String Advice Needed

[Sharkfinger]

My band have been playing dropped down a semi-tone for a few year now.  For the avoidance of doubt, my 4-string bass is tuned D#, G#, C# and F#

I have a bass X-Tender and this takes my bottom string down to low C#.  

I used to use Rotosound Swing bass 45-105 and that is my preferred tone.

I've been unhappy with how floppy it makes my strings and how 'clanky' it sounds when the action is fairly low.  I fixed the latter by taking the action up a bit.  No biggie but I prefer it a bit lower.

Strings are still a bit loose though.  I tried DR Nickel Lo-Riders 45-105 and I didn't feel any difference.  I then put on some Rotosound 'Monel' flats and they were good.  Not floppy and has allowed be to bring the action back down a bit.  I understand flats 'clank' a bit less anyway.  I really like the mid-focused tone but the downside is that after a few gigs, the tone has 'mellowed' a bit too much for my tastes and as my band play a wide variety of styles, it's not appropriate for everything.  I would rather just roll off the tone when I need to.

Is there string that has higher tension like the Roto flats but with (at least some of) the brightness of rounds?  Should I just switch to a higher guage of string, like 107-110 on bottom string?

What about these?

https://www.drstrings.com/bass-ddt

Edited September 17, 2019 by Sharkfinger

[Cuzzie]

DR DDT and Hi Beams are very good and do drop tuning just fine, I use them on all mine

[jimmy23cricket]

Tunings for my band vary from standard E right down to Drop C and even down to B on one song. I use two basses and have found that the main "floppiness" happens on the lowest string. 

So I have started using D'addario custom gauges (roundwound stainless). I tend to use 105 - 80 - 60 - 40 on standard E and Drop D tunings

On my other bass I go with 110- 85 -65 - 45  which does me for all D standard, Drop C and down to B on the top string. When down to B there is an element of flopiness but its manageable.

I really ought to get a Fiver!

 

[Cuzzie]

1 minute ago, jimmy23cricket said:

Tunings for my band vary from standard E right down to Drop C and even down to B on one song. I use two basses and have found that the main "floppiness" happens on the lowest string. 

So I have started using D'addario custom gauges (roundwound stainless). I tend to use 105 - 80 - 60 - 40 on standard E and Drop D tunings

On my other bass I go with 110- 85 -65 - 45  which does me for all D standard, Drop C and down to B on the top string. When down to B there is an element of flopiness but its manageable.

I really ought to get a Fiver!

 

Defo not a 5er - stay in the 4 club 

[Sharkfinger]

25 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

DR DDT and Hi Beams are very good and do drop tuning just fine, I use them on all mine

Not sure I'd get on with SS strings, might be a bit too bright/harsh.

[Cuzzie]

1 hour ago, Sharkfinger said:

Not sure I'd get on with SS strings, might be a bit too bright/harsh.

True, as in all strings they do dull, but it’s s trial and error

[Delberthot]

2 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

Not sure I'd get on with SS strings, might be a bit too bright/harsh.

I'd thought that for years as well being a D'addario EXL-165 nickels player but since I tried their Pro-steels I am converted.

For Drop D & B I was using the top 3 strings from a set of EXL165s with a 110 E String

[Sharkfinger]

4 hours ago, Delberthot said:

I'd thought that for years as well being a D'addario EXL-165 nickels player but since I tried their Pro-steels I am converted.

For Drop D & B I was using the top 3 strings from a set of EXL165s with a 110 E String

Doesn't someone do a 'mixed' set of guages, with the E sting being a 107?

[Delberthot]

7 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

Doesn't someone do a 'mixed' set of guages, with the E sting being a 107?

D'addario do a set with 45, 60, 80, 107 in the XL range. Rotosound also do the BIlly Sheehan set which has a 110 E string but they lasted me about 3 gigs before being completely dead

[jimmy23cricket]

Check out strings direct, they sell singles of D'addario pro steels. So you can choose your required gauges for each string. That's what I ended up doing. Slightly more pricey but less than Hi Beams.

Also Newtone lets you order custom gauges.

[Sharkfinger]

2 hours ago, jimmy23cricket said:

Also Newtone lets you order custom gauges.

