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Strings strings and strings

#9
txthrashking said:
Would nickel or steel be better? And is the core gonna change the sound if so what would be the best core?
Click to expand...

Nickel or Steel? Depends on the overall tone you want...

Core doesn't so much effect the tone as it does the feel. Generally round core strings are more flexible than hex core strings, but this will all depend on the outer windings as well.

Do you have any idea of the strings you are playing now are? If not, are they what came on your bass? If so what is the bass / year etc?
 
#10
SLaPiNFuNK said:
Nickel or Steel? Depends on the overall tone you want...

Core doesn't so much effect the tone as it does the feel. Generally round core strings are more flexible than hex core strings, but this will all depend on the outer windings as well.

Do you have any idea of the strings you are playing now are? If not, are they what came on your bass? If so what is the bass / year etc?
Click to expand...

I think Ernie ball slinky 4
And I am thing gettin dr hibeams but is that a good tone choice?
Also I play at about 180bpms plus so would round or hex be better?
 
#13
Is this a "Best strings for Metal" thread?....anyways I have always liked the sparkly, grindy tone of 'Dean Markley Blue Steels' for Metal, though they never seem to last long for me, go dead fairly quickly....Still, ya can't beat that tone. Good luck!
 
#14
txthrashking said:
I think Ernie ball slinky 4
And I am thing gettin dr hibeams but is that a good tone choice?
Also I play at about 180bpms plus so would round or hex be better?
Click to expand...

I would go with a Hex string personally for what you are doing. Round core may start to feel gummy and loose to you. But you may want to give them a try...

I would look at sets 50-105 or 50-110, the heavier lower strings will help tighten things up for you.

Maybe even a custom set like .050 .070 .080 .115 would be killer too!
 
#15
Bright but warm suggests you want a scooped sound.

You might be expecting a bit much from just a string swap to get there on it's own.

Heavy gauge string in stainless or alloy 52 are probably your best candidate.

I know we're just talking strings here but, to get the sound you want I'd go with EMG p/u's, the heavy stainless or alloy 52 (like GHS Progressives) and a tube pre in front of your amp. You can get one from ART for about $50.

IME the brightness from strings is always pretty raw sounding and it's a bit easier to "warm up" the brightness with a tube than to find a perfect set of strings that have that sound. Using the tube pre will probably make several kinds of string work well for you too.
 
#18
You are overthinking this. All of this discussion is subjective and there is no way around this simple fact.

If you want to know the difference between all those strings, you have to buy them all and compare them all in one setting on the same bass. I don't know of many people who can do that so just do what the rest of us do...

Buy a set and see if you like it, if you don't like it or if you are curious enough to see if something is better, buy a different set next time.
 

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