I prefer 45, 65, 85, 105 for a basic set, and prefer a 130 guage B string. However, the set I play the most has an 80 A and a 100 E. There isn't a ton of difference, truthfully. But I do like stiff strings. Hex core steels on all both of my basses.
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What Round Wound Gauge Do You Use?
- Thread starter HMZ
- Start date
D
For rehearsals/gigs, where I need to be able to dig in hard for certain songs/parts, it's nearly always 45-105 hex core for me. Broken-in Roto 66 steels and Pyramid Pure Nickels are my go-to hex core roundwounds, depending on what kind of tone I want, but I use other strings too.
For recording it varies a lot. On songs that need a roundwound tone but softer playing I like round core 45-105 roundwounds, like GHS Balanced Nickels. Round core strings can have a wonderful tone and lovely "bouncy" dynamics when played softly, but they generally respond rather poorly to more aggressive, fingerstyle playing. The tone kinda falls apart when digging in hard with round core strings so I don't like them for band rehearsals or gigs. If the band gets carried away I feel like I'm missing "the final gear" with round core strings.
In the studio I sometimes even use the wonderful sounding ultra-light TI Jazz Rounds. But the TIJRs are the ONLY strings where I would go anywhere near these ultra-light gauges. I never go lighter than 45-105 with any other roundwounds.
With flats I tend to prefer 40-100, but with SOME flats I use 45-105.
I never go heavier than 45-105 with ANY type of strings except tapewounds (but these are of course much lighter strings than their listed gauges suggest). The tone starts to suffer with heavier gauges than 45-105 IMO, especially in higher frets on the E-string.
For recording it varies a lot. On songs that need a roundwound tone but softer playing I like round core 45-105 roundwounds, like GHS Balanced Nickels. Round core strings can have a wonderful tone and lovely "bouncy" dynamics when played softly, but they generally respond rather poorly to more aggressive, fingerstyle playing. The tone kinda falls apart when digging in hard with round core strings so I don't like them for band rehearsals or gigs. If the band gets carried away I feel like I'm missing "the final gear" with round core strings.
In the studio I sometimes even use the wonderful sounding ultra-light TI Jazz Rounds. But the TIJRs are the ONLY strings where I would go anywhere near these ultra-light gauges. I never go lighter than 45-105 with any other roundwounds.
With flats I tend to prefer 40-100, but with SOME flats I use 45-105.
I never go heavier than 45-105 with ANY type of strings except tapewounds (but these are of course much lighter strings than their listed gauges suggest). The tone starts to suffer with heavier gauges than 45-105 IMO, especially in higher frets on the E-string.
40s.....
My attitude is - they're bass strings: they are already big
My attitude is - they're bass strings: they are already big
Call me crazy but I like light strings. I only play fives so i run 40-120s for standard tuning. Honestly, I don't mind the 40-120s tuned down a whole step. I typically use 45-125 for A standard though. I've experimented with strings a lot and only got lighter and lighter over time. Lighter strings feel MUCH better to me and sound as good or even better than heavier strings to my ear.
For the most part, I like 45-105 nickel-plated steel, hex core roundwounds. Not only because it's a popular combo you can get in any off-the-shelf string set, but because I can click a 105 into drop D with my Hipshot Xtender and not lose out. I used to favor 45-100 on EADG basses, but since I use a Hipshot Xtender often, I need that little extra so my drop D isn't floppy but doesn't feel like a bridge cable either (since I need to be nimble for faster passages). So a somewhat flexible 105 E-string is my ideal.
And it's important to note that not all 45-105 nickel plated steel (I like nickels for their softer, smoother feel for slides and positional shifting) strings are created equal. A set of 45-105 GHS Boomers will feel much stiffer than a 45-105 set of Ernie Ball Slinkys. This is how I'm narrowing down my "gotta try 'em all" string GAS into a focused search for "the one." GHS Boomers 45-105 are off my list because they're too stiff for me.
I've tried 40 sets, but the 40 G-string is too thin, twangy, and "plinky" sounding for me. I need a 45 G. I also prefer hex cores to round cores because I find hex core strings easier to intonate and more foolproof to restring with.
And it's important to note that not all 45-105 nickel plated steel (I like nickels for their softer, smoother feel for slides and positional shifting) strings are created equal. A set of 45-105 GHS Boomers will feel much stiffer than a 45-105 set of Ernie Ball Slinkys. This is how I'm narrowing down my "gotta try 'em all" string GAS into a focused search for "the one." GHS Boomers 45-105 are off my list because they're too stiff for me.
