Recently we received an email asking to poll the audience (you) on what strings you use and moreover why, so before continuing, the goal of this article is simple: Please comment with what you use and why you use it.
Tips on making a good comment that’s useful here:
1. Do you prefer new or old strings? Some players like the piano-like twang of new strings while others prefer the old (and there are even some players who play 40 or even 50-year-old strings out there).
2. What type of string do you use? Roundwound, half-round, flatwound, tapewound, etc.?
3. Is the string you use easily available or hard-to-get?
4. If you buy strings in sets, is it for 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, or greater?
5. What type of bass do you own? Those who read this would appreciate knowing the kind you’re installing your strings on. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an inexpensive Squier or a high-grade Spector. Go ahead and mention what you have.
For my fretted basses, I use Rotosound Swing Bass normally, or DR Dragon Skin every now and then. For fretless basses, I use DR Black Beauties.
1. I much prefer new strings, and the brand choice indicates this.
2. Roundwound all the way, but the coated-nickel Black Beauties help fingerboard wear.
3. Buying my strings in a store just doesn’t happen. I use funny gauges (SM665 for Rotos, 40-120 for DR). Stores don’t have a good bass string selection anyway.
4. 5-string or I go home.
5. I play mostly high-end Warwicks, but I also built a Warmoth bass, and have a American Deluxe Precision that I’ve rendered worthless with customizations.
Dunlop nickels medium
I like strings to be broken in w, a little zing
Not available close locally,buy online
I buy a light 5 string and medium 6 string set and use the light strings on my 6 for gauges because they don’t sell light 6 string.
Nordy VJ5 – ash body,maple/maple board
Clover XP15.6
1. Elixirs-they sound great even after 6 months
2. 45-100 with a 125B
3 .I buy online for the price and customization
4. 5 string
5. American deluxe fender jazz V
I use a variety of strings on different basses, but most often I’m either using a Fender P-Bass with D’Addario Chromes Flatwounds or a Jazz bass with D’Addario XL Nickel rounds.
I like my roundwounds fairly fresh, about a week old seems to be perfect. Then, depending on how much I play that bass, I change them roughly every 3 months or so.
The D’Addario Chromes flats are a different story though! They take a few weeks to ‘break in’, then I leave them on the instrument for at least a couple years. They can get stiff after years & years of use, but I still kinda like that feel.
It’s nice that as a travelling musician, I know that D’Addario’s are available virtually anywhere! Overseas or here in the U.S.
I like new Daddario balanced tension .45 – 107 on my 4 string jazz and PJ. I like bright tone with sustain.
1. Depends on the bass. My P-Bass has old strings. My Ray has new strings.
2. Rounds on both of my main Basses. Nickelplated Fenders on my Precision and Stainless Steel Ernie Ball strings on my Stingray.
3. Both easily available at thomann.de 😉
4. I have a 4 string Precision and a 5 string Stingray. So both 4 and 5 string sets.
5. As mentioned above (like 5 times xD )
A Sterling by Musicman Ray35 in a Red-ish burst and an inexpensive Martinez PJ Precision-copy.
I use La Bella Deep talking strings,i find they give a very warm rounded sound and suits my style of playing in the studio and on tour..Pop R&B Gigs definitely demand a warm tone..I Endorsee MTD Basses and play a 5 String Andrea Gouche MTD Bass,5 MTD KZ5 Bass and a Fender 5 as backup
1 I like new.. change maybe every 6 months if needed
2. round wound.. once in a while I’ll get halfs
3.easily available 45-105
4. 4 set
5. Rick 4003, Epiphone Thunderbird, Epiphone EB-3, Fender P-bass
1. For me, there’s a window when strings are their best. It’s usually after about 2 weeks when they’re just broken in and have lost that initial sheen and up to the point where they’re pretty much dead… after about 8-10 weeks of regular gigging.
2. I mostly use DR Sunbeams, 45-105 or 45-125 for a 5-string set. They’re nickel roundwound strings on a round core. They have a slightly lower tension and seem to have a longer peak usable period than hex-core strings, which seem to die a little sooner, in my experience. They use a thin outer wrap wire, so the strings won’t chew up your fingers during a long gig.
