What strings does Les claypool use

[DistantTremor]

on his fretless? Roundwounds or Flatwounds?

The brand would also be nice to know, but that's not what I'm wondering.

 

[DistantTremor]

What, nobody knows?

>.>

 

[BellBottomBlues]

I think he uses bass strings.

 

[Meyatch]

I'd almost guarentee he uses roundwounds. And I would venture a guess there's a good chance he uses carl thompson strings

 

[neptoon]

well, for years he played thomastik-infeld jazz rounds...not sure about now, but carl thompson has strings, too, so it could be plausible he's using CT's...i read an article a long time ago that said he used to use dean markley nickel rounds...with .080 guage E and A strings and .040 guage D and G strings...isn't that odd?

 

[plastik-bass[?]]

well, for years he played thomastik-infeld jazz rounds...not sure about now, but carl thompson has strings, too, so it could be plausible he's using CT's...i read an article a long time ago that said he used to use dean markley nickel rounds...with .080 guage E and A strings and .040 guage D and G strings...isn't that odd?

claypool is an odd fellow

 

[Mayers]

On his 6 strings he uses roundwound. it is very hard to get close of his sound without roundwound and some overdrive.

 

[colorblindbass]

i read something that he uses blue steels maybe?
or Basic D'addarios

it said in a bass player mag. one time.

waiit wait its right here lemme look,



aha! here in the August of 2006 issue of bass player magazine
Les "hog wild" on the cover it says

Dean Markley Blue Steel strings (.45-.100)

 

[PilbaraBass]

well, for years he played thomastik-infeld jazz rounds...not sure about now, but carl thompson has strings, too, so it could be plausible he's using CT's...i read an article a long time ago that said he used to use dean markley nickel rounds...with .080 guage E and A strings and .040 guage D and G strings...isn't that odd?

yeah, I remember that article...yes, it IS odd...

but then what's conventional about les claypool?

 

[DavePlaysBass]

Sounds like new steels and overdrive to me.

 

[hellbent_Nivek]

yeah, I remember that article...yes, it IS odd...

but then what's conventional about les claypool?

I read the interview too, said to be easier to "shoot'em chords" with.

 

[mmbongo]

He uses Blue Steels.

 

[Bachh]

He uses Dunlop strings. Most definitely rowndwound. Smaller guages than usual that's for sure but not certain.

 

[Shedua511]

I read the interview too, said to be easier to "shoot'em chords" with.

I remember it was to get a tone similar to Tony Levin on Chapman Stick.
It was an article on Bass Player in the '90s. It stuck because I play Stick

 

[Jon Moody]

He uses Dunlop strings. Most definitely rowndwound. Smaller guages than usual that's for sure but not certain.

This.

 

[mmbongo]

He uses Dunlop strings. Most definitely rowndwound. Smaller guages than usual that's for sure but not certain.

He must have switched recently, since he predates Dunlop making strings by about 20 years. They must pay more than Dean Markley

But what you hear on Primus records is DM Blue Steels. Not that it really matters!

 

[mmix]

He must have switched recently, since he predates Dunlop making strings by about 20 years. They must pay more than Dean Markley

But what you hear on Primus records is DM Blue Steels. Not that it really matters!

I think he was talking specifically about the strings on his resonator bass, but I could be wrong. He does get a pretty solid sound out of that dobro given the way he plays it.

 

[Fynn]

Since this is one of the top posts on google about this topic I'd like to help the people looking for answer out a bit.

On his 4 string basses Les Claypool uses Dean Markley (probably steel strings). I've found a picture of him from november 2019 where you can see the blue and black ball ends of the strings, which would only make sense to be Dean Markleys.

Hope this helps someone on their obsessive journey.

 

[Harper Oliver]

Does he just use long scale strings on his piccolo scaled bass then? Wouldn’t the strings be too long?

 

[GTHintz]

Since this is one of the top posts on google about this topic I'd like to help the people looking for answer out a bit.

On his 4 string basses Les Claypool uses Dean Markley (probably steel strings). I've found a picture of him from november 2019 where you can see the blue and black ball ends of the strings, which would only make sense to be Dean Markleys.

View attachment 4655703

Hope this helps someone on their obsessive journey.

That's pretty recent of a pic. Its cool seeing him still playing blue steels. I tried them before knowing that Les has been a long time user and I gotta say they are really nice strings. Lasted a long time, settled in and held a thick punchy tone for a long time. They seem to have more character than most of the strings I've been playing over the years.