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What kind of strings do you use?

Preferred String Type

  • Roundwounds

    Votes: 5,505 69.2%

  • Flatwounds

    Votes: 1,868 23.5%

  • Nylons

    Votes: 142 1.8%

  • Compression, 1/2, groundwound (either or)

    Votes: 258 3.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 178 2.2%
  • Total voters
    7,951
#2,622
Ibanez Mikro: Labella white tapes, medium. I like how smooth they are, both in feel and in sound somehow. I sound and feel less awkward playing these than the factory strings.

Fretless Hadean uke bass: Aquila Thunderbrown. When I bought this instrument used, it had Gallistrings flats on it, which sounded fine and played OK, but I wanted the "proper" elastomer string experience for this instrument. (I wouldn't be against trying the flats on a fretted solid-body uke bass though.) Thunderbrown feel a bit nicer than the old Thunderblacks and don't have the stickiness. They do still have the mellow double bass-ish uncanny valley thing going for them.

SX 30" jazz-style fretless: Chromes bought in 2013 (probably based on Amazon reviews or a sale price or something) and never opened until 2022. Much, much better than the dead factory strings, but I still don't play this particular bass very much.
 
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#2,624
For years I went with one string brand on all basses, but over the last handful of years I've moved over to the 'best set for this bass' mentality. Probably the most experimenting I've done was for fretless, I went through 4-5 sets before landing on what I have now. I'm also admittedly a bit of a DR fanboy.
  • Modulus Q5: DR Sunbeams 45-125. Bit more warmth than stainless, fills out the tone of this bass. They last forever. Have also used FatBeams, Pure Blues, and Stringjoy, but Sunbeams sound best to me on this bass.
  • G&L M-2000 and G&L JB: DR FatBeams 45-105: Both of these 4-bangers sing with the FatBeams, they have a growl to them that I haven't found in other sets, they last forever, and they sound good in any tone/eq setup, fingerstyle or slap (and oh my does the JB slap tone kill with these...)
  • G&L L-2500 Fretless: GHS Pressurewounds. I went through 3 sets of flats and a couple rounds before I settled on the Pressurewounds. They are a really versatile string and fit the L-series fretless tonal range really well. They can go from mellow and flat-ish sounding to early Pearl Jam. Tension is good too.
  • Peavy Dyna-Bass - DR Legend Flats 45-105. I always run it in passive and use it as my 'old school' tone bass, and these flats make it sound like an old J-bass with flats.
 
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#2,627
FSGrind said:
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?
Click to expand...
I use dean markley blue steels. I tried all big brands of strings and I found that the blue steels are the only ones that sound at all different to me. And I like the way they sound, but I know that many people would not like it. Also they tear your fingers apart and they get dirty real quick because of that. But I love em
 
#2,628
New old stock Maxima Flatwounds from the 70's. They are the most comfortable, warm and natural sounding strings I've come across. The outer nickel winding and bell metal core are key factors in the unique tone, but also make them a little more delicate than your average string. In any case, they complement my playing style perfectly.
I was lucky enough to come across a source for a bulk order, so I don't plan on ever having to buy more bass strings... a great feeling!
 
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#2,629
I've got a couple of basses that I use with different strings. My main bass (the one covering half my face just over yonder <--) is a Yamaha BB735A. I've currently got a set of GHS Pressurewounds on it that I think are going to be what I keep on it. I found the standard 5 string set to be a little too heavy so this is a modified set, the .044-.102 four string set (what GHS calls "Medium Light") along with the .128 B string that comes with the standard medium gauge set. It's actually a bit better balanced in tension, and I prefer lighter strings in any case. I wish GHS sold this as a set, it's a bit pricier to buy a 4 string set and a single B string, but I just didn't get along with the mediums.

My other bass is a 4 string Fender P bass, which wears Labella 760FL (.043-.104). It's had that set on for about a year and they are just perfect buttery smooth flatwounds.

