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String choice for the specific bass or same strings on every bass?
- Thread starter Pier_
- Start date
This right here. Flatwound vs Roundwound is arguably the biggest sonic difference you can make on a bass guitar, regardless of pickups, etc etc. That's why so many pro players, have a couple of the same type of bass, or at least very similar, like two P's or two J's, but one with flats and one with rounds. Live it's not that big a thing, but in the studio, it's pretty critical to have that option IMO.
The wand chooses the wizard, Harry.
I have strings I prefer, but to me getting the great string-to-bass match is key.
I have strings I prefer, but to me getting the great string-to-bass match is key.
DR Hi Beams or DDT's depending on tuning. I have 2 in EADG and the rest are all different but still DR. They're all the same kinda bass too, so that may have something to do with it.
Both my Vintera 50s P and Bacchus BPB1RSM ( both P bass ) has Ti flat loaded. The Vintera sound more woody and smooth, meanwhile Bacchus P sound slightly scoop and more sing on upper mid.
Cobalt flat on Mattfreeman P ( Model P ) and Charvel Pro Mod PJ ( Model PJ and fully passive mod ) , Mattfreeman P has massive P vibe with tight midrange ( with A250K pot for Volume/tone ) , meanwhile the P pickup on Charvel PJ sound slightly polite and rounder ( A500K Vlume / MN250K Blend ) , when both pickup blend, she sound modern sparking tone.
Cobalt flat on Mattfreeman P ( Model P ) and Charvel Pro Mod PJ ( Model PJ and fully passive mod ) , Mattfreeman P has massive P vibe with tight midrange ( with A250K pot for Volume/tone ) , meanwhile the P pickup on Charvel PJ sound slightly polite and rounder ( A500K Vlume / MN250K Blend ) , when both pickup blend, she sound modern sparking tone.
Mostly whatever I happen to have. When some eagle-eyed TBer posts about strings on sale I usually check it out and buy a few sets, so I have quite a few sets (and quite a few basses). Sometimes I leave what came with the bass on it. Sometimes I swap strings and am more often than not satisfied with the result. The one real string chasing experience I've had was with my Squier Paranormal Jazz. Took a while, but THAT bass LOVES DR Pure Blues 45-105. On some other basses I'll cast occasionally about looking for a better fit but it's a diversion rather than a mission.
BBB
BBB
I don’t have different strings on every bass, but I’m not too far away from that I have many different strings on different basses.
* All the fretless basses have Pressurewounds, as does the PJ, but lighter gauge on the fretlesses.
* The fretted Jazz has D’Ad Pro Steels. Have also used GHS steels on it, still not sure which I like better.
* One of the shorties has GHS Balanced Nickels, the other has DR High Beams.
* All the Ray-ish basses (the SBMM, the Sire Z7, and the Lakland) have D’Addario balanced tension rounds.
* One 5 has a StringJoy custom set (nickel rounds), the other has the Spectors it came with and I’ll probably stay with those when it’s time to change (again, nickel rounds. I think LaBella makes the Spector strings).
* The custom bass has a set of Curt Magnan nickel rounds, custom gauges (to yield balanced tension).
Obviously, I don’t like flats. Might try tapes on one of the fretlesses one of these days.
* All the fretless basses have Pressurewounds, as does the PJ, but lighter gauge on the fretlesses.
* The fretted Jazz has D’Ad Pro Steels. Have also used GHS steels on it, still not sure which I like better.
* One of the shorties has GHS Balanced Nickels, the other has DR High Beams.
* All the Ray-ish basses (the SBMM, the Sire Z7, and the Lakland) have D’Addario balanced tension rounds.
* One 5 has a StringJoy custom set (nickel rounds), the other has the Spectors it came with and I’ll probably stay with those when it’s time to change (again, nickel rounds. I think LaBella makes the Spector strings).
* The custom bass has a set of Curt Magnan nickel rounds, custom gauges (to yield balanced tension).
Obviously, I don’t like flats. Might try tapes on one of the fretlesses one of these days.