3. They’re hard to find locally (for me), but easy to get online.
4. I usually buy them in 4 or 5 string sets… I buy 5-string sets much more because I almost exclusively play 5-string.
5. I have an Elrick E-Volution 5, Zon Sonus Elite 5 fretless, Rickenbacker 4003, Fender CS ’64 Jazz, Fender “Hot Rodded” Precision, amd another Zon fretted on the way.
I only Use DR NLR-40-100 Roundwound Strings on all of my Basses
1. They are soft to the touch easier on my fretboards and fingers as i change strings often they are cost effective also
2. Roundwound Strings mostly in the studio I will use Flatwounds for a richer tone
3. I buy my strings of the Internet cause stores just don’t have a good selection of strings in my area
4. I buy all my strings in sets
5. I play several Basses I have a Custom Carvin Fretless Bass which is my Favorite And a Ric which I use in the studio mostly and a Washburn That I rescued from E-Bay and It plays Fantastic all of my Basses are Fretless i have in my collection around 12 basses and i play them all
I like old strings, specifically old steel roundwounds and steel flatwounds. I usually only change strings when the frets wear down the windings to the point where the tone is affected. I find that old steel rounds get a nice warm tone, with just a bit of edge that makes the bass sit perfectly in the mix. However, I keep a new set of strings in my gig bag, just in case the bandleader or recording engineer wants that spanky new-string bass tone.
I have a Fender Jazz that I have strung with 2-year old stainless steel rounds, and a Fender Precision that I currently have strung with flats. Not the most exciting bass collection, but for the gigs that I do, I can usually plug in and get a good tone without much tweaking.
I usually use D’Addario strings, although I currently have both basses strung up with Fender strings (which are made by D’Addario). I’m not married to any brand, but I like my strings to have a good consistent sound from string to string, and I have found D’Addario to deliver that consistency and to be readily available at more shops.
For my main bass, I use circle k strings. On my fretless 6, I use daddario half rounds
1) I prefer new, especially the circle k strings, they’re bright, clear, and have a really nice bite to them that I really like
2) Rounds on the fretted, halves on the fretless
3) The circle k strings are easy to get online, the daddarios might be a little harder now since the store I’d buy em from is out of business…
4) Always in 6 string sets.
5) I play an LTD B-406sm as my main until my etherial custom arrives which will have the same strings. I also play a hohner b bass VI
1. New strings. I like the brightness and cut they have. Just sucks it costs so much to change often, so I keep them on for a couple three months.
2. D’Addario XL Nickel roundwounds. 50-105 for drop C# or 50-110 for drop A. Sometimes I use Ernie Ball if I feel like doing something different.
3. 50-105 is easy to get, 50-110 I have to order. Which is fine.
4. I’m a 4 stringer all the way. I’ve got a fiver, but it sits in it’s case mostly. Anyone want a bass?
5. I have 4 Epi Thunderbirds. A goth and one with an epi pup both tuned to drop A. Two with the Gibson pups tuned to drop C#. Love ’em! Got other basses, but those are my live axes.
Yes ill take the 5 Stringer you doht use. traceelliot123@yahoo.com
1. Prefer brand new stainless steel roundwound strings – Warwick Blacks, GHS Super Steels, SIT, Rotosound.
2. Roundwound…stainless only!
3. Sometimes struggle to find what I want.
4. 4, 5 and mainly 6
6. Warwick 6-string basses, Fender 4’s. Yamaha 6’s and Music Man 5
1) New, and I replace them about every 6 weeks
2) Rotosound Swing Bass, 45-105
3) Online, as I can get them for cheaper because I buy in bulk- Usually 12-16 sets at a time.
4) 4 string sets for the most part, but I do have 1 5 string.
