Double Bass String suggestion help please!

[fuzzy beard]

I am now ordering a upright! I will be placing my order on a new Shen SB-90. But i could use some help on what strings to use. Seems supernils are very common around bluegrass jams but i heard they are very rough on your finger board. Also heard good things about super silvers. I played a set of obglatos but have played nothing else to compare them to.

I like to play folk, roots, old time country and grass style music.

I have no plans of playing arco.

I would like a lower tension string that projects well.

Want a string that is easy on the hands.

Also would like to do some light slapping.

Will be playing acoustic with no plans on pickups in the near future.

Thanks for anything you all can do!

 

[iiipopes]

Innovation makes several sets that are very popular, including not only super silvers, but other sets as well appropriate to these genres. Daf Lewis at basschat.co.uk is a factory sponsored player/liason who can help you navigate to a set that will suit your playing.

 

[fuzzy beard]

Thanks i'll see what kind of responses i get here on Talkbass first.

 

[moles]

I really like Eurosonic (Presto in Europe) strings for what you're describing, if you're looking for something on the nylon-ey side. Arco really is an exercise in futility - just something to be aware of even though at this point you're not planning on pulling out the bow.
That being said, a good set of Spiro weichs «at a good height» will do the job really well, and probably last forever.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I have a set of used Silver Slaps that work well with gut strings. They are really easy on the hands. You can even give the bass to someone who never played it for some simple comping, no problem for the hands. You can bow them, but not good enough for orchestral playing.

The Super Silvers have a bit more tension (but still on the lower tension side).

At least the Silver Slaps are flatwound synthetic wrapped (but I think it is the same with the Super Silvers).
I never played the Presto Nylonwound (which is the right name of the Eurosonic in Europe since we have some more kinds of Presto strings over here), but I think they are flatwound too.

If you want really thick strings, you mught want to check out the Golden Slaps.

 

[fuzzy beard]

So is it true the supernils are hard on the finger board? Is this just supernils or inductive of all nylon strings?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The Supernil E and A are wound in round metal wire. The nylon wound D and G are less abrasive.

 

[fuzzy beard]

So is that round wound E and A what makes it tough on the board?

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Yep.

 

[fuzzy beard]

Are all or most nylons like that?

 

[DoubleMIDI]

The Super Slaps have a braided synthetic core (like almost all Innovation strings, except the Honeys who have a monofilament core, which is a little bit stiff), maybe some layers I cannot see, then a metal winding and on top an outer synthetic winding. So you only come in contact with the synthetics. Very flexible. i think the same is the case for Golden Slaps (probably no or less metal), Super Silvers, Rockabillys and Ultra Blacks. At least they have the outer synthetic winding.

In general, monofilament cores are stiff (depending on the thickness) and braided cores are flexible.
But also the outer windings can make a sting stiff at first. This might go away when the string core stretches separating the windings from each other a very, very little bit (so they don't touch each other when the string bends a bit). So a string that is initially stiff often gets less stiff (and sounding darker) over time.

So play a tring at least for a few weeks before you decide you want to try something else, otherwise you could easily get new strings every few months, because the sound changed. Give the strings and the bass some time.