Strings!

[William James Easton]

OK my latest quest is to find some strings i like.
Ive been playing Elites Stadium 45- 100 of late. If i dont use them i use Ernie Balls niether have ever made me thought 'these strings are great'.
Never been amazed by the life span of Rotosound.
My mate has suggested D'addario strings for a change. He uses themn on his guitar and has done for 15 years and also on his bass for 5 years and swears blind by them.
Do strings REALLY matter?

any help what to try would be great.
4 string rock bassing (or near enough!)

EDIT - when i say do strings matter, i mean the make not if you need them!!!!

Edited July 20, 2008 by Rusty Shackleford

[beerdragon]

I'm about to order a set of strings, i have no idea whats on my bass at the moment as i have'nt had the bass that long. but they sound great and they are really worn in. the reason i'm putting a new set is because i broke a string. i might try some Elites unless someone has had a bad experience with them.

[William James Easton]

[quote name='beerdragon' post='243825' date='Jul 20 2008, 03:01 PM']I'm about to order a set of strings, i have no idea whats on my bass at the moment as i have'nt had the bass that long. but they sound great and they are really worn in. the reason i'm putting a new set is because i broke a string. i might try some Elites unless someone has had a bad experience with them.[/quote]

never had a bad experience with thme but like all the others i've played never been WOWed. but they are the best i've used so far in my short life.

[Wooks]

[quote name='Rusty Shackleford' post='243815' date='Jul 20 2008, 02:50 PM']OK my latest quest is to find some strings i like.
Ive been playing Elites Stadium 45- 100 of late. If i dont use them i use Ernie Balls niether have ever made me thought 'these strings are great'.
Never been amazed by the life span of Rotosound.
My mate has suggested D'addario strings for a change. He uses themn on his guitar and has done for 15 years and also on his bass for 5 years and swears blind by them.
Do strings REALLY matter?

any help what to try would be great.
4 string rock bassing (or near enough!)[/quote]

Yeah there is a difference between manufacturers. I've used D'Addario's on my 5 which it came with and they are pretty cool, Got Rotosound's on me 4 and that sound pretty good too, also I have used some cheap strings that cost a tenner for me 5 that I got from EvilBay. And these too sounded not too bad!! But I am slightly deaf and so they all sound the same to me anyways
I can tell when I put new strings on cos they DO sound a lot more zingier and brighter, but I tend to like them once they have been played with a few times. I suppose it's really each to their own personal preference and a case of trial and error until you get the strings that you are happiest with. What you could do is every time you come to change your strings you could buy a diffferent brand each time until you find the ones you like??

[MB1]

MB1.
Strings and gauges do matter a lot!... as individual as your choice of bass and amplification!......The Torture Never Stops!

[William James Easton]

[quote name='MB1' post='243830' date='Jul 20 2008, 03:06 PM']MB1.
Strings and gauges do matter a lot!... as individual as your choice of bass and amplification!......[b]The Torture Never Stops[/b]! [/quote]

15 years and still looking for that perfect string!

[Wooks]

[quote name='MB1' post='243830' date='Jul 20 2008, 03:06 PM']MB1.
Strings and gauges do matter a lot!... as individual as your choice of bass and amplification!......The Torture Never Stops! [/quote]

+1 on this one MB1. I've only been playing around 9 months and I've found this out quickly!!! Bloody expensive this bass lark!!
Are we bass players just a bit fussy with our gear or are other musicians, like drummers and guitarists the same too?? Do they experience GAS in the same levels that some people on here do, me included in that statement

[Dubs]

[quote name='Rusty Shackleford' post='243815' date='Jul 20 2008, 02:50 PM']Do strings REALLY matter?[/quote]

IMO they’re one of THE most important things – it’s what your fingers come into contact with and ultimately where the original sound is coming from. I find that different gauge strings can affect how fast I can play and also how well/accurately I can play.
I used to play some pretty light gauge Ernie Ball Extra Slinky strings (40/60/70/95), but more recently I tend to prefer slightly heaver gauge strings – the EB Super Slinky strings (45/65/80/100).
There’s loads of things that make strings feel and sound different - the material it’s made from, its construction, its gauge, etc…
I’ve tried so many different manufactures and gauges over about 8 years and I seem to keep coming back to Ernie Ball as I find they feel and sound the best for me…it’s all personal preference though. I love the feel and sound of fresh strings though so I change mine and boil old sets up quite a lot.

[xilddx]

I'm digging my DR Black Beauties at the moment! They look, sound and feel great. They're on my Warwick.

Got D'Addario Nickels on my headless, they're not bad.

Got Warwick Yellows on my Jazz, not bad either.

Got some LaBella flatwounds for my fretless but I haven't finished putting it together yet.

Think I'll be using DRs from now on.

I get most of my strings from the States via ebay. Much cheaper than buying them here.

[bass_ferret]

There is a lot of info on strings on the basschat wiki

[Wooks]

[quote name='silddx' post='243851' date='Jul 20 2008, 03:45 PM']I'm digging my DR Black Beauties at the moment! They look, sound and feel great. They're on my Warwick.

Got D'Addario Nickels on my headless, they're not bad.

Got Warwick Yellows on my Jazz, not bad either.

Got some LaBella flatwounds for my fretless but I haven't finished putting it together yet.

Think I'll be using DRs from now on.

I get most of my strings from the States via ebay. Much cheaper than buying them here.[/quote]

Can you or anybody that has delt with retailers in the States recommend anybody and possibly add links here please?? And give price examples and whether you've been stung for any duty too!!

Edited July 20, 2008 by Wooks

[6stringbassist]

DR's are the best, a bit expensive but they last way longer than cheaper ones, and sound better throughout their life, so end up being a better deal.

