Which strings would you use in these basses

[LowWay]

I’m looking at 2 very similar basses. Both 30” semi hollow and fretted. One with a pair of tv Jones thunder blades, and one with 3 dagstar bisonics. I’m having Cliff bordwell build these.

I currently have 2 solid body 30” bordwells. One with a pair of Nordstrand DCs and nickel rounds, one with a bartolini pj set and LTFs.

I need to pick strings for these next builds. I was thinking one with rounds and one with flats. Maybe one with tapes?

If you had your choice of how these came strung, how would you do it?

Additionally, my 30” bass collection includes a wattplower with nickel rounds, an Acinonyx with pyramid gold flats, a danelectro ‘59DC with nickel rounds, a bordwell fretless with big rigs and a piezo and tapes, a pair of rob Allen Mouses (mice?), one fretted, one fretless, both with tapes.

Just trying to figure out staring places for these basses. I know I can change them.

 

[4StringDave]

I think I might go with flats on one and tapes on another, only because you already have rounds on one of the solid bodies and Danelectro, and tapes give something a bit different, especially on a semi hollow.

 

[Old Blastard]

I have a 32" Drake Fretless with 2 TV 'blades and D'Addario tapes and it sounds awesome. With the 3-pickups, try some nickel rounds to figure out the sounds with pickup Combos and then experiment. Nickels are sort of my baseline, although that mileage thing applies

 

[GIBrat51]

Well, I'm afraid I can't be of much help. Out of 28 basses that I own currently? One wears "short scale" TI Jazz Rounds (out of pure necessity), and one wears Roto TruBass88 Tapewounds (for the violin bass's tone). All the rest wear flats, of various brands, scales, and gauges. Except for a brand new Guild Starfire I that hasn't had it's D'Addario rounds replaced just yet - with flats. So, you can probably guess what my answer is... However, the only thing I can say, is that - with only a couple of exceptions - my short scale basses wear at least 45-100 gauge flats. Anything lighter I find to be a little... limp feeling...

 

[Killing Floor]

TI Jazz Flats on the 2 banger with the TVJ. TI Jazz Flats for the one with 3 pickups. Especially if one of the pickups is in between the neck and the bridge pickup.

 

[LowWay]

TI Jazz Flats are high on my consideration list.

 

[GTHintz]

I think tapewounds are a good idea especially since you've got flats and rounds already. Once you get the basses you can have time on them and hear what direction they want to go and that will probably help your string decisions more than anything. Every time I get a new bass I try to feel it out and see what it wants to do vs what I think I can do to guide it with my string choice. There's so many options these days that's how I have to do it otherwise I'm throwing string after string on it guessing.