What strings bring out the best in a Jazz?

[BAce]

I have an '04 MIA Jazz and I've never found it to be nasaly. Piano growl, yes, but not nasally. I have always used GHS Pressurewound in the past but I have recently switched to Oasis and I really like them. Need to play a bit more carefully as the Oasis are a roundwound and high tension so goofs show up easily. BTW this particular Jazz sounds AWFUL with flats. No character whatsoever. Meh, that's what a Precsision is for....

 

[Briton]

I currently have EB Cobalt Flats on my Jazz Bass, but if I had to put Roundwounds on it from past experience I would choose DR-Hi Beams.

 

[Craig4003]

Zombie thread!

I have La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass 760FS flats on my Jazz. But my Precision has Rotosound RS77LD flats and I think those would work well on a Jazz too. Possibly better. Hmm... Maybe I ought to exchange the strings on those two...

 

[michael_t]

I have La Bella Deep Talkin' Bass 760FS flats on my Jazz. But my Precision has Rotosound RS77LD flats and I think those would work well on a Jazz too. Possibly better. Hmm... Maybe I ought to exchange the strings on those two...

That's exactly what I would do (if I were to have those two sets of flats) - Put the La Bellas on the P and Rotos on the J.

 

[Craig4003]

That's exactly what I would do (if I were to have those two sets of flats) - Put the La Bellas on the P and Rotos on the J.

Did it. I like this change. The P has a somewhat heavier tone than it did with the Rotosounds and the Jazz sounds a little lighter.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

True for me also...can't seem to do without either.

The strings that I like best on a Jazz are: GHS Boomers, which have less zing and better feel than D'Addario XL's; and D'Addario Chromes, flats that deliver both thump and brightness, letting the Jazz growl the way it's supposed to, though soloing the bridge pickup a la Jaco sounds kinda "gray" (for lack of a better word) and not all that bright.

GHS Boomers were my favorite strings to use on a Jazz Bass too.

 

[Geri O]

Interesting that this thread reared its head at this particular time...

I've been sorting out between the EB Power Slinkies that have been my go-to for years and the D'Addario Pro Steels XL160-5s. I had recently discovered the Pro Steels and I have been through a couple of the Pro Steels and really liked them. Feel a little tauter, even, and bright, but not teeth-knashing bright. Last night, the Pro Steels were feeling dull and I have a few sets of Power Slinkies left from a bulk order, so I put the Power Slinkies on. Now we're not talking any day-and-night differences, but right off, the Power Slinkies didn't quite feel or sound right. They stayed on the bass while I practiced, until finally, I couldn't take it anymore, pulled off the Power Slinkies, and put my last set of Pro Steels on the bass. Now we're talking! So the Pro Steels are my new favorite.

The basses are a Mike Lull M5V Jazz-style 5-strings and a Music Man Stingray SR5. Both basses sound and feel better to me with the Pro Steels. And they are readily available in the gauges I like.