Strings that are "well known" for having low tension

[HolmeBass]

This ^^^
Especially the jazz rounds (and I thought the Jazz flats were hella flexible)

Also low tension so likely a truss rod adjustment will be necessary.

Jazz Flats are wonderfully pliant. I should try the Jazz Rounds some day.

 

[Loring]

Jazz Flats are wonderfully pliant. I should try the Jazz Rounds some day.

Don’t do it… it will be an addiction and unlike the flats - you do have to replace them once in a while

 

[HolmeBass]

Don’t do it… it will be an addiction and unlike the flats - you do have to replace them once in a while

Are they as expensive as the flats are? Because that would be a barrier to entry for me.

 

[Loring]

They absolutely are… they sound amazing however and I’ve had mine on for about 6 months so far ( on 2 basses). The 6 string set is $$$.

just starting to think about renewing them…

 

[BOOG]

Stay with it until ~ 1:30

I’m really curious to try these. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Wesley R]

Hope you feel better soon!

Doing well, thanks.

 

[Wesley R]

Hope you feel better soon!

Much better, thanks

 

[Wesley R]

(Not gunna pry - just) get well soon!

Doing better, thanks

 

[lokikallas]

Sunbeams FTW

 

[matante]

So that rules out Dunlop Super Brights and Ernie Ball Slinky’s. Kind of contradictory considering they’re recommended for the most flexible in low tension here

Ernie Ball called his strings Slinkys because he was offering guitar strings in lighter gauges than the competition. There's nothing about the construction of their guitar or bass strings that makes them more flexible. People take the Slinky name too literally.

 

[sonojono]

They slink like a yo-yo out of the package. Is that too literal?

 

[HaphAsSard]

The secret seems to be a wowen core. Which does correspond to what is used for classical guitars - wowen nylon core for E, A and D strings. I know nobody will believe me, but I did think about this a long time ago - what would happen if instead of steel someone used wowen nylon for the bass guitar strings? Turns out, it's an interesting idea. And yeah, the science behind it checks out.

The guy mentions the price being higher than what I can imagine, but then when I checked Link Removed , they are not terribly expensive. Some flatwound and tapewound sets can go up there in price. I guess I'm tempted.

The Dogal Hellborgs have a woven *steel* core (commonly referred to as stranded, braided or rope-core), like many orchestral strings.

Nylon-core strings for bass do exist (I discuss them extensively here
Nylon sound
and in the following posts)
but they have no ferromagnetic content and only work through piezo pickups
(or less common systems like Lightwave pickups, or the Dopyera-Ampeg-Johnson bridge-coupled magnetic pickup concept, known as the "mystery pickup").

An exception is the Galli Synthesis Flats, which are nylon-core but have enough steel (the outer flat ribbon and the underwindings) for a magnetic pickup to sense:
Galli Synthesis Strings (Chrome flats on nylon core)

 

[GIBrat51]

As far as "low tension" - or high flexibility - round wounds go? Sorry; not a lot of experience here, since I never use round wounds if I can help it. Which I've mostly managed to do for 50+ years now. If you'd asked about flats? Different story. However...
I do have one bass that, for reasons not relevant here, does wear rounds. A Gretsch Broadkaster, with "short scale" TI Jazz Rounds. They are low tension (lbs. of pull to pitch) and - to my fingers - quite flexible. I play all but one of my 26 basses with a pick; the TIJR's, without serious changes to my technique, are right at the limit of being too flexible... They are definitely more flexible than any of the rounds that I've had a brief acquaintance with over the years...