Strings suggestion

[Hypercaffium]

Hi,
I'm new to bass. I bought an American Professional Precision bass a month ago and I'm using the stock strings. I don't know anything about those strings other than they're not flatwounds obviously. I guess they're made by Fender, I don't know.
I want to but 2 set of strings, one flatwound and one roundwound. Do you have some brand and gauge to suggest?

 

[mattbass6945]

My favorite roundwound is D'Addario nickel. Bright enough, but not too bright for my tastes.

My favorite flat (so far) are La Bella. They are just the closest I've found to old school out pf the package tone.

A lot of flats are better after they "wear". That is to say, they get warmer and darker after a while. Most meet change their flats unless there's a breakage or they're looking for something else.

 

[Hypercaffium]

Thanks. What about gauge? I don't know the gauge of the strings of my P bass but they feel.... well, ok? Honestly, I don't have any reference to start from, so I can't say what I like. My P bass sounds bright enough into my Ampeg, which is not a very bright amp I guess.

 

[mattbass6945]

D'Addario nickel 45-105 are a good start. Easy to find, relatively cheap and you can move up or down in gauge or material from there.

Do you normally play in standard tunings? Sometimes drop tunings require a little thicker gauge and occasionally some setup adjustments.

 

[Hypercaffium]

Yes, I do. Sometimes I use drop D but not very often.

 

[michael_t]

For rounds, D'Addario Nickel Rounds EXL170BT (45-60-80-107) - a good starting point for someone just starting out. Middle of the road both in tone and feel.

For flats, La Bella 760FL (43-60-82-104) - for an old-school Motown/70's Classic Rock vibe.

 

[lz4005]

What about gauge? I don't know the gauge of the strings of my P bass but they feel.... well, ok? Honestly, I don't have any reference to start from, so I can't say what I like.

Measure the strings you have. Use that as a starting point for whether you want thicker or thinner.

 

[Sean775]

I'm all about D'Addario. Buy yourself a set of Chromes (flat) and a set of Nickel XLs (round). Both of them are pretty balanced; the Chromes are brighter than some other brands of flats, but they still have that thumpy, vintage sound. The XLs are great because they aren't as bright and sharp as other nickel round wounds. They sound good for a pretty long time too.

 

[GIBrat51]

First - welcome to Talk Bass! Next; strings...
If your bass has the stock strings on it, then they're (probably) 45-105 Fender strings. But, as lz4005 said, measure them to be sure. As round wounds go, the Fenders aren't bad at all. I've used them once or twice, myself. But - I'm more of a flat wound/tape wound kind of guy. They're made by D'addario (who makes lots of other people's strings) to Fender's specifications. Personally, I'd use them as my starting point; play them for a while, and take note of what you like/dislike about them. There are round wound strings that are coarser feeling, and smoother feeling; darker or brighter sounding; stiffer or looser; longer or shorter lasting - you get the idea. Your preferences will send you in the right direction. As for flat wounds? As a general rule, they will feel stiffer than round wounds (Thomastik-Infeld flats are a big exception), and they will take much longer than rounds to "break in", and sound like they're supposed to . And some of them will take quite a while to do so, too. But, flats can sound good for a very long time; much, much longer than rounds will. A trick to make them feel less stiff (and more like the rounds that you're used to) is to use a smaller gauge flat than your rounds. I hesitate to make a recommendation about string brands - flats or rounds - because I have no idea what's readily available in Italy. I do know that there are some very good string maker's in Europe, though. I'm sure you can find strings that will make you happy. Have fun with your new bass - and your string quest!

 

[Vinnie Boombatz]

The stock strings on there are actually really nice. For rounds they are my goto or GHS Boomers.

Unless you're versed on setting up your bass every time you swap strings (adjusting relief, action, etc) I'd say just stick with one set of strings for the time being since you're new and concentrate more on learning how to play the instrument.

 

[grimjim]

I put boomers on my p-basses. 45-105 on my four strings and 45-130 on my 5 strings. I have never liked the feel of flatwound strings but to each their own.

 

[Hypercaffium]

I'll measure the stock strings later and report back. I like them but maybe I should get something bigger or with more tension maybe. I feel them a little bit... soft.

 

[michael_t]

I'll measure the stock strings later and report back. I like them but maybe I should get something bigger or with more tension maybe. I feel them a little bit... soft.

If you're talking about the factory strings that come on a brand new Am Pro P, they're the Fender 7250M, 45-65-85-105.

If you're finding them "soft", then try the GHS Boomers 45-105, which are stiffer than either the Fender 7250M or the D'Addario EXL165.
For flats, besides the La Bella 760FL I've already mentioned above, you also might want to try the GHS Precision Flats.

Incidentally, the Boomers 45-105 and the Precision Flats 45-105 have the same tension (as in pulling weight) at around 185 lbs.

 

[Hypercaffium]

I ended up buying D'addario Chromes 45/100. I'll report back as soon as I swap them and play with them at rehersals.

 

[Hypercaffium]

Update!
I tried many different strings and my favourites for now are the Fender 9050L.