Which strings do you like the least?

[debassr]

For me it's D'Addario XL Half Round Mediums.

The grittiest, grossest string feel I've ever come across - it's like rubbing velvet the wrong way no matter which way you rub it.

 

[fretlessman71]

I agree. Probably the only string set I won't buy or even give a chance anymore.

 

[20db pad]

I don't care for D'Addario XL Half Rounds either. D'Addario also made copper-wound strings that were also pretty weird. Oddly enough, Nathan East appeared in print ads for those strings 20 years ago.

Before this thread becomes a D'Addario hate fest, I've been using XL nickels and Prosteels forever.

 

[Nikoubis]

Half-rounds in general. Both their tone and feel.

 

[Toshiro]

I don't have any I hate, per se, but I did buy a set of Blue Steels once. They went dead faster than any other string I've tried. The other stuff I've tried, D'Addarios, Rotos, TIs, GHS Boomers, were all fine. My preference these days is TI.

 

[namraj]

I love: Dean Markley Alchemy Randy Jackson's
I'm not impressed with: roto pinks, EB Super Slinky's, DR Peacock Blue Coated Strings.

 

[P-BASSLOVER]

D'Aquisto rounds are absoulutly the worst!
Next would be D'Addario Halfrounds.

 

[bassbully]

For me it's D'Addario XL Half Round Mediums.

The grittiest, grossest string feel I've ever come across - it's like rubbing velvet the wrong way no matter which way you rub it.

Ding..Ding...Ding...we have a winner

 

[bassbully]

To tell you the truth the only D'Addario strings i have ever liked are Chromes those things are sexy!

 

[lowendgenerator]

Ernie Balls! They feel like rubber bands to me. Even the .110 set felt floppy when tuned to E,

Rotosounds too, they sound great, but they kill my frets!

IMHO, YMMV, WYSIWYG....

 

[basslinejam]

For me it's D'Addario XL Half Round Mediums.

The grittiest, grossest string feel I've ever come across - it's like rubbing velvet the wrong way no matter which way you rub it.

+1 yuck. Threw them away (and I don't throw anything away)

 

[LowBSix]

ROTOSOUND doesn't last for me at all and the tone is artificial... IMHO

 

[JTE]

XL Half Rounds? Is that new? The XLs are the nickle D'Addarios, and the HR series is the half-rounds...

But anyway... I don't like Rotosound RS-66 becasue they die so quickly and are so coarse and hard on frets. I hate Dean Markely strings in all types because Mr. Dean Markely is a monumental jerk. I dont' care for GHS Boomers (and Lakland's nickles) because they won't stay in tune for me until they've been on quite a while. I don't like either D'Addario Half-Rounds nor GHS Brite Flats because they have the worst of both flats and rounds rather than the best of each sort. I don't like Fender strings of any sort (except the ones they shipped on my Sting, but they're not the ones FMIC's website claims them to be) because they don't sound very good. When I was a Fender dealer, the owner of the store was a notorious tight-wad. But we cut off the strings on all brand new Fender guitars and restrung them with D'Addario, and he even let me replace most of the bass strings too.

But this is so negative- I like D'Addario XL, XLS (do they still make those stainless strings?), GHS Pro-Steels, GHS Gus series nickles, DR Sunbeams and Hi-Beams, Lakland stainless, and a couple of sets of Ken Smith strings I've played but don't recall exactly what they were (Rockmasters, I beleive). I also really like GHS Precision flats, Lakland Joe Osborne flats, TI Jazz (rounds), and a set of Peavey "Balanced" strings I put on my Guild Pilot about seven years ago.

jte

 

[RONQUITO]

another Rotos hater over here...

 

[Guest043]

i like just about every set of rounds ive tried. i dont have a least favorite, but my favorite is S.I.T..

the only strings i really diddnt go for was the stock carvin strings that came on my XB76 when it was new.

 

[dataBASS5]

but I did buy a set of Blue Steels once.

+1

My first bass instructor swore by these and I didn't know any better. I went through probably 12 sets of these clunkers before I started experimenting with strings that felt good TO ME!

 

[XtromatriX]

For me right now it would be DR. Fatbeams... They never realy gave me that snappy attack that I get when I slap other strings.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

XL Half Rounds? Is that new? The XLs are the nickle D'Addarios, and the HR series is the half-rounds...

Yes, the halfrounds are the HR series, though they put a big XL on the package.

I used Roto 66's from about 1973 to the early 80s on the Precision, but the moved to the D'Addario stainless HRs. The P and Thunderbolt have the nickel HRs. The Buzz, Warwick, and Foundation fretlesses still have the stainless HRs.

I threw a really old set of stainless HRs on the Dean Razor, then ordered nickel HRs for it. However, I just put Infeld nickel rounds on the Razor to tame some of its extreme mid/hi tone. We'll see how that goes. (I put in the MEC pickups that came from the Warwick; that has helped slightly, mostly adding growl.)

The Infelds are the first rounds I've used in maybe 25 years, and it'll take a bit of getting used to.

 

[CrashClint]

I like Cleartone strings the absolute least, enough to say I hate them and they are a waist of money! There, I said it!

Then there is D'Addario XL170

Then Rotosound 66



I like DR Black Beauties and Ernie Ball Slinkys.

 

[K-T]

D'Addario XL160. had to bare them twice!(local music shop had double packs of them on sale)