MrWriter

Can you guys be kind enough to tell me, from your years of experience and trying different strings, which brand and model of regular roundwound strings are the smoothest and easiest on the fingers, the ones that have the least amount of 'cheese grater' tearing away at the skin on the tips of your right hand (left if you're left handed). I am not an experienced bass player and don't play that often, but when I do pick up the bass I find after just 10 or 15 minutes of playing the two plucking fingertips of my right hand and starting to feel a bit sore. I don't play hard, just medium finger style. I've only ever played with D'Addario EXL170 which are round wound nickel wound 45,65,80,100 gauge. As you can see these strings are not exactly heavy, just regular, as I don't play that much or that hard so the E string does not vibrate around too much and I like the feel of them and I've heard heavier strings will probably hurt even more. So, after all that, from experience, can you guys tell me which make and model of roundwound (I don't want to go half rounds or flat as they feel sticky and some don't have the same bright sound I like so they are definitely out as I've tried them on my mates basses). One person said the Fender 7250ML (45,65,80,100, which I like) are quite smooth and don't hurt as much as other brands. I was looking at Ernie Ball Super Slinky (45,65,80,100) also. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Pow. Good feedback there. Will try the Fender 7150's in the M version gauges of 045, .065, .085, .105

D’Addario Half Rounds or Ernie Ball Roundwounds? Just bought another used bass and before setting it up and getting it to my liking I figured I’d buy some new stings, course. But, I do find that regular round wound strings ( I typically use D’Addario EXL170 round wound 45,65,80,100) hurt my fingertips after a while (I don’t play that often) so I was thinking of giving the D’Addario Half Rounds a go, the ENR71 (45,65,80,100) as I’ve heard that they are easier on the ringer but because they are not flat wound they still have a bit of bite/grit to their tone. I typically only play the bass when I’m making a recording in my small home recording studio, laying down the bass part and my music is electronic/industrial sort of stuff. Kind of Gary Human meets Nine Inch Nails sort of stuff with an electronic dance element and a hint of rock thrown in. But I don’t do slap/funk and hardly any rock. But I do want a nice deep ‘pad like’ bass sound that has a bit of bite and attack, while saving my fingertips. Also, I don’t dig in and play that hard, probably because I don’t want to hurt my fingertips and scrape the skin off them with the round wound strings I typically use (see above). So, will the D’Addario ENR71 Half Rounds give me the sound I want and save my fingers or perhaps would changing to another brand, such as Ernie Ball and trying the Ernie Ball Super Slinky Roundwound bass strings of 45,65,80,100, or will the latter still have the same cheese grater effect of the D’Addario? The bass they are going on is a Toby Tobias Pro 4 string neck through with active circuitry. Thanks all.

Anybody know if the techs at The Bass Gallery in Camden Town, London are decent for setting up a bass?

Hoddesden is 50 miles, an hour, so that's good. Who's Gary Mac and what's his experience/background? I know there are loads of so-called bass technicians who have no training, just watched a load of YouTube videos and decided to charge people £40 do do a crap set up that usually makes the bass worse.

Makes sense lownote. I always did do them myself but this is a new used bass I've just bought and when I went to adjust the truss rod I could hear all sorts of creaking, like the neck complaining and in the end I had to give the truss rod about about four quart turns (so about a complete turn in total) to get it into the ball park. But I did not like the wooden and metal creaking noises, quite loud. Because of this alone it's the reason I want somebody else to set it up as I don't want the truss rod to break, or worse. Somebody said spray WD40 down the truss rod end and leave it for a few days, but that sounded rather questionable to be honest and where the truss rod end is there is only the adjuster screw, I can't see how I could get any sort of oil or WD40 down there anyway – suggestions re truss rod issue I have?

I am looking for a 'professional' and emphasis on 'professional' here, to set up my Warwick Streamer Stage 1 4-string through neck bass. I've tried three people within 30 miles of Cambridge, where I live, and I was far from happy with any of them. Two totally bollocked up my bass and I refused to pay, the other was ok. So, can anybody recommend somebody who really knows there stuff as I'm fussy as hell when it comes to my bass and how it's set up. Somebody who can confidently do the usual truss rod, intonation, that sort of stuff, with a nice ultra-low action that does not buzz. I'm in Cambridge, UK so within an hour. Finally, while I'm here. Which of these two would you guys go for: Rotosound Swingbasx 66 RS 66LD (45,65,80,105) Steel or D'Addario EXL165 (45,65,85,105) Nickel.