Types of Bass String you use and why

[The Water]

TBers!

Just interested to hear what most people use and the percentages using less common strings.

I think a lot of players will start on one type of string and not branch out much due to costs and familiarity.

If anyone here has changed string type and stayed with the change or switched back for interesting reasons then please share.

Personally I will be using pressurewound strings over just plain roundwounds and flats on most basses now. I love the mellow sound and feel of flats, but wanted something with a bit more brightness and the potential to dial in a bit of growl. I think they're worth a try.

Also I'm straying towards lighter gauges for faster playing. But haven't gone too light yet as I like a good bit of bottom-end!

 

[bolophonic]

I’ve started experimenting with lighter gauges, as well. I have multiple basses, each set up with very different strings. I’m kind of a string junkie nowadays. I will try just about anything.

 

[CallMeAl]

I’m a sucker for the feel and tone of rounds. Never got into flats or Pressurewounds past the experimental stage.

My priorities are easy on the fingers, punchy mids, mellow top end (out of the pack, or after some break in time.) Prefer Nickel/NPS, round core, 40-100; but there’s a little wiggle room.

if I had to pick a desert island string, it’d probably be DR Pure Blues.

 

[Aidil]

Current setup of 10 basses:
1 bass w/ pressurewound phosphor bronze
1 bass w/ roundwound stainless steel
1 bass w/ nylon tapewound
3 basses w/ flatwound
3 basses w/ roundwound nickel plated steel
1 bass w/ roundwound nickel plated steel & flatwound.

All are either light gauge 40-100 & 120B or medium gauge 45-105 & 130B & 32C, except the tapewound 50-135.

 

[michael_t]

Personally I will be using pressurewound strings over just plain roundwounds and flats on most basses now. I love the mellow sound and feel of flats, but wanted something with a bit more brightness and the potential to dial in a bit of growl. I think they're worth a try.

Also I'm straying towards lighter gauges for faster playing. But haven't gone too light yet as I like a good bit of bottom-end!

GHS Pressurewound = my #1 go-to. 40-96 for EADG (on my P) and 44-106 for DGCF (on my J). Just enough of the roundwound tone but with a smoother feel. Comfortable tension/stiffness without ever feeling too loose or floppy. Plenty of low end punch even with the lightest set.

 

[Wfrance3]

I'm a flatwound player. Labella LTF to be precise. Played rounds eons ago when I was just beginning, and now I just can't go back. I think Dunlop also makes a fine flatwound string. Didn't care for Rotos. I play 760FLTB on my 32" thru body medium scale. There are probably other great flatwound strings out there, but they last so long, I don't know when my next opportunity to play them might be.

 

[Jogobass]

I'm a sucker for bright tone on my fretless main bass. D'addario nickel wounds for all my life except I tried steel wounds for the extra brightness but they eat my fingerboard and fingers.

 

[JRA]

i voted "rounds and light gauge."

i've tried others --- i just seem to be able to 'get on with it' more easily if i stick with what has worked for me. i still might sucker for (and try) the occasional "great new thing" but so far = nothing has replaced light gauge rounds.

in this category my two favorites = TI jazz rounds and roto 66 extra-light gauge.* but i've also found that any light gauge round wound string is better for me than the alternatives!

* and roto "funkmasters"

 

[micguy]

I have 5 kinds of strings in my stock - in order I’d descending brightness, they are:

Kalium stainless
Kalium hybrid (a nickel/iron alloy, not nickel plated)
SIT nickel plated
GHS Boomers
GHS Round core boomers.

I usually start a bass on Boomers, and adjust from there. The bass eventually tells me what strings it likes.

 

[Pings Bass]

The ones that come on the bass

 

[michael_t]

Personally I will be using pressurewound strings over just plain roundwounds and flats on most basses now.

You're a Rotosound guy, aren't you? Are you talking about "pressurewound" as in Roto Solo Bass 55?

 

[mambo4]

Flats (TI Jazz) because I like how they emphasize the pitch more than timbre, and conversely they put more tonal control in my fingers

 

[Zak TMD]

Use nickel on steel roundwounds, exclusively rotosounds for some years. Really only two reasons for that selection: they feel great and sound exactly how I want them to. With my set up I big prefer the tamed, round growl of the swingbass 66 nickels over the sparkly roar of steels.

 

[singlemalt]

I’m on a quest to find the limits of “light and loose, low tension”.

Stainless is a non starter, I can’t stand the sticky, raspy feel.

Typical set up now runs .080-.030 E-G. Usually the A-G strings from a set with a .030 or .032 single. Tuned E-C.

Since these strings are basically down tuned, lower tension strings are not necessarily the best choice to start.

there’s been a ton of experimenting over the last couple years, and my technique has undergone a total overhaul. I’m really happy with the results. Ymmv.

 

[capnjagg]

Usually rounds because you can get ‘em cheap, and I don’t mind the tone when they go dead. Been considering flats lately because I just wanna see if I get along with them, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet

 

[Lowendchamp]

GHS Bass Boomers for rounds
Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwound for flats
I use both but prefer a good P/J with flats

 

[Eddie Jones]

I love, love love TI Jazz rounds and have them on my Ray. My Jazz has TI Jazz flats and would be my 2nd. I also have basses with Cobalt Flats (Ibanez), and D'Addario flats. But have used and liked Fender flats, and D'Addario rounds. But the Jazz rounds are my absolute favorite. Such good feel and suppleness.

 

[J Wilson]

I've always used round wounds, got no use for flats or ground wounds.

For a long time I used Rotosound or very bright stainless, but over time my taste changed and now I prefer nickel rounds, a good middle ground for me between flat wound thud and stainless clank.

I've tried everything from Black Diamonds to TI's, and paying lots of money for supposedly better strings, only to see them go dead just as fast as anything else. So now, I prefer GHS Basics, D'Addario XL's, or 8250 Fenders, as since they're cheaper I can change them more often.

I use usual 45-130 range five string sets.

 

[JC BASS 91]

Carvin LB-70: SIT Nickel Power Wound NR45105L
Fender Am Pro II Jazz V: D'Addario NYXL 45-125
Fender Am Std Precision: LaBella Deep Talkin Flats 760FS

My Fender Deluxe Active Jazz V and my Gretsch G2220 both have their original, stock strings on them...so whatever those are. <shrug>

I am building a Leo Jaymz RB bass kit and am going to start it off using Rotosound Swing Bass 66 strings on it. We will see if that stays or not.

 

[oranje]

I rely on Flats to get the tone I like, and spread the brand/gauge love - TI flats on my Jazzes, one 50's P bass with labella 760FS Flats and one 70's P bass with EB flats.