Every bass has a unique sonic role, strings help with that! Also, different strings have different EQ and it's silly to assume one type is your favorite for all basses
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String choice for the specific bass or same strings on every bass?
- Thread starter Pier_
- Start date
I use whatever works best on a particular bass. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure that out... unless I absolutely hate a set of strings, I will use them until they are too dead sounding for me (generally about 6 months to a year).
On my Sadowsky RV5 I'm happy with DR Fat Beams. Sadowsky nickels were just ok, and I didn't like EB Super Slinkies at all on this bass. I'm going to try Sunbeams next string change for hopefully a bit more mid warmth and a little less brightness.
My Lakland 5594 has been through a few sets of EB Super Slinkies and I really like them on that bass. They do something really nice in the upper mids...a little grind or roughness or something. Also nice was a set of Fodera nickels. Next up is set of DR Pure Blues for something different.
My Fender works well with a very broken in set of TIJF. I also like it with Super Slinkies and Sunbeams. It seems to sound good with whatever I put on it.
On my Sadowsky RV5 I'm happy with DR Fat Beams. Sadowsky nickels were just ok, and I didn't like EB Super Slinkies at all on this bass. I'm going to try Sunbeams next string change for hopefully a bit more mid warmth and a little less brightness.
My Lakland 5594 has been through a few sets of EB Super Slinkies and I really like them on that bass. They do something really nice in the upper mids...a little grind or roughness or something. Also nice was a set of Fodera nickels. Next up is set of DR Pure Blues for something different.
My Fender works well with a very broken in set of TIJF. I also like it with Super Slinkies and Sunbeams. It seems to sound good with whatever I put on it.
Typically the bass chooses the strings. Mainly because if I want to have a certain feel the stiffness of different basses go better with different strings and most of the time it's easier to go with different strings vs same strings different gauges but it's also because I really like certain characteristics of tone and I'm always trying to get these things out. I love a bit of bite with lots of depth and overtones on the back end and I will play around until I hear certain things on each bass and that includes going through strings until I get it figured out. Also some basses have a certain character that I feel should have strings that assist it in coming through. It's like putting together a puzzle with pieces of your tone vs the bass as the puzzle board. However if I had to pick 1 string for all my basses I'd go for Dunlop standard series stainless steel. They are the best Dunlop and they don't get enough credit or push from the company. Great grit, growl, mids are available and easily dialed in and they have a nice fat bass response after they settle. They last a good time and have been very consistently good on every bass I've tried. Les Claypool uses them on his basses and I understand why. They can do a lot and sound great doing it. If I had to pick 1 brand to standardize on it would be DR. Lo Riders and Fat beams and possibly black beauties could keep me happy on every bass I've got. (6 of them) Fat beams on a couple basses that I like the flexibility and resonance of the round core and lo riders on a couple that I think need the tighter focus of hex cores for the tone I like. But the cool thing about having so many options is that we can play around to our wallets content trying things.
I firmly believe in finding the perfect strings for each bass. In my experiments I’ve found that a set may be great on one bass, but not so great on another. As of now I have 5 electric basses and all have different string brands and gauges on ‘em. Dogal Jonas Hellborg roundwounds, TI Jazz Rounds, D’Addario Half Wounds, Pyramid Gold flats and the beater spare bass wears a set of John Pearse roundwounds, I think.
My string Journey changed once I switch to Nickle from Stainles.
I 1st landed on Dean Markley Blue Steel. Was using on my Jazz Basses.
They become hard to find during the pandemic. I discovered MJC IRONWORKS absolutely the best strings I ever tried. Post & during the pandemic I bought 4 basses 3 I still have. Unfortunately MJC IRONWORKS owner passed away so once again I was looking for a brand to try.
Here's what I've settled on.
Jazz Basses: Dean Markley Nickel-plated Blue Steels.
P/J: Erine Ball Cobalt Flats (I wanted 1 bass with Flats, these thump and pop like rounds completely enjoy them).
Stingray Special's: MJC IRONWORKS Nickel-plated Rounds. When I run out of these it will be Nickel-plated Slinky's vs Blue Steels.
Fretless: D'adarrio's Black Tapes.
I 1st landed on Dean Markley Blue Steel. Was using on my Jazz Basses.
They become hard to find during the pandemic. I discovered MJC IRONWORKS absolutely the best strings I ever tried. Post & during the pandemic I bought 4 basses 3 I still have. Unfortunately MJC IRONWORKS owner passed away so once again I was looking for a brand to try.
Here's what I've settled on.
Jazz Basses: Dean Markley Nickel-plated Blue Steels.
P/J: Erine Ball Cobalt Flats (I wanted 1 bass with Flats, these thump and pop like rounds completely enjoy them).