And they're quite reasonable. £31 including delivery for their 'platinum' nickels, including delivery.  Only downside is the lead time.  Will order a set somewhere between what would be a Medium to Heavy.  The beauty of it is, if the E string still misbehaves when dropped to C#, I can just order that 1 string to be Heavy ( .110 )

[Wilson_51_]

If your preferred tone and feel of the Rotosound Swing 66 then try the 50-110 set. I reckon they'll feel fine.

Edited September 18, 2019 by simon88wilson

[thodrik]

If you want high tension and low action and like your current strings then I would just get a heavier set of Rotos. Drop C # isn't too low, I used to use 105-45 D'addario pro steels or EB Hybrid Slinkys for that. I generally had to change them pretty frequently though when gigging to retain that clear 'piano' tone I wanted. 

I tried DR DDT's but I thought that they were good, but very expensive and unbalanced from string to string once you moved to the heavier sets of 115-55.

I ordered a custom set of Newtones and while the strings were good, they didn't deliver the gauges I actually ordered (which  meant that they were not optimised for the tuning I had specified when I placed my order- 'heavy core' or not) which kind of irked me for the price I was charged. For the tunings I use now (D standard drop C) I find that the D'addario EXL160BT 120- 90- 67- 50 set are superior to any DR DDT set, Dunlop Heavy Core set or the custom Newtones I have tried over the years. The 120 will be great for drop C# however it might be a bit tight for E flat unless you set your bass up to cope with the extra tension. 

[Sharkfinger]

2 hours ago, thodrik said:

I ordered a custom set of Newtones and while the strings were good, they didn't deliver the gauges I actually ordered (which  meant that they were not optimised for the tuning I had specified when I placed my order- 'heavy core' or not) which kind of irked me for the price I was charged. For the tunings I use now (D standard drop C) I find that the D'addario EXL160BT 120- 90- 67- 50 set are superior to any DR DDT set, Dunlop Heavy Core set or the custom Newtones I have tried over the years. The 120 will be great for drop C# however it might be a bit tight for E flat unless you set your bass up to cope with the extra tension. 

Food for thought.  I don't drop to C# enough to be really that precious about it, just the occasional tune and I drop it mid-song here and there.

My concern is that if I go to 110, I will have to file my nut and if I don't get on with it and go back to a lower guage, it will not be held securely.

[thodrik]

29 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

Food for thought.  I don't drop to C# enough to be really that precious about it, just the occasional tune and I drop it mid-song here and there.

My concern is that if I go to 110, I will have to file my nut and if I don't get on with it and go back to a lower guage, it will not be held securely.

Most basses should be able to fit a 110 gauge E string, as it is only slightly larger than a standard 105 E string, You really shouldn't have have any problems going back to a 105 E string. Most basses come strung with strings of 105/100 E strings, but you don't need to get a new nut if you decide to move to an extra light set of 90-40 strings. 

 

[Delberthot]

I tried the EXL160BT 120- 90- 67- 50 set in standard tuning but they were way too high tension for me - great for dropping the E down to B but too much in standard tuning. A bit like the Steve Harris flats - great when tuned down a semitone but just too much for me in standard tuning

I've used 110 E strings on a number of basses and haven't encountered any issues with the string being too thick for the nut

[Sharkfinger]

As an update to this, I've put on some GHS Pressurewounds.  

Seem to fit the bill, as they are slightly higher tension, being a bit thicker. Cuts down on 'clank' without the action being really high. There were a bit too 'zingy' to begin with, along with quite a bit of finger noise, which is especially annoying in IEMs.  This is the thing other thing about rounds that was turning me off but it calmed down pretty quickly and now they seem to be giving me the tone of rounds without the above mentioned tonal annoyances and floppyness on a down-tuned bass.

[artisan]

1 hour ago, Sharkfinger said:

As an update to this, I've put on some GHS Pressurewounds.  

Seem to fit the bill, as they are slightly higher tension, being a bit thicker. Cuts down on 'clank' without the action being really high. There were a bit too 'zingy' to begin with, along with quite a bit of finger noise, which is especially annoying in IEMs.  This is the thing other thing about rounds that was turning me off but it calmed down pretty quickly and now they seem to be giving me the tone of rounds without the above mentioned tonal annoyances and floppyness on a down-tuned bass.

I was just about to recommend pressurewound strings,I have them on both of my basses & couldn't be happier with them.