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stiff rounds?

William K

William K

May 9, 2019
90
79
#1
hi folks, asking for your knowledge and wisdom (since some of you seem to have tried literally all strings out there, and have the budget to afford to!).
I recently acquired a used j-bass and it has some sloppy-ish rounds. I'm a flats guy and I use d'addario chromes on my other basses (they are nice and stiff like I love) but I'd rather keep rounds on this one, to practice slapping more.
I had settled with DR Sunbeams in the past but am open to other suggestions of rounds that feel nice and tight/stiff like my chromes, even with a nice and low action (if they "work well" for slap that's a bonus).
Any really obvious options I should know about?
thanks!
 
#4
If you liked the Sunbeams then DR nickel Lo Riders sound like a good choice. They're kind of a hex core (and therefore stiffer feeling) version of the Sunbeams.

FWIW, I love Chromes as well and have them on two basses right now. The Lo Riders feel similarly stiff to me (and are my favorite strings overall as well).
 
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#14
William K said:
hi folks, asking for your knowledge and wisdom (since some of you seem to have tried literally all strings out there, and have the budget to afford to!).
I recently acquired a used j-bass and it has some sloppy-ish rounds. I'm a flats guy and I use d'addario chromes on my other basses (they are nice and stiff like I love) but I'd rather keep rounds on this one, to practice slapping more.
I had settled with DR Sunbeams in the past but am open to other suggestions of rounds that feel nice and tight/stiff like my chromes, even with a nice and low action (if they "work well" for slap that's a bonus).
Any really obvious options I should know about?
thanks!
Click to expand...

105 - 45 DR Sunbeams have become my goto roundwounds in recent years as I've become old and decrepit because they're right in the "Goldilocks Zone" for me as they're not too stiff or too slinky. However, I do have a coupla basses strung with 105 - 45 DR Fat Rounds, which are the best sounding roundwounds I've ever played and (for your purposes) are kind of on the stiff side.
 
#15
+1 on GHS Boomers for stiffness. I think because those strings use a thicker core, they're stiffer than comparably gauges strings from other brands.

One look at the GHS and D'Addario tension charts, for example, show that 45-105 GHS Boomers are more taut than 45-105 D'Addario XLs. And you will feel the difference under your fingers as well.

I'm not a fan of Sunbeams. Those are too spongy for my tastes.
 
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#17
William K said:
hi folks, asking for your knowledge and wisdom (since some of you seem to have tried literally all strings out there, and have the budget to afford to!).
I recently acquired a used j-bass and it has some sloppy-ish rounds. I'm a flats guy and I use d'addario chromes on my other basses (they are nice and stiff like I love) but I'd rather keep rounds on this one, to practice slapping more.
I had settled with DR Sunbeams in the past but am open to other suggestions of rounds that feel nice and tight/stiff like my chromes, even with a nice and low action (if they "work well" for slap that's a bonus).
Any really obvious options I should know about?
thanks!
Click to expand...

DR Sunbeams are nice, it's one of my favourites so I am well familiar with them, they're also one of the most flexible ones. DR Hi Beams are stainess steel, so they start a lot brighter but they mellow very nicely and they're noticeably stiffer (but probably not quite as Chromes, although you'll notice the difference compared to Sunbeams), and they are great for slap. Don't try Fat Beams as they're also pretty flexible. Essentially avoid round core strings and go for hexa ones like Hi Beams, or many others by other makes.
 
#18
William K said:
hi folks, asking for your knowledge and wisdom (since some of you seem to have tried literally all strings out there, and have the budget to afford to!).
I recently acquired a used j-bass and it has some sloppy-ish rounds. I'm a flats guy and I use d'addario chromes on my other basses (they are nice and stiff like I love) but I'd rather keep rounds on this one, to practice slapping more.
I had settled with DR Sunbeams in the past but am open to other suggestions of rounds that feel nice and tight/stiff like my chromes, even with a nice and low action (if they "work well" for slap that's a bonus).
Any really obvious options I should know about?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Optima uniques. Stiffest strings I've ever played. They come in chrome or gold. The golds are a little rough at first, but wear in in a couple days. Stay bright for over a year. The chromes are perfect out the package, and probably the brightest strings in existence, but only last a couple months. Whatever you're looking for.
 
#20
Optima Unique 24KT Gold rounds. They have a hex core. Pricey, but they last, feel pretty slick too.
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