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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
#703
I tend to use GHS Boomers on my Fenders, TI flats on my fretless and Elites Stadium (SS) on my Ric 4003 (not sure if these are well known in the states, but IMO/IME, they are like Rotosound Swingbass but are more consistent and last longer).
 
#704
I have been using Dean Markley Fretmaster Medium-Lights
(.046 - .102) took me years to find this string...
I have had them on for a couple of years, on my American Fender Jazz. (Sounds good to me, still) I also have a spare unopened set, just in case... :)

I just wish they made them for 5-String Basses.

I have a Tobias Killer B, 5-String, and I put some Ernie Ball strings on, and I hate the noize of them (roundwounds...)
But I don't know if Flatwounds will be either too dull or too much tension. I have always been a fan of Groundwounds but they seem to be fading out...

I play mostly rock and blues, but I like to adventure into Jazz territory once in a while, so I would like some suggestions on where I should start looking as far as strings for my 5-string are concerned.

BTW I am not a slap/popper stylist. Fingers and Picks... :)
 
#710
i useTI jazz bass strngs on every thing (jazz flats on the fretless) because who wants to wait for that "dead" sound, we who wanta more mellow boom than that tinny twang of new strings can offer, andhave more flexible and smooth a sting, go for the silk core of TI jazz bass stings - though i dont know how well they'll do on my 12er -
 
#711
They're all different voices. And after managing a guitar store for 11 years I developed some pretty specific ideas about different brands (and some pretty arcane clues as to who actually makes what labels' strings). I use DR and Lakland (GHS) strings. Mostly DR Hi-Beams (45/65/85/105) which are a round core with a round stainless steel wrap. I have Sunbeams (same gauge, nickle wrap on round cores) on my fretless. The Lakland branded stainless strings are also very good. They're similar to GHS Super Steels which I liked too back in the day I managed a store. My P bass has Lakland's Joe Osborne flats on it. A great flatwound with more resistance to pluckihg than the TI's, but still a supple and easy to play string. They sound great- a nice fat thump on the low end, but they never sound dead. I do NOT want my bass to sound like a kick drum or a dog turd hitting a hot side-walk, which is what I got from the LaBellas I used decades ago.

I used to use D'Addario but they changed the specs somewhere around 1990. Their standard long-scale sets worked fine on my (pre-EB) StingRay with a string-through bridge until I got a set and tried to string up. I had to special order extra-long strings from them so I quite using them on my 'Ray. I eventually found the DR's and have stopped using D'Addarios for basses since then. Too bad because they're very good strings, a great company to work with, and about the most consistent string maker in my experience. They still go on those little toy instruments I have that have six strings and make annoying high-pitched sounds only....

jte
 

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