I use DR Nickle Plated Steel Round Wounds on my Vintage Modified Squire Jaguar. Love the strings, and love the Squire! I repeat that....Squire.
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What kind of strings do you use?
- Thread starter bryan bailey
- Start date
D'Addario Chrome XL Flats
After spending hundreds of dollars trying different strings out, round-flat-tape etc. I've come to the conclusion,
Just get a set that feels right and isn't too bright or too dull sounding.
99% of your audience can't tell or even notice if you have your tone dialed in from strings, amp, pick ups or whether you spent $19 or $119 on a set of strings.
In fact, and not to burst any bubbles, but most of the listening audience can't differentiate what the bass is doing let alone marvel at your skills. To them it is mostly just a feel. Whether the song feels right. It's when you are out of tempo or key that they notice, then, they just assume the whole band sucks.
The only adjustments I do string or tone wise is entirely for my own ears and what I like.
After spending hundreds of dollars trying different strings out, round-flat-tape etc. I've come to the conclusion,
Just get a set that feels right and isn't too bright or too dull sounding.
99% of your audience can't tell or even notice if you have your tone dialed in from strings, amp, pick ups or whether you spent $19 or $119 on a set of strings.
In fact, and not to burst any bubbles, but most of the listening audience can't differentiate what the bass is doing let alone marvel at your skills. To them it is mostly just a feel. Whether the song feels right. It's when you are out of tempo or key that they notice, then, they just assume the whole band sucks.
The only adjustments I do string or tone wise is entirely for my own ears and what I like.
Good thing your Squier is not your girlfriend, she'd be boppin' you on the head for misspelling her name...LOL
My two favorites so far are . D'Adarrio black nylon tapes and D'Adarrio chromes flats . Very comfortable in use and I love the sound of the nylon coated tapes . I would like to try a set of LaBella or Thomastik flats too .
I use D'Addario roundwound steel strings. I have recently tried their Flex Steel strings and I think they are great. I also play pro steels too - which are great too. I imported a heap to New Zealand so i should be sorted for a while lol. I have around 15 + bass guitars, so that is my excuse for buying so many sets:
Labella flatwounds are the smoothest I've ever played and I love them. Not great for slapping but for playing long bar shows on my PJ there's nothing I'd rather play
Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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DR Hi-Beams and Sunbeams, and Dunlop Nickel plated on my Warwicks. Ernie Ball 2834 Super Slinky (on my MM Sterling H). All have their pluses and minuses, but they seem to work well in their own ways for the sounds I like.
fourth update:
- D'Addario Chromes 130-100-80-65-45-32 on 6 string fretless bass,
- GHS Pressurewound 128-96-76-54-40-28 on 6 string fretted bass,
- Elixir Acoustic Bass 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB Coating 125-100-80-65-45 on 5 string acoustic electric bass,
- D'Addario Flex Steels 135T-105-85-65-45 on 5 string fretted bass,
- D'Addario Tape Wound 135-105-85-65-50 on 5 string fretless bass,
- Ken Smith Compressors 125T-102-80-58-40-28 with Burner Nickel Plated Steel 20p on 7 string fretted bass, and
- Elixir Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating 130T-105-85-65-45-32 on 6 string fanned fret bass.
Most of mine have GHS Precision Flats. I got an Ibanez 5 string with Elixir Nanowebs. I also got an older Ibanez PJ with tapewound strings. I am thinking about getting half round strings next or light Chromes.
La Bella 760FL (43-60-82-104) now back on my P.
Fender 9050CL (45-60-80-105) will stay on my J for a very long time.
Yes, I'm a flatwound junkie.
Time for another flip-flop...
La Bella 760FL now off of my P (...again); GHS ML7200 back on it.
Fender 9050CL will stay on my J...at least for now.
Now I'm a recovering flatwound junkie.
Fender Aerodyne Jazz- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.105)
Fender Black/Maple standard Jazz- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.105)
Music Man Bongo 5 HS- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.130)
Squier Classic Vibe '60s Precision Bass- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.105)
Fender Black/Maple standard Jazz- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.105)
Music Man Bongo 5 HS- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.130)
Squier Classic Vibe '60s Precision Bass- Rotosound Swing 66 (.045-.105)
Skull strings 110-85-65-45 on thunderbird (D standard) and same set with single .135 non-exposed on my 5-string jazz (35" B standard). Pretty coarse strings but I really like how stiff they are as I'm mainly a pick player.
GHS Boomers, L3045 roundwounds: 40-55-75-90. Almost exclusively for 30 years now. I've tried others, but these are just the right strings for ME. The first 6-10 hours after a string change are just pure heaven. After that, they are still very good for about 60-75 hours (about 3-4 weeks for me) of use if you wipe them down often and/or use Fast Fret or similar product. Again, for ME, these just have the best sound and feel. I fully understand everyone has their favs.
Been enjoying DR coated strings however my next set are going to be GHS Boomers since they are the only set on the market I can find at reasonable cost which comes in 30-100 for EADGC tuning at 38" wrap.
Right now I'm using D'Addario XL165s on my two Precision basses, and Rotosound RS66s on my Jazz bass. Of course this may change in the future LOL