I'm currently using the Lo-rider nickels.

[Rayman]

I've tried dozens of makes, as we all have, close second favourites were the Warwick Black Labels. Powerful, clear, lasted over a year for me on a thunderbird, but were very abrasive on the fingers.

The only strings I'll have, on [i]all[/i] my basses now, are Ernie Ball Super Slinkys. They do all of the above too, and are kinder to my fingers.

[bass_ferret]

[quote name='Wooks' post='243887' date='Jul 20 2008, 04:33 PM']Can you or anybody that has delt with retailers in the States recommend anybody and possibly add links here please?? And give price examples and whether you've been stung for any duty too!! [/quote]
There is a link to at least 1 US seller on the basschat wiki.

[Bay Splayer]

now i have tried DR fatbeams i dont think i will use anything else

fantastic strings

they are expensive but......there is a link on this site somewhere where you can buy two sets from the U.S.of A for the price of one set over here

if someone doesn`t put it up soon (the link) i will try to find it

[xilddx]

[quote name='uptonmark' post='243901' date='Jul 20 2008, 04:48 PM']now i have tried DR fatbeams i dont think i will use anything else

fantastic strings

they are expensive but......there is a link on this site somewhere where you can buy two sets from the U.S.of A for the price of one set over here

if someone doesn`t put it up soon (the link) i will try to find it[/quote]

I got my DR BBs here [url="http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/mymusicstuff"]http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/mymusicstuff[/url]

No duty paid.
US $29.99
US $10.00 Postage
Total
US $39.99
(£20.01)

Edited July 20, 2008 by silddx

[Bay Splayer]

`ere yer go [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-sets-Fat-Beams-Marcus-Miller-Signature-Bass-Strings_W0QQitemZ350067965445QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-sets-Fat-Beams-Mar...p3286.m20.l1116[/url]

[ianrunci]

I sometimes use Elites and sometimes Rotosound swing bass mainly cos they are cheap. The rotosounds you can boil over and over again which is handy when your skint.

If money doesn't matter I would buy Elixirs all the time. They last forever and sound and feel fantastic, they are just too expensive for my tastes

[xilddx]

[quote name='uptonmark' post='243911' date='Jul 20 2008, 04:57 PM']`ere yer go [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-sets-Fat-Beams-Marcus-Miller-Signature-Bass-Strings_W0QQitemZ350067965445QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-sets-Fat-Beams-Mar...p3286.m20.l1116[/url][/quote]


Same as me, MyMusicStuff. Great ebay seller.

[johnnylager]

Ernie Ball stainless steel hybrid slinkys. This week anyway. Lo-riders went off after 1 gig, D'Addario nearly snapped the neck, Fenders were too quiet and the elixir came off the Elixirs far too quick for the price. Better then DR's tho.

[bass_ferret]

They are both the same link thats in the wiki. Buying expensive long lasting strings is acutally better than cheap short lasting strings if the expensive strings last longer than all the cheaper strings.

[lowhand_mike]

[quote name='ianrunci' post='243912' date='Jul 20 2008, 04:58 PM']I sometimes use Elites and sometimes Rotosound swing bass mainly cos they are cheap. The rotosounds you can boil over and over again which is handy when your skint.

If money doesn't matter I would buy Elixirs all the time. They last forever and sound and feel fantastic, they are just too expensive for my tastes[/quote]
+1 for the elixirs, i have use ernie balls and elites, and some black coated strings a while back but they were very abrasive and didnt last long.
now i am a firm convert of elixirs, yes they can be expensive but in the long run they are much cheaper as you change them less, they hold thier sound for a stupidly long time and are really kind on your fingers due to the coating which helps them squeek less.
you can pick them up online a bit cheaper than in the shops which they go for about £45.
though if you dont like them its a big drop of money. they do start off very zingy but they ease a bit to a really nice tone.

[Deep Thought]

I tried some Skull strings, which my local shop sells, a while ago. They have some sort of coating (not like the Elixirs, which I had on my Ibanez SR500 and which I didn't like at all-the plastic stuff started wearing off and going all stringy), but a micro-coating of sorts which makes them more resistant to corrosion and last longer. I really liked the sound, and they did seem to last longer too.

[Jase]

I used Rotosound for years, still love their tone but it doesn't last long....then went to Pro Steels and they are superb strings! Just moved onto Hartke....seem great at the moment, a little softer than my other faves. Out of those three it has to be the Pro Steels that do it for me.

[thebassmandave]

[quote name='Wooks' post='243887' date='Jul 20 2008, 08:33 AM']Can you or anybody that has delt with retailers in the States recommend anybody and possibly add links here please?? And give price examples and whether you've been stung for any duty too!! [/quote]

These are two of the best places I have found for buying bass strings in the US.

[url="http://www.juststrings.com/bassguitar.html"]http://www.juststrings.com/bassguitar.html[/url]

[url="http://store.1stopwinds.com/dextwpabagus.html"]http://store.1stopwinds.com/dextwpabagus.html[/url]

I especially like the deal I get from 1stop on my D'addario strings.

However, you may lose some "savings" on the postage but I think it still works out cheaper than the prices in Blighty.

Personally, I have always liked the strings which were on my bass at the time of buying, and even after trying other sets, I usually go back to whatever was originally on there when I bought it as the sound and feel of the strings appealed to me.

One thing I always do which helps my strings last a bit longer, is to always wipe them whenever I'm playing - even if only for a few minutes.

Perhaps a bit OTT, but I always carry two cloths with me: one soft cloth for wiping the body, neck and hardware and the other a microfibre chamois like cloth which I use for wiping the strings and the fretboard.

These microfibre cloths are great as they don't leave fibres stuck to the strings like a lot of polishing cloths.