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Your go to strings

#61
D'Addario XL's. Like Fender_Bender said, cheap and available all over. I've also liked DR Low Riders but, that set was about twenty years ago! I haven't tried any DR's since. I once bought a box of five packages of cheap (very cheap) five-string sets of nickel wound Alice strings on ebay for about $40 (US) with shipping. Sounded as good as my usual XL's.
 
#62
PDGood said:
Interesting post. Please elaborate on your choices. :)
The reason I ask is because I tend to think of P's as fuller and J's as more growly with an edge. So I would have guessed Chromes on the P and LaBellas on the J to help each make each a more balanced sound. But maybe that was not your goal. Or are you just thinking of the whole thing a different way than I am?
It's always interesting to hear a different approach.
Click to expand...

Here the way I see it and feel it. I feel Ps to be more of a traditional bass tone, and jazzs to be a more modern tone.
I love the sound of flats and really can’t get to liking rounds. I feel that the LaBellas are thumpy and mellow where as the chromes have the chrome sound but are brighter more modern.
 
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#66
I bounce between the
D’Addario Nickel Round Wounds (regular long scale on a hex core). EXL170BT 4 string balanced tension set + 130SL for the low B.
.045 - .060 - .080 - .107 - .130SL
and the
D'Addario EXP coated nickel rounds (hex core). Custom built sets from BSO.
.045 - .060 - .080 - .105 - .130 regular long scale.

Overall the EXP's are smoother to the touch and do last longer but cost a bit more. After the initial "clank" wears off on the XLs (about 3 days for me) they sound pretty much the same to me. Been using D'A on and off for probably 20 years or so and exclusively since around late 2012.
 
#67
[QUOTE="bassist4dalord,
Been too long since I’ve tried Chromes, which used to be my go-to flats. Might have to give them another whirl.[/QUOTE]

Great strings, good feel and tension. A brighter flat, great tone.
 
#69
Back in the 70's & 80's, Roto 66's or occasionally D'addario XL's on my RIC 4001. In more recent years, less zing needed, I used Rickenbacker strings on the 4001. I had assumed they would be junk, but many insisted I try them. Found they had the perfect sound for the RIC.

Since a Warwick Corvette is my main bass now, using DR Sunbeams. I occasionally try something else in the off season, but always come back to the sunbeams.
 
#70
Bassstringsonline.com has made it easy to try new strings. Since strings are pretty much everything as far as touch and sound goes, I figured why not try lots of sets.

I’ve settled on DR Pure Blues VW set for rounds, and TI jazz flats for the other flavor. Seems like the tension is very similar. Set up is very close as well, with just little fiddling to get intonation perfect when I switch back and forth. No need to adjust the truss rod.

I’ll soak the Pure Blues in my denatured alcohol tube when I go into TI flats mode. TI’s just go in the closet between uses, they can last forever.

Pretty much, I stick with very light nickel or nickel alloy. .095-.040.
 
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#73
I’ve tried close to everything by now and really liked quite a few of them. Today’s strings are amazing.

I don’t really have a goto string. I try to match the string set to the individual bass and have a different set on everything I own.

For good all around choices however I can recommend:

Rounds:

Nickel - DR Sunbeams (warm and sweet, great feell

Steel - Rotosound Swing Bass (old faithful)

Flats:

GHS Precision Flats (great sound and very affordable. needs shorter than average break-in time)

TI Jazz Flats (nothing more need be said. lasts almost indefinitely. 5+ years between string changes is not unusual.)

Other:

Labella Copper White Nylon (fast becoming an all time favorite)

Best all around “utility infielder” string whenever I don’t know what I want to use:

GHS Pressurewounds (sounds good on almost anything. nice tone resembling a well broken in round, but without any intonation issues. if you like the sound of rounds, but only after they’ve been on your bass for a month or two, these will give you that same vibe.)
 
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#77
Jscriv said:
I'm sure this topic has been discussed a million times over but here goes one more. I've been a loyal Ernie ball super slinky player for the last 16 years. And for some reason I'm finding myself very gun shy on decided on trying something new. I love the tone I get out of the slinky's, but I wonder if there's something out there just just sounds better. As vague as that is, what's your go to strings and why?
Click to expand...
For me, it depends on the bass.
P gets roto 77
PJ gets roto 66 nickels
Kiloton gets nickel Boomers
Schecter Stage 5 gets Chromes
 
#79
I do have a set of daddario XL flats laying around from a fretless I have since parted ways with that hardly got played. Maybe I'll bounce them around on a few of the fenders up there tomorrow. I ordered a set of super slinky cobalts, not much change I know. Also seems like GHS is a rather favored brand. Sounds like it's time to make the leap and just try some different brands. I'm sure whatever I get will sound good on one of the basses I've got.
 
#80
Nash P Bass - TI Flats
Sadowsky MV5 - Sadowsky Blue
MTD Norm Stockton- MTD stainless steel. Strings came with the bass and is the perfect string for this bass. No need to try anything else.

50’s RI Fender P Bass DR DDT stainless as I use drop D quite often.

I also like Sjkold Strings too.
 

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