Strings for clean bass instrumentals

[Che]

Man, there are tons of strings out there, from brands to sizes and materials used ...

Im after a clean sound for instrumental bass solos, improvisations and will only use some chorus and reverb or delay.

I like that clear sounding high strings sound and I like the deep but not muddied low strings sound which you can feel in the belly when it rumbles.

Now comes the painful part; My wallet is very much empty so finding balance between good enough quality and affordable is the point here.

Oh, btw, I play a passive Jazz Bass with Wilkinson pups.

Thanks a bunch!

[ambient]

I use Thomastik flat wounds for my improv/ambient/instrumental stuff.

They have a nice mellow brightness about them, and no finger noise.

They're also nice and flexible.

They are quite expensive though, but shop around. I bought a string set from DV247 for about £50 back in January. They do last, and last, and last though.

[paul_5]

Rotosound 55s?

https://youtu.be/j9E4K54kV0Y

[LayDownThaFunk]

I think this is an EQ thing more than a certain type of string thing. Maybe just put fresh rounds on?

[JTUK]

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1444559222' post='2884021']
I think this is an EQ thing more than a certain type of string thing. Maybe just put fresh rounds on?
[/quote]

Yep... if you are trying to clean up a sound with old strings...you'll be at it forever.

[Che]

I have new D'addario 45-100 nickel wound and they are still very fresh but I wondered if there are some strings out there more suitable for such instrumental sound.

What about the Warwick Red Label strings? They seem cheap at Thomann.de

But what about the material? Would you suggest nickel, stainless steel or else for instrumentals?

[Truckstop]

Instrumental what? Metal? Post-rock? Hip-hop? Funk? Do you use a plectrum or are you a finger player? Any effects? What amp do you use?

With old/dead strings they'll always sound old or dead. Get some new rounds (I recommend LaBella Stainless Steels) and then EQ the sound to taste.

Some rounds can sound mellow and some flats can sound bright, it's all about finding strings that suit how you play your instrument. For example, I like LaBellas because they have the right tension for me. If I want a bright tone, then I boost the tone on the bass. If I want a round sound I'll cut the tone and boost a little bass on the amp.

The good thing about instrumental music is that you let the music do the talking. Experiment with weird tones, weird sounds and different playing styles.

But start with some fresh strings.

[Che]

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1444563872' post='2884087']
Instrumental what? Metal? Post-rock? Hip-hop? Funk? Do you use a plectrum or are you a finger player? Any effects? What amp do you use?
[/quote]

When I say instrumental I mean this Here you can hear me improvising a bit (please excuse the EQ Im trying to figure out the EQ on Reaper, I know this sounds too thin for a bass)
https://soundcloud.com/papa-dusko/remembrance
No amp sadly but am looking to get one soon. At the moment I just play direct into Reaper via me interface and add effects later in Reaper. Or I try and play into my guitar multi fx Digitech RP70 and into Reaper.

I use either pick or thumb, or thumb and index finger, and learning to slap a bit

[Truckstop]

Sounds perfectly fine to me! I'm not sure what you think you're lacking, you wouldn't want much more bass in there and the zingy-ness works with the reverb and chorus.

Others may feel otherwise, but I think it's well alright.