What strings do you use & why?

[ellie]

Hi all
I suspect this has been done before, so humour me please lol.

I was chatting with a couple bass player mates last night and we started talking about this subject which got me thinking (big mistake).

I've been using Rotosound strings since I first started playing many years ago. I sometimes use Elites & mostly 40s. I've always liked the clanky sound they produce, and the price. The downside is they can be a bit rough when sliding.

So what do you use & why?

Ellie

[LemonCello]

Hi Ellie,

(From a fellow Essex bod now living in Wales), Sarfend-on Sea was my old stomping ground!

Anyway, strings like maple/rosewood boards, active/passive basses, Fender/Gibson is all very personal. For a start I haven't tried Roto's at all, but I know lot's of people swear by them (some indeed paid to swear by them )!

I use Ernie Ball hybrid slinkies stnd gauge because they are not too expensive, they have a nice feel under the fingers (not rough), right tension and they sound good! Mark from Bass Direct gave me a freebie set of R.Cocco nickels when I bought my Vigier there, more expensive (hand made) by a tenner a set and I still prefer the Ernies!

Oh La Bella flats are also very good. Try a few and buy the ones that feel and sound right!

Cheers,

LC

[JTUK]

Newtone, because they make them to my spec...which is basically their Diamond series with ALL strings tapered.
They are also the cleanest strings I've come across ..in terms of decent metal.. and they last a decent time.

They aren't my version of super bright, but they dull less quickly or noticeably, so I use them longer.
Great and easy to deal with and they are a UK maker with a personal service.

I pay for all my strings and would have these over some freebies, anyway.

[Truckstop]

I love La Bella strings!

I use stainless steels on the 5er and flats on the Blazer. Don't know why I've gravitated towards LaBella; I just click with them. They feel and sound the way I want them to. When I first tried them, I realised that I was putting up with things I didn't like with other brands like d'addario, Ernie Ball, Rotos and Status. Things like texture and not quite getting the tone I wanted from them.

Excellent price point also!

Truckstop

[lowdown]

Hey Ellie, you are doing a gig just up the road from me on Wednesday [Haystack] - I might pop in and see the band.

Dean Markley SR2000's Stainless Steel Rounds 47/67/87/107 with a custom 135 B string.
Fretted & Fretless.
Nice and tight, great for finger and slap.
Very meaty & Zingy, and last quite a while.
Bit pricey, but have been using them for a while and love them.


Garry

[Deep Thought]

D'Addario XL nickels for me, 45-105's. I've been through loads of different strings, including expensive ones, and have found these keep their 'zing' the longest-better even than the Prosteels. They're also not too expensive-our local shop does 'em for £16 a set at the mo.

[Highfox]

With rounds, I'm still searching.. been through a lot in my 30 odd years of playing.
Next on the list of rounds to try is the GHS pressure wounds... the story goes on

Flats it's pretty easy LaBella's and the TI's work for me on all my bass's.

[funkypenguin]

DR Highbeams. They sound and feel great and they seem to work especially well with the Seymour Duncan's in my warwick

[LiamPodmore]

Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinkies on my Fender, Power Slinky 5's on my Squier. I find that they're the strings that sound the best to me and they feel nicest. I use Picato flats on my Ibanez 'cause thats what i had around and i was skint.

Liam

Edited November 3, 2012 by LiamPodmore

[xgsjx]

I used to be a roundwound fan, but got sick of the zingyness & how it can sometimes get noisy (& even spoil what the vocal/guitar is doing) if not kept in check.

I'm now a flatwound user (Tomastic Infeld) & wouldn't go back to rounds. They have plenty of definition & despite what I had heard, aren't wooly trebleless things.

[JimBobTTD]

Ernie Ball Power Slinky 5 roundwounds on all but one. Why? Because I do. I have no problems with them and use them because I have always used them. I tried Rotosounds a while back and hated them with a passion.

I use D'Addario Chromes on my Jazz and they are positively lovely. They are the only flatwounds I have ever tried, though.

[thodrik]

I have been constantly switching brands lately in order to find strings that work well for D standard tuning.

