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Worst string manufactuer you know

#25
This is going to be my year of string experimentation. I'm focusing on the DR's which seem to have a lot of love on TB (maybe not on this thread).
My own observations from recent purchases: Blue Steels are great, D'Addario are good. I found a set of Ernie Ball Super Slinky's didn't seem to remain bright very long but felt nice. For Canadians, I bought a set of Long & McQuade's house brand (suspected made by Dean Markeley) and they only remained bright for about two or three weeks and then became quite dull.
 
#26
Definitely Rotosound. Almost every set I've ever used had at least one dead string out of the box. I've tried every major brand and a few lesser known ones and I can't think of another as consistently bad as Rotosound. It's a shame because the strings that aren't dead do sound very good.
 
#33
Did something happen to DR in the last decade or so (i.e., bought out by another company, etc.)? Back in the 90s I used DR strings exclusively - the Low Riders were my favorites, although I'd used a few sets of High Beams as well. The first time I tried them I couldn't believe how much better they were than any of the other strings - they sounded great, kept their tone way longer than any other strings that I had used, and they would stay in tune right away. One time I put a new set on right before a show - I mean sitting on-stage right after sound check. I tuned them up and set my bass down, then played a 1 hr set, then ended up leaving my bass in my truck overnight when the temp dropped to about 40°F. The next day, they were still in tune!

Since about 2000 I haven't been changing strings that much, and I don't gig very much, so I don't care as much about strings anymore. I can say that about 2-3 years ago I bought a new set of Low Riders, and really wasn't happy with them - they sounded kinda thin, and really weren't that great (the generic set of Ernie Ball strings I got later for a different bass sounded much better). I wonder if they really have gotten a lot worse over the years. Any ideas?

-Y
 
#36
I tried some DRs back in 2002 and didn't like them that much (can't remember which ones they were). Recently I put some Lo-Riders on my Lull and found them a bit taut and lacking in midrange. Switched them out out for the MTDs I use with my MTDs (and happen to love on those basses). Still wasn't working. Switched to DR Hi-Beams and that was it - the perfect strings for that bass. Admittedly, I've only done a couple of gigs with the Hi-Beams but they're still very crisp (I kill strings very quickly so that's a good sign). If I ever encounter a dead string or have a string break prematurely I'd expect DR to send a replacement without any hassle (though I might be wrong about how good their customer service is - I just have the impression that they're pretty good with that kind of thing).

As for strings I haven't liked, Ernie Balls are pretty high up on the list. They would die on me after about the 8th bar. Similar thing with Dunlops. Didn't much like the Thomastik Jazz strings but love their flats. But again, different basses will work better with certain strings, so it's not always the string's fault if it doesn't sound great with a particular bass.
 

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