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Double Bass Strings for Slap

#3
Well, I haven't tried any of those three, nor did I try gut.

The sweltering heat & humidity here combined with the freezing air-con once inside the venue/rehearsal/jam space makes for some tough times tuning. After doing my homework, I decided on Obligato solos tuned down to regular pitch.

They broke frequently, so when Evahs came out I switched up to a solo set (tuned standard) of those. The Evahs meet my needs for bowing, pizz and slap on my carved bass. Then I got a deal on a ply and I put Supernils on it ... Happy with the Nils and the Evah solos.

Best of luck finding the right string for your bass and you.
 
#4
I've heard good things about silver slaps, and I know you weren't considering them, but weedwhackers could be worth a shot, I mean, the general consensus is to steer clear, but some people like 'em and they're only like 30 bucks for some sets.
 
#7
Started with weed whackers but was always unhappy with the sound on the E and A strings, the Innovation Silver Slaps fixed that. They had a nice even tone across all strings. I went to the Blast Cult Low Lifes and was even more impressed with the pizz sound, the steel slap sound is very subjective but I liked it. G string has come unwound after 8 months so I'm on to something new now...

Edit: Going to try the LaBella Supernil because the low life's are out of stock and my budget says $85.
 
#8
@ FatBoutedGirls: Give the Supernils some time to settle, but more importantly, give yourself some time to settle. I hated them at first, but stuck it out when friends and strangers alike said I sounded better on my sem-solid (ply with Supernils) than on my carved (Evah solo EADG).

I got used to the sound fairly quickly, but the weird string size (the D is thicker than the E) took me a long time to get comfortable with.


MikeJDexter, what did you wind up getting?
 
#9
Thanks for the heads up Feral Feline, I put the LaBellas on last night and was a little disappointed, I think I'm just used to the smaller gauge of the Blast Cult Low Lifes. The Supernils sounded fine and felt fine, but I thought there was a noticeable difference in slap sound from the metal wound E and A to the nylon wound D and G. I'll let everything settle in, I'm sure they'll get the job done for a while but I'm leaning towards steel strings as my next purchase.
 
#11
I emailed with Jason Burns of Blast Cult regarding the Low Life's and this is our conversation:

Me: "My name is Loran and I've been playing a set of Low Life steel strings since June of 2013. I've been very happy with them, playing Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash covers slapping about half the time, gigging once a week consistently. Last week I noticed the G string felt weird and I saw that the winding was coming off. I've attached a picture, you can see that it's away from the nut around the A - C area. I plan on ordering another set but am concerned about this happening again, what are the possible causes or is this the end of their expected lifespan?"

His response: "Low Lifes are designed for slapping and low tension. That makes the strings slightly more delicate because they are wound lighter using lighter materials. The lifespan will be different from player to player depending on frequency of play, how hard you slap, weather, etc. I think if you gig regular, 6 months would be a long life for those strings. They WILL wear out but also any little ding or crease will eventually start the string from unwinding prematurely. This can happen even when your bass is in a padded bag and you may not notice hitting the front of the fingerboard or something laying or touching your case while transporting in a car. It doesn't take much to get it started but once it starts the string needs to be changed so it doesn't blow up on stage."

I transport in a padded bag so it's very possible I dinged the string, but it also sounds like they may have been coming to the end of their lifespan. After trying other strings I reordered the Low Life's, best bass tone and slap sound I've found and they feel great to play. I'm going to take better care and should get a year out of the new set.
 
#15
I have had the FMI's, an old set of Cordes Lamberts, and the Innovations. I purchased a set of the Superior Bass Works "dirty gut" Deluxe. I use the heaviest of the 6 strings sent. I like these better than the previously mentioned. I am using them on my Aluminum Pfretzschner with a K&K RAB p/u.
 
#16
interesting thread...thanks for the info. I've been slapping in a "roots" band for a few years and the string search is an ongoing quest that is costing me time, cash and sanity but I'm hooked. I got started with Innovation Silver Slaps based on many good reviews but I have come to believe that certain strings are better for certain basses (I have an old 3/4 Kay plywood with a maple fingerboard). One point that I experienced was that the Silver Slap E had its green silk come thru the nut but I don't believe it affected the tone at all (it could only affect the open E anyway). After some time with them, my opinion was that I needed to try others strings before I could have an appreciation for what was right for me. Next I tried a used set of the Cordes Lambert Deluxe, very gut-like but the tension felt tight which made slapping more of an effort, but I realized later that maybe my action was too low. This led me to Lenzner guts for the D & G with the Superior Bassworks Tri Core Hybrid for the E &A, nice tone all around. Lately, I finally got the call and was able to purchase a set of the Cordes Lambert Gut Twin'47, these are really sweet but after awhile I changed the A back to the Tri Core and recently changed the G back to the Lenzner gut. I have to say that the Cordes Lambert E is just perfect...it amazes me.

At some point I will have sell off some of these strings.
 
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