Cheep and cheerful bass strings.

[Robert Manning]

I tried some 'alice' strings, they are made in china and "are brilliant for music lovers and enthusiasts" ha
they didn't really feel good, and made my USA HW1 not sound as good as it could!

Has any one used some cheepo strings that are good?
i always feel more inspired to play when i have fresh sounding wire.

[Truckstop]

Ernie Ball is probably as cheap as I would go and that would be in a situation if there was simply no other option and I desperately needed strings! IIRC, it's about £25 for a set of Slinkys? I dunno I use LaBellas these days.

Truckstop

[risingson]

D'Addario's are the best IMO for the price you get them at (around £14-16). I would personally avoid Elites, they ain't great even though they're cheap.

[mcnach]

D'Addario (EXL170) is my usual choice, regardless of price... I'm just glad that my favourite choice ended up being one of the cheapest too

[Machines]

I got on with Warwick Reds (£11.50 a set on [url="http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?MAIN=http://www.stringbusters.com/ko-kat/BASS%20STRINGS/WARWICK/"]Stringbusters[/url]) on my MIM Jazz. They sounded fine and seemed to last well.

[JTUK]

I can stand a set of D'Addario XL pro steels ..... and not a bad price.

They last ok and clean up well enough. Tension is ok and the sound a bit heavier than I'd prefer but this is not the dealbreaker.

Not my number one string but they are ok... La Bella are ok too but I prefer their Super steps to anything else.
If I am trying a new brand I tend to go lighter, but that is just me.

If you are talking or wanting less than £20 per set it may be a bit hit and miss.
Elites used to ok...but I believe there has been a general poorer grade of metal used of late so how cheap can you stand..?

A bit of trial and error on what works for you, I'm afraid.

[pete.young]

Webstrings are fine, and cost a lot less than UK prices. www.webstrings.com

Edited April 27, 2011 by pete.young

[Lozz196]

I like Rotosounds, which aren`t too expensive. Have also heard a few people praising Fender strings, as they are fairly cheap - have to say I`m not overkeen though.

[Delberthot]

And you're all wrong

the best cheap strings I have ever used by a country mile and used all the time until I went to flats were Hartke ones. I picked up a 3 set pack for about £17 on Ebay. I still have a set left if I ever decide to get a second bass to keep.

Now that's what I call Texas Style Rock and Roll, er I mean Cheap. (sorry i was at the wrong gig for a moment there)

Those Alice ones are terrible. I still have a few sets knocking about. Cheap and very nasty.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Delberthot

[hubrad]

[quote name='Delberthot' post='1213090' date='Apr 27 2011, 08:20 PM']And you're all wrong

the best cheap strings I have ever used by a country mile and used all the time until I went to flats were Hartke ones. I picked up a 3 set pack for about £17 on Ebay. I still have a set left if I ever decide to get a second bass to keep.

Now that's what I call Texas Style Rock and Roll, er I mean Cheap. (sorry i was at the wrong gig for a moment there)

Those Alice ones are terrible. I still have a few sets knocking about. Cheap and very nasty.[/quote]
Haha, I got some 5 string sets of those Ebay Hartkes.. EADG were fine, the low B of each set sounded like it was one of the new Lard-Wrapped Design!

Edited April 27, 2011 by hubrad

[Spike Vincent]

I've got a set of the Alice strings,and actually they aren't that bad.Took a bit of playing in,but they are perfectly adequate strings that I would use in preference to Rotosounds..( I think everyone knows my opinions on Rotos..).I wouldn't use them on stage though.

[hairyhaw]

I've used Rotobass a few times when I've been skint - they're about 12 quid a set at my local shop. They really weren't too bad IMO.

[url="http://www.rotosound.com/roto_bass.php"]Linky[/url]

Not a huge amount of choice in gauge but the most common are well covered.

[Johngh]

[quote name='Machines' post='1212927' date='Apr 27 2011, 05:48 PM']I got on with Warwick Reds (£11.50 a set on [url="http://www.stringbusters.com/frameset.asp?MAIN=http://www.stringbusters.com/ko-kat/BASS%20STRINGS/WARWICK/"]Stringbusters[/url]) on my MIM Jazz. They sounded fine and seemed to last well.[/quote]


+1 on the Warwick Reds. I've just re strung 2 basses with them and they are really good.

[Marvin]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1213083' date='Apr 27 2011, 08:15 PM']I like Rotosounds, which aren`t too expensive. Have also heard a few people praising Fender strings, as they are fairly cheap - have to say I`m not overkeen though.[/quote]

Someone told me that D'Addario make the Fender strings, or at least some of them.

Personally I've got D'Addario XL's. They're about £16-£19 depending on where you get them.

