String hunting led me back to where I started. D'Addario's

[Wyvern]

So I'm picky with strings, the last two years I bought several sets from several brands and ended up back to the beginning.

Elixers- super smooth and long lasting, but caused grounding buzz on a couple basses with single coils, they are bright, but not remarkable.
Sadowsky Blues- balanced tone, but weak sounding B and E strings, lower tension.
EB Slinky's- hate them and their low tension.
Labella RX's- super smooth touch, but very mellow and lose their brightness fast.
Mark Bass balanced- horrible B and E strings, no punch.
Dunlop super bright nickel- didn't care for the lower tension, B string died immediately.
DR Dragon skins- decent tension and balance, but felt rough under the fingers.
DR Black beauties- grippy and too mellow.

So then I get a set of D'Addario's Xt and NYXL- Smooth texture, higher tension I like, bright, punchy, simply a good all-around string.

Anyone else do some string hunting? what NPS round did you settle on?

 

[michael_t]

Anyone else do some string hunting? what NPS round did you settle on?

My current top 3 for NPS rounds...

SIT Power Wound Nickels
SIT Foundations Nickel
GHS Bassics

 

[Wyvern]

My current top 3 for NPS rounds...

SIT Power Wound Nickels
SIT Foundations Nickel
GHS Bassics

I have to try SIT's one of these days.

 

[michael_t]

Smooth texture, higher tension I like, bright, punchy, simply a good all-around string.

I have to try SIT's one of these days.

If you like the relatively higher tension (as in stiffness), SIT Power Wound Nickels may be a better choice over the Foundations, which are a little more flexible due to the thinner core wires, although they're not quite as loose-feeling as the Dunlop Super Brights.

 

[Wyvern]

If you like the relatively higher tension (as in stiffness), SIT Power Wound Nickels may be a better choice over the Foundations, which are a little more flexible due to the thinner core wires, although they're not quite as loose-feeling as the Dunlop Super Brights.

Yep, I like higher tension for clearer B and E strings, I do not like flub.

 

[MrAB4003]

So I'm picky with strings, the last two years I bought several sets from several brands and ended up back to the beginning.

Elixers- super smooth and long lasting, but caused grounding buzz on a couple basses with single coils, they are bright, but not remarkable.
Sadowsky Blues- balanced tone, but weak sounding B and E strings, lower tension.
EB Slinky's- hate them and their low tension.
Labella RX's- super smooth touch, but very mellow and lose their brightness fast.
Mark Bass balanced- horrible B and E strings, no punch.
Dunlop super bright nickel- didn't care for the lower tension, B string died immediately.
DR Dragon skins- decent tension and balance, but felt rough under the fingers.
DR Black beauties- grippy and too mellow.

So then I get a set of D'Addario's Xt and NYXL- Smooth texture, higher tension I like, bright, punchy, simply a good all-around string.

Anyone else do some string hunting? what NPS round did you settle on?

I started off playing whatever came stock on my basses when I was first starting out. I had no idea about string gauges, how to change strings, or anything. I remember putting a set of Ernie Ball Slinkies (45-105 gauge) on my first bass after my bass teacher said I needed to change my strings for the first time. This was in late 2010.

I then switched to Rotosound 66s (and later 55s) from 2012-24. I played those because most of my teenage bass heroes also played them. But they turned out to be the worst strings I've ever played in hindsight.

My bass tech turned me onto D'Addario regular XLs in the beginning of 2024, so I stuck with those for a year or so. Then, I tried the NYXLs after seeing Frank Bello play them. I been playing NYXLs ever since.

I want to compare the NYXLs to the Ernie Ball Slinkies I was playing in the early 2010s. But I'm afraid of not liking them and switching right back to the NYXLs.

 

[Wyvern]

I started off playing whatever came stock on my basses when I was first starting out. I had no idea about string gauges, how to change strings, or anything. I remember putting a set of Ernie Ball Slinkies (45-105 gauge) on my first bass after my bass teacher said I needed to change my strings for the first time. This was in late 2010.

I then switched to Rotosound 66s (and later 55s) from 2012-24. I played those because most of my teenage bass heroes also played them. But they turned out to be the worst strings I've ever played in hindsight.

My bass tech turned me onto D'Addario regular XLs in the beginning of 2024, so I stuck with those for a year or so. Then, I tried the NYXLs after seeing Frank Bello play them. I been playing NYXLs ever since.

I want to compare the NYXLs to the Ernie Ball Slinkies I was playing in the early 2010s. But I'm afraid of not liking them and switching right back to the NYXLs.

I don't buy based on endorsements anymore, usually they take the endorsement from the highest bidder, (not always).

I tried Rotos because Geddy plays them, they went dead in a couple days.

 

[EricOnTheBass]

I really like NYXL’s too, I’ve put them on all my basses.

I went through something similar with drum heads a few years ago. I tried just about every maker and type available, and ended up with Remo Ambassadors and Emperors, just like I started with. I guess there’s a reason they’re still making them after all these years.

 

[Sam Dingle]

I’m surprised you think slinky’s are low tension? What gauge are you using? I love how tight the 105-50s are

 

[Wyvern]

I’m surprised you think slinky’s are low tension? What gauge are you using? I love how tight the 105-50s are

130/45.

