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What's Your String History?

#102
sadasar said:
For you DR Lovers I've been looking to give then a try someone recommended the black beauties but I was wondering what you Dr fans prefer.
Click to expand...

Have not tried the Black Beauties but I use Sunbeams on my Lakland DJ4. I find them to have a balanced midrange, flexible (in both sound and bendability) with a beautiful high end and tight bass.

On my Lakland Glaub and Hollowbody I opt for nickel Low Riders which give me a fatter more aggressive sound and a rougher string texture.

I use both sets in .45-.105 sizes.
DR just makes great strings. Can't go wrong with them.
 
#103
sadasar said:
For you DR Lovers I've been looking to give then a try someone recommended the black beauties but I was wondering what you Dr fans prefer.
Click to expand...

sadasar said:
For you DR Lovers I've been looking to give then a try someone recommended the black beauties but I was wondering what you Dr fans prefer.
Click to expand...

Have not tried the Black Beauties but I use Sunbeams on my Lakland DJ4. I find them to have a balanced midrange, flexible (in both sound and bendability) with a beautiful high end and tight bass.

On my Lakland Glaub and Hollowbody I opt for nickel Low Riders which give me a fatter more aggressive sound and a rougher string texture.

I use both sets in .45-.105 sizes.
DR just makes great strings. Can't go wrong with them.
 
#105
sadasar said:
For you DR Lovers I've been looking to give then a try someone recommended the black beauties but I was wondering what you Dr fans prefer.
Click to expand...

Fat Beams. I have them on my Spector and they bring the bass to life.

I also have LaBella flats on my P bass, and I love them. Still not a total convert though, the Fat Beams just sound so good with the active preamp when I crank the mids and get funky.
 
#106
Shmandy said:
Fat Beams. I have them on my Spector and they bring the bass to life.

I also have LaBella flats on my P bass, and I love them. Still not a total convert though, the Fat Beams just sound so good with the active preamp when I crank the mids and get funky.
Click to expand...

If you have tried them, what are the differences between the Fatbeams and lowriders/sunbeams???

Thanks.
 
#107
afroman said:
If you have tried them, what are the differences between the Fatbeams and lowriders/sunbeams???

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Fatbeams are basically Hi Beams with a bit more low end extension to my ear. Sunbeams are basically nickel wound Hi Beams (Fat Beams and Hi Beams are stainless steel). All the 'Beam' strings are built around a round core, which is different from most strings. It results in a very smooth feel (the stainless steel models feel much like hex core nickels... smooth with lower tension that a typical stainless steel string).

The Sunbeams are a bit too floppy for me, but the Hi Beams (for a very crisp, airy tone) and the Fat Beams (if you want a touch of bump in the ratio of bass to treble) are very nice. All the 'Beam' strings have a very polite upper mid response, and they are very good for isolating the top end sizzle of a bass. They have a sweet, modern, full range tone.


The Lo Riders are built around a more tradition hex core, so have a stiffer feel. They come in steel and nickel versions. The steel versions have much more upper midrange content than the 'Beam' strings, so they do the grindy thing very nicely. Great strings if you like that '70's J Bass ganky grind, or for a bass like a Ric or aggressive pick grind from a P Bass, etc., etc.

So, to me, the 'Beam' strings are unique, the Lo Riders are more similar to many other roundwound strings.... relatively tight feel, more 'bright' than 'airy sweet'.
 
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#108
KJung said:
Fatbeams are basically Hi Beams with a bit more low end extension to my ear. Sunbeams are basically nickel wound Hi Beams (Fat Beams and Hi Beams are stainless steel). All the 'Beam' strings are built around a round core, which is different from most strings. It results in a very smooth feel (the stainless steel models feel much like hex core nickels... smooth with lower tension that a typical stainless steel string).

The Sunbeams are a bit too floppy for me, but the Hi Beams (for a very crisp, airy tone) and the Fat Beams (if you want a touch of bump in the ratio of bass to treble) are very nice. All the 'Beam' strings have a very polite upper mid response, and they are very good for isolating the top end sizzle of a bass. They have a sweet, modern, full range tone.

The Lo Riders are built around a more tradition hex core, so have a stiffer feel. They come in steel and nickel versions. The steel versions have much more upper midrange content than the 'Beam' strings, so they do the grindy thing very nicely. Great strings if you like that '70's J Bass ganky grind, or for a bass like a Ric or aggressive pick grind from a P Bass, etc., etc.

So, to me, the 'Beam' strings are unique, the Lo Riders are more similar to many other roundwound strings.... relatively tight feel, more 'bright' than 'airy sweet'.
Click to expand...

