What kind of strings do you use?

[Sam Dingle]

Dr strings. Used high beams from the beginning of high school till 2020 then wanted to try nickel strings so I picked up the pure blues. They feel good under my fingers and last long enough. No reason to try other things imo

 

[MartinzeBassman]

I have used Fender strings mostly because of their bright and sharp tone. I have LaBella flatwound strings on my Squier Precision for the nice and warm vintage sound, and D'Addario roundwound strings for the round yet trebly sound. I am going to put Fender strings on my Eagle Rickenbacker 4001 and some short-scale strings on my Ibanez GSR200.

 

[Hounddog409]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Figured it might be fun to hear why people play the strings that they do. What strings do you play & why?

Super slinky's on all the fretted. Because they feel good.

Cobalts on the fretless Jazz.

 

[deste]

On fretted basses, D'Addario XL nickel .045, since the late 80's
On fretless basses, Fender 9025 (?, anyway, the ones with green silk ends) .045
Mostly due to the fair price/quality ratio.
My Squier CV 60' P sports D'Addario Chromes .050, but I almost don't play it anymore (now resides i a friend's home
On my Danelectro Longhorn (almost ashamed to confess this) the very same strings that I found on it when I bought it in 2000: by now they must have turned from rounds to flats...


(But on double bass I'm very picky: at the moment I switched back to D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Medium from Thomastik Belcanto)

 

[JRA]

What strings do you play & why?

- roto swing 66, extra-light gauge (35-90) --- because they're rounds and they're 'flimsy' (compliant).
- TI jazz rounds --- because they're rounds and they're 'flimsy' (compliant).
- any other round wound string if they're light enough --- because they're rounds and they're 'flimsy' (compliant).

 

[mattj1stc]

For my bass guitar (5-string P - Lakland Skyline 55-64), Kalium balanced (.045-.150). This is mainly for the tension and feel vs. sound. On a 4-string bass guitar, I prefer Jamerson flats, but the B string on that set is way too skinny and wiggly, not enough tension compared to the others. In short, I need a .145-.150+ B string to be happy, so I play them in until they're pretty dead and I have faux-flats. On upright, I use Spirocore S42s, mainly because I like their punch and sustain, and (of course) tension.

 

[Benj-jammin]

Dunlop medium/bright nickel wounds - 45-100. For me, a well balanced string along the tonal spectrum.

 

[Grizelda100]

Fender J- La Bella High Tension Flats
G&L J- TI Low Tension Flats
G&L P-Rotosound Nylons

I really like experimenting with different strings. Easy way to make a huge difference.

 

[edencab]

my basses are set up with these

MIM Fender J with LaBella DTF's
Sterling SUB4 w/ D'Addario tapes
P-bass kit w/ Fender flats
my new Epi T-bird has stock strings, but I waiting (a couple of months now, supply chain woes) for GHS Pressurewounds to put on it

I'm on a flat wound kick the last few years and love them...decided to try the the pressure wounds for a new feel and sound...

gave Ernie Ball Super Slinky's a try a while ago....might put them back on my jazz

 

[Naturekev]

Played SIT Silencers for years. A good friend is an endorser and sells them in his store. I like the feel of them.

More recently, I've been using Curt Mangan strings because another good friend, who is also the lead guitarist in our band, has an endorsement with them. He can pick them up for me for half price, so I decided to try them. I like them as well.

 

[Thorsoundcore]

Typically, I prefer steel strings. Though I haven't bought em' in a while, I think Dean Markley might be my all time favorite for both sound and feel. Not easy to find them in my area though. Elixir steels have been the only common alternative I can find, but the only plus the have over Markleys is they last a bit longer.

 

[jmhaslip]

I use Rotosound Swing 66 strings on all my basses, fretted or fretless. My MIA PBass has 45-105 guage strings. The 5-strings have 40-125 guage. A second choice would be D'Addario rounds.

 

[MCS4]

I generally play GHS Boomers for rounds and LaBella LTFs for flats, generally in whatever is the lightest gauge I feel that I can get away with for the specific tuning I am using (which varies quite a bit).

Boomers were the first set of strings I ever bought for myself 20+ years ago, and to this day they are the "default" sound that I hear in my head for a set of strings as well as the default feel in terms of tension, stiffness, and roughness/smoothness level. I'll typically only go for something else if I am chasing a different sound, which is rare. Generally speaking, I've never played another nickel string that offered any particular advantage that made me want to switch -- price, feel under my fingers, overall tone profile, longevity, etc. Steel strings are simply a different sound from what I typically go for.

I've used flats a lot less over the years and am less set in my ways. For a long time my favorites were Fender flats, but lately I've switched to Labella LTFs purely for tension/stiffness purposes. As a lifetime rounds player I do tend to feel more comfortable with a flat that is not super dark sounding or too high of tension, and the tension preference has only become more important over the years.

 

[6-3-2]

DR Pure Blues: with the J pick-ups on my bass they fill out the mids and I just like how DR strings feel and sound.
Curious about Elixir nickel strings, because I chew through strings fairly quickly.

 

[Pings Bass]

BG: the ones that came on the bass. When it's time to replace, usually flats for fretless and stainless rounds for fretted.

DB: TI spirocore mittel

 

[TOOL460002]

DR HI Beams (45-105; 125 B) on Stingrays since high-school. Bass teacher turned me on to them (he had a huge Costco-sized box of them) as well as the Stingray and they have been a perfect match. I've tried a couple other brands when I was younger and was more prone to breaking strings, but nothing went "dead" properly. Tried many other DR offerings but HI Beams haven't been bested to my ear.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

I use Pressurewounds on my G&L Tribute JB-2, and Chromes on My Squier CV P, but I have become increasingly enamored with EB Cobalt Flats. I have them on my Sterling Stingray 34 PB, Squier PJ and Fender J. Love 'em!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Figured it might be fun to hear why people play the strings that they do. What strings do you play & why?

Just like Macca, the metal ones. Because Macca used them.

 

[Plectrum72]

Chromes for flats because I like the feel and the sound. Rotosound Swing 66 for rounds because I like the sound.

 

[foolforthecity]

Lately I’ve found love for LaBella Deep Talkin’ Bass black tape wounds. Slinky, smooth, and works well in high humidity environments