what strings did you use when you first started playing?

[Ric5]

what strings did you use when you first started playing?

Back in the 1960s most basses had flats ... then about 1972 I discovered rounds

 

[bassbully]

Fender nickels.

 

[BD Jones]

Same.

You must have come up in the 80s as well!

I used Boomers then Blue Steel, also. And yes, I too grew up in the 80's.

 

[subsonicbassist]

Started on whatever bargain bin strings I could afford, and my bass was so junky that I snapped a few D and G strings while putting them on. Sucks when it's all you could afford and you get 3 on and the 4th one snaps ;( moved up to Swing 66's and loved them on my Jazz for church stuff, but with my Warwick I have really grown to love ProSteels .45-.105 with a .145T for Drop A action. Kalium were nice too but the Prosteels are more economical and sound equally as good on this bass

 

[Al Kraft]

GHS Bass Boomers and D'Addario Nickel Rounds. They sounded fine and kept me happy for years.

 

[mustBmtd]

GHS Boomers, were my go to strings when I started working on bass. And the only ones I stayed with until I came to know other sets.

 

[1stnamebassist]

I don't know. Whatever was on the Blackjack violin bass I bought from my brother in 1973. Had the bass for a couple years and never changed the strings. Don't remember if they were rounds or flats. Now I try pretty much everything but I don't have a be all end all string. I'm always switching around, nickel, steel, round, flat, tape etc... But over the last two years or so two strings are standouts to me. Dean Markley Blue Steels for rounds and Ernie Ball Cobalts for flats. Runner up is Fender 9050 flats. But I still try other strings in between the favorites looking for the one precious string that will make me not want to try anything else.

 

[Bass'd on a true story]

Ernieball, because that's the only thing my local GC seemed to stock.

Also

I've been using them almost exclusively since the 70's...I've tried others but always come back to them.

You sound like one of my friends who got caught being naughty. "Yeah, baby, I've been exclusive. I've tried a few others, but I always come back to you."

 

[Pops OB]

Like some wives and old girlfriends, strings get stretched, stretched out, snap, get dull, some are replaced quickly, some are never replaced. Makes you think...

 

[ERIC31]

Whatever crap strings that came on the cheap, Mako P- Bass knockoff that I bought in 1988 for $125.00. I knew nothing about basses except that I liked them and wanted to play one!

 

[Sunset Shalom]

I use whatever is cheapest and has good reviews, this is true for guitar and bass. Right now my bass has a set of R Cocco 4 string electric's and while I am more knowledgeable with guitar strings they seem to be of fair quality and I have yet to really feel the need to replace them after months of playing.

Got my set for 15$ off ebay, they are advertised as "handmade strings" whatever that means.

"Richard Cocco Senior was born in Italy and came to the United States of America in 1951.

Richard entered the string manufacturing business at the time when the first electric bass guitars were introduced. Fascinated by this new instrument, he developed the Cocco method of hand winding to make new strings which proved to be so fine that some of his first customers wew America's legendary electric bass guitar inventors.

After 10 years of collaboration, Mr. Cocco recognized in Mr. Alfonso Annecchiarico the onlu one capable to continue his legacy. Today Alfonso Annecchiarico is the sole owner of R. Cocco™ strings and the only depositary of Richard's secrets. The best materials and the same machines designed and developed by Richard Cocco Sr. continue to produce guitar string that are exceptional."

- from their website

I may try something else out next for comparison as these are the only strings I have swapped onto my 1 bass.

For guitar I have used a lot of random stuff, lots of various Ernie Ball strings my favorite of which are the Titanium Slinkys which sound great and last a while.

Got some D Addario flatwounds I put on a semi hollow which sounded great, I never adjusted the action for them though so they were rough to play I finally swapped back to regular strings and regret it, eventually I am going to get more flats and actually set up the guitar for them. Halfwounds are cool too.

 

[NikonGunny]

About every brand that I could get my hands on. I think it went something like - RotoSound, Fender, Ken Smith, DR, GHS, Ernie Ball, D'Addario, and Thomastik.

I've since settled on Ernie Ball for my Stingray, still trying to decide if I like Thomastik Powerbass on my Yamaha BB414, and D'Addario for everything else.

 

[Davbassdude]

I used LaBella flatwounds, because back in 1971, options were limited. I now prefer the Dean-Markley Roundwounds (since around 1979). I have the SR 2000's on my MIA Fender Jazz and the N(ickel) P(lated) S(teel)s on my Ric 4003.

 

[BigEarl]

Rotosound Swing Bass. If it was good enough for Chris Squire, it was good enough for me.

 

[redhed]

Hard Rockin' steel. Now I like Bass Boomers and the Dunlop Bright stainless steel.

 

[Meghans Dad]

Started with what came on my Fenders, then switched to Fender med flats. Went to Daddario flats when I couldn't get Fender sets in 5 string. Tried Daddario tape wound flats on my P bass. Love the sound for what I want to hear (no, it is not the best string set if coupled with my SB300 and 15" for metal!). I do wish the Daddario chromes were polished as well as the Fenders were though.

 

[Eric Swaim]

GHS Super Steel 44-102

 

[JimmyM]

when i first started playing, i used rotosound swingbass 66's because my buddy in the band i had been singing for always used them. i didn't love them, but i didn't hate them, either. over time, i've moved toward different strings.

so what strings did you use when you first started playing bass, and are you still using them or have you moved to other strings? and why?

Yep, that's what I first used, too, and I loved their awesome zing, but I wore frets out too quickly with them so I switched to nickels. Used D'addarios for a long time, but now I'm using Dunlop Super Bright Nickels because to me, they represent the best aspects of Roto steels and D'addario nickels.

 

[Charlzm]

when i first started playing, i used rotosound swingbass 66's

I used Rotosound, though the name for the ones I used was Superwound back then. Rotosound strings on a Rick 4001 was my M.O. because that's what I thought Geddy Lee and Chris Squire played. I was 17 and just wanted to be as good as my idols.

I haven't used Rotosound in many, many years. I have found other strings I like better.

 

[Pops OB]

I post this story once again. Can't resist when I see mention of a Rick:

Back in the 70s, a fellow bassist and good friend of mine had a gig at the Whisky in Hollywood. This was the first gig with his brand new Rick 4001.

After the gig, my friend wanted his new Rick in the pickup cab with him. The lead guitarist suggested that his bass would be just fine in the back of the guitarist's pickup truck. He quite reluctantly did so.

Riding on the old rough and bumpy Hollywood Freeway, you guessed it, case and all, that Rick bounced right out of the back and right under the wheels of a semi behind. The brand new Rick 4001 was totally destroyed. My friend, then in his 20s, literally broke down and cried.