So much tone really is in the strings

[Dragan]

How much tone is in the strings? All of it.
If you don’t believe it is, take off the strings and check the tone… you’ll see…

Or input jack...

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

That's why I have a different (matching) bass for each string type.

• Flats on a passive P (latin/jazz)
• Nickel rounds on a passive PJ (pop/rock)
  
• Steel rounds on an active J (funk/fusion)

In my subjective experience, nickel rounds on a PJ offer the most versatility; can lean towards either direction.

 

[BeMoreFrench]

I dumped the factory strings that came with my new Ibanez EHB1005SMS, probably Daddario EXL's, nickel strings, too much dark with the fatory Bartolini BH2 and the stock preamp. Switched yesterday to Daddario ProSteels, stainless steel then and indeed hex core too, it's just night and day. For people who want modern versatile tones, you can't do better than stainless steels. Now it's not dark at all ! And by the way I'm not a metalhead, more into jazz and djent things, chordal stuffs hence the EADGC tuning now.

I wanted to be able to use the WHOLE frequency range of the pickups+preamp combo, now I do.

 

[mcnach]

I been chasing a modern metal bass tone for a long time and I have been falling short, no matter where I try. I got a zoom b1 and a joyo monomyth, and everything I've attempted, up until now, has fallen short and sounded like a lame attempt at imitating that sound (on a budget, I should mention, as I can't justify a dark glass with my current finances)

But today I tried a set of DR Low Riders, stainless steel with a hex core, and man, I have never ever been this close to my ideal tone before. The note clarity, the mid range punch, the treble bite, the piano lows, these strings have it all. Today I learned how much tone really is in the strings

Prior to this, I've always used Ernie ball slinkys, or super slinkys, and have been reasonably happy with the sound, but I think today, DR has gained a new fan

Yup. At least twice it changed a bass from "nice to play but a bit meh" into "oh yes, I'm keeping this". Interestingly both times involved a switch to DR (Sunbeams and Pure Blues, from Ernie Ball something or another and whatever Sandberg uses).

 

[iTzPrime]

The biggest difference is between Nickel and Stainless Steel. The bright brutal sounding tone you only get for around 10 hours with stainless Steel strings.
Personally I use the 5€ strings from Thomann and change them before every recording and before every gig.

 

[MCF]

Love me DR Lo-Riders which two of my basses currently sport. Probably the bright 'standard' are Rotosound 66s. Love the tone of these but that tone may not last that long (a few weeks). I will stand by my love of Marcus Miller signature Dunlop Super Brights as an almost Roto 66s tone but will last longer. This string won't be as stiff as the Lo Riders.

The stainless MM Superbrights and SIT Power Steels are my go to strings for my Thunderbirds. Both last a lot longer than the Rotos IME. Rotos are a little rougher feeling than the MM’s and the SIT’s. The SIT’s are a litter stiffer and more aggressive than the MM’s. The MM’s are a bit softer feeling to the touch than the SIT’s. Both get me the angry piano tone that I crave. It’s been forever since I tried the DR’s and when I did, I didn’t particularly care for them, although I’m not recalling exactly why. YMMV.

 

[Dincrest]

The correct strings for any given player are a set where, when you put them on the bass, you think "that's too bright". All strings lose zing early in their life span, and then very slowly get darker from there - but they're pretty stable past that initial period. If you put on a set of strings and think "that's just right", a week or two later, your reaction will be "those died fast" - the initial sound doesn't hold up very long. The string didn't actually "die fast", you just bought the wrong strings. You should have bought brighter strings.

You really don't want strings that sound great out of the pack - you want a set where they start out too bright.

GHS Boomers are the poster child for that. Everyone says they die fast. I say they break in fast and hold that broken-in tone (which I like) for a decent while. In my experience, it's about the 6-7 month mark they become truly dead, meaning they won't intonate and the tone is like thumb-slapping a pillow.

 

[eriky4003]

I was considering trying out some rotosounds but I wanted to see how the hex core felt when I detune it, if it would retain some stiffness, without having to go up a gauge. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping I can go down a step and retain clarity

My only issue is they are sorta hard on the fingers. Takes a bit of work to play them, and they are quite abrasive feeling.

Then run screaming from the Roto 66s! They are the most abrasive string I have tried.

 

[micguy]

GHS Boomers are the poster child for that. Everyone says they die fast. I say they break in fast and hold that broken-in tone (which I like) for a decent while. In my experience, it's about the 6-7 month mark they become truly dead, meaning they won't intonate and the tone is like thumb-slapping a pillow.

Boomers just aren’t as bright as other strings. On a bright bass, where you don’t want bright strings, they last a long time.