I've got a third backup bass, an Ibanez SR800, that needs a set of rounds but I haven't settled on the right ones. I don't typically like rounds but I do want to have that as an option available, should the need arise.

I've discovered through trial and error that I have a few preferences when it comes to strings, namely: 1) stainless steel or nickel/iron alloy, straight up nickel plated isn't my jam; 2) flat or pressurewound, rounds are too zingy; 3) slightly lighter than .045-.105
 
#2,630
I'm always experimenting with strings but presently here's where I'm at (playability has been priority one since it is easy to dial in tone, it's in the hands too)...
Sadowsky Flats on my Classic '70s Series Fender Precision MIJ, just love how they feel and their playability, had them on over 5 years and they only get better
D'Addario Pro Steels on my Bravewood Bass of Doom ('62 Jazz), I had read somewhere on TB that these were closer to sounding like the old 1970s vintage Rotos Swing Bass 66 than the current Rotos (I think I agree, plus I only do rounds on a fretless)
Black Diamond Nickel Rounds 550L on my Sadowsky Modified Modern 5, these just seem to be a perfect match to me for my R&B/funk gigs (kudos to Raphael Saadiq and Verdine White for mentioning these in an interview otherwise I would have never tried them)
TI Jazz Flats on my Nash P-Bass as others have attested this works and they get better with age
Curt Mangan Nickel Wound Light on my Squier Classic Vibe '70s Jazz V, still experimenting but these seem to be working out well (I prefer rounds on a Jazz plus I could never get a flatwound B string to ever sound good so rounds it is)
Optima 24K Gold on my Status S-2 Classic...wow just wow, these check all the boxes for fingerstyle and slap!!!
 
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#2,632
It seems to be a neverending journey for me.

For a long time my fave was GHS Pressurewounds. But, I'm 70 and in the last few years I've gravitated towards lighter tension/gauge strings. My fave string now is probably GHS Round Core Bass Boomers (40-95), but I only have those on 2 of my 8 basses.

I'm currently trying a super light set (30, 45, 65, 85) of DR Pure Blues on My Fender Jazz. The jury is still out on those. I also like TI Jazz strings (flat and round) and DR Sunbeams.
 
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#2,635
Bunk McNulty said:
Curt Mangan 45-105 nickel wounds. Because they feel really good. I still have no idea what "Fusion-Matched" means.:D
Click to expand...

FYI...I do not work for Curt Mangan:roflmao:

What is FusionMatched?

THE FUSION BETWEEN PLAYER, INDUSTRY AND HANDMADE PRODUCTION

“FusionMatched” was originally going to be the name of our company. The term was intended to describe the proprietary thought process we used to create the recipe for each and every single string gauge we offer which included the choice on wire maker, custom-built machines, core-to-wrap ratios and other key factors essential for the tone, intonation and longevity we wanted to obtain. We do not believe in “smoke and mirror” marketing for strings. Truth is at some point every string must speak for itself. It either is or it is not the real deal.

At the time of launching the company in 2004 we could not be certain we would receive the trademark for “FusionMatched” and we were advised to call the company Curt Mangan, because we could be 99% certain we would be granted this trademark.

We did receive the trademark for “FusionMatched” in 2005 and still follow the same “FusionMatched” thought process for every string we build today.
 
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#2,639
Labella flats on the fender, labella rounds on the steinberger, TI jazz flats on everything else. I did order up a set of optima RB strings that i plan to try on sometime soon. Some say they might overtake my affinity for Thomastiks... i'll pop in an update if that happens, but i'm interested.

The labella rounds are on the steinberger because labella was the first to make double ball strings and they offer them in a light gauge i like. They also sound good and are very tonally balanced across the strings. I like that.

The fender wears labella flats because they sound good.

Everything else wears thomastiks because the tension is easy on their necks and they last at least 5 years. They break before they go bad. They are also my favourite sounding strings.
 

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