Best stainless steel roundwound strings?

[dasbear69]

[quote name='bertbass' timestamp='1376933437' post='2181154']
Elite Stadiums for me.
[/quote]

love em, Elites all the way for me currently using groundwounds sound amaing on a jazz bass pure retro tone, great feel easy to play. Have Elixirs on ibanez blazer bass are ok, yet to try rotosounds.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='Deep Thought' timestamp='1377332093' post='2186245']
I found out yesterday that D'Addario have been making Fender strings for a few years now-same coloured ball ends-so if you like D'Addario's, buy Fenders. I will be, the Fender ones are cheaper in my local emporium.
[/quote]

Yup. There are a relatively limited number of string manufacturers and the smaller brands outsource production. For instance, Ken Smith strings are made by GHS and Sadowsky are made by LaBella.

[margusalviste]

For me the best round wound SS strings are Sadowsky Blue Labels! Had a set on one of my MTDs for more than one year and they still sounded great.

[margusalviste]

Dunlops sound kind of weak compared to D'addarios.

[mikeswals]

R Cocco's for me. I've used both ss and nickel, but currently favoring the nickels...and that's coming from a 20 year ss user. Been getting a year per set.

[Prime_BASS]

D'addario by far just because of the price and last an age and do sound great, but I've moved on to the balanced nickelwound now. Plus the coloured ball ends look nice.

Was a big DR user for ages, but never had a set that lasted any great length of time, and after having more than several packs with dud E strings it put me right off. Sound great when they are first on but after a while sound just like any other string.

As I said above been using nickels for a while, have a better feel and a less sharp tone.

[donkelley]

general reply to this topic (sorry I didnt read it yet, but I will!)

for me, the best depends on the bass, to add output in the frequency range the bass is weakest in, as a sort of compensation mechanism:

my usa sub 5 fretted (like an industrial finish stingray classic 5): DR sunbeams. nickel and steel. round core. great feel. pushes presence mids out well, not as zingy as steel/steel strings.

my usa carvin bunny 5 fretted: D'addario XL nickels. same specs as DR sunbeams. cheaper. happen to work insanely well on my carvin. slightly brighter than sunbeams imho. I love the way they work on this bass. I do'nt love them on ALL basses though.

my import ibanez BTB 566 6 string fretted (mahogany body with multi-layers everywhere, a dark bass): DR hi-beams. this bass needs these strings. it adds the zing the bass is missing otherwise. this bass is dark and middy with nickel strings - it's AMAZING with hi-beams.

my usa sub 5 FRETLESS (identical features otherwise to my fretted one): DR hi-beams. I want lots of zing on my fretless basses. it can be IN YOUR FACE, it can be slapped, funked, rocked, lead solod. but it can also be beautiful, mellow, deep, or middy present and jazzy. these strings are amazing on this fretless.

my chinese hagstrom hb-8: D'addario steels for octave bass, little bit of mid scoop and tons of treble... gives me that john paul jones solo album sound.

Edit: apparently theres some other kind of invention called "Flats" ;-) They sound like mule gut over cardboard on every solid body bass I've ever had them on.

Other people can make them sound good. I think they're garbage for my fingers for whatever reason. but I've been paid to play them at times, and I do what I can with them.

Edited September 5, 2013 by donkelley

[k50]

[quote name='TRBboy' timestamp='1376948962' post='2181521']
Just spotted another one......

Has anyone tried the Dean Markley Helix strings?


[/quote]

Just had a couple sets delivered and should have them on by early next week .
I've been using the blue steels for a few years now ,fantastic tone and top end . The sr2000 are equally impressive, exposed core piano style .

Edited September 6, 2013 by k50

[Dingus]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1377861820' post='2192866']
Yup. There are a relatively limited number of string manufacturers and the smaller brands outsource production. For instance, Ken Smith strings are made by GHS and Sadowsky are made by LaBella.
[/quote]

Actually , Ken Smith strings are also made by La Bella , unless they have switched production to GHS very recently . GHS do indeed make strings for loads of other people , though , like Lakland , MTD ( I think ) ,Elites , Overwater and many others .

[winterfire666]

[quote name='k50' timestamp='1378448898' post='2200338']
Just had a couple sets delivered and should have them on by early next week .
I've been using the blue steels for a few years now ,fantastic tone and top end . The sr2000 are equally impressive, exposed core piano style .
[/quote]
have you tried the helix strings yet, i was going to order some blue steels but i would love to see how you think they compare(especially the tension).
if they are as good as the blue steels im tempted to give them a try.

Edited September 14, 2013 by winterfire666

[Matt42uk]

Status Hotwires are cracking and awesome value. Available in double ball end and standard. And you can totally make up custom sets