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What are your favorite strings and why
- Thread starter T.Rex
- Start date
They feel pretty smooth, for rounds. Much mellower than stainless steel Roto strings.
I have two threads with audio samples. Check them out. There are differences, however.
DR Pure Blues!!!
*In this sample, the environment was a small condo. We used my Samsung S5 to record our practice. The strings had been put on merely minutes before the recording. These strings were on my then-new (2015) American Standard Precision bass.
Guitar/Vocals/Bass duo
*Here, we are recording through my interface into my PC. The strings are a now a bit aged, perhaps three or four months. Same Fender bass as before. Minimal EQ, if any, adjustment.
Depends on the bass. I don't have the same set on any two of the basses I own.
I match strings to the instrument.
** these are currently on order.
I match strings to the instrument.
- DR Sunbeams*
- DR Pure Blues
- D'Addario Chromes
- GHS Pressure Wounds*
- GTS Red Copperwound**
- Labella Copper White Nylon
- Rotosound Swing Bass 66*
- Rotosound Solo Bass 55
- TI Jazz Flats*
- TI Acousticore
** these are currently on order.
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i actually have a brand new set of those im looking at selling because id rather the nickel on my frets and nickel has always just felt better on my fingers and tone
if you want soft feel , easy on frets , with less finger noise ... my fav after 43+ yrs of bass playin ...
GHS Pressurewounds ... Yes , they are rounds ..!! roller wound under more pressure to reshape the outer wrap into a more 'oval' shape ... ! any roller string will be like that ...! i use their lightest gauge , usually you'll find the 4 string sets ... lite, med-lt , med gauges ... and only 1 low B ( .128 ) and 1 hi C ( forget ? )
if you do try them ( the lightest gauge ) and don't like them ... i'll buy them at the usual Used price ..!!
GHS Pressurewounds ... Yes , they are rounds ..!! roller wound under more pressure to reshape the outer wrap into a more 'oval' shape ... ! any roller string will be like that ...! i use their lightest gauge , usually you'll find the 4 string sets ... lite, med-lt , med gauges ... and only 1 low B ( .128 ) and 1 hi C ( forget ? )
if you do try them ( the lightest gauge ) and don't like them ... i'll buy them at the usual Used price ..!!
1) Favorite flatwounds: Ernie Ball flatwounds, which I buy as singles for my BEAD tuned Ibby. These strings seem to live forever.
2) Favorite roundwounds: Dunlop Nickel Wound, because of playability and rich fundamental tone.
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so you prefer those dunlops over the superbright or have you tried them?
Alembic - Dean Markley Blue Steels
J fretless- SR2000 (might try TI rounds)
Fender PJ - SR2000
Hayman fretless- TI Flats
LB-100 - TI Flats
I think I might be the only guy here that rocks the Blue Steals and SR2000s. But I have used them on those instruments for so many years, anything else changes the character of the instrument so much that I go right back. I really only bought the LB-100 so I could try flats. Lol
J fretless- SR2000 (might try TI rounds)
Fender PJ - SR2000
Hayman fretless- TI Flats
LB-100 - TI Flats
I think I might be the only guy here that rocks the Blue Steals and SR2000s. But I have used them on those instruments for so many years, anything else changes the character of the instrument so much that I go right back. I really only bought the LB-100 so I could try flats. Lol
I tried many different strings over the past six years. I came to the conclusion that I don't want them to be too bright. For me the fundamental tone is more important, as the guitars cover the high end of the spectrum anyway.
Two faves: GHS Precision Flats, smooth feel (smoother than any other flats I've tried) without being slippery, nice tone suitable for that 60's sound, and Dean Markley Blue Steel roundwounds, again good smooth feel, great balanced tone, bright without sounding tinny, and they sound good even after they're well worn. Not quite as bright ass when new, but still full and balanced. I have two P basses, each wound with one of the two.
^^This^^ Pretty much... My favorite strings are the ones that give me the sound I want from a particular bass. And, that tends to vary quite a bit; but, in general...
- I like flats - especially La Bellas - 'cause I like the sound and feel. I always hope they'll give me the sound I want, but, alas, that's not always the case...
- I, like tapewounds, too - especially Roto 88s. Turned my MIK Rogue VB-100 into a monster...
- I don't like D' Addario strings, mainly 'cause something they use in their finishing process makes my fingers itch like crazy. I can use them, if I spend a lot of time and effort cleaning the bejeezus out of them. Frankly, IMO the effort hasn't been worth the results - except for my baritone guitar...
- I usually start my string search with Hybrid Slinkys, 'cause they're inexpensive, easy to find, and very consistent from set to set. And, if all I want is a "generic" bass sound, Slinkys fill the bill nicely. And, just based on the number of basses that are wearing them right now, they would be my "favorite" strings. But, once my order from BSO arrives, and I get my BMW K1200S squared away, that will change...
Flats: Chromes
Rounds: EB Slinkys
Don't get much love, but my rounds bass is solely for harder stuff and slap, so the Slinkys feel nice. The P with flats gets all the other loving (90% of the time).
Rounds: EB Slinkys
Don't get much love, but my rounds bass is solely for harder stuff and slap, so the Slinkys feel nice. The P with flats gets all the other loving (90% of the time).
^^This^^ Pretty much... My favorite strings are the ones that give me the sound I want from a particular bass. And, that tends to vary quite a bit; but, in general...
- I like flats - especially La Bellas - 'cause I like the sound and feel. I always hope they'll give me the sound I want, but, alas, that's not always the case...
- I, like tapewounds, too - especially Roto 88s. Turned my MIK Rogue VB-100 into a monster...
- I don't like D' Addario strings, mainly 'cause something they use in their finishing process makes my fingers itch like crazy. I can use them, if I spend a lot of time and effort cleaning the bejeezus out of them. Frankly, IMO the effort hasn't been worth the results - except for my baritone guitar...
- I usually start my string search with Hybrid Slinkys, 'cause they're inexpensive, easy to find, and very consistent from set to set. And, if all I want is a "generic" bass sound, Slinkys fill the bill nicely. And, just based on the number of basses that are wearing them right now, they would be my "favorite" strings. But, once my order from BSO arrives, and I get my BMW K1200S squared away, that will change...
I tend to prefer flats on what I think of as more the 'old-school' or 'classic' type basses such as PBs, short-scales, and semi-hollows. I like rounds on pretty much everything else. But if I had to pick my current top favorite string, as of right this moment it's LaBella Copper White Nylons. But that's subject to change without notice. I guess that makes me a "string slut."
I have religiously used DR Fat Beams on my '72 Jazz bass since I came across them a few years ago, to me its just THE sound for a Jazz. In fact, at this point I use DR strings on all my basses except my EUB (which still has the strings it came with) and my hollow body Ibanez which sports a set of LaBella Flats.
