• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Strings for a good growling punk tone?

ok pl

ok" in all fairness you mite be rite,, or not.. so please prove me wrong and explain "tone" in punk.. no offence punkers but all i hear is very LOUD noise! to be nice and a little more sensitive to the delicate punkers out there..lol ill go as far as calling it very LOUD music? what ever, all I know is i've never heard any type of tone especially on Bass in punk ! its humanly impossible everything is just to LOUD!! so just please explain tone in punk regardless of what strings are used.. thanks.

 
ok pl

ok" in all fairness you mite be rite,, or not.. so please prove me wrong and explain "tone" in punk.. no offence punkers but all i hear is very LOUD noise! to be nice and a little more sensitive to the delicate punkers out there..lol ill go as far as calling it very LOUD music? what ever, all I know is i've never heard any type of tone especially on Bass in punk ! its humanly impossible everything is just to LOUD!! so just please explain tone in punk regardless of what strings are used.. thanks.
Tone is quite subjective, but lumping it all in as noise is exactly what I said it was. Trying to convince you of otherwise is not an endeavor I wish to participate in.
 
DR hi-beams!!


Yes! Of the many, many strings I've used, the DR Hi beams have the most prominent and aggressive tone, to my ear.
They ring out like a piano and last a surprisingly long time. They are almost too aggressive when new but after a couple of days they calm down and sound just about perfect for several weeks. I usually change them after 6-8 weeks which is about 70 hours of playing time.

Be careful when stringing them and follow the directions. If you trim the end before you finish winding them, they will unravel and become useless.
 
Yes! Of the many, many strings I've used, the DR Hi beams have the most prominent and aggressive tone, to my ear.
They ring out like a piano and last a surprisingly long time. They are almost too aggressive when new but after a couple of days they calm down and sound just about perfect for several weeks. I usually change them after 6-8 weeks which is about 70 hours of playing time.

Be careful when stringing them and follow the directions. If you trim the end before you finish winding them, they will unravel and become useless.

They're great for a bouncy action with low tension and high end "air", rotosound swing bass however will give you that low mid growl that cuts a little better. The high beams I have flatten a spot right above the nut so there's no worry of the core unwinding.
I'm a fan of both but prefer the midrange of the rotosounds. Be warned, swing bass are really coarse feeling if you've never played SS strings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Eikari
Tone is quite subjective, but lumping it all in as noise is exactly what I said it was. Trying to convince you of otherwise is not an endeavor I wish to participate in.


Very true. While there is certainly a lot of variation, the bass in punk tends to be balanced to peak in the lower mids with less low bottom end compared to most other genres. I would say the mids are dialed up to accentuate string harmonics.
 
. . . . rotosound swing bass however will give you that low mid growl that cuts a little better.
. . . . prefer the midrange of the rotosounds. Be warned, swing bass are really coarse feeling if you've never played SS strings.

I have an Ibanez acoustic electric bass that I keep the Rotosound swing bass strings on. I like them a lot as they seem to me a perfect match for that particular bass.

I usually keep DR's on my workhorse Carvin bass with the EMG jazz set pickups.
 
I have an Ibanez acoustic electric bass that I keep the Rotosound swing bass strings on. I like them a lot as they seem to me a perfect match for that particular bass.

I usually keep DR's on my workhorse Carvin bass with the EMG jazz set pickups.

Understand completely! I love rotos on my jazz bass and just got a peavey t-40 that I put some hi beams on. It sounds great but I might try some dunlops on it next just to see
 
GROWL is in the TONEWOOD!...


Just kidding(or am i) but i would also suggest trying out different pickups possibly.
Maybe get a tube amp and crank it for growl?

I'd go with dr lowriders, ghs bass boomers or Dunlop super brights.
 
How would you guys compare Ernie Ball Slinkys to said brand strings i listed above? In terms of Growl but also overall?

I tried the EB Slinkys and thought they sounded amazing. Comparable to the DR hi beams maybe even a bit brighter.

Then they just DIED after less than a week. Total mud. I thought maybe I got a bad set so I tried another pack. Same thing. Sounded awesome for 5 days. Died in a week.
 
Punk bass tone. Pbass (both knobs turned up)+rotosound stainless+some swept mids in the amp EQ+volume cranked multiplied with a snarl, attitude and a heavy pick attack and you have punk bass.
 
What also helps to your question on growly is my punk bands single that we recently dropped. Although the strings on this recording are not Dunlop Super Bright Nickels, I used GHS Infinity Steel strings. The strings have a really great warm/mellow tone with enough brightness in higher registers. I absolutely love them and can't wait for GHS to re release them with a tapered E string!


What a great sound. I really dig this single.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AstralBirth
I literally this week tried cobalts for the first time. On a jazz they are super growly. Very nice tone. Not sure how long they last but after about 4 days I have not experienced any mellowing. Keep an eye in the classifieds here. Cobalts pop up all the time there for a decent price.
 
Tone is quite subjective, but lumping it all in as noise is exactly what I said it was. Trying to convince you of otherwise is not an endeavor I wish to participate in.
Tone is quite subjective, but lumping it all in as noise is exactly what I said it was. Trying to convince you of otherwise is not an endeavor I wish to participate in.

lol.. it is what it is!! Like it or not! I do
Agree On tone is quite subjective! :) when we're talking about tone ! Onece it passes the tone zone (green or to be on the loud end yellow) it becomes noise! (Peaking in red is not tone!) :( & again in all fairness you mite be rite ! Or not? Not asking to convince me just prove me wrong.. back to topic in hand, in punk any strings will do!
 
lol.. it is what it is!! Like it or not! I do
Agree On tone is quite subjective! :) when we're talking about tone ! Onece it passes the tone zone (green or to be on the loud end yellow) it becomes noise! (Peaking in red is not tone!) :( & again in all fairness you mite be rite ! Or not? Not asking to convince me just prove me wrong.. back to topic in hand, in punk any strings will do!

How can anyone prove you wrong? For some people any string will do, for others they won't because they have a certain sound in their head they want for their bass and band.

The Pistols clip you linked proves nothing, except how important a good guitar tone was to the success of that band.

Not sure what the rest of your posts even mean, sorry.
 

Latest posts