What's your philosophy on strings? Same strings on all/most basses or different strings on all/most basses?

[MrAB4003]

What's your philosophy on strings? Do you use the same strings on all/most of your basses, or do you use different strings on all/most of your basses? And why?

By "strings" I mean the same product, such as D'Addario Chromes -- although it doesn't necessarily have to be the same gauge -- not type of strings.

I'm just curious to see how the polls pan out. It seems to me, from reading the strings forum over the years, people either put the same strings on all of their basses (often TIJF) or have multiple copies of the same basses so that each can wear different strings.

Also because I'm tired of the same old conversations about flats and TIJF, although I will say topics have been varying lately.

50/50 for me. I'm mostly loyal to D'Addario, but I let my basses decide which type of strings works best with it. Sometimes there are exceptions to my loyalty.

Rounds:
My Ruby Ric 4003 and Fender Am Pro II P Bass both have D'Addario NYXLs. These are the best rounds I have ever played. I have played Ernie Ball Slinkies, Rotosound 66s, and D'Addario (regular) XLs in the past.

Flats:
My Satin Autumnglo Ric 4003 has D'Addario Chromes. The Nordstrand pickups in this bass are so hot that I put Chromes on it to mellow them out a little. I still have plenty of clank and brightness, but it's more manageable. I have thought about changing them out for NYXLs for more aggression. But this is my only fretted bass with flats.

My Sire P5 fretless has La Bella DTFs. It came stock with my preferred Chromes, but they didn't sound or feel right. So I decided to try La Bella DTFs. The DTFs are way more balanced across the strings than the Chromes. They also sound more consistent, which is important for fretless.

I have also tried Rotosound 77s and La Bella Gold Flats in the past. Neither of them were good.

Tapes & Semi-Flats:
I tried the La Bella black and white tapes in the past, but they don't work well for any tuning below standard (I tune to D Standard).

I also didn't give pressurewounds enough of a chance. I tried the Rotosound 55s in the past as a substitute for their terrible 66s. They felt more like rounds than typical pressurewounds and they sounded like dead rounds. I would like to try a different brand altogether in the future.

 

[Miles_ONeal]

I put EBCF 45-105s on all my 4 strings, tuned to D standard. Granted they're all Thunderbird style basses (Gibson, Epiphone, Greco), but there's a variety of pickups, pickup locations, fretboard material, and a bit of scale length difference in a couple. A vast palette of sounds between them, and they all work great with EBCFs.

 

[Wavy]

D'Addario double ball end round wounds on all except my fretless. It has tape wounds

 

[Turtle71]

I'm mostly loyal to D'Addario, but I use different types, I have a Jazz & a P-bass with Chromes, but all of my other basses have various gauges of NYXL, the only non-D'Addario is my medium scale Jaquar...for whatever reason, EB Regular Slinky just work on that thing.

 

[wysiwyg248]

I voted different because I pair my basses with flats and rounds.
Flats are either La Bella deep talking or Thomastik Jazz and rounds are either Rotosound 66 or DR Hi beams.

 

[eriky4003]

To paraphrase the world of Harry Potter "the strings choose the bass". For myself, I've had the best luck with DR Lo-Riders more recently and still sport Marcus Miller Dunlop Super Brights on the Ric and another bass.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I usually run certain strings on different basses to recreate classic sounds. The usually thing of say La Bella 1954 flats on one P bass, Rotosound 66 on another P bass. Marcus Miller super bright on one 5 string, SIT on another 5 string and so on

 

[Stewie]

Every electric bass I’ve owned since the late 1980s has worn GHR Precision flats 45-105. They’re too short for my upright, so it wears Jargars

 

[Freight Train]

When I was gigging in a rock cover band I'd take my semi-hollow body Epiphone strung with rounds, and my G&L L-1000 strung with medium/high tension flats, and that was a fantastic contrast between bass sounds for 60s vs. 70s+ songs. (You'd think it'd be better the other way around, with flats on the hollow body, but no lie the Jack Casady Epiphone strung with rounds is the meanest most aggressive sounding bass I've played.)
Now in a blues band I have the semi-hollow body strung with low tension light gauge flats, a Telecaster strung with medium/low tension medium gauge flats, and a PJ strung with medium/high tension medium gauge flats. I only take one bass to gigs, and choose by the size and mood of the venue. The higher the tension on the flats the more I can punch through at louder volumes. That's true for me at least.
I just realized nobody cares about this or will read it.