Wow great insight.
Thanks for all of that.
Your explanation confirms why I use sunbeams and nicker lowriders. But I may try Fatbeams someday of I decide to try SS strings again.
 
#109
String history:

Daddario heavy
Daddario medium nickel ( for a number of years )
Blue Steel ( it was a short time )

Back to Daddario medium Nickels for a few more years
Elixir nano webs for a few years ( because they last friggin forever )
DR Hi Beams, Sun Beams, Black Beauties, and Marcus Miller sig sets.

I use DR Sumbeams or High Beams on all my fretted basses for the last 5-6 years now. I love the round core feel and the sound.

I use Black Beauties on my fretless basses. They just work for me.
 
#110
1st few years:
GHS Boomers 45-105
then
Roto Sound Swing Bass 45-105

Next few years:
Dean Markley Super Round 45-105
or
Carl Thompson nickel rounds 45-105

Since around 1996-ish:
D'Aquisto Nickel Rounds 45-105
or any nickel 45-105 set that has an .080 A
(I prefer 45,65,80,105 - not 45,65,85,105)
Carl Thompson nickel round 45-128 for the 5-strings

In the last two years or so, I've messed around a bit with some new things; A set of Ken Smith Compressors on my fretless Ray, D'Addario Chromes and then EBMM flats on a fretless P and TI flats on a couple of other basses.
 
#111
I used D'Addario for the longest time. Probably something like 7 or 8 years. For the last several years I've been using Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky's.. For some reason they don't sell regular gauge Ernie Balls around here. It's odd. Makes me think that Ernie Ball discounts their hybrids to the benefit of the shops. But who knows... Lately I've been thinking about switching to Elixirs. A buddy of mine has had the same set on his Spector Legend Series for over 3 years and they sound more alive than the Ernie Balls I've had on my bass for the last couple months.
 
#112
I started with Ernie Ball. They were always available locally (SLO county, which makes sense, I suppose). I used them for a couple years when I first started playing.

Then I tried Elixir and hated the sound and feeling.

Then I tried DR's on a recommendation. Hi Beams for one set, then Sunbeams for years. Then, a new band, and new strings for the down tuning. So I went to the DDT's which were nice strings.

Then I got a slightly used set of Circle K strings. It's been almost 2 years and I have them on all my basses now.
 
#115
I'm still young, but i've found that some of my basses sound better with one set of strings than others. so i guess this would be my history, i'm a bit fuzzy:

Stock squier pbass strings (45-105)
GHS boomers (45-105) recommended by my dad.
Ernie ball hybrid 45-105 (now my preferred set on my precision bass)snapped so many of these xD
very cheap brand bass strings (40-100?) didnt last long.
ghs coated boomers (45-105) complete garbage since they hardly die out.
ghs boomers (50-1 something) 5 string version given by my friend
dunlop 45-105( on my thunderbird) hate the sound

Sets i'd like to try on some basses:
half wounds or flats on my rickenbacker copy
dean markley 45-105 on my thunderbird
d'addario 45-105 on my ibanez gaxB

that's pretty much it for now. SO far one brand that's sticking is the ernie ball hybrids
 
#116
Having a tough time remembering these. Been using primarily D'Addario nickel rounds for 20 years. Just recently strung all of my basses differently. These are all I could come up with.

Bass Boomers
Blue Steels
Dunlop
Ernie Ball
Fender Nickel Rounds
Fender Nylon Tapewounds
D'Addario Nickel Rounds
D'Addario ProSteels
D'Addario Chromes
D'Addario Nylon Tapewounds
 
#117
#118
Here we go! Not in order, but it works. Could probably list what bass they were on, but if you need to know, just ask me. (5) indicates they were on a 5-string, but it's likely I've had them on a 4, as well.

D'Addario:
Nickel Rounds (5)
Chromes Flatwound (5)
Black Nylon Tapewound (Currently on my only bass, a 5-string; favorite string thus far)
Phosphor Bronze Acoustic (ABG)

DR:
Stainless Steel Lo-Riders

Ernie Ball:
Slinky (5)
Power Slinky

Fender:
9050M Flatwounds
7250 Nickel Rounds

GHS:
Precision Flatwound (5)
Boomers Nickel Round

Rotosound:
Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel (5)
RN66LD Nickel-Plated Steel Rounds

SIT:
Power Wound Nickel Rounds (5)
 
#119
I started out many years ago using Rotosound. Since then, I have tried Dean Markley, D'addario, and DR. I was in a band and the guitar player had a deal with Curt Mangan strings so I tried a set and loved them. I have had a deal with Curt Mangan for several years and wouldn't think of using anything else.
 

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