String recommendation

[buldog5151bass]

I've had nickel Lo Riders (45-105) on my Lull P4 for the past decade. I don't want to go to flats - I like to have a little zing when necessary, but I'd like something deeper, closer to a flats tone. I'm looking for similar tension/rigidity, so I guess hex core like the Lo Riders.

Any suggestions?

 

[GwenOnBass]

One word

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Pressurewounds

 

[5StringBlues]

Ground wounds worked for me, but they feel weird until broken in.

I'd be tempted to try the pressure wounds, as Gwen has suggested.

 

[5StringBlues]

Any particular brand?

@GwenOnBass l can't remember.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Ground wounds worked for me, but they feel weird until broken in.

Also true in my ground wounds experience. I ran out of patience.

Smith branded GHS Pressurewounds have a winding length of 38 inches, and purple silks. Otherwise they're the same strings insofar as any can objectively determine. I have no experience with the S.I.T. version.

 

[Major Seven]

One word

View attachment 7435769​

Pressurewounds

anytime i deviate from GHS I always come back.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Weird. I looked at Sweetwater, they only have the 5 string set. Any idea who would have the best price, I'll order some this weekend. Thanks all

 

[michael_t]

I've had nickel Lo Riders (45-105) on my Lull P4 for the past decade. I don't want to go to flats - I like to have a little zing when necessary, but I'd like something deeper, closer to a flats tone. I'm looking for similar tension/rigidity, so I guess hex core like the Lo Riders.

Any suggestions?

Aside from the GHS Pressurewound already mentioned above, I would also suggest the GHS Balanced Nickels, which are pure nickel roundwound on a round core. Don't worry about them being round core as they're plenty firm enough unlike round cores by other manufacturers.

Pure nickel ages more gracefully than Alloy 52, so, if you want a flatwound-ish tonal quality from a well broken-in roundwound, Balanced Nickels would be a better option than Pressurewounds.

 

[Lo-E]

Aside from the GHS Pressurewound already mentioned above, I would also suggest the GHS Balanced Nickels, which are pure nickel roundwound on a round core. Don't worry about them being round core as they're plenty firm enough unlike round cores by other manufacturers.

Pure nickel ages more gracefully than Alloy 52, so, if you want a flatwound-ish tonal quality from a well broken-in roundwound, Balanced Nickels would be a better option than Pressurewounds.

Balanced Nickels were the first strings I thought of when I read the OP but I actually do find them to feel looser than most hex core strings, personally. Not as loose as, say, Sunbeams but still pretty flexy.

To me, GHS Pressurewounds or Smith Compressors really would fit the bill here. As Gwen says, they’re essentially the same strings but with different winding lengths and slightly different gauge options. Jason at Fret Nation carries them and he’s usually who I buy from but I’m sure others carry them.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Just spoke to Jason and ordered a set. Thanks all for the words of wisdom, will report back after I try them out.

 

[michael_t]

Just spoke to Jason and ordered a set. Thanks all for the words of wisdom, will report back after I try them out.

Which specific set did you order?

 

[buldog5151bass]

Which specific set did you order?

Pressure wound medium light. Jason said that would be the closest to what I have on the bass now, and he recommended them highly.

 

[Lammchop93]

GHS Pressurewounds. No doubt

 

[BassBrass]

I'm going to try GHS Presurewounds because of this thread, but EB Cobalt Flats has been solving this issue for me for a couple years, I have them on quite a few basses including Jack Cassady tuned in D standard 55-110. also both fretless.

 

[PrestoZoom]

If the pressurewounds don't work for you, I like to use GHS Boomers for the "I want nickel roundwound strings but darker" tone. They are hex core and similar in tension to the Lo Riders.

 

[ok-djmiller]

I’ll suggest the EBMM Group flats in your preferred gauge.

 

[Bob Coldwell]

I've had nickel Lo Riders (45-105) on my Lull P4 for the past decade. I don't want to go to flats - I like to have a little zing when necessary, but I'd like something deeper, closer to a flats tone. I'm looking for similar tension/rigidity, so I guess hex core like the Lo Riders.

Any suggestions?

As has been mentioned, GHS Pressure wounds might fit you needs.

I tried someca long tome ago, and weren't exactly what I was looking for. The guages were not (or stiffness) quite right what was used to and they sounded more like flats than rounds.

But that might be exactly what you're shooting for.

 

[michael_t]

Pressure wound medium light. Jason said that would be the closest to what I have on the bass now, and he recommended them highly.

Good choice. That was the first set of PWs I tried back in 2015.

I now have the light set (40-96) on one of my J's for EADG, and the medium set on another J for DGCF. And Ken Smith Compressors 40-58-80-102 on my Ibanez PJ.

 

[Bob Coldwell]

Weird. I looked at Sweetwater, they only have the 5 string set. Any idea who would have the best price, I'll order some this weekend. Thanks all

Try Fret Nation.

 

[monsterthompson]

Odd suggestion but I’ll float it out there. D’Addario Nylon Black Tapes. I can’t compare the tension on them, even though I’ve used DR strings in the past. I put a set of the black nylon tapes on my fretless F Bass BNF5 and liked the tone and really liked the feel of them. I moved them over to my fretted BN5 and found they were more round-like than I would’ve expected. Softer, warmer feel and sound than the rounds but not into flats territory. I played them with a flat pick and was quite happy with the results, both clean and distorted.