strings for a senior citizen

If by "black ones" you mean tapewounds, then I can attest to the fact that they last a good long time. Not the cheapest, but when you figure they'll be on your bass for 10 years... I use them on fretless so can't really say how they hold up to fretted boards. There are several makers and flavors to chose from. Look up the Tapewound Club here.

 

Tapewound strings not only look interesting, they also sound and feel quite different.
They feel softer to the touch and more flexible, easier to play while flatwound are the opposite.
Tapewound strings are said to last a very long time.
Sound can be compared here:

 

Welcome to the forum. I see you signed up almost a year ago. Was this your first post?

I hear what you're saying and asking. Perhaps my answer will be a little more complicated than the question asks for, but I hope you can bear with me, even if I go "off the reservation" a bit.

Like you, I play several other instruments. Actually, I'm primarily a trumpet player, not that much younger than you, semi retired now in my hopefully last career back to teaching and playing music (again). I played bass in a 60's rock group then didn't touch it for over 40 years and, probably like you bought my first bass just to mess around. About 18 months ago I became serious and as I can see my trumpet days are numbers (it's a super physical instrument unless you're gifted with magic chops that make it easy) I've been working on my serious bass chops. I tend to like musical theater venues and I'm working toward getting some work in that area on bass now. As I said, I got serious about bass 18 months ago and bought my first 5 string 14 months ago (and am just now really comfortable with 5ers...Took some time).

If you're a musician already you know that any instrument is about learning the nuances of the instrument itself and becoming acclimated to it. Do you play guitar already? Like you, I was kind of put off by round wound strings. They were rough and at first it felt like they were scraping skin off my fingers. Eventually I got used to them and actually like many different brands and types within the brands. The one thing that has helped me and I use it regularly on some strings is a product called "Finger-Ease". It is a string lubricant. And while it is a spray, I prefer to wipe it on with a sponge applicator (like you use to apply shoe polish). This makes it much smoother and easier not only with the left hand movement but with right hand plucking, though I'm sure some folks don't/won't like the feel of the slickness. I only use it on some strings, and only when I think it's needed and probably only apply it every couple weeks.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...MIi6CS8t7m4gIVBcpkCh1neQqfEAQYASABEgKNZvD_BwE

I've just put my first set of flatwound strings on a bass just yesterday and find them to be a mixed bag. While they are indeed smoother than rounds, I find that there is enough additional surface tension to create "stiction" and make it more difficult to get around. I'm not sure what other instruments you play, but you've probably already discovered with 4 string bass you have to be able to get around the neck. I don't want to be impeded in that motion. I also don't know if there is such a thing as a "budget" flatwound. Others may have suggestions.

As an alternative and compromise between flats and rounds are "half-rounds", sometimes also called "pressurewounds". I've not tried any of them but some guys really like them. GHS Pressurewounds are probably where I would tell you to start. They aren't too expensive. Besides, unlike guitar strings that (for some,like me) need changing ever 3-6 weeks, bass strings can last months or even years. While you can find strings costing $16 or $17, even moving up to strings that cost $25 shouldn't break the bank- and there are a lot of strings in that price range.

I know I've thrown a lot of stuff out there, but I figured the thread needed a conversation started. So forgive me for the ramblings. Looking forward to hearing more from you.

 

Ive got black tapewounds on my shortscale epiphone eb0 (d'addario ETB92S medium gauge). About $35 but they should last years. Feel nice to my fingers and little less clank than stock roundwounds.

 

These are quite thick. I had to enlarge some of the nut slots when I put tapewound on my Squier Jazz and these were .050, .065, .085, .105, .135(La Bella). It was no big deal, I did it with a nail file.
I love the sound and feel of these strings. They are not coming down.

 

^^^
Yeah, OP, get yourself some emery boards and make sure the strings are seated fully in the nut slots. I've had two nut edges chip off in the past -E string side- due to the larger string diameter, 60-115 LaBellas.

 

^^^
Pro setup never hurts.

 

I do my set-up myself, all of it. It's dead easy. Learned on YouTube.
Intonation will be off with the new strings, that's inevitable since they are different in thickness and flexibility from whatever was there before.

 

Look into GHS tapewounds. I prefer them over LaBella.
Cheaper cost and not as stiff as LABELLA.

 

I want to take a moment to address the "senior citizen" thing for a moment and go off on a bit of a tangent...

I've been suffering from some arthritis in both hands for about 5 years. I'd let my weight get a bit out of hand and started the "keto" diet on Dec 29th. While I have lost a significant amount of weight since that time, the one remarkable thing about the diet is that I have also seen a significant reduction in "inflammation" in areas of my body, my hands having the most noticeable change. I would get up in the morning and have to sort of work my hands closed. They were quite stiff. It was almost painful to play guitar, but they did loosen up after doing some warmups. While I still do some warmups for coordination and speed I no longer have to do them to alleviate the stiffness before playing.

My daughter is like the "Keto Guru" and had been nagging me for over a year to do this diet. I tried once last year, didn't do it right and was unsuccessul. I've also combined the diet with "intermittent fasting". I also, for the first few weeks logged calories but stopped after a month. In the first 3 weeks I had lost 19 pounds and on May first reached the target I thought would take until November. Just wanted to throw that in for folks who just might be motivated to lose weight but see it taking forever to see a bump in the scale.

While off topic a bit, I thought this might be tangentially related.

 

I always felt the G string was "out of tone" in comparison to the others in regular sets, with a distinctive edge to it. I suppose this big .65 is meant to mitigate this somehow. La Bella has sets starting at .60 in a similar fashion.
I would be tempted to try it but since tapewound strings last a lifetime, I'll have to leave that to my successor. How sad

 

Not a fan of tapes myself, but I love low tension flats! I've been using Dunlops, which now come in short and medium scale light gauges, and they're very light, slinky, and sound very thumpy and cool when dead.

 

Black strings on a cherry red bass will definitely look good. I suppose the clover tuners make the whole headstock to wide.
I have that same situation with that stupidly large headstock on my Jazz Bass, so it has a case.

 

What are those, DR Black Beauties?