Sounds about right. Mix em up,
The TIJF fan boys may have a different opinions though.
Some peeps thinks if you are not sporting Dogals (over 100 for a set) you should not be playing bass. And those that do not like ratty silks stick to DR's and D'Addarios. Me whatever was on sale at the music store but online changed that.
It's a personal thing
The TIJF fan boys may have a different opinions though.
Some peeps thinks if you are not sporting Dogals (over 100 for a set) you should not be playing bass. And those that do not like ratty silks stick to DR's and D'Addarios. Me whatever was on sale at the music store but online changed that.
It's a personal thing
Turns out both are true for me. I went through a couple-year string journey (lots of strings tried on 6 basses, mostly flats and tapes) in order to find the best string for each bass, and after all that, it turned out that the TIJFs were the best on all of them. Not perfect on some, but still better than the other strings. The only bass that isn't wearing TIJFs is the fretless, and that's because they (and a couple other strings) buzz in a couple places on that bass, whereas others don't, so it's currently wearing LaBella white tapes.
I settle on my strings for sound, touch, and if they speak back.
I've left strings on when first aquired just to give me another perspective but a new bass never really settles in until I get my strings on.
There is a degree of adapting between my hands and touch and the strings but generally I stick to what I've always wanted from a string and refined and honed that over the years.
I've left strings on when first aquired just to give me another perspective but a new bass never really settles in until I get my strings on.
There is a degree of adapting between my hands and touch and the strings but generally I stick to what I've always wanted from a string and refined and honed that over the years.
My NS Radius CR5 has an oddball single saddle bridge. To avoid having to redo the intonation after changing strings, I use the same strings as the factory set.
My J5 came used with TI Jazz Flats and I like the sound, have yet to change them.
My Steinberger L2 sports GHS stainless steel rounds because at one point that was the only double ball set local stores had. Now they carry none, but I still order those strings online rather than experiment with other sets when it’s time to change them.
My two Ps were bought used strung with EB flats, one came with mediums, one with lights. I grew to like the lights better, so when the bass with the mediums needed new strings I put lights on that one, too.
I put fresh D'Addarios on my Silvertone when I got it in 1978 and have yet to change them because I like the sound.
On my two DBs, I’ve gone through various strings. I keep one strung with steel strings and the other with synthetic strings. That means that the two basses will never use the same strings. I changed brands a few times because of problems like early string breakage (one G string from a $300 set broke as I tuned it to pitch after putting it on!) and loose ball ends causing rattling noises. With sets costing more than $200 nowadays, that’s unacceptable. I also changed strings when the manufacturer discontinued them. I did some experimenting with different strings in my early years with the DBs, but that was when I could get sets for under $100. I switched from mediums to lights on both basses the last time they needed new strings.
My J5 came used with TI Jazz Flats and I like the sound, have yet to change them.
My Steinberger L2 sports GHS stainless steel rounds because at one point that was the only double ball set local stores had. Now they carry none, but I still order those strings online rather than experiment with other sets when it’s time to change them.
My two Ps were bought used strung with EB flats, one came with mediums, one with lights. I grew to like the lights better, so when the bass with the mediums needed new strings I put lights on that one, too.
I put fresh D'Addarios on my Silvertone when I got it in 1978 and have yet to change them because I like the sound.
On my two DBs, I’ve gone through various strings. I keep one strung with steel strings and the other with synthetic strings. That means that the two basses will never use the same strings. I changed brands a few times because of problems like early string breakage (one G string from a $300 set broke as I tuned it to pitch after putting it on!) and loose ball ends causing rattling noises. With sets costing more than $200 nowadays, that’s unacceptable. I also changed strings when the manufacturer discontinued them. I did some experimenting with different strings in my early years with the DBs, but that was when I could get sets for under $100. I switched from mediums to lights on both basses the last time they needed new strings.