[Slipperydick]

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='1213125' date='Apr 27 2011, 08:51 PM']I've got a set of the Alice strings,and actually they aren't that bad.Took a bit of playing in,but they are perfectly adequate strings that I would use in preference to Rotosounds..( I think everyone knows my opinions on Rotos..).I wouldn't use them on stage though.[/quote]

Yeah, I got some Alice strings off of ebay for £3 a set. Great for the money, but they take a LOT of playing in. Hartke ones are too klanky for my messy style though. C'mon, Swing Bass aith that expensive are they ? and they do last.

[lee650]

I used the rotobass cheapy ones when i started playing and i liked them, mind you i ended up breaking the G string every other week and had to buy a new set, D'addarios are the best strings for the money especially if you buy the double sets works out very cheap indeed, they sound fantastic when you first put them on but die very quickly and sound awful!! i used them for many years while i was a pro player but then i'd change tem religously every month (silly lad)

[paul h]

I like Roberts Growlers but I haven't seen any available for a while. Great steels for about £9.

[casapete]

[quote name='hairyhaw' post='1213140' date='Apr 27 2011, 09:06 PM']I've used Rotobass a few times when I've been skint - they're about 12 quid a set at my local shop. They really weren't too bad IMO.

[url="http://www.rotosound.com/roto_bass.php"]Linky[/url]

Not a huge amount of choice in gauge but the most common are well covered.[/quote]

+1 for the Rotobass

Used these when my local shop had run out of my usual D'Addarios, and they were pretty good too.
(This is coming from a confirmed non Rotosound person!) An excellent budget choice IMO.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='paul h' post='1213190' date='Apr 27 2011, 09:37 PM']I like Roberts Growlers[/quote]
Welcome back

@ OP - IMO, buy cheap, pay twice. One set of elixirs for £30 lasted me five years - so £6 a year. That's cheap.

Edited April 27, 2011 by skankdelvar

[chrismuzz]

Personally, I really love the stainless steel Elites. very bright sound and they feel nice too!

[Soliloquy]

D'Addario or maybe Overwater, Status do some nice ones too. I use Overwater nickels on my 6 string basses, they're about £22 per set, which is very reasonable, and they're very nice strings.

What's the point in putting on something really cheap when they sound awful and/or die quickly. I think you need to be a bit careful with strings. You can buy cheap and end up with something rubbish, but spend a couple of pounds more and get something 20 times better.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Soliloquy

[Grassie]

+1 for the Warwick Reds - that's it for me now - can't see the point in buying other brands when these are well priced, last a long time too, a lot of "zing" for your "cha-ching".

[stingrayPete1977]

I have been using Elites for years, I have 6 basses and never notice a change in metal type?
I'm not so keen on the stainless steel as I'm concerned they may eat my original vintage frets on the pre EB as the strings will be harder than the frets, I have them on the Ray4 at the moment and they play/Sound fine.

[quote name='risingson' post='1212919' date='Apr 27 2011, 05:42 PM']D'Addario's are the best IMO for the price you get them at (around £14-16). I would personally avoid Elites, they ain't great even though they're cheap.[/quote]


[quote name='JTUK' post='1213023' date='Apr 27 2011, 07:17 PM']I can stand a set of D'Addario XL pro steels ..... and not a bad price.

They last ok and clean up well enough. Tension is ok and the sound a bit heavier than I'd prefer but this is not the dealbreaker.

Not my number one string but they are ok... La Bella are ok too but I prefer their Super steps to anything else.
If I am trying a new brand I tend to go lighter, but that is just me.

If you are talking or wanting less than £20 per set it may be a bit hit and miss.
Elites used to ok...but I believe there has been a general poorer grade of metal used of late so how cheap can you stand..?

A bit of trial and error on what works for you, I'm afraid.[/quote]

[risingson]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1213271' date='Apr 27 2011, 10:37 PM']I have been using Elites for years, I have 6 basses and never notice a change in metal type?
I'm not so keen on the stainless steel as I'm concerned they may eat my original vintage frets on the pre EB as the strings will be harder than the frets, I have them on the Ray4 at the moment and they play/Sound fine.[/quote]

I used them for a time back when I was impressionable and wanted everything that Stuart Zender used (he was an endorsee). I used Elites for quite a while but IMO D'Addarios are a better bang for the buck and stand up where Elites failed me. Just my opinion though of course!

[geoffbyrne]

[quote name='hubrad' post='1213115' date='Apr 27 2011, 08:42 PM']Haha, I got some 5 string sets of those Ebay Hartkes.. EADG were fine, the low B of each set sounded like it was one of the new Lard-Wrapped Design! [/quote]


+100

G.