Hi all! I’m new to strings/gear in general and just wondering what strings you would use on an Ibanez btb 1835. I’ve owned this bass for a couple months and have tried some lighter gauge strings but didn’t quite feel they were right. Would you recommend lower gauge? Flats? I play a lot of jazz/funk stuff and have always wanted to try flats but not sure if they’re the right fit either. The strings I’ve got now are very light and great for slap/double thumb stuff but aren’t really the tone I’m looking for. As I said before I’m new to this kinda stuff so any advice is appreciated! (Pictures attached)
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what strings would you recommend for my Ibanez btb1835
- Thread starter sebwood
- Start date
Looks like you have D'Addario XL Nickels 45-65-80-100-130. That's a good reference point to start with as they're "middle-of-the-road" all-purpose nickel roundwound strings.
In terms of tone, do you find them too bright or too mellow? What about the overall feel? Too light and loose, or too stiff?
IMO
If you’re new to bass, while it sounds financially daunting, you should try different strings until you find what you like. Start with Ernie Ball Slinky, as those are probably the least expensive quality strings, and work your way up from there. I think most players who have been at it for a while have tried many strings before finding their current goto strings.
If you’re new to bass, while it sounds financially daunting, you should try different strings until you find what you like. Start with Ernie Ball Slinky, as those are probably the least expensive quality strings, and work your way up from there. I think most players who have been at it for a while have tried many strings before finding their current goto strings.
I tried 6 different sets of strings before I settled on the one that sounded and worked with MY bass the best. Unless somebody says, they like a certain string for that particular bass, then you may be a bit closer to a decision, but It is alot of just trying different strings. Guys are going to say GHS are best, DR are best, TI are the only strings to ever buy....etc etc. SSDD.
Magma flats and SIT flats are affordable and good. Not a costly investment to try a decent flat.
Same with rounds: SIT Powersteel and Magma rounds are good and affordable.
Magma flats and SIT flats are affordable and good. Not a costly investment to try a decent flat.
Same with rounds: SIT Powersteel and Magma rounds are good and affordable.
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I always say go with what you know. When I first started thinking about strings, I asked myself “what did/do my bass heroes play?”. At the time, my favorite bassists played Rotosound 66s. So that’s what I played for a long time when I was younger.
Earlier this year, my bass tech introduced me to the D’Addario XL nickels that are currently on your bass. They’re great strings! I play them and love them. Perhaps you’ll want to try different gauges?
Like others said, string preference is a very personal choice, it helps to try different gauges, materials, and brands, and to try them out for a decent amount of time before ditching them. We might be able to nudge you in a certain direction but you'll have to be more specific about what you don't like about the strings you've already tried
Great advice from @Dr. Turkey ...
@sebwood, the only way to find out what works for you personally is to try a bunch of different brands and types. Or, respond to my earlier questions. (post #2)
Sorry for not getting back to been very very busy lately. Those are the exact strings i use actually how did you know? I find them a bit too bright for my taste and a bit loose too.
Thanks for commenting, Right now i've got D’Addario XL nickels (45-130) and i find them a bit too bright/loose for my taste.
Those color-coded ball ends are definitely D'Addario. XL Nickels are one of the brightest nickel rounds.
DR Nickel Lo-Riders 45-65-85-105-130 (NMH5-130) = Punchy lows and smooth but clear midrange with a non-zingy top end.
GHS Boomers 45-65-85-105-130 (5M-DYB) = Low-mid punch with grit and grind, stiffer and darker in character than the XL Nickels.
How long ago did you change them? You might like them more after breaking them in for a while. As for loose, the solution there is to just go up a gauge.
If you've already had them there for a while and put hours into playing them then Michael's suggestion is a good starting point
If you're not liking the tone with nickel then try stainless steel round wound. I tried steel and it was a game changer. Typically if guys like steel they won't like nickel. However if you try stainless steel and you don't like those either then there's always flat sounds. But start with rounds and see. There's a ton of different strings to choose from. Personally I found labella Rx stainless steels to sound really good on my Ibanez Soundgear. I think they could work for you too. But keep looking around there's an abundance of options.
The OP is saying the D'A XL Nickels are "too bright". Stainless steel roundwound is not the answer.
There's a few steels that mellow out quite a bit but out of the gate I know what you mean. The good part is that you can play on steel longer than nickel before you risk intonation issues or staying in tune. He might like Dr black beauties but EQ out some treble on his active EQ. The op might be one of us who just likes broken in strings period so I'd say it's worth a shot if he hasn't yet. If he can get along with the stiffness and smooth texture of flats then those might be his jam. Won't know till he tries.
If D'A XL Nickels are "too loose" for the OP, the Black Beauties would be too flexible.
I've never tried XL nickel only pro steel but I know pro steel is fairly stiff. Maybe he will like flats after all. Or heavy gauge in round wound. Good news is that the heavier the gauge the less zingy brightness the string has.
I stand by my recommendation for the DR Nickel Lo-Riders 45-130. Not too bright, not too loose. And their 37.75" winding length should work well on the 35" scale BTB. And no, flats wouldn't be suited for the active bass.
Come to think of it, have you adjusted your tone on your preamp at all? Sorry if that sounds obvious but it's not uncommon for people to ignore the controls on their instruments haha.
Why not?
Why not?
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