 

[Wagner Trindade]

Thank you for your post. I have been trying different strings lately, but I am always going back to Fodera/DR Nickels 34-125. There is something about that particular set having the C string at 34 that feels quite right for me. The last set I tried was Warwick Black Label. Strangely, it felt like playing with sandpaper wrapped on the strings. A month later, it felt fine. But again, the Fodera/DR feels like I do not have to wait for the string in the set, or break in. All the other strings, I have to give it a week or so for it to feel right.

 

[frankie5string]

If I really need a high-tension string (rarely) still pretty much prefer Nickel Lo-Rider's from DR for this purpose.
They're about as high-tension of a round-wound string DR makes, but the wrap is smoother than any roundwound D'Addario puts out.

 

[faulknersj]

No DR High Beams?

 

[frankie5string]

No DR High Beams?

Well DR High Beams are round core and quite a bit "softer" and more flexible than LoRiders...I wouldn't call them "stiff" at all.
Most of the time I use Sunbeams, which are NPS round-cores.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I’ve really only used 3 string sets since 1983.

Roto rs66 (until the mid 90s when their quality seemed to dip)

A few sets of Dean Markley “Blue Steels”

Then D’Addario xl ever since.

I inherited a set of Legends flats with a Fretless that I immediately took off and put on my Jack Cassady)where they rule). Put sunbeams on the Fretless.

Experimentation Done! Good day. I say GOOD DAY, sir!

 

[J Wilson]

Over my time I tried everything from TI's and Optimas all the way down to Black Diamond and house brand strings, only to prove two things:

I can kill any string.

I need to spend less $$$ on that crime spree.

So I wound up back to XL's, Boomers, or Fender nickel wounds. Better for me than flats or grounds, nowhere near as barky as stainless, my 3 Bears' strings. The real advantage is that since these are among the most reasonably strings out there, I can change them more often instead of spending steakhouse money on a set of strings that aren't going to last any better or sound that much better to me that I leave on there longer since they were so much more expensive.

Your results, as always, will vary.

 

[jVilla76]

Another D'Addario player here. I have used the XLs for years now but think I might be switching to the NYs after recently trying them out. I really like all D'Addario strings I've played except for the half wounds. Out of my 7 basses all but my kala solid body are wearing a D'Addario strings.

 

[Clark W]

So I'm picky with strings, the last two years I bought several sets from several brands and ended up back to the beginning.

Elixers- super smooth and long lasting, but caused grounding buzz on a couple basses with single coils, they are bright, but not remarkable.
Sadowsky Blues- balanced tone, but weak sounding B and E strings, lower tension.
EB Slinky's- hate them and their low tension.
Labella RX's- super smooth touch, but very mellow and lose their brightness fast.
Mark Bass balanced- horrible B and E strings, no punch.
Dunlop super bright nickel- didn't care for the lower tension, B string died immediately.
DR Dragon skins- decent tension and balance, but felt rough under the fingers.
DR Black beauties- grippy and too mellow.

So then I get a set of D'Addario's Xt and NYXL- Smooth texture, higher tension I like, bright, punchy, simply a good all-around string.

Anyone else do some string hunting? what NPS round did you settle on?

I used Slinkys forever. Switched to D'Addario in 2019 and never looked back. Tapewounds, flatwounds, half rounds, rounds, nickel rounds.... love 'em all. When you have 9 basses you can play around a bit. But sold off 7 of them.

Didn't like their NYXL sets, too bright on Fender basses with a maple neck / fretboard IMO. But on my custom Ferner Fine Instruments bass with it's 3 piece maple/mahogany/maple neck & Macassar Ebony fretboard, those NYXL strings are awesome. Going with Prosteels on it next to see if I can a little more brightness. But the NYXLs work really well and I would be just fine if I never tried the Prosteels.

And my back up bass, an Aguilar equipped, maple/maple neck Am Fender PJ has tapes on it.

 

[jVilla76]

I used Slinkys forever. Switched to D'Addario in 2019 and never looked back. Tapewounds, flatwounds, half rounds, rounds, nickel rounds.... love 'em all. When you have 9 basses you can play around a bit. But sold off 7 of them.

Didn't like their NYXL sets, too bright on Fender basses with a maple neck / fretboard IMO. But on my custom Ferner Fine Instruments bass with it's 3 piece maple/mahogany/maple neck & Macassar Ebony fretboard, those NYXL strings are awesome. Going with Prosteels on it next to see if I can a little more brightness. But the NYXLs work really well and I would be just fine if I never tried the Prosteels.

And my back up bass, an Aguilar equipped, maple/maple neck Am Fender PJ has tapes on it.

I wasn't prepared for how bright those pro steels are when I first played them. By leaps and bounds the brightest strings I've ever played.

 

[bassbooty]

I’m surprised you think slinky’s are low tension? What gauge are you using? I love how tight the 105-50s are

130/45.

The standard green package Ernie Ball 5-string set has an 80 A-string and 100 E-string, which is lighter than the 85 A-string and 105 E-string in the 50-105 4-string set. Hence the lower tension of the E and A strings in the standard 5-string set. I like 45-65-85-105-130, which provides the best balance, feel and sound for my preference. YMMV