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Which strings do you use?


JamesBass
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Just curious to see what preferences people have for strings out there.

I started on Rotosounds SM66 but found they lost their brightness fairly quickly and felt horrible on the fingers, very rough sort of wind on them.

Moved on to D'Addario's EXL170s quite a light gauge just like the SM66s but a much nicer feel and I've found a better life span. I did try their EPS170s and they were quite nice, a lot more twang to them I thought.

So what do you guys use and what do you hate?

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Don't diss the roto's........I like them SM665's.

However, My Ibanez came with Elixir strings, and after I got used to the coating (smooth feel) I liked them too, and It's true, they do sound brighter longer, although you do pay over the odds for them. Stringbusters all the way, great next day service!

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here you go... "search" function might not be too obvious at first

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/192074-what-strings-are-you-currently-using/page__st__20__p__1900308__fromsearch__1#entry1900308"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/192074-what-strings-are-you-currently-using/page__st__20__p__1900308__fromsearch__1#entry1900308[/url]

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Rotosound SM665 .040" - .125" I know a lot of people say that they dull quickly, but I've only just (last night) changed the set which I've had on since June, which I think is pretty good going! They weren't completely dead either, some folk would have kept on much longer.

D'addario was my favoured brand for many years, but when I decided to move to a lighter gauge, they didn't do exactly what I want (only the choice of Rotos or Elites).

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GHS Precision Flats 55-105 & Status Hot Wires 45-105 on P-basses, TI JF344 43-100 on Jazz Bass, GHS Black Nylon TapeWound 50-105 on Fretless Jazz.

I've been playing my HW1 P with Status strings today, they are really really flat & smooth, (several months old), sounding just right, excellent VFM.

Just fitted a Hipshot D-tuner - works perfectly with the smooth flats B)

Cheerz, John

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I have just started using rotosound swing bass again after years of swapping around , and have to say I am loving them !
Take no notice of grumpy comments , yes it's been done before but people's opinions change and new products / improvements are happening all the time ;)

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Used D'Addario's when I started out (still buy them - rarely) then moved to Ernie Ball's then moved to DR's for the past couple years. Saying that, I'm a recent convert to TI strings - I have a set of Jazz Rounds on my Sadowsky and they sound awesome.

Never have got on with Roto's for some reason...

Edited by Stan_da_man
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I'm still at the "playing the market" stage! After decades of using Superwounds, Elites and D'addarios I recently discovered DR highbeams, which I really like. Shame about the price though... Tried a set of Newtone diamonds and wasn't massively impressed. They were OK but seemed to lose their zing pretty quickly. Interestingly, I got a set of Roto RS66s for Christmas and I can't wait to try them out! They were the first strings I ever used.

On the fretless I have La Bella Deep Talkin' 49-109. Nice!

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It sounds like you are into the bright sound of stainless steels, like me :) These would be my suggestions:

Elites - Very affordable, great sound, nowhere near as rough on the hands as rotosounds, but don't last much longer before the brightness wears off.

Newtones - Really nice and smooth on the hands, fairly long lasting, high quality handmade strings.

D'Addario Prosteels - Affordable, 'snappier' tone than Elites or Rotos with a more controlled low end, and last a bit longer. Rough on the hands, but after a while playing they do smooth over. If money is tight these are the ones I would always go for.

Elixir Stainless Steel - The best of the bunch in all honesty. They have the bright tone that I crave (I've even rolled down the tone on a few gigs!), and the coating ensures that it stays for a long time! I've done a fair few sweaty gigs and they've shown no sign of letting up. And best of all, the coating makes the strings feel smooth, and your hands glide over them with ease. No need to use string cleaners like fast fret either! In my humble opinion they are well worth paying over £30 for.

Hope that helps! :)

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