I’m a string fiend, I love trying new brands and models. That said, I keep coming back to my favorites from the last few years- Rotosound Swing Bass Steels. They’re my favorite roundwound string; I’ve currently got a 45-105 set tuned DGCF on my #1 bass (Peavey Fury IV) and I’m fairly certain that’s all that I want on that bass.
My other two basses are an Ibanez AEB5E acoustic with Rotosound RS77 flats tuned DGCF and a Schecter Raiden Special 4 with D’Addario ProSteels tuned ADGC (one whole step below BEAD). The Ibanez is due for some new strings, not sure yet what I’ll get. The Schecter doesn’t get played much.
In summary, I enjoy trying new strings. I’ve found my favorite in Rotosound Swing Bass Steels.
My other two basses are an Ibanez AEB5E acoustic with Rotosound RS77 flats tuned DGCF and a Schecter Raiden Special 4 with D’Addario ProSteels tuned ADGC (one whole step below BEAD). The Ibanez is due for some new strings, not sure yet what I’ll get. The Schecter doesn’t get played much.
In summary, I enjoy trying new strings. I’ve found my favorite in Rotosound Swing Bass Steels.
I've arrived at two options: I either use DR Sunbeams if I want roundwound, or La Bella Low Tensions if I want flatwounds. Through trial and error I've found that those two work/feel/sound best for me. So it's one or the other, and then it's just a matter if deciding which best suits any given bass. I'll try both, but usually, the flats win out. Of my 4 fretted basses, 3 have the flats (LTF) and 1 has rounds (DR). This "either/or" situation also makes it easy to keep a spare set of one of each around (for gig emergencies, etc.). The exception to all this is my Rob Allen fretless, which uses Rotosound RS88 tapewounds, but that's a very different beast due to the piezo pickup.
Same on all basses: D'addario EXL 220 (40-95) for years and switched to EXL 170 (45-100) (which were stock on my SIRE U5) to all basses.
God no. I love me some Dunlop Super Bright Stainless Steels and Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats.... but some basses require something more suitable to it's application.
DR High Beams or DR Dragon Skins on my Ibanez Multi-scale.
DR High Beams or Ernie Ball Regular Slinky rounds on my EBMM Stingray 5HH.... whichever is on sale on at the moment.
Dunlop Super Bright Nickels or Labella White Gold Nylon Tapes on my ESP 5-string fretless
D'Addario XL Nickel for Schecter Stargazer 12-string
DR High Beams or DR Dragon Skins on my Ibanez Multi-scale.
DR High Beams or Ernie Ball Regular Slinky rounds on my EBMM Stingray 5HH.... whichever is on sale on at the moment.
Dunlop Super Bright Nickels or Labella White Gold Nylon Tapes on my ESP 5-string fretless
D'Addario XL Nickel for Schecter Stargazer 12-string
I've almost been one
back in 2010, I still remember it, a friend of mine talked me into trying these flats, because I was only using D'Addario Chromes (back when the silk was light blue). here in Europe they went for just 39€ from Thomann, so I bought two sets, tried on a Precision, and liked them for a while (6 long years), and on a fretless (awful... didn't like them).
the tension in the beginning was the nice thing, but when I needed to play harder/stronger, they were impossible to use, too rubbery, without any resistance.
never ever used again. now I'm with 55-105 GHS flats ahah
I find this to be true. Guitars are more about the gauge while basses tend to be a lot more specific
Being completely honest, I never had a lot of different basses since 1976 at most 2 and most of those were Fender basses. So the search to find the perfect match was a very short trip. GHS bass Boomers until running into DR Lo Riders around 2000. I bought a Fender JB V that came with a new set of flats which were removed after playing a few gigs and didn’t care for them, and a couple of recording projects that came out very well. All around playing I much prefer rounds, unless there is a specific need for flats of which I’ve found to be rare.hi everybody!
today I was thinking about this particular topic, our specific string choice (if there is any) based on specific basses.
let me explain: in my 20 years of playing, starting with the guitar, I usually worked with the same set of strings for every instrument (same set on the acoustics, same set on the electrics), and I still work this way, the only thing changing during the years have been the gauge.