 

[Sid the Kid]

I been chasing a modern metal bass tone for a long time and I have been falling short, no matter where I try. I got a zoom b1 and a joyo monomyth, and everything I've attempted, up until now, has fallen short and sounded like a lame attempt at imitating that sound (on a budget, I should mention, as I can't justify a dark glass with my current finances)

But today I tried a set of DR Low Riders, stainless steel with a hex core, and man, I have never ever been this close to my ideal tone before. The note clarity, the mid range punch, the treble bite, the piano lows, these strings have it all. Today I learned how much tone really is in the strings

Prior to this, I've always used Ernie ball slinkys, or super slinkys, and have been reasonably happy with the sound, but I think today, DR has gained a new fan

DR SS Lo Riders are my #1 go to string. They are excellent on everything but the zing does eventually go away. I have found that the Stainless Steel Elixirs have a very similar growl and zing but it doesn’t go away for a long long time. I usually tire of the bright tone before the strings stop having it, but it that’s your sound you should give them a whirl sometime. Feel and tension wise they are on par with the Lo Riders, maybe even a bit smoother under the fingers.

 

[Seth DuSith]

GHS Boomers are the poster child for that. Everyone says they die fast. I say they break in fast and hold that broken-in tone (which I like) for a decent while. In my experience, it's about the 6-7 month mark they become truly dead, meaning they won't intonate and the tone is like thumb-slapping a pillow.

Lol, that perfectly describes the sound of my last strings. A thumb slapping a pillow, despite that I was using a pick haha. I have considered GHS boomers but I had a lackluster experience with them as guitar strings. But they seem to get a little more praise in the bass community

 

[Seth DuSith]

DR SS Lo Riders are my #1 go to string. They are excellent on everything but the zing does eventually go away. I have found that the Stainless Steel Elixirs have a very similar growl and zing but it doesn’t go away for a long long time. I usually tire of the bright tone before the strings stop having it, but it that’s your sound you should give them a whirl sometime. Feel and tension wise they are on par with the Lo Riders, maybe even a bit smoother under the fingers.

That sounds appealing to me. The longer I get to go without changing strings the better, especially if they sound nice and smooth. I don't mind the sound of strings when the zing is gone, as long as they don't sound, as the other member said, like a thumb hitting a pillow haha

 

[Seth DuSith]

The biggest difference is between Nickel and Stainless Steel. The bright brutal sounding tone you only get for around 10 hours with stainless Steel strings.
Personally I use the 5€ strings from Thomann and change them before every recording and before every gig.

If I can ever find such a deal in Canada I'm definitely gonna take it. But I been thinking to myself that I definitely want fresh strings next time I decide to record music. Most of my music is dead strings and a lack of practice, which I only recorded to keep memory of it, but I'm thinkng next string change might have me recording a whole lot just to take advantage of the zing.

It's such a shame it doesn't last forever

 

[Seth DuSith]

Yup. At least twice it changed a bass from "nice to play but a bit meh" into "oh yes, I'm keeping this". Interestingly both times involved a switch to DR (Sunbeams and Pure Blues, from Ernie Ball something or another and whatever Sandberg uses).

Yea that's how I felt about my Sub Ray4. It was always kinda meh, but ever since I changed my strings, I feel like it's my favorite bass now

 

[BeMoreFrench]

The stainless MM Superbrights and SIT Power Steels are my go to strings for my Thunderbirds. Both last a lot longer than the Rotos IME. Rotos are a little rougher feeling than the MM’s and the SIT’s. The SIT’s are a litter stiffer and more aggressive than the MM’s. The MM’s are a bit softer feeling to the touch than the SIT’s. Both get me the angry piano tone that I crave. It’s been forever since I tried the DR’s and when I did, I didn’t particularly care for them, although I’m not recalling exactly why. YMMV.

If they did 6 strings sets for those MM SB I'd choose them only ! but they don't even do single 0.30 high C strings. All my other basses have those MM SB.

 

[MCF]

Yea that's how I felt about my Sub Ray4. It was always kinda meh, but ever since I changed my strings, I feel like it's my favorite bass now

Yep. I have a SBMM SUB Ray 4 and SIT stainless rounds saved it from getting passed along.

 

[eriky4003]

The correct strings for any given player are a set where, when you put them on the bass, you think "that's too bright". All strings lose zing early in their life span, and then very slowly get darker from there - but they're pretty stable past that initial period. If you put on a set of strings and think "that's just right", a week or two later, your reaction will be "those died fast" - the initial sound doesn't hold up very long. The string didn't actually "die fast", you just bought the wrong strings. You should have bought brighter strings.

You really don't want strings that sound great out of the pack - you want a set where they start out too bright.

The last set of Rotos I bought got me through a gig and about 6 weeks later (of not a lot of use), the E string was a dull thump. The other strings had mellowed nicely but the E string was the deal breaker and I haven't gone back since.

 

[Salem6127]

Yea it's always been either D'Addario or Ernie ball for me, back when I played guitar (it's been at least 10 years since I've seen myself as a guitarist, however), so I just stuck with Ernie ball with bass since I liked em well enough for guitar.



But now DR is my favourite sound. So crisp. Even the lows are amazing

Forgot to ask, but mind telling me where you picked up those low riders? Having a heck of a time trying to find a pack locally in Ontario.

 

[Seth DuSith]

Forgot to ask, but mind telling me where you picked up those low riders? Having a heck of a time trying to find a pack locally in Ontario.

Amazon. 35$ a pack on there. I don't even bother local anymore