What's Your Brand?

[J_Bass]

TI Jazz Flats are my favorite. I love the sound they have, not that classic flat tone and not as "harsh" in feel and tone as rounds.

I really like the low tension on the strings, which seems to be the aspect of them that folks who don't use them mostly dislike.

 

[Solarmist]

OP should've allowed multiple votes. Most members here own more than one bass and despite some chose a certain brand for majority or all of their basses, lots of others use various brands of strings with no preference towards one brand, other than what goes best with each bass. Or, they are on a quest to find the best strings match for his/her basses.

Currently, I have a tie between Dunlop and D'Addario. Each are on 4 basses. But, I've put on also La Bella, GHS and Elixir on the others.

Yes - those are my two top choices as well, D'Add Prosteels or Dunlop SS Superbrights. I've been using the SB's since you told me a while back that Dunlop were now making a taperwound 130-B, but I'm feeling a little disloyal to D'Add after using them for the last 10 years or so.

 

[fretlessguy]

My two five string Carvin Bolt basses have P Flats on the Fretless and GHS pressure wounds on the fretted. Not exactly in the same as the OP has but similar in idea.

 

[KaraQ]

Most of my basses have the K3 coated DRs, mostly red neon. I do have two basses with Rotosounds, one with a Nexus set, one with an old set of flatwound 77s. The DRs are definitely my favorites!

 

[uwrossl]

Favorite rounds are TI Jazz Flats. Favorite flats are Dunlops.

 

[GIBrat51]

Curious to see what brand is most commonly used by TalkBass. If you could leave a comment on why you prefer that brand, that would be very helpful.

This, for me, is kind of a hard question to answer. With 23 basses, and all but 3 strung with flats, I use a lot of different brands of strings. And, within those brands, I use a lot of different gauges and scale lengths. I have a particular tone in my head for each bass, and I'm willing to try a lot of different string brands - and sometimes gauges - to get that tone. Which has resulted in a lot of different brands... So, what am I using?
- Optima: RB Flats on a Rick 4003 for the vintage Rick tone I heard when I learned to play bass (a '68 4001).
4099RL Chromes to mellow out a Kramer 450B's stupid hot pickups. They work really well; sound great, too.
- D'Addario: Chromes on a G&L ASAT w/ custom pickups; lotta different (and useful) tones. One of my few "versatile" basses.
- Thomastik-Infeld; Jazz Rounds on an old Gretsch; turned it from a muddy Thump Monster into a very useful bass.
Jazz Flats on an Alembic Epic; smoothest Jazz you ever heard...
- Dogal: R44 Flats; on a Gibson Thunderbird; good bottom, massive mids, and useful highs. And no mud at all...
Carbon Steels; very low tension for a Rick 4001 that needs that. A lot like the R44s, but more bottom.
- DR: Legends, on a headless Kramer Duke. Flats that sound like Boomers on this bass. I love that tone...
- Galli: JF4505 Jazz Flats, on a Stingray 4HH Special. They were made for this bass, IMO. Lots of useful tones; very slick, too...
- Sadowsky: OG Blue Label Flats; On an old Carvin LB-20, w/"meh" HB50 pups. They get the most out of those things, IMO...
- GHS: Precision Flats; heavy ones, on a long scale and 2 short scale basses. I want clean, articulate, and THUMPY. I get it, too...
Bass Boomers; on my other headless Kramer Duke. Will they stay? Maybe yes; maybe not...
- Rotosound: Bass 88 Tapes; just the woody thump I want from this violin bass.
RS77LD Flats; Mostly bottom end and mids from this Gibson T-Bird, but... still, not muddy at all...
- Fender: 9050L Flats; the "Goldilocks" flats. Not too anything, they're on 2 basses that I want "Generic Bass w/Flats" tone from...
- La Bella: 760FX Dano flats; 39-96 ga., long and short scale. On 2 of my Danos - for "that Dano sound", of course.
760Fl; 43-104 ga., again in long and short scale. You want Vintage Thump from a hollowbody bass? You want these...
- Ernie Ball: Cobalt Flats, 45-105 ga. On my '80s Kramer Forum III? I dunno; jury's still out. Still sticky, even after cleaning, and not really broken in yet. Will they work with these old Spector P-J pups? We'll see...
So, that's the string morass I've created for myself. And, in case you're wondering... yes, I have to keep all this mess written down, to keep track of it all.

 

[lsabina]

Everly B-52 Rockers (alloy 52).

 

[andruca]

In praise of Warwick Red Label NICKELS

 

[Element Zero]

For the most part, Fodera strings just work for me. Although my Fodera has worn MANY different brands and most recently some… shhh… don’t tell Ken… a set of Ken Smith strings… which I liked A LOT… but now it’s got an old set of TI Jazz Rounds gracing my fingertips.

Got a set of Elixers and Curt Mangan strings in transit.

The Stingray has GHS Hex core boomers on it. My wife likes how they feel but, meh. Kinda spongy if you ask me. Might try some Ken Smiths with the purple wrapping to match the purple body.

 

[JW56789]

I started out with Boomers, then over time tried everything from Black Diamond to Thomastiks, and came home to Boomers (and the occasional BalNicks and PWounds) because I can get them most anywhere, and they ALWAYS work. Consistent. One of the days I gotta try the Round Innards Boomers . . . . .

 

[PaulS]

Chose other, I use Dean Markley

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Dunlop Nickels on basses that are a little too zingy, Dunlop Super Bright Nickels on basses that need a little extra top end. GHS Pressurewounds on my fretless.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I am basically a GHS guy, although I like Daddario and Ernie Ball also.

 

[bassist4dalord]

I keep coming back to D’Addario. I love their Tapewounds, Chromes, Nickel XLs and ProSteels. They’re all excellent and they’ve never let me down.

 

[armybass]

DR
LaBella
TI

In that order.

 

[filmtex]

You didn't list either of the two brands I've been using since the 80's- Dean Markley and [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]. Both have been great for me. Reasonably priced, long lasting and great sounding.

 

[BurnOut]

Chromes are about all I'm putting on my basses, still running round wounds on my Jackson though

 

[foal30]

I voted Daddario:

They have always been available in New Zealand and I really like their Chromes.

I have Sadowsky Black flats as well but they are no longer made.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

I’m a diehard GHS user. GHS Pressurewounds are my favorite strings. IMO there’s no other brand or type of strings made by any other company that match their tone, feel, and lifespan. Their tone is incredibly versatile.

GHS Bass Boomers are my favorite nickel plated roundwound string. I’ve tried many other brands of NPS roundwounds, and for my needs, Boomers come out on top.

 

[KenD]

SIT Silencers are the best I have found for my 5 string fretless.