5) ’77 P-bass w/ a Hipshot D-Tuner, Badass 2 Bridge, Seymore Duncan Active P’ups; ’83 Ric 4001 w/ Hipshot D-Tuner & Bridge, Bartolini P’ups; ’85 Gibson Explorer Bass w/ Hipshot, Badass Bridge, Seymore Duncan Active P’ups; ’91 Carvin LB70 w/ Hipshot D-tuner & active P’ups; ’93 Carvin LB 75 5-string w/ Active P’ups.
1. Rotosound stainless rounds and flats ”66 and 77”
2. the flats I keep forever and the stainless rounds I like them to be newer
3. they are available at Guitar Center
4. only 4 string sets
5. I have the flats on a passive MIM jazz bass with stock pickups. The rounds are on a jazz 24 with custom shop pickups
On my PJ bass I use stainless steel strings and particularly like the brightness and durability of Daddarios strings.
For my 6 string I use Ken Smith´s 6 string stainless steel set which are not too bright but contain lots of mids.
For my fretless I use Ken Smith´s groundwounds they have the perfect blend of roundwound brightness and flatwound mellowness.
1. I prefer strings that are broken in.
2. Mostly flatwounds, Thomastik-Infeld JF344. I have a few basses with nickel rounds, D’Addario EXL 220.
3. I can’t find either in most stores I go to, but I have no problem finding them on the interweb.
4. Mostly 4 string.
5. I own a couple of Fender P basses, Rickenbacker 2030, 4001, 4001FL, 4003, & 4004cii, a Gretsch Spectrasonic, and a Grove Guitars 51 P bass.
Elixir – the only strings that last…
1. New Strings as much as possible
2. Round wound on all 17 basses! DR Black Beauties
3. 45-105 mostly, from Guitar Center. 40-90 on basses I slap, ordered online.
4. One fiver, the rest four strings.
5. 68 Tele/P-bass, Squire Jazzes, Vintage Steinberger XL2, Custom basses from scratch. Acoustics (ABG’s)
1. I like the sound of strings that are about a month old, after the brassiness is gone.
2. I use roundwounds mostly for their tone, although I like a good set of flatwounds too.
3. I am disabled and can’t get out easily, so I buy most of mine from Internet stores.
4. I’ve only owned 4-string basses.
5. I have a ’68 Fender Telecaster bass and an Ibanez RD500 that I love. I used to own a cheap Rogue fretless and a Michael Kelly Dragonfly bass, but I sold them. I don’t play any of them much right now, because the band members conned me into playing keyboards, although I would much rather play bass.
1. New – after a 2 couple of hours of break-in time
2. What type of string do you use? Roundwound.
3. Is the string you use easily available or hard-to-get? Pretty available now but their selection is wide and some stores don’t carry my preferences.
4. If you buy strings in sets, is it for 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, or greater? 4-string
5. What type of bass do you own? Those who read this would appreciate knowing the kind you’re installing your strings on. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an inexpensive Squier or a high-grade Spector. Go ahead and mention what you have.
A 1964 Fender Jazz Bass – I use DR Low Rider nickel plated gauged 45-105 on this and my 63 Fender Jazz, which is fretless. I use the same strings in a light gauge – 40-100 on my Dean basses.
1. I prefer new strings that are broken in.
2. I use light gauge GHS Pressurewound half-rounds.
3. I live in the city so these are readily available.
4. I am a 4string player.
5. I play a 1985 Yamaha MB-II Motion med scale bass.
I use roundwounds. Like tapewounds though. I have Hartke attack med-light gauge on my left Dean edge 5-string active bass. i got them because they were $11.
DR High Beams. Stainless Steel on round core makes for a nice bright but not to bright string that lasts long time plus you can boil them to re use them and they don’t have that nasty silk wrap ends.
D’Addario Chromes on everything!
1. I guess I’d say, “old,” since I don’t like the sound of newly-installed strings, and I will leave a set on for a year or more.
2. D’Addario Half Rounds.
3. Easily available online.
4. Four-string sets.
5. Squier PJ with Mighty Mite fretless neck.
DR Marcus Miller “Fat Beams” MM45-5 (45-125). They last long and feel great under your hands. They also reach (and hold) that sweet mix of tone and tension longer than other strings that I have tried.