I've tried 40 sets, but the 40 G-string is too thin, twangy, and "plinky" sounding for me. I need a 45 G. I also prefer hex cores to round cores because I find hex core strings easier to intonate and more foolproof to restring with.
i'm pretty sure your list includes the "most popular."
i voted "45-65-85-105" because i thought it might be the "most popular" among respondents to a quiz on TB. "what round wound gauge do you use?"
i use lighter/different gauges than those on your list. and there are several sets with 'odd' gauges to achieve a superior "balance." so, for example, i might use 30-85, 30-90, 35-90, 43-89, etc.
So out of the 40 sets what are your top 3 brands? I like D’Addario, Ernie Ball and SIT not necessarily in that order but they all work for me as I like a stiff string. I too like nickel over steel hex core.
My bad, when I said "40 sets" I was referring to 40-95 gauged sets, as opposed to 45s (45-105). Unclear writing on my part. Sorry.
In terms of strings I've tried... https://www.talkbass.com/threads/what-brands-of-strings-have-you-owned.1643095/page-3#post-28306018 (18 brands, 30 sets, going to be 32 soon).
I'm still looking for "the one" but my benchmarks are D'Addario (they feel good, sound good, intonate well, last a long time for me, are available everywhere, and don't break the bank) and DR (Hi-Beams and steel Lo-Riders are the longest-lasting roundwounds I've ever used. Even a year later, they still sound great. When other strings are breaking down, DRs are breaking in).
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45-65-85-105 is my preferred set. I've currently got a 45-65-80-100-130 set of Slinky's on my 5-string, though, and I like the feel of it for the most part. I don't like the noticeable difference in tension between the .100 E string and the .65 D string, but it's only an occasional distraction.
The standard D'Addario and Ernie Ball 'light' set (45-65-80-100) to me seems more like a hybrid of medium gauges for the D and G strings and light for the E and A strings. I never understood their logic in putting together these sets, but they seem to be each brand's most popular, so they must know something I don't.
The standard D'Addario and Ernie Ball 'light' set (45-65-80-100) to me seems more like a hybrid of medium gauges for the D and G strings and light for the E and A strings. I never understood their logic in putting together these sets, but they seem to be each brand's most popular, so they must know something I don't.
I was told by some who works at D’Addario that the 45-65-80-100 set was their most popular but it seems most use 45-65-85-105 so who knows.
What's most popular? I have no idea. I never play round wound strings, if I can help it. They make my nerve-damaged, frostbitten fingers hurt like Hell if I play them for more than a few minutes. And, some of them hurt to badly to play even that long. However, over the last 5 decades, I have played a few of them. The ones I remember?
- EB Slinkys. The 45-105 Hybrids and the 50-105 Regulars. I used to use them on new-to-me basses, as a starting point for finding the strings they were going to wear permanently. But, I kinda liked them, and a few basses kept them longer than they really should have...
- DR SNMR-45 short scale 45-105 Sunbeams. I put them on a new Warmoth Mini-Precision Bass, simply because they were all I had at the time. They sounded really good, but... Gawd, did they hurt my fingers. They weren't on that bass very long...
- GHS Boomers. I had the hex core 45-105 M3405 Bass Boomers on my '13 Gibson Thunderbird for years. And, the tone was more than worth the pain, too. So was the tone of the 50-107 short scale #3035 Boomers that my headless Kramer Duke came to me with. They were on that thing until they died...
Currently, the only one of my 27 basses to wear rounds is my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. It wears the 42-93 TIJR324 Jazz Rounds. And, it wears them only because they're the only strings - in 12 frustrating years of trying strings on that big orange PITA - that actually make it sound like a bass. Instead of a guitar - or a hippo fart in deep mud...
So, I suppose that the "most popular gauge" rounds that I've played would be 45-105. Which, by an amazing coincidence, is the most popular gauge of flats that I play...
- EB Slinkys. The 45-105 Hybrids and the 50-105 Regulars. I used to use them on new-to-me basses, as a starting point for finding the strings they were going to wear permanently. But, I kinda liked them, and a few basses kept them longer than they really should have...
- DR SNMR-45 short scale 45-105 Sunbeams. I put them on a new Warmoth Mini-Precision Bass, simply because they were all I had at the time. They sounded really good, but... Gawd, did they hurt my fingers. They weren't on that bass very long...
- GHS Boomers. I had the hex core 45-105 M3405 Bass Boomers on my '13 Gibson Thunderbird for years. And, the tone was more than worth the pain, too. So was the tone of the 50-107 short scale #3035 Boomers that my headless Kramer Duke came to me with. They were on that thing until they died...
Currently, the only one of my 27 basses to wear rounds is my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. It wears the 42-93 TIJR324 Jazz Rounds. And, it wears them only because they're the only strings - in 12 frustrating years of trying strings on that big orange PITA - that actually make it sound like a bass. Instead of a guitar - or a hippo fart in deep mud...
So, I suppose that the "most popular gauge" rounds that I've played would be 45-105. Which, by an amazing coincidence, is the most popular gauge of flats that I play...
