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What’s your favorite Stainless string????
- Thread starter Bassworship1
- Start date
That sounds about right for my way of living on the lagging edge of things.Beat you to it by two years and one month!
Agreed, but I found that the B string is a little too loose for me so I'm torn. Prior to using the Dunlops, I was using D'Add Prosteels which I was happy with, and might go back to.
I tried DR High Beams... good strings, but they didn't last as long as the Dunlop Super Brights. I've had bad luck with Rotosounds. Rotos go dead within a week. I haven't tried Prosteels.
If you've tried super bright and want a little more tension these are for you. I've tried them and they hold up pretty well. The last couple sets I used years ago I actually was happier than I realized at the time. I only quit using them to try a bunch of other strings.
I'm a Rotosound guy, so I used to play with the Rotosound Swing Bass 66s (both the stainless steel and nickel versions). All my bass heroes as a teenage classic and hard rock fanatic played them, so I did as well. But I switched to the stainless steel Rotosound Solo Bass 55s in 2021 and they've been my favorite stainless steel strings ever since.
Why I love them:
1. They're versatile! I can go from a clanky roundwound tone to a mellow flatwound-like tone with the turn of a tone knob.
2. They sound more refined and focused than either of the 66 sets I used to play. I listened to some old and new bass tracks and compared the tones (all 3 sets were on the same bass with the same settings) to come to that conclusion.
3. They're smooth to the touch (but not as smooth as tapewounds).
4. The green silks are pretty!
5. They're unique because they're not as popular as rounds or flats.
Why I love them:
1. They're versatile! I can go from a clanky roundwound tone to a mellow flatwound-like tone with the turn of a tone knob.
2. They sound more refined and focused than either of the 66 sets I used to play. I listened to some old and new bass tracks and compared the tones (all 3 sets were on the same bass with the same settings) to come to that conclusion.
3. They're smooth to the touch (but not as smooth as tapewounds).
4. The green silks are pretty!
5. They're unique because they're not as popular as rounds or flats.
I've only tried a few stainless sets, but I'm kind of addicted to trying new strings in general. I will say that any SS string is gonna sound pretty bright to me.
Anyway Hi-Beams are great if you want SS with a relatively soft feel. Lo-Riders, which I'm currently using on one of my basses, are great if you want a stiffer feel. I didn't like the feel of Rotosound 66s. They were my first steels, and they were kind of rough, and gave me the sense that I'd bitten off more than I could chew.
Anyway Hi-Beams are great if you want SS with a relatively soft feel. Lo-Riders, which I'm currently using on one of my basses, are great if you want a stiffer feel. I didn't like the feel of Rotosound 66s. They were my first steels, and they were kind of rough, and gave me the sense that I'd bitten off more than I could chew.
Once I tried a set of DR SS Lowriders (nickels are my go-to) just to try out. Put them on my Yamaha BB415.
God, the brightness was torture until they finally broke in and sounded okay.
I'll never try any SS again.
God, the brightness was torture until they finally broke in and sounded okay.
I'll never try any SS again.
Pro Steel because they can be ordered as singles for any tuning I like to use, and they sound fresh for real long.
Speaking of pro steels and favorite strings I'm want to ask if anyone has a recommendation. My take on pro steels is that they are pretty stiff and they have an interesting character. They seem like they have a focused bite more than a grindy growly tone. So what strings do we know that are similar to these? I'm thinking cobalt slinkies maybe but haven't tried them myself so just going off other people's tone. Also I could throw in sit Rock brights. Similar vibe but not as much volume for some reason. Quietest strings I've tried.
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From memory DR Lo-Rider SS were kind of similar, at least feel and tension wise.
Yes and yes
And as their tension is a bit lower than other strings I've liked, I'm able to use 50-65-85-110 — their total tension is no more than that of the Standard 45-105 Swing Bass.
D'addarios 50-65-85-110 — 49 + 47 + 44 + 40
Rotosound 45-65-80-105 — 48 + 51 + 44 + 39
I find they're a great match for a Dimarzio Model P. Dynamic without being jangly at the top or thick at the bottom. And they're still nicely responsive, not gormlessly ringing out.
Sorry, comparing the same gauges would have been more useful. These are the 40-60-80-100 sets:
Pro Steels EPS190 — 32 + 40 + 39 + 34
Swing Bass SM66 — 40 + 39 + 44 + 33
Pro Steels EPS190 — 32 + 40 + 39 + 34
Swing Bass SM66 — 40 + 39 + 44 + 33
I have played them years ago. Feel seemed like they were a little smoother but similar in tension. I remember lo riders as a little more mid range growl and being really versatile in how well rounded they sound. Pro Steels have this distinct bite but was wondering what else is out there that's similar. Honestly I'm hoping for something a little more flexible too since I noticed I just can't maneuver on them as comfortably as I'd like. They do sound good on the particular bass I have them on.
I like D’addario Pro Steels, and Rotosound. But I just installed a set of Ernie Ball stainless slinky’s on my Player Jazz bass-.040-.095 gauge. I really like these so far!
I agree, a Pro Steel with a little less tension would be the GOAT. I don't know if anything sounds quite like Pro Steel, they have a way of pushing all the mids, while other SS strings have a combination of lower and upper mids, and as they age mostly lower mids, whilst Pro Steel will have a fuller mid signature.
