Recommendations for strings on a Magnum

[ProfJames]

What can the members recommend please?

 

[Shaggy]

Ovation Magnum?   Extra long length seems to recommended due to the long bridge/tailpiece, but I use standard long scale on mine without any problems.   As mine is fretless I use La Bella white nylon (tapewounds), but if it wasn’t I’d probably use the DR Black Beauties I generally use on my fretted basses.   The big neck pickup is quite warm, so a “zingy” string suits.

[ezbass]

Calling @Happy Jack

[Happy Jack]

Hah! Just got back from a long session in the studio, not about to go back down to check what I have on there, but happy to come back tomorrow.

What I can tell you is that I have flats on the fretless II and rounds on the fretted III. I found the Magnum III to be particularly sensitive to string choice. Get it right and it just sounds immense, get it wrong and you'll wonder what the fuss was all about.

When I bought the III it was in fairly ropey nick and the strings were very old, tired and corroded. And it still sounded unbelievable. I stuck some decent rounds on it (really can't remember which brand) and it was just 'meh'. Changed the strings for another brand - still 'meh'. Changed one last time and zing! There it was again.

Luckily I have enough basses that I can always swop strings between basses, or find a home for a new set, if necessary. If I was bunging £50 at a new set each time, I'd have been getting a mite ticked off by the end. 

[ProfJames]

Thank you for your experience @Happy Jack would welcome finding out what strings you have on the III when you get back to the studio.  Will probably save me heaps of money.

[TrevorR]

White chocolate or Classic? 🥴

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 9, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Happy Jack]

The roundwound strings on my fretted Magnum III are D'Addario XLs.

The flatwound strings on my fretless Magnum II are absolutely lovely, but I really can't remember which make they are. Even more strangely, neither can @Silvia Bluejay!

See if you can recognise them from these:

[ProfJames]

Many thanks..........

[Silvia Bluejay]

Yup, D'Addario XLs are easy to recognise, but the flatwounds on the other one are a mystery to us - brass-coloured ball-ends, low tension, NOT Labella (the Labella LTs have dark red silks, the normal ones black), not Thomastiks (they have bright red silks)... so we're a bit stumped.

[FlatEric]

This may also help:

Ovation Magnum Strings

See details at the bottom of the post.

I was asked so many times, I measured it all up. The ones you can see on my Mag II are Stadium Elites, which as you can see, have plenty of length in them.

The other shots are of the Mag III I had but now belongs to another BCer. The strings on that were as it came to me, with Roto Swings on, which fit but the silks sit within the nut. Surprisingly, they were quite bright, with no damping due to the silks.

The Elites do suit the bass, in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

Cheers. : )

[ProfJames]

2 hours ago, FlatEric said:

This may also help:

Ovation Magnum Strings

See details at the bottom of the post.

I was asked so many times, I measured it all up. The ones you can see on my Mag II are Stadium Elites, which as you can see, have plenty of length in them.

The other shots are of the Mag III I had but now belongs to another BCer. The strings on that were as it came to me, with Roto Swings on, which fit but the silks sit within the nut. Surprisingly, they were quite bright, with no damping due to the silks.

The Elites do suit the bass, in my opinion.

Hope this helps.

Cheers. : )

Many thanks, appreciate your help and experience

Edited October 12, 2020 by ProfJames
More info

[ProfJames]

Just visited your page.  Excellent info and knowledge.  Thank you.  The T40 reminded me when I had a couple of them and the weight!  Magnum is lighter I'm pleased to say, great info and advice.