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Strings that didn't impress you.


Dom in Dorset
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My jazz bass is a rather fickle mistress. I don't know what strings were on it when I got it (second hand) but the output was weedy. I switched to De'Addario 45-105 nickel roundwound and managed to get the action right down and the tone I was after. Last month in a fit of madness I decided to try something else, I don't have much cash so something in the £15 range but a known brand. I found some Fender 45-105 nickel rounds and put them on.
They had a slightly lower tension so the strings flapped against the neck in places. I had to raise the action and adjust the truss rod . Basically I f#cked up my carefully honed set up leaving the bass with a higher action than before., resisting all attempts to lower it.
The output was lower (I did raise the pickups) and the tone of the open E and A could only be described as mushy.
I have learned my lesson.

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Chromes. Much higher tension than the La Bellas I was using and [i]way [/i]too bright. Started to put undue pressure on the neck (which I didn't want to adjust), so got rid of them and now use Lakland Joe Osborn Signature Flats, which are perfect for me [i]and [/i]the bass.

Edited by discreet
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I didn't like the Ernie Balls I put on my G&L a while back, it's the only time it has sounded (to my ears) lacklustre.

Order was restored with DR Highbeams. :)


I fancied trying something different on one of my P basses and had an amazon voucher, so I've just ordered a set of D'addario Pro Steels. Cost about £15 with postage.

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Strings are a very personal thing. What suits one player won't necessarily suit another and even if find a set of strings that works for you one one bass that doesn't mean that they'll be as good on any other basses.

Personally I really haven't been able to get on with any of the DR sets I've tried. I bought a 4 different sets after reading lots of rave reviews on here, but hated all of them. Mostly they felt slack - particularly the E and low B strings. Could get them off my basses quick enough.

Also I've never tried Elixiers because of bad experiences with the strings on guitars. Horrible feel which made me want to wash my hands immediately after playing them.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382696095' post='2255488']
Strings are a very personal thing. What suits one player won't necessarily suit another and even if find a set of strings that works for you one one bass that doesn't mean that they'll be as good on any other basses.

Personally I really haven't been able to get on with any of the DR sets I've tried. I bought a 4 different sets after reading lots of rave reviews on here, but hated all of them. Mostly they felt slack - particularly the E and low B strings. Could get them off my basses quick enough.

Also I've never tried Elixiers because of bad experiences with the strings on guitars. Horrible feel which made me want to wash my hands immediately after playing them.
[/quote]
Oh yes, I was fully expecting the first reply to be "I always use Fender strings and I love them"

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I have tried Chromes, too much tension. Didn't like them and also their half rounds, they felt a bit odd. Didn't like them all too much either. Also rotosound swingbass(?) roundwounds, I bought them only because they were the only ones in the shop near me but I hated the feeling of brand new ones and they go dull so soon.

I do really like the nickel roundwounds though, so maybe I'll stick with them for now.

Want to try some DRs eventually though.

And there is still one set of strings that I was given 5 years ago that were amazing but I don't know what they were and haven't been ale to find out. They've become something of a mythical set now, probably no where near as good as I think they were.

Ps. All my humble opinion :)

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I had a couple of sets of Ernie Balls, and they didn't suit me or the tunings I was using - I also found they were fairly 'rough'.

I used to enjoy playing with flats to cut down finger noise but had the same problem at gigs when sweat would cause the strings to suddenly grip my fingertips after being compliant up to that point. This was with different brands, so no bias for or against any maker.

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I used Rotosound Swing Bass Roundwounds for YEARS. I then realised I didn't really like them as they went dull very quickly and seemed to be quite harsh on frets.

I'm currently using EB nickel roundwounds/EB flats, TI flats, and I have some DR's as well.

I keep going back to EB strings, and the flats are really nice.

When the new Fender AS's came out in 2008, the strings were great! Now, they are awful. They have changed the strings and packaging and they feel very cheap.

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THe only strings I have been impressed with are the cheap Legacy sets from StringsDirect. For my needs they are as good as any nickel roundwounds, from any maker I have tried. Punchy, consistent, good lifespan. I have them on all my basses. And the price is the most impressive thing !!

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Don't like Rotosounds - very rough & die after about 15 minutes.
Also don't like DRs - I've never bought a set (bass or guitar) that didn't include at least one duff string so I stopped using them. For the price they charge they should be perfect every time.

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Used to love DR Black Beauties, then I started getting problems, dead Gs in four sets despite replacements from DR, and the new coating wore off really quickly. The Elixirs I tried were rubbery and flaky with an uninspiring tone and feel. Awful.

Then I tried Cleartone EMPs, I LOVE them! They are warm, deep and snarly, lovely compliance, last for ages and no wear to the 1 micron coating in six months.

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[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1382704048' post='2255637']
THe only strings I have been impressed with are the cheap Legacy sets from StringsDirect. For my needs they are as good as any nickel roundwounds, from any maker I have tried. Punchy, consistent, good lifespan. I have them on all my basses. And the price is the most impressive thing !!
[/quote]
Indeed. I've just had some more delivered and are now on all 3 basses.

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Still a Roto swing bass man.! Tried elites didn't like them. I've got some Warwick red, or is it black, had them a while but haven't put them on anything yet. anyone any experience of warwick strings? Oh yeah had Cleartones that xilldx mentioned on a fretless. They were good.

Edited by Lord Sausage
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Those Elixir nano web coated things didn't impress me much. I found they dulled quicker than I was used to, and the coating came off in small flecks, leaving what looked like straggly bits of fluff sticking out of the strings - both over the pickups and at the fretty end. At which point they started to feel sticky and so did my fingers.

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I just got a new Ibanez that came with Elixirs. I don't know what model(?) of strings but all Elixirs are expensive as far as I can tell, and I just don't see why. They don't feel nice at all to me. I took them off after a couple of days. I'm keeping them as a stand-in set if I somehow break the set I have on the bass but that's it.

[sub]...Set of lightly-used Elixirs for 34" 6 string bass for sale...[/sub]
:D

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I've had earthing problems with every coated set of strings I've tried, a sort of quiet crackle accompanying every slide I make.

Every breakage I've had has been with Rotosounds, never had a string break from any other manufacturer. Plus they go dead really quickly, and not a usable kind of deadness.

Recently tried some Fodera strings and was surprised how much of the Fodera sound is in the strings. However it's not a sound I want, they're good enough strings and cheap but they're really not for me.

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[quote name='deanovw' timestamp='1382695125' post='2255465']
I tried Fender flats on a P bass a while ago. Took it to a gig and lasted about 3 numbers. It was horrible. My fingers kept sticking and my playing sounded much worse than usual.

Never again.
[/quote]

Same here. I have my 62 reissue P set up for a vintage sound and figured flats would complement the sound but they were just too dull and unresponsive. Flats seem to work only on the Hofner for me.

Rotos sound good for 3 days then you have 3 months of getting your frets chewed up.

I now also use the D'Addario's, nickels but with the 100 E. They worked, so I stopped searching. Buying strings, looking for that magic sound is exhausting, frustrating and costly. Find what works and stick with it I say.

Edited by Lowender
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[quote name='gary mac' timestamp='1382695626' post='2255476']
I didn't like the Ernie Balls I put on my G&L a while back, it's the only time it has sounded (to my ears) lacklustre.

Order was restored with DR Highbeams. :)


I fancied trying something different on one of my P basses and had an amazon voucher, so I've just ordered a set of D'addario Pro Steels. Cost about £15 with postage.
[/quote] I have those on my Bass they are very good really bright but I have not "bedded" them in yet :)

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