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Best strings for Slap & Pop Style


FLASH
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Hi

I have just started to learn slap bass as I am a big fan Flea & Mark King. I also love the bass sound in funk music so I brought Ed Friedland's Ultimate Guide to Slap Bass DVD to help me learn how to play slap style.

On there Freidland states that roundwound strings are best for slapping as they are more flexible and give a better slap bass sound. I am about to upgrade my bass (from a tanglewood Rebel) and I am thinking of changing the strings on the Tanglewood to make it better to play slap on. The current strings are quite rigid as I play all my songs fingerstyle.

I am a complete slap bass novice so any advice on the best strings to use would be much appreciated.

Any other tips for learning slap style would also be much appreciated.

Thanks Flash

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GHS Boomers (they make a Flea signature set) are great strings.

The ones I use are made by Labella & are called "Slappers", so they might be OK for you too. :)

Lots of people would say you need really light guage strings for slapping but I use 45-110 & they sound & feel fine to me.
I used to use incredibly light guage strings on my Jaydee (30-90) but I just found there was no "oomph" to them at all, they sounded really weedy.

If you're just starting maybe going for a set around 40-100 would be a good choice (assuming you're playing a four string).

(Stringbusters online are the best place to get the strings mentioned above - great prices & fast delivery too.

Hope that helps.

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There will always be exceptions... But roundwounds are generally the best. I actually find its harder to be accurate on lighter gauge strings but YMMV. If your bass doesn't have awful soft fretwire, then stainless steel strings might excite you, as they will give you even more brightness

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+1 for Stringbusters

Mark King uses 30 - 90s (Status hotwires), which are also great, but very light gauge (more 'flexible' to play due to lower tension but not as much bottom end as heavier gauge).

Others to try are Rotosound (keeping it British). I've just changed from Hotwires to Rotosound and am liking them. Aim for a good value (cheap) known set of strings and you can't go far wrong (Rotosound / Elites / LaBella / Status Hotwires etc.). Other manufacturers strings are also available (without endorsing a particular brand) :)

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