Number6 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Time to change strings on an old Ibanez bass.....i've used Rotosound since i began playing so fancy a change.....what d'ya reckon i should put on there? Seems like it should be easy to decide.....but i can't lol Quote
Cameronj279 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Elixirs do everything I look for in strings. But saying that, Rotosounds are (in my opinion) the worst I have tried so there is a fair chance we look for different qualities in strings. Quote
bubinga5 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) sorry to be the Rotosound negative guy, but i really don't like them. i think they are cheap, and don't last very long.lots of hype, but nothing quality about any string they have ever made. I'm not going to bang on about my favourite string. ok DR's. they last forever, and they sound awesome. yes they are expensive, but they are so worth it, no matter your preference. Edited March 31, 2014 by bubinga5 Quote
xgsjx Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Depending on your musical preferences, I'd say go for flatwounds. I'm using D'Addario Chromes just now which are quite bright still for flats, but my favourites are the Tomastik Infeld Jazz. I was weary of making the change, but I did 4 years ago & I'm confident that I'll always be a flatwounds player (unless the music calls for the zing of rounds). Quote
CamdenRob Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) I'm using D'Addario Prosteels on all my bases at the moment, they do everything I'm looking for. Warm and bright without being tinny and clanky. Depends what sort of sound you are looking for though, different strings drastically alter your tone, it's a very personal choice. Strings are as much a part of your sound as your bass and your amp, worth trying a few to find what suits you best. Edited March 31, 2014 by CamdenRob Quote
wateroftyne Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 [quote name='Number6' timestamp='1396225365' post='2411223'] Time to change strings on an old Ibanez bass.....i've used Rotosound since i began playing so fancy a change.....what d'ya reckon i should put on there? Seems like it should be easy to decide.....but i can't lol [/quote] What do you like about your current strings? What don't you like about your current strings? What kind of sound do you like? What kind of stuff do you play? ...etc. :-) Quote
Number6 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1396249107' post='2411274'] What do you like about your current strings? What don't you like about your current strings? In essence really i don't have a preference......i have just always used Roto's because......well because i have. I play rock music and don't hold particular allegiance to any string just fancied a change but with such wide choice thought i'd put feelers for a few ideas. clearly it's an individual thing but as it was time for a full strip down and rebuild of this particular bass (long overdue) see it as the opportune time. What kind of sound do you like? What kind of stuff do you play? ...etc. :-) [/quote] Edited March 31, 2014 by Number6 Quote
RockfordStone Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 ive used ernie balls for the past 5 or so years and ive never had any issues with them. tempted to try others but they do everything I ask Quote
Bolo Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I had Ernie Ball strings break on me or go dead within a fortnight. Love DRs! I use their DDTs in near-standard tuning. The lo-riders I used to use are good too, but I found the hi-beams too zingy. Not enough clout. Quote
Hobbayne Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Ernie Ball super slinkys in the dayglo pink packet or regular slinkys in the yellow packet. I have one of each on both by fenders. Quote
Spike Vincent Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I wouldn't use Rotosound again if they paid me.D'Addario get my vote. Quote
Number6 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 I'll have to have a tot up later and see which to buy (deffo not roto's lol)....thanks for the input BC Quote
JTUK Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 If you haven't changed strings for way too long then you obviously aren't looking for any zing so I don't think it will really matter what you go for. rounds or flats..? Quote
Number6 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 The bass (30 year old Ibanez Roadstar II) has been in storage for about 10 years.....its quite likely all zinged out lol Quote
JTUK Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Pro Steels are a decent start then. I wouldn't call them the best but they are better than average, IMO. readily availlable and a fair price. Quote
goonerjoe Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 I used to swear by Rotosounds, but they always used to go dead after a few rehearsals... tried a set of DR's from Bass Direct and they lasted ages... maybe 2 months. Quote
BigRedX Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 String choice is an incredibly personal thing. The only way you are going to find what you like is by trying for yourself. The only useful thing that comes from these threads is a list of stings for you to try. For instance there are already more than a couple of recommendations for DR Strings, however I found them all horrible. As I said it's personal. here's two more to add to your list - La Bella Steels and Warwick Red Label. Quote
seashell Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Status half wounds for me. As recommended by someone on here. Lovely and smooth on my ladies hands, lol Perfect for someone who can't decide between rounds and flats. ! And inexpensive at £16.99 direct from Status. Quote
KevB Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) I've posted this before but I've been using these on all my regularly gigged basses for the last year or so; [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-prices-Coban-Guitars-Bass-Guitar-Strings-45-105-Range-from-1-to-6-sets-/151063936837?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&var=&hash=item232c1cbf45#ht_3856wt_1135"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Super-prices-Coban-Guitars-Bass-Guitar-Strings-45-105-Range-from-1-to-6-sets-/151063936837?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&var=&hash=item232c1cbf45#ht_3856wt_1135[/url] Sound like every other stainless steel roundwounds I've used but at a fraction of the price, can afford to change them after 6 months even if they don't really need it. Not had a duff set yet. Buy six packs at a time and they cost less than a fiver per set. Absurdly good value. Edited April 1, 2014 by KevB Quote
JellyKnees Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Yup, as bigredx said, it's very personal thing and it also depends very much on the bass you are using. I've recently gone back to rotos... I switched my main bass from a headless 4 string to a standard 5 string (an Ibanez) after many years, and I found pretty much all the other brands were just too floppy for me. Personally I think the rotos sound great - I've had them on a couple of months and they haven't died on me yet...it's an expensive journey though. Might be worth trying to pick up some slightly used strings on here to save yourself some wonga? Quote
Qlank Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 How about Picato? I'm back to using them again. 735's. I get mine from Bandshop. Nice on my fingers, quite growly, last a long time. And inexpensive. Quote
EMG456 Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Bass Centre Elites? I've been using them for years and they do the job well and last a good length of time. Quote
HowieBass Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Have you always used the Rotosound stainless steel roundwounds? If so then you'll find their nickel rounds are somewhat mellower/darker in sound than the steels and have a nicer feel (the nickels with the blue silks are better than the unsilked Rotobass so you might try the RS 66LDN set). Quote
Mark Dyer Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Best Bass Gear ran a survey recently on peeps string preference. Two manufacturers seemed to be clear favourites, DR and [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]D'Addario. As Bubinga and others have mentioned earlier, they do seem to last a while longer before starting to sound dull, which was also a common response on the survey.[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I use DR Lowriders on all basses, they are not the cheapest for sure, but they do last longer.[/font][/color] Quote
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