Best Warm & Funky Strings

[Open E]

Ok folks, your advice please on the best strings for a warm funky sound (finger style - no slapping).

Think Chuck Rainey on Steely Dan’s Josie or the bass sound on Rickie Lee Jones Chuck E’s In Love.

I’ve currently got a Warwick Corvette Rockbass (Short Scale) with Fender light roundwounds on, going through an Ampeg PF500 and Barefaced cabs. Please don’t tell me to change my bass 🤓.

thanks in advance.

[PawelG]

It's very personal, I guess.

So, I'd go for something from Thomastik, like their Roundwounds or Superalloy. Straight from the pack - they're warm but they have everything you'd want from the roundwound. And oh, they are funky. To me anyway 🙂

[aguacollas]

+1 Thomastik Superalloys. 

I have them in a Warwick Streamer Stage II and they sound just like you describe it, warm but with all the roundwound goodness. Love them. 

Edited October 12, 2018 by aguacollas

[TheGreek]

Tapewounds

[NJE]

Might sound like an odd choice but I found Elixirs have a warmer tone to them fresh out of the box, less top end zing than a lot of brands, which is ideal for me as a soul/funk type player. They also last a silly amount of time and stay consistent.

[The59Sound]

Flatwounds or pressure wounds. 

[PatrickJ]

On 12/10/2018 at 19:59, Open E said:

Ok folks, your advice please on the best strings for a warm funky sound (finger style - no slapping).

I won't suggest a specific string as I think that's very much personal preference.

For the sort of sound you are looking for I'd suggest nickel plated roundwound strings on a round core.

Edited October 14, 2018 by PJ-Bassist

[hooky_lowdown]

On 15/10/2018 at 00:16, PJ-Bassist said:

 

For the sort of sound you are looking for I'd suggest nickel plated roundwound strings on a round core

You want pure nickel strings - NOT nickel plated. The pure nickel strings give a much warmer sound than nickel plated.

[ped]

1 hour ago, hooky_lowdown said:

You want pure nickel strings - NOT nickel plated. The pure nickel strings give a much warmer sound than nickel plated.

I think to a degree so called pure nickel strings have a steel core as nickel isn't strong enough - might be wrong though...

[mcnach]

On 12/10/2018 at 22:20, TheGreek said:

Tapewounds

 

This. Especifically Labella White Nylon tapewounds. Both the standard white or the copper varieties work well. The Gold is a little too brittle for my taste.

They can be very bright, although nothing like new roundwounds, and can do toppy and aggressive. But if you bring the treble down a bit (passive tone controls work very well with these) you get very warm tones, with strong low mids and nice tight low end without getting boomy. Fat, with definition, warm... You can tell I love these

They are very flexible, the 50-105 gauge feel a lot lighter than what the gauge would suggest. Very easy to bend too... which can be a good or a bad thing: I found it very hard to not bend strings at every occasion when I first got them

 

[mcnach]

On 16/10/2018 at 11:49, hooky_lowdown said:

You want pure nickel strings - NOT nickel plated. The pure nickel strings give a much warmer sound than nickel plated.

 

can you get pure nickel strings?