I was using D’addarios medium gauge on my 4 and 5 string basses… though I always loved them, after playing for a while, my fingers (both fret and picking) stuck to the strings!
I’ve just installed Elixir heavy gauge on my 4 string bass, and honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t do this before!!
They are simply marvelous to play with!
1. New strings
2. Roundwound
3. Hard to get – Dean Markley SR2000, custom gauges: 0.140/0.106/0.80/0.60/0.44/0.030/0.022
4. Buy single strings; 99% of pre-packaged sets don’t have anything resembling balanced tension.
5. Custom Conklin Sidewinder 7-string.
I’m kind of old school. I like strings that have been broken in a while. Frankly, I’ve left strings on some instruments for months/years and they still sound amazing. I am using medium flats to heavy flats depending on the bass and situation. So I’m using the following on my basses:
-D’Addario XL Chromes Medium .050-.105 on my modded PBass Deluxe.
I’ve also used Ernie Ball Flats, but I find them a little “tacky” to the touch.
For my others, Rotosounds 77 Jazz .045-.105 roundwound or half flats depending. Really take some abuse but manage to sound crisp for a long time.
1) New Strings
2) Roundwound
3) They are easy to get but via post not in stores
4) I buy sets for 4 string
5) Sadowsky Metro Jazz & Fender Jazz Bass
1) I prefer them a bit broken in
2) Usually roundwound, Elixer. They sound very good to me and seem to last forever. They have a nice slick feel on my left (neck) hand, but still just enough grip on my right
3) Easy to find
4) 4 string
5) Ibanez SR 4000e Prestige-Elixers, Ibanez SR 600-Elixers, but I do have TI Flats on it right now, Schecter Hellraiser Extreme 4- Came with Ernie Balls which I soon will replace with Elixers
1. I leave them on until they become untunable, six months or so, or I’m working on a record when I change them often. Usually every other day. The producer can muddy up new strings, but can’t get clarity and overtones out of old ones if that’s what he’s after.
2. Dean Markley Super Round round wounds. They’re consistently great-sounding.
3. They’re becoming harder to find in stores, so I buy them online.
4. 4-string and 5-string, though I don’t play 5-string a lot.
5. My main bass is a ’64 Jazz Bass. I have another ’64 Jazz, and some newer instruments for the road. Mostly all Jazz basses with a couple of P’s in case a producer asks for it.
This so going to sound stupid, but playing a selection of Warwick basses I have to say their strings work best for their basses. I do have flats on my fretless deep talking bass strings made by somebody I can’t think of right now
DR Hi-Beams are my absolute favorite strings, although I’ve felt tempted to try Elixirs, based on the lots of great reviews. No particular preference on flatwounds.
1. I like the sound of brand-new strings, but I don’t have any problems keeping them for a long time. My current set is around one year old.
2. Mostly roundwounds. But a Höfner Beatle bass MUST be played with flats (and a pick). In my opinion, of course. Also use flats on my fretless, but I have a custom fretless with epoxied fingerboard on order, which will have roundwounds installed.
3. Hi-Beams are easy to find.
4. 4 and 5 strings, although a 5 string bass is my main preference.
5. I have several basses that I love, but my main one is a 100% custom Stambaugh headless 5-string bass with multiscale fingerboard. All of them have Hi-Beams installed, with the exception of my Höfner Ignition and my EBMM Bongo fretless.
DR Dragon Skins on my MM Stingray. DR Sunbeams on my P-bass
1. New or old? Both, which is of course a problem. I like the sound of new strings for the clarity, intonation accuracy and overall tone. I like the sound of old strings for the thump, punch and focus they seem to exude. I guess the only way to resolve this is to have two basses on hand at all times; one with new strings and the other with old ones. The new strings for straight ahead rock, jazz/fusion, funk and country types of tunes, the old strings for R&B, soul, blues and such.
