Thumpiest, darkest ROUNDwounds ever?

[fretmeister]

Since my finger injury and subsequent arthritis (middle finger, right hand) I’ve been trying loads of different things to try to get playing as well as I used to.

 

I love thumpy flats for my jazz gig but the extra surface area on a flat compared to the winding gaps in a round make it more difficult to play as my finger tip sort of sticks a bit more, and that finger hooks on the string anyway because of the tendon rupture. So I’ve gone to rounds with a ramp and that is a lot easier.

 

But, unless I wait for years for the strings to reach ‘almost flat’ sounds they are somewhat bright.

 

So… is there actually a roundwound made to be old and thumpy? Or do I just have to wait for the finger poo?

[Reggaebass]

Have you tried half rounds, I’ve got a set on one of my jazzes, they aren’t as smooth as flats 

[fretmeister]

I looked at some but they seem to all be nickels, and I don’t get on with them. 
has to be steels really.

[Reggaebass]

34 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

I looked at some but they seem to all be nickels, and I don’t get on with them. 
has to be steels really.

I think you’re right, the D’addario ones I’ve got are nickel 

[PaulThePlug]

Rotosound Solo Bass Pressure Wounds are SS...

https://www.rotosound.com/product/rs55ld/

On Sale at PMT £21.50 from £33

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/rotosound-solo-bass55-45-105?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiPS14Lzl-gIVD-ztCh0jjQUuEAQYASABEgJV1vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Edited October 16, 2022 by PaulThePlug

[Jimbogubson]

Elites do a stainless ground wound. 
not tried them myself but may be an option.

[Pow_22]

If i ever have to use rounds i go with Fender 7150, the only rounds for me that have that big fundamental and slightly rolled off top end.  decent tension too which i like

[fretmeister]

2 hours ago, Pow_22 said:

If i ever have to use rounds i go with Fender 7150, the only rounds for me that have that big fundamental and slightly rolled off top end.  decent tension too which i like

 

 

Alas those are nickels. I don't get on with them.

[mcnach]

I like DR Fat Beams... but you need to play them a while before they lose the very bright zing and settle into the mellower thumpier sound I prefer. I never love them to start with, and they get progressively better over the next few weeks. Then I'm good for 2-3 years. They have a good low mid response that I really like.

[Supernaut]

I would buy a DR roundcore SS string - Hi Beams or Fat Beams - and cut the string straight. It will be dead immediately. Might be what you're after? 

[ikay]

37 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

... cut the string straight. It will be dead immediately.

 

Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but what does 'cut the string straight' mean and how does that deaden the string?

[Supernaut]

30 minutes ago, ikay said:

 

Sorry if I'm being a bit thick but what does 'cut the string straight' mean and how does that deaden the string?

Cut the string before you put a kink in it, i.e. straight. 
 

The coils unravel, instant dead string. 

[ikay]

Ah ok, thanks.

[Merton]

Status do stainless half rounds, I really like them. Despite their custom bass shop being closed I believe the strings are still available.

Edited October 21, 2022 by Merton

[fretmeister]

4 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I would buy a DR roundcore SS string - Hi Beams or Fat Beams - and cut the string straight. It will be dead immediately. Might be what you're after? 

 

That might be a really clever idea!

[mcnach]

I'm not so sure about the 'cut straight before bending' technique for this purpose. The kind of 'dead' you might get is not a good kind of 'dead', based on what I've heard (admittedly on Youtube). The other reason is... it's not a guarantee. I used to cut those strings straight before putting a kink on them for a few years before I found out I was risking failure. Never once they failed on me... so it definitely can happen, but it's not a guaranteed thing. Although you can probably 'encourage' it to happen, I don't know. 

[ikay]

I think round core strings are more prone to the straight cut/dead string thing, hex core much less so as the angled edges offer a bit more grip for the windings.

[fretmeister]

On 23/10/2022 at 15:36, ikay said:

I think round core strings are more prone to the straight cut/dead string thing, hex core much less so as the angled edges offer a bit more grip for the windings.

Definitely true.

 

Most roundcore strings come with a warning about it.

[shoulderpet]

Rotosound swingbass nickel, sounds like a strange suggestion but they start out very bright but I then found within about 2 weeks they practically sounded like flats, people think the stainless steel ones die quickly but the stainless ones last as long as any string for me, the nickel ones die very, very quickly