Smoothest roundwounds that hurt fingers the least?

I had a set of TI Jazz Rounds on a fretless Jazz Bass that felt very soft and smooth.

 

The EXL's are on the rough side for sure.

Elixir Nickel-Wound Steel strings are pretty smooth, and I expect most other coated strings will feel reasonably smooth compared to "raw" metal.

 

EB Slinkies?

 

TIJR. Great strings. Smoother than the ones you named. Smoother than Sunbeams/Hi-Beams, etc.

I was into smooth, until I found two rounds whose *tone* I feel I must have regardless of smoothness - Roto 66 and Dogal Hellborg rounds. I adjusted to them easily in a short time and don't even notice it any more.

 

Aside: Something that is never mentioned, but which has probably been covered before, and would require thought and care - because you can't risk getting metal dust in the pickups - is do-it-yourself smoothing of rounds by the user. I'm sure it has been done. I wouldn't start with nickel plated steel though.

 

GHS Pressurewounds.

 

All strings will hurt the fingers if you don't play much.

 

Super slinkys feel like butter when I come back to them. Super smooth imho compared to many of the other rounds I have / or do use.

 

EB Super Slinkies and DR Pure Blues are on my basses for their smooth feel and tone

 

TI jazz rounds are very light and responsive or you can go down to 40-95 gauge of your brand.
Best suggestion would be to practice more I quit bass around 16 because It hurt my fingers lol, now I can almost snap a heavy string without remorse all night long. Practice is the key.

 

Play more. There's no shortcut.

 

Dean Markley Blue Steel strings are surprisingly comfortable. I still prefer chromes. They are bright like rounds, but you can also get a fat vintage sound as well.

 

I use the DAddarios EXL and find them on the smoother side but stiffer with the hex core than a round core which could do more to cause discomfort. I like the Labella White F50T tapewounds and they are super smooth, flexible, and sound pretty much like a regular roundwound.

 

I have never experienced this "cheese grater effect" for my right hand (plucking) with any of the rounds I've tried in the past. Based on my experience, the strings that hurt the finger tips on my right hand have always been the stiff ones. It had more to do with "stiffness/flexibility" than "smoothness" in surface texture.

Based on that, I would suggest you either try lighter gauges of the same strings you've been using or try those strings that are naturally more flexible, such as DR Sunbeams and Dunlop Super Bright Nickels.

I've been a regular user of GHS Pressurewound 40-96. No "cheese grater" either for my right hand or left.

 

Many musical instruments result in body modification Over Time and bass guitar is a fairly mild example, partly because finger tips are perriferal and easier to ignore. I don't recomend Adults take up trumpet or other brass...or oboe... The thing is to practice enough so that the tissue doesn't revert back to normal, weak, sensitive to braile reading fingertips. 3 days on, one day off. 2-3 days off and you are general public again unless you are an old dog with well established bass playin fingers. Then it takes 3 months at sea.
PS: Healing time has a lot to do with nutrition related health.
another vote for DR Pure Blues.

 

+1 to DR strings. I like the round core of Sunbeams and Pure Blues, but there’s hex core options if you want more stiffness.

 

I just bit-the-bullet and installed the TI Jazz Rounds. They are, by far, the smoothest I've used and only slightly "rougher" than the EB Cobalt Flats.

Riis