2. Roundwound is my choice. For a new string I like the Ernie Ball Cobalts, .050 – .105. For old, it doesn’t really matter as long as they are dead and thumpy sounding.
3. The EBs are everywhere.
4. I play 4-sting bass.
5. ‘58 Fender P.
D’Addario nickel wound .050 – .105 on one P Bass. For a brighter rock sound.
D’Addario Chromes Flatwounds on my other P Bass. For a more mellow warm sound, but still has enough edge to be present in a mix. .050 – .105’s. I have love the chromes!
– RotoSound Swing Bass SS Round’s have an replaceable tension, feel, and sound for my fretted basses.
Nylon wraps for fretless acoustic or electric including my beatle bass.
Thomastik’s for my upright.
On my 5-string Kinal with J/MM pups I use DR Sunbeams. I use DR Fatbeams on my Sadowsky Modern and my Modulus VJ. The DRs are easy under the fingers and sound great. My Lakland Bob Glaub PJ sports LaBella Deep Talkin’ Bass flatwounds for that old-school thump while my Hamer 2Tek CruiseBass fretless wears GHS Pressurewounds–my favorite strings for fretless. My Linc Luthier 5-string with RMC piezo saddles is currently wearing Ken Smith Taper Core Burners, which seem to work better with those saddles.
Rotosound 66 LD on all my basses (Fender P and two Jazz basses) I love the brightness and punch of new strings, and I find Rotosound the best for that.
1) Prefer New to Slightly Used strings. I like the twang.
2) Prefer the Ernie Ball Slink Cobalt Bass stings. Roundwound.
3) Sometimes difficult. It’s a newer string and the supply was low.
4) Mostly 5 string sets. I own mostly 5 string basses.
5) Too many. Haven’t found one that really suits me. Schecter Damien 5, BC Rich Virgo, ESP LTD D-5, Spector Legend 5, Hamer Velocity 2 (5), Steinberger Spirit 5 string, Peavey Millenium 5, American Custom 5 string, Hohner 4 string.
Foo Fighters Tribute bands, here’s my trick for Weenie Beenie Tone and No one Knows tuning and tone!!!!!!
Tuning :
D# – A# – F – C
or
Cb – Gb – F – C 😉
But here is the trick!!!
in the same order!!!
125-105-80-65
and here an other one, duck-tape behind the head, and write your strings size has ref.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dr-strings-long-necks-taper-core-medium-5-string-bass-strings
Your friend Vinnie Dee Bass
I’m a relatively new player, but I am using Circle K roundwound strings on both my Fender MIM Jazz and MIM P-Bass.
As I primarily play blues, I prefer to have the strings lose some of their brightness so a month or two of playing gets them to where I like.
Circle K strings are mail order only tro my knowledge, but they ship quickly and the strings are loosely coiled for shipping only. Otherwise, they are uncoiled in the package. I only play 4 strings.
DR Fat Beams roundwound strings are my string of choice, although I will accept Hi-Beams or Lo-Riders as well in a pinch.
* I prefer roundwounds…I like the piano string sound
* New strings mo’ bettah!
* DR strings tend to last a (relatively) long time without losing tone or intonation
I have tried almost every brand of string, and the only other brand I will use in absence of DR is Elixir. Roto-Sounds are OK but tend to crap out after only a few gigs.
1. New-ish… see #2
2. Elixir med-lights (.045 – .100 + .130TW) on ALL my solidbody basses. Primarily because they sound like I want to sound, second because they really do last nearly forever without the tone changing, like at least a year with a gig a week (and with the number of basses I have, some of them can sit for a while between gigs), and third so I only have to carry one set of spares. Elixir phosphor bronze on the cheap 7-string ABG with an Elixir guitar string for the high C .
3. Easy to get, they’re all over the internet. I *never* buy strings in person, they are always cheaper on line.
4. 5s and 7s (I use a D’Addario XL020P for the high F on the 7s).
5. from cheap SX J5s to a Dean fretless to a Wishbass fretless to a cheap (but surprisingly decent) fretless 7-str ABG to two Conklin GT7s (one fretted one fretless), all 34″ scale. The Elixirs sound great on all of them.
