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What is Your ULTIMATE Bass/String Combo ?

#42
Geddy Lee with D'Addario nickel rounds. Of course, the problem with identifying the "ultimate" bass/string combination is that since I have that already I have no excuse to fill my living room with gear! So I will downgrade my suggested combination to "pretty good most of the time".
 
#44
Fender4Me said:
Of the basses that you currently own, what is your favorite, "go to" combination of bass and string ? Mine is my Tokai P-bass with D'Addario Chromes. I just cant put that bass down. I hope that one day I can find the right strings for my Jazz basses........
Click to expand...

Three 5-string Sadowsky NYC P-basses. Here are my favorite string sets (I don't have one overall favorite):

Sadowsky Blue Label steels
Elixir Nanowebs
LaBella Hard Rockin' Steels
D'Addario Chromes flats
DR Lo Rider steels
Rotosound RS-66
DR Neons
Ken Smith Tapercores
Sadowsky Black Label steels
LaBella nylon tapewounds
Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flats
 
#45
In general:

For a 70's spec'd ash/maple jazz.. DR Hi Beams... smooth, round core stainless steel strings that just smooth the upper mids of the 70's spec a smidge, but are still big and bright sounding. They sound like stainless steels and feel like nickels, and last a long time once the initial sizzle dies down after a gig or two.

For a 60's alder/RW spec'd J, I love the DR Lo Rider Nickels.... they are a git higher tension than some nickel strings, and after the initial brightness wears off, they settle into a wonderful lower mid warmth and growl with a nice articulate but not oversly sizzly top end.

For those who want 'brightness and articulation... meaning aggressive upper mids and a 'hear the windings on the B string' sort of 'big, bright, upper mid aggressive tone', I love the Sadowsky Blue Label Steels. They will scare you when you put them on, and next to the DR's, they can sound a bit rough and harsh played solo, but man, in a mix, they put the top end grind of your bass just below the cymbals.... wonderful!

IMO... lots of good strings out there, but these three really work for me.
 
#47
My all time favorite is my Rob Allen Mouse with LaBella Tape flats - deep, thunky lows but really punchy

P bass with TI Jazz flats would be a not so close second
G&L MFDs with Chromes is nice too if you like it bright and strong
 
#48
Normally I'm a wound round guy but I put some TI Jazz flats on my Trace Elliot T-Bass and was really impressed at how great that combination sounded. I gigged NYE with this setup and the guys in the band all complimented me on the sound. I'm going to buy a few more sets and see how they do on a few of my other basses.
 
#54
1998 Fender American Deluxe P with a Rosewood fingerboard: Fender Flats .050 - .100.

2009 Fender Jaguar: Fender 7250's .045 - .105. Thinking about putting Fender flats back onto this one tho, it kills with flats, but the 7250's still have some life left so I'll wait.

1989? MIJ E-serial Fender P with a one piece maple neck: a set of old Martin Darco roundwound strings that came with it when I bought it. Thinking about putting flats on here too.
 

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