String Recomendations - Piano like tone from P bass

[Jim C]

For the last 5 years I've been happily using Sunbeams but have a new project that would benefit from that piano like whirring sound that some strings offer.
Not looking for clanky bright and I am a fingerstyle player for the most part. I do like the felxibility of a round core.
Roto's, High Beams,??

 

[BGroovy]

For that tone I like nylon or tape wounds. I have a set of nylon wrapped LaBella strings on my Modulus and I would definitely describe it as a piano like tone.

Haven't tried them on a P but have used them on many J basses.

 

[bassdude51]

Probably Roto.

 

[michael_t]

"Piano like tone" in my mind means stainless steel rounds.

How about something like SIT Foundations Stainless? They're hex-core but due to the small diameter of the core wire, they're almost as flexible as some round cores by DR.

Invalid Link Removed

If you want the "flexibility of round core", I would not recommend anything by Rotosound as they tend to be on the stiffer side.

 

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

Dean Markley SR2000

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Perhaps EB Cobalt ROUNDS.

Round cores have less overtones, to keep flexibility you could go lighter gauge.

Also consider taper cores.

Stainless strings will serve this better too

These may get you what you seek

Products - CONTACT CORE™ SUPER STEELS™ - BASS GUITAR STRINGS - GHS Strings

Since 1964, GHS Strings has been expertly winding high-quality electric guitar strings in the heart of southwestern Michigan. As a leading manufacturer, we blend tradition with innovation to produce a wide variety of strings for electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, classical guitars...

www.ghsstrings.com

Or these:

Review: Dogal Hellborg Signature Strings

The brand new Dogal Hellborg Signature Strings will bring you one step closer to Jonas Hellborg’s legendary tone…

bassmagazine.com

 

[Ggaa]

GHS Round Core Boomers and DR Pure Blues sound piano string like to me.

 

[vickerekes]

I used La Bella 767-6S Bass VI stainless steel roundwounds on my EBMM Silhouette Bass VI (too short for a P-bass):
If you could find an equivalent for regular scale, I've never heard such an actual piano tone!

 

[Pings Bass]

I always used Rotos on my P in the 80s, but have barely touched it since then. I recently picked it up and was surprised it still has that piano-like tone, even with many-years-old rotos on it.

 

[J Wilson]

I read you're a finger style player, but for me the shortcut to 'that sound' was bright roundwounds, and play with a pick between the pickup and the bridge, with the amp Q'd out to maximize that tone. Depending on your right hand attack, you can approach this with fingers, but since I double with a pick, it was easy.

On a single pickup bass like a Precision or StingRay, where you pick the string between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge offers a big range of tones without touching a knob anywhere.

 

[Killing Floor]

HiBeams

 

[Mr_BK]

Apart from strings ... my Lull P5 is much clearer sounding than my Fender due to a different pick-up with the same strings.
Also ... scale. I get a piano-like pbass tone out of my long scale DIngwall with a p-tone pick-up.
Something else to consider is the pre-amp. The Ictineo can get you in that direction as most likely some other pre-amps, too.

 

[Twice19]

piano,, i guess you mean taut, so thinnest gauge you can find.

 

[sethlow3]

I’d agree with stainless steel rounds.
I like D’daddario.

Also, you mentioned no pick. I’ve been able to get way more piano like tones out of a pick than fingerstyle. Especially with economy picking patterns.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Roto 66 are the "classic" P Piano tone.
Hi Beams will likely last longer.
GHS Super Steels are an option as well.

Some Ps lend themselves better to that sound as well - i.e. my '75 Ash P has that built in "bite"...

 

[Just Wrong]

Can someone give an example of a “piano-like” bass tone?

 

[PrimitiveMan]

I second the SIT Foundations recommendation, I like both the stainless and nickel, but think the nickel is probably more what you are looking for (not as bright but still very clear)

 

[Swerve]

If you like DR maybe try Hi-Beams.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

For the last 5 years I've been happily using Sunbeams but have a new project that would benefit from that piano like whirring sound that some strings offer.
Not looking for clanky bright and I am a fingerstyle player for the most part. I do like the felxibility of a round core.
Roto's, High Beams,??

I associate "piano like tone" with upper harmonics and they come with stainless steel strings. But they will be clanky. You can raise the tension a little but that's about it IME.

 

[HaphAsSard]

For the last 5 years I've been happily using Sunbeams but have a new project that would benefit from that piano like whirring sound that some strings offer.
Not looking for clanky bright and I am a fingerstyle player for the most part. I do like the felxibility of a round core.
Roto's, High Beams,??

In addition to stainless steel strings, I would advise you to at least consider adding a series-parallel switch. People often say parallel wiring for split P pickups is tone-sucking, but with the right active EP at pedal or amp head level it may prove to be more conducive to piano tone, what with having more polite mids and more treble extension than the standard series wiring.