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What is the most expensive string you've ever bought?

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0.175 flatwound for the Washburn AB95 from octave4plus. I think $100 for just the one string, plus shipping across the ocean. But, hey, if you want to tune in fifths on a five-string bass that won't take normal-length strings and insist on flatwounds, options are gonna be pretty limited.
Whoa!

What open pitch do/did you have it tuned to? G0? F0?
What scale length?
How was your personal experience dealing with Garry Goodman's Octave4Plus?

Thanks!
 
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F0, 34" scale (but like 4" of string behind the bridge, which makes it hard to find strings that fit). Ordering it etc. went smoothly, even getting it with unusual materials to match the Thomastik Spirocores I shortened to be the other four strings.
 
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F0, 34" scale (but like 4" of string behind the bridge, which makes it hard to find strings that fit). Ordering it etc. went smoothly, even getting it with unusual materials to match the Thomastik Spirocores I shortened to be the other four strings.
Do you mean aestheticwise (silk colour and length thereof, ball-end size and such)?
or did you guys spec the innards of the string to be different than Goodman's usual flatwound offerings? like ropecore instead of solid, silk damping instead of none, this winding alloy instead of that?
 
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Innards - normal solid core, bronze inner winding, regular outer winding, as the lower Spirocores have a copper inner winding and thus less magnetic output than all-steel strings. Oh, and unlike the Spirocores, 4"+ tapered end, which is massively long compared to normal tapered ends of course.
 
Roto 66’s. Avg price I pay in the last say 10 years is $16 or $17 USD. Wait for the sale and buy a handful. The most I’ve paid was list price at a local music store in a small city.
These are the only strings I’ve used since early 70’s. Thanks Chris Squire
That's me.
I've used a lot of different strings over the years, still do. But I always return to Roto 66's. I always have one or two basses with them on, always.

:)
 
Well, sticking to 4-string basses - because that's all I've ever played? A set of Dogal Helborg Flats is the most expensive set I've ever bought. And, at $150/set from Strings By Mail, I haven't worked the nerve yet to put them on anything. From the few sound clips I've heard, I'm not sure they would be well suited to most of the music I play. La Bella DTFs, and Fender 9050s would suit that stuff much better - and are much, much less expensive. The music I think the Helborgs would be best for? The Alembic I play that with, is wearing a set of TI Jazz flats; they sound great; and they're nowhere near ready to get replaced. I'm honestly not sure why I bought the Helborgs in the first place; and, right now? They're just sitting in my Big Box O' Strings - mocking me...:rollno:
 
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I love being in Australia. But not for bass strings. You can buy cheap Chinese made rounds and flats, but any of the well known brands, as sets, or singles sourced from a domestic seller, or internationally are expensive. The postage+exchange rate pushes the price up. E.g. take a Chrome single CB132 . The cheapest I could get it domestically is $67 + postage ( I couldn't visit the seller's store due to geography, and often you have to spend over a certain amount to get free postage). If I resort to buying online from an international source, say from SBM for example it would cost currently, including postage and exchange, around $50 aud for CB132. Ok, saves about 27 bucks compared to buying from domestic supplier, but a U.S bassist could get it for $23usd.
Take another example. A .135 gauge Pyramid nylon tape single. No domestic supply of the single, so internationally the only source. From Just Strings would cost $55 aud postage inclusive. For an aussie to buy and have posted the 5 string ser would cost currently around $185aud from Thomann. Making up the set with a domestic supply of the 4 string set + an international bought single 135 would set me back $140aud
Moral of the story. Count your blessings if you live in a big market, with domestic string production as well.
 
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I bid up to $200 USD for a set of Dean Markley Flatwounds but stopped there. I couldn't justify spending anymore. Even though these are as rare as hens teeth, it just seemed too much. If anyone wants to jump on the bidding, the listing is still active on EBay.

Maybe the top bidder might be on TB, so he might chime in......

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I tried Thomastik and Optima. The most expensive part was finding that neither was for me (except maybe I could use the TI flats for the "thump" effect).
Next to that, Rotosound 77 and 99. The 77 was the worst built and most inconsistent string I've ever seen, yet it sounded great esp. the low 2 strings. The 99 was great in every way, except taking slightly longer time to install.
Sadly the Rotosound 99 is no longer made. The Rotosound 77 costs very reasonably on the models that the dealers carry, while the others are very expensive requiring international transport of individual string packages.
Another string priced between them is the D'Addario tapewounds. These don't sound bad, but the price is even higher than if I buy a Rotosound 88 set from eBay...