 

[Paul New]

TI or LaBella DT flats on everything but my 5 string and XL nickels on it.

Right now.

Everything is allways in flux because I like trying strings. At one point all of my basses were strung with TI flats, and that could happen again.

 

[Fuzzbass]

One thing I've learned in the decades I've been playing: a string set that sounds great on one bass might sound meh on another. Or 'mid', as the kids say.


Specifics:

• Elixir Nanowebs on the basses I play the most because they're my favorite coated string and stay fresh longest
• Rotosound RS66 is my favorite for grindy rock tone, but...
• ...DR Lo Rider Steels also have nice grind and stay sizzly longer than Rotos
• Just tried a set of EB Cobalt rounds, I like them a lot
• I'll use various other brands: Dunlop Super Brights, D'Addario steels, Ken Smith steels, others I'm forgetting
• Last but not least, I try to keep flats on at least one bass: TI Jazz, Sadowsky Blue Label, and next on my list is EB Cobalt

 

[Richard Lindsey]

Same for all my EBGs, but different for my ABG.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

My philosophy. Some people have too much time on their hands

 

[The B Keeper]

Variety is the spice of life.

GHS Precision Flats on a Stingray with Boscoe preamp for that old school sound.

SS Lo-Riders on both active basses with EMG humbuckers for rock and metal.

Nickel rounds for single coils, Ernie Ball on a Peavey Millennium with alnico pickups and Ken Smith Tapered Bass Burners on a Soundgear with Big Singles.

The parts bass with a Stingray body that will be passive has a set of SIT Power Steels waiting for it, mostly because they're cheap and I wanted to try them.

 

[pfschim]

For me, on my Jazz basses (3) I like consistency, so it's either DR Sunbeams or Pure Blues. Now, on fretless (Turner and a no-name acoustic electric), I also want a certain degree of consistency so it's TI Accousticores.

So, I voted mostly the same.

 

[J Wilson]

I'm simply not fussy enough to find a bespoke string set for every bass, life is too short.

 

[ajkula66]

Let's see...

La Bella White Nylons x 2

DR Lo Riders

DR Sunbeams

GHS Contact Core Super Steels

Pyramid Nickel Rounds.


Different spices that enhance (the sound) variety...and the cooking experiment never ends when it comes to strings in this house....

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

I use a veritable smorgasbord of strings on my various basses. I usually have two simultaneous strategies: Put the old strings in their box and leave it in the case along with the empty box for the current strings. If I like the new strings the box with the old strings goes back in the general inventory (or trash, depending on condition). If I don't like the new strings they go back to inventory and the old set (if useable) or a different new set goes on. Favorite brand? ON SALE!

BBB

 

[dbsfgyd1]

What's your philosophy on strings? Do you use the same strings on all/most of your basses, or do you use different strings on all/most of your basses? And why?

By "strings" I mean the same product, such as D'Addario Chromes -- although it doesn't necessarily have to be the same gauge -- not type of strings.

I'm just curious to see how the polls pan out. It seems to me, from reading the strings forum over the years, people either put the same strings on all of their basses (often TIJF) or have multiple copies of the same basses so that each can wear different strings.

Also because I'm tired of the same old conversations about flats and TIJF, although I will say topics have been varying lately.

I only have two basses, a Fender PJ and a Fender JB 5. They both have DR Lo Riders. I been using these string on my basses for 25 years now. Zero complaints ever about my tone from band mates soundmen rod recording producers.

 

[Yahboy]

I vote 70/30....

Cobalt flat 45-100 on Bacchus P , Squier Mattfreeman P and Charvel Pro mod PJ . But all has different P vibe.
Bacchus P has bright and present upper mid voice ; Squier MF P sound massive , solid and tight heft tone ; Charvel PJ sound growl , spark and modern.
Love Cobalt flat pretty much beside she sound lasting crisp and bright , another reason are the E string never sound dull or dead even over 4 years usage.

Ti flat on Vintera 50sP has woody , organic , round and smooth P vibe i need, yes, she just lasting , balance stiffness and even string to string tonal .

NYXL MS set on Ibanez SRMS725 , happy with the string to string tonal balance and quite lasting roundwound bass string. But , i still wish EB make extra long Cobalt flat set one day......