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The Quest for smooth-feeling roundwounds...

mikewalker

mikewalker

Supporting Member
Jul 30, 2017
8,889
21,816
Canada, Eh!
#1
I found that I actually have numerous sets of brand-new strings left over from my recent cross-country move, and I am hoping for some good advice before I start opening up any new sealed packs - most of which I probably should pass along to people who actually want whatever is in them.

What I am looking for is the smoothest feeling roundwound that 'sound like a roundwound' (bright and ringy). Doesn't have to be exceedingly bright, just a string with a natural sustaining tendency and lots of nice harmonics!

I think the consensus for "smoothest-ever" is the TI Jazz Rounds set?? I had a set here for a long time but never got around to trying them (I think I might have sold them on TB!)

Are there any other real contenders??

I tried the GHS Pressurewounds a couple years back but they actually felt a bit 'rough' to me. I'd hate to accidentally weed out a nice smooth set from the various ones I already have in boxes here, so all suggestions are greatly appreciated (TIA) :thumbsup:
 
#8
Well, I found a "deal" on the JR344 sets : cad$92 a pop, plus tax... They are out of stock at most of my go-to places! That's the most I've ever spent on a set of bass guitar strings! (Viola da gamba strings are a whole other story...)

Anyway, a couple sets on the way, looking forward to trying them. Turns out what I thought was a set of jazz rounds laying around here was actually a pack of TI "powerwounds". I got into some boxes today and dug out about 20 sets of new strings... Some short scale tapes and flats I will keep, and a pile of long scale sets I'll be trading soon... :)
 
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#9
My experience with round wound bass strings is fairly limited. I've been playing bass for 50+ years, but most of that has been spent playing flats. With few exceptions, my interaction with rounds has been limited to picking up a new-to-me bass; making a bad-smell face and saying "Eww"; then yanking the round wounds off the bass, and replacing them with flats of some kind. The few rounds that I've actually left on, or put on a bass myself - and left on it, for a decent length of time? In order of (comparative) smoothness, from worst to best:
- Roto RS66's; IMO, "smooth" is not a word that applies to these strings. "Coarse rattail wood rasp" is a better description. I can see why people like their tone; but their tone is not for me. And their feel is simply awful...
- DR Sunbeams; Maybe the long scale Sunbeams are a very different animal, but the short scale set that I put on my Warmoth Mini-Precision? Except for the tone - which was the only reason I put up with them for as long as I did - they gave the Roto's a run for their money, feel-wise. And, the finger noise? If I had perfect pitch, I probably could have played songs with the finger noise alone...
- Warwick "Low B" Black Labels: Given how little I played the BEAD-strung bass they were on, I'd have been able to live with them. They were not what I would call smooth, but they were... tolerable - barely. Sadly, it was the tuning that failed (I just had no real use for it), not the strings...
- EB Hybrid/Regular Slinkys: I use these as "reference point" strings on a new bass, to give me an idea of the strings I want the bass to wear permanently. They usually don't stay long, but sometimes they've stayed on a bass for a couple of years. I don't care for the finger noise of rounds, as a rule; but, the Slinkys aren't too bad; and their feel is... not bad at all. I could live with these strings if I had no other choice (but, thank goodness I do)...
- TI Jazz Rounds; There might be smoother rounds out there somewhere - but I have no idea what they are. I really, actually, like these round wounds - which, coming from somebody with flats on 24 of his 26 basses, is pretty high praise. And, they make the bass they're on - a '94 Gretsch Broadkaster - sound like an actual bass; which is another reason I like them - a whole bunch...
So... other than going with something like pressure-wounds; ground-wounds; or some kind of coated strings - none of which I have any experience with? My vote is for the TIJR's... :cool:
 
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