Best strings for a fretted Wal bass.

[MM Stingray 62]

[2pods]

They would be these strings I have here. In my house.

Please dispatch your Wal in a prompt manner.

 

Lovely bass.

One of my pals had the exact same bass, but all he used was the Rotosound Swing bass 66.

It sounded great.

[TheGreek]

I would recommend Tapewounds - but then again I so love the sound and texture of tapewounds that I would recommend them for any bass.

[MM Stingray 62]

I’ve been told TI flats are great with a Wal bass so I might give them a try.

[AndyTravis]

Mellow rounds - TI do rounds too - I had some n a bass for a while, felt a bit rubbery as thomastiks can.

 

[Petey]

They were designed in the 1970s came to our attention in the 80s when Rotosound Round wounds were the string of the day. Most recordings on a Wal were made with them on and that's how their reputation was forged.... however, times change and since Pinos flat wound bass playing influenced Voodoo album appeared, over 20 years ago, flats seem to be the go to and won't chew the frets or neck up as much....love flats, tapes and rounds on my basses ....= buy 3 Wals 🤣🤣🤣👍

[MM Stingray 62]

If I could go back a few years I wish I had done exactly that.

[Petey]

4 hours ago, MM Stingray 62 said:

If I could go back a few years I wish I had done exactly that.

Me too...I have one I bought in 1985 with a fibreglass cad and flightcase. Gigged it lots then bought a Jazz in 1997 and virtually retired it - I've left it to an ex-girlfriend my will 🤣🤣🤣

[Beedster]

Asking what strings to use is like asking how you should sound. Totally up to you. Double bass players spend hundreds, sometimes thousands establishing which strings work for them (and unlike the norm with electric bass, that can require strings from different sets, manufacturers, and even materials at one and the same time). Given the value of your (lovely) bass, some experimentation is worth the cost, as well as being a journey in itself 👍 

[fabbabass]

I got my Wal in ‘84 and it was fitted with Pocato nickel rounds. They were lovely and didn’t chew up the frets too badly as stainless steel might.

 

I’d look at trying some nickels if you want a more modern sound but flats may be sweet and different.

[mikeswals]

I have 8 Wals, and all are usually strung with stainless DR Hibeams. For a short period I used R Cocco stainless whenever I could find them, but it got more difficult finding them in the US, and I hated their B strings, so stopped.

But my Wal 5's only get Hibeams, the B strings sound perfectly consistant with the rest. 

I have never worn frets in nearly 3 decades using DR.

 

Lately I had checked out some others, and I have a 4 string MK2s strung with SIT Foundations stainless, and those have been on there for over 2 years now and still bright and zingy!