Stingray Special's: MJC IRONWORKS Nickel-plated Rounds. When I run out of these it will be Nickel-plated Slinky's vs Blue Steels.
Fretless: D'adarrio's Black Tapes.
One justification for my collection of basses is having different string and tuning options and on some I have custom sets. Some basses work with my preferred custom set 35-55-80-100 [my #1 & 2 Carvin LB50 Koa] while others speak and feel proper with a 40-100 set. For decades my string of choice were GHS Bassics 40-102 with a 120 or 125 B string, still use that set & gauge on my main lo B 5 string a Peavey Dyna Bass. Due to availability I switched to D'Addario strings and have a couple of basses with DR Black Beauties. Of course I have the required P bass FSO with flats as well as one with Rotosound Tru bass nylon tapes.
My trusty old '84 Peavey Foundation FL has an ancient set of Kaman Kamflon Performers that just keep going even with all the play and world travel.
My trusty old '84 Peavey Foundation FL has an ancient set of Kaman Kamflon Performers that just keep going even with all the play and world travel.
I put the same EB Cobalts on all of my basses. I like the consistent feel from one to the next.
But based on the hodge-podge parts I've used on all of them they each sound a little different anyway.
But based on the hodge-podge parts I've used on all of them they each sound a little different anyway.
I used to pair a different set on each bass but after trying DR Pure Blues I eventually switched over to these on everything. They remind me somewhat of the old Fodera NPS strings but last even longer. I appreciate the alternative alloy that seems to be a lot more friendly to my PH than nickel.
I too am part of the "bass chooses the strings" mentality. Just like the bass chooses the player or the wand chooses the wizard.
I think my main bass has chosen its strings (GHS Round Core Boomers 45-100), but the string-GASer in me wants to try DR Pure Blues 45-100 on it, just to see.
I'm still looking for my backup/former-main bass's ideal strings. It's far more finicky in choosing its strings.
I think my main bass has chosen its strings (GHS Round Core Boomers 45-100), but the string-GASer in me wants to try DR Pure Blues 45-100 on it, just to see.
I'm still looking for my backup/former-main bass's ideal strings. It's far more finicky in choosing its strings.
I fit rounds, flats, and tapes depending on the bass. I tend to fit rounds on more versatile basses, flats on vintage style solid-bodies, and tapes on vintage style hollow-bodies. I default to Rotosound 66 for rounds, 77 for flats, and 88 for tapes.
Personally? "Specific strings for specific bass". Which, with 29 basses (bought a new one last week), means a lot of different strings. Which, with 3 exceptions, means a lot of different flats... For me, what strings a given bass will wear, depends on what I'll use the bass for. Which, of course, dictates how I want it to sound. And while there are different basses that wound up wearing identical strings, that's more the exception than the rule. There are... 3, IIRC... with Fender 9050Ls on them. And, there are 3 short scale basses - and one long scale - with GHS Precision Flats. And, 3 or 4 with La Bella DTF's on them; but, they're all different gauges and/or scales. 760FX's - or 760FD's - do not sound like 760FS's...
Still, there's enough variety that I have to keep a written record of which bass wears what strings. Good thing I'm retired, 'cause curating that many basses is a lot like a full time job...
Still, there's enough variety that I have to keep a written record of which bass wears what strings. Good thing I'm retired, 'cause curating that many basses is a lot like a full time job...
I find the bass choosing the string largely applies to flats.
That does complicate things sometimes. But, once I get things dialed in I'm usually set for a nice long time. (Case in point, my fretless 5-string has had the same set of TI flats for 21 years.)
I'm not as picky about rounds – usually go with D'Addario XL.
That does complicate things sometimes. But, once I get things dialed in I'm usually set for a nice long time. (Case in point, my fretless 5-string has had the same set of TI flats for 21 years.)
I'm not as picky about rounds – usually go with D'Addario XL.
I use Rotosound RS88 tapewounds on most of my basses. Instruments with a niche purpose will have different strings suited to that niche, but overall I'm RS88 or bust. I attribute my string choice more important that the bass itself. I can make any bass sound like me as long as my strings are on it.
how do you deal with the fact that those strings don't conduct, and fingers touching them won't stop ground buzz/hiss?
I love those strings, and love how they sound on a Jazz Bass, but I found impossible to play with them because of the ground buzz, even with a decent shielding (but on passive basses, in particular vintage style Jazz), there still was much buzz.
same with Elixir strings, that I can use only on EMG loaded basses.
Honestly, I've never had this problem. Over the last 20ish years of tapewounds across a dozen or more basses (active and passive), I can't think of a single instrument i battled against grounding.
I'm not an electronics expert by any means, but if you've got a constant fight to ground your signal with your hands on the strings - you may want to have your bass looked at.