I tried other brands apart from Elixir, but always went back there mostly for feeling and longevity, the sound was never a thing, or at least didn't change much to justify a different feeling.
with bass, I've always lived the string odyssey, and I still live it every time I buy a new bass, until I find the right set of strings. here are some examples:
Yamaha BB3000 - Rotosound RS66LD (45-105)
Yamaha TRB6p - Ernie Ball Slinky "6-strings bass" (32-130)
Music Man Stingray - GHS Brite Flat regular (49-108)
Fender Mike Dirnt - Fender 7205M (45-105)
Aria SB1000 - Rotosound RS66LD (45-105)
Hofner Reissue 62 - Pyramid Gold (40-100)
Yamaha RBX200 (with Di Marzio Model P) - Rotosound BS66 (43-110)
Fender Custom Shon 1951 - GHS Precision Flat Regular (55-105)
Manson JPJ Signature - Elixir Nanoweb (45-105)
those basses, except for the Mike Dirnt that sometimes is strung with Ernie Ball Hybrid (45-105), which are similar/identical to Fender in tension/feeling, just a little brighter when new, were tried with a lot of different sets, from D'Addario to DR, La Bella, Thomastik ecc, some with both rounds and flats, until I found the "perfect match" for my taste.
for example, the Aria and BB3000 just sound "right" with the Rotosound, I've tried other sets like GHS, D'Addario, Ernie Ball, even different gauges, but with them they just seem to not sound as I expect from these two basses.
the TRB6p, apart from gauges, have been strung with D'Addario 32-130 and 135 (mellower, more tension then Ernie Ball at the same gauge), Elixir 32-130 (the low B was a bit confused and not clear), Rotosound RS666LD (35-130, they sounded too bright and were too stiff, in particular the C and G string).
the gauge is also a thing, because some basses I've had only felt good with 45-100 and weird with a 105 set, or the other way around. I've had three different Gibson Thunderbird, and they only felt good with 45-100, and I've had five different Stingray before I discovered the Brite Flat in that specific gauge, finding out that I liked the Stingray, but didn't like it with rounds or flats, not in standard gauges, and now the last one I bought is with me since three, with the same set of strings, never changed.
two Rickenbackers I've had matched perfectly with GHS 3045L (40-95), like if those strings were just made for them.
now, if one of those basses, for some reason, gets a different set of strings (online shopping helps for this not to happen), I just don't feel it "right".
I decided to ask you about this because sometimes I happen to be unable to find the right string set for a specific bass
for example, I've had two different Fender Precision Classic 50, and tried everything from 30-90 to 55-110, rounds, flats, mixed gauges (45-100, 45-105), nickel, steel, monel... everything, and never found peace.
I found myself trying a different set of strings (with time for setup ecc...) almost every week, and even if it sounded "good" with everything, I wasn't able to chose one and only set and use it with that one.
now I'm living the same odyssey with a Fender Precision from 1971. in the last week I tried:
- D'Addario EXL165 (mounted by the seller)
- Fender 7250M
- Rotosound RS66LD
- GHS 3045L
- Fender 9050L (flats)
I'm waiting for an Ernie Ball Super Slinky set (45-100) and Rotosound RS77LD (flats)
even if this bass has a distinctive character from the pickup, and even comparing steel and nickels, the overall sound is almost the same, every set feels different and I can't decide which one I like on this.
trying the Fender flats, for example, I found out that the 80-100 part of the set sounds and feels "better", so I ordered a set of Ernie Ball in that gauge (like I have on the Yamaha TRB6p), to see if it will work.
it seems like it's only a matter of physical feeling, not related to the sound, and I hope to find the right set and don't think about it anymore
but to add: with the 7.25" radius I usually prefer the 45-100 sets, with flatter radius the 45-105 set, except for some specific basses (the TRB has an almost flat fretboard, but the 105 doesn't work, as for the 12" on Gibson).
I hope you all are living it easier, as I've always did with guitars ahahah
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