Rotosound 50-110: decent, cheap, rough texture but after 14 years my fingers are immune to this
GHS Heavy Boomers 50-115: Better fundamental than the Rotos (115 gauge may help), cheap, but didn't last that long before the 'zing' went
(now) D'addario Prosteels 55-110: Really snappy sound, decent enough tension though a bit unbalanced.
(next) DR DDT 55-115: the con already is the damn expense!

[Judo Chop]

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1351942254' post='1857089']
With rounds, I'm still searching.. been through a lot in my 30 odd years of playing.
Next on the list of rounds to try is the GHS pressure wounds... the story goes on

Flats it's pretty easy LaBella's and the TI's work for me on all my bass's.
[/quote]

I use the GHS Pressurewounds, they're nice sounding strings but they die really quickly.
That could be because of my sulphuric acid like sweat though.

[Marvin]

I use bass strings. I find guitar strings a bit too short and thin

[Coilte]

I like both flats and rounds. For the former I use Thomastik/infeld jazz flats. They have a unique tone quite unlike other flats.

They are on the bright side for flats.

The rounds I like are DR Sunbeams. Though I like rounds, I dont like too much zing. The DR's deliver just enough zing for my taste

while always sounding warm. Also, as rounds go, they feel fairly smooth.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Coilte

[Basvarken]

I've been using GHS Boomers Heavy 50-115 for years.
These are thicker gauge than any average standard set.
I prefer these mainly because my band tunes down help a step. That helps me to keep the string tension the way I like it. Lighter gauge strings feel like chewing gum when tuned down.

And for the short scale basses in my arsenal they work great too. They help to keep a tight E string with enough bottom end, which can be a challenge on some shorties. Stringing shorties with long scale is not really a problem. Except maybe for the E string because they don't bend easily round the stringpost. But if you do it carefully, it works out fine.

Boomers are not expensive. They're nickel and they stay fresh long enough.

I've tried all sort of strings; from real expensive ones to downright cheap ass. And I always keep coming back the GHS Boomers.

[Hobbayne]

I usually used Ernie Ball - Super Slinkys on my P Bass, but I was given a pack of their coated slinkys and am currently using them. I actually quite like them, although they are quite pricey they last a long time.

[Doddy]

Elites Stadium Series .040-.130

I've used a lot of different string brands and I still like D'Addario and Ernie Ball,but I really like
the sound and feel of Elites.

[jezzaboy]

I use the strings that Status sells under their own brand but I believe are made by Picato? I used to use the flat or half wounds but have recently tried their roundwounds and they suit me nicely.

I like the feel of them and they are a decent price.

Edited November 3, 2012 by jezzaboy

[Lozz196]

Rotosound Roundwounds, 50 -110.

Bit zingy when they`re new, but once a few months old, just right. I`ve tried to like flats, as prefer the sound, but just can`t deal with the feel of them, so dead Rotos are the best way round this.

[Marvin]

On my Ibanez I have a set of D'Addario XL 165s. They're what Ibanez fit at the factory (sort of), I've tried others but these seem to suit this bass and the way I play it. Also they're not at all expensive, so that's a bonus.

On my P bass at the moment I have a set of Rotosound Roundwounds, can't remember the gauge. However, not to keen on them to be honest and on the recommendation of a fellow BCer I'll be ordering a set of Lakland flats to get 'that' sound.

[Protium]

Used to use LaBella "Slappers" (stupid name, but great strings) until the price went astronomical

Then I bought a job lot of Ernie Ball Super Slinkies which worked out around £8 a pack, should keep me going for a while

[risingson]

I think I've tried most types of strings now but I always gravitate back to D'Addario. I really love their nickel XL's and unlike many other strings (like DR IMO) they are really decent value for money.

I also have one of my basses strung with Status Hotwire flats, which are again excellent value for money. A little bright but they mellow nicely after one or two gigs. Also like D'Addario Chromes and TI Flats for the lower tension.

[GUI101]

Hi Ellie,

Like you I have always used rotosound on my corvette, but recently went with a set of D'addario pro steels as the 'vette sounded great with the brightness of new swing 66's and I wanted that to last.
So far so good, have still got that bright zing and they are ubber clear, to the point where my fretting has become more accurate.

[merlin]

sorry the cheap ones rotos or equivelant,the way I play they only last a couple of gigs,what ever they cost,or make they are..