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The perfect strings...have you found yours?
- Thread starter jd56hawk
- Start date
Rotosound stainless steel rs66ld. Something about these strings just work for me every time.
If I feel like nps for a while i'll grab Ernie ball or d'addario.
For flatwounds generally rotosound, ghs, or daddario depending on what I'm looking for.
If I feel like nps for a while i'll grab Ernie ball or d'addario.
For flatwounds generally rotosound, ghs, or daddario depending on what I'm looking for.
For me it was TI Jazz Rounds, but right now I may be switching to DR Sunbeams. They seem to have the qualities that I love in the TI's, but are also able to hold up better when digging in.
Thanks, learned a lot right here.
Read so many good things about the L2000s over the years...in fact, it was hard to believe all the hype, until I finally saw one hanging up at a shop in Jersey and saw/heard for myself.
I became fond of GHS boomers a few years ago. Roto 66's are a more recent love. I'm liking the DR lo riders on my fretless 6.
There's too many options. It's like shopping for toothpaste. Do we really need so many varieties that it fills a 16' long section in the store?
There's too many options. It's like shopping for toothpaste. Do we really need so many varieties that it fills a 16' long section in the store?
When I was still playing 'normal scale' fretless basses I was very happy with the D'Addario Black Tapewounds and LaBella's various tapewound options. They had the roundwound zing but no finger noise at all.
Now that I am exclusively playing solidbody uke basses I use Road Toad Pahoehoe rubber strings. They are *very* tough and can withstand lots of stretching and repeated installations. They seem to last forever, perhaps because they are just long single pieces of silicon rubber and don't have separate components like cores and windings, etc. that wear against each other over time. I have learned recently that the rubber strings need to be babied a bit and care must especially be taken with the string area between the nut and bridge to avoid uneven stretching, dents and twisting.
It is my hope that there will be tapewound strings available for uke basses in the future.
Now that I am exclusively playing solidbody uke basses I use Road Toad Pahoehoe rubber strings. They are *very* tough and can withstand lots of stretching and repeated installations. They seem to last forever, perhaps because they are just long single pieces of silicon rubber and don't have separate components like cores and windings, etc. that wear against each other over time. I have learned recently that the rubber strings need to be babied a bit and care must especially be taken with the string area between the nut and bridge to avoid uneven stretching, dents and twisting.
It is my hope that there will be tapewound strings available for uke basses in the future.
Really loving the 40-100 Dunlop Flats ... these are the only ones I've played where I can really hear how my fingers are shaping the string's various tones (soft touch, firm touch, digging in, etc etc).
They took a little getting used to because of how light they are, but soon got their measure, now an absolute joy to play.
Full Disclosure: Yet to try TI Flats ... birthday's soon, fingers crossed
D'Addario Prosteels medium gauge (50-105). I like the bold low end with a little grit of ceramic humbuckers (as opposed to alnico). I love a very bright string to balance it all out. I also appreciate the stiffer hexcore. Like many have said, the string has to compliment the bass.
I really wanted to like round core strings (TI flats, Sunbeams, etc.), but I just keep on going back to D’Addario XL’s (nickel hexcore with balanced tension)...the extra lights just feel right to my fingers.
I wouldn’t stick with one string type. I like variety.
Still searching, 4 decades. I do like TI Jazz flats on my semi hollow and LB flats on my fretless basses. Still looking for the perfect rounds for my EBMM basses. Right now my rounds flavor is DR HiBeams. I heard putting flats on a Sabre will make your lungs collapse. I heard dead strings on a Ray causes COVID. It’s OK. I like new strings and I like trying different ones. It’s a cheap way to change your bass.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
Yup. Elixir nanos. I prefer the nickels, but there is something very pleasant about the stainless also.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
It's not cheap bro. I could've bought an American fender for what I've spent in strings this year trying new things. Just to end back where I started. Well, the last 2 years.
Low tension flats. Got a 2nd bass and planned string adventures but nope. But ltfs on her and then they went on 1st bass too (had tapes).
I’ve been using Chromes for years now and I’m happy with them. Back in the ‘70s I tried some German made gold plated strings. I think they were called Maxima. I’m not sure but maybe the Optima brand from Germany are the same company. I stopped using them because they cost too much for my meagre budget but damn they sounded good. Unlike any other string I’ve used, they had a thick, fat sound - clean and low.
