Haven't tried a set of Pure Blues on a J yet but am curious now. Might put the Dunlop Flats back on the P and move the Pure Blues over to the J. Got nothing but time on my hands rn with this social distancing and have been doing a lot of experimenting with strings.
I've really got to try some Rotosounds of some type. I think it's the one brand that I've never tried any of their strings. Always curious about them but read so much about their extremely high tension and that they die quickly. Maybe I'll order a set of the lighter gauge flats for my P bass and try em for myself. I held of on Thomastik's for a long time because of all the people complaining about the low tension etc. and found that to be over exaggerated IME. Absolutely fantastic set of strings particular on a J for me. Love the history behind Roto's and play vintage blues and soul inspired music and seems like they should fit the bill in some way for that.