I am fortunate to have 10+ basses. Each bass is different from the other. For me it’s best to have various sounds rather than one signature sound, therefore I chose strings to aid in giving me different sounds for each instrument. I can’t list all the variations here, but just to give an idea: on my ’57 Fender P-bass reissue I use stainless steel round wound for a good sound to fit most music. I have an old Fender P-bass that looks & sounds like James Jamerson’s bass, I use heavey flats on this one, the way he did on his (with mute etc.) On fretless I like tape wound flats, silky tension & less ware on fingerboard with a good fretless sound. Sometimes I’ll do something counter intuitive like using Thomastic-Infeld flats on my ’83 Music Man, she cries for round wounds, but the flats give a very unique sound from her…also the Thomastic flats have a nice low tension ‘rubbery’ feel. Experiment & find what you like!
1.I like them a well played week to get to the right sound
2.Elixir 5 Strings Nanoweb Light 45~130
3.Very hard to find in a store, I buy them mostly online
4. 5 strings (even for my 4 strings basses, I keep the extra low B, it’s always the first to loose sound)
5. 5 Strings: Ken Smith, Tobias, Spector USA. 4 Strings 1971 Fender J and custom made fretless/headless
1. new bright twangy strings
2. Stainless Steel
3. D’Addario Pro Steels, sound great easy to find, much cheaper than DR’s
4. 4 and 5 string basses. Primarily 5 string
5. Brubakers, USA KXB-5 and two Brute 5 string models, Geddy Lee Jazz 4 banger
I’ve been using DR String Phat Beams (Marcus Miller strings) .045-.065-.085-.105-.125 for quite sometime now. I like the response I get from them.They are consistent in tone and quality.I have a 1971 a Fender Jazz Bass with Bartolini PUs and Babaicz Bridge. Now I’ve been playing a MBass 5 string with 70s space pick ups. I have always used round wound. I can use one bass one set of strings and play many different types of music. It’s all about the groove and getting the job done.
1.New
2.MOST IMPORTANT MUST BE HEX CORE,MORE SUSTAIN,VOLUME,TENSION
3.order from juststrings.com,they have EVERYTHING
4.4 STRING SET
5.Fretless Tony Franklin
Hi Beams for my Fenders
Rotosounds for Hofner
Not changed strings yet on my Spector
DR Marcus Miller: 45-105
1. if rounds: new if flats: old/broken in
2. I generally prefer flatwound strings, I prefer the thunk over zing, I prefer the feel and wear on my fingers (I primarily play fingerstyle) using flats, and I think flats with a pick just plain out rocks for the type of music I do. Classic Rock/Tribute
3. my favorite flats are Sadowsky Blacks – not difficult to find, but sometimes stock is an issue at 3rd party sites, I can buy direct from Sadowsky site. I have these on my Mike Lull P4 and Mike Lull TC4 (jazz) and they make me smile.
Second preferred flat is DR Legends, not easy to find, but worth the wait. I have these on my Spector Euro LX with gold hardware and the end wraps color match the gold hardware….classy look.
Third favorite flats are probably Ernie Ball Group IIIs, and they are very easy to find and are I think the cheapest of the flats I like, good value there. I have these on my Lakland Darkstar Glaub.
I still want to try GHS Precision Flats, haven’t tried those yet.
My favorite rounds are a toss-up between Ernie Ball Cobalts, D’Addario Pro Steels, and DR Marcus Miller Fat Beams. I have the Cobalts on my Spector Euro 35 inch TW tuned BEAD and they rock. That’s the only bass I have strung with rounds at the moment.
4. I own only 4-strings, although as I mentioned, the Spector is strung with as a fiver just without the G string. I think I have answered what basses I put them on question.
I can also comment on strings I have tried and do not like:
I do not like D’addario Chromes, too high tension for me. I do not like coated strings, I tried Elixirs and the coating came off in a month. I tried Black Beauties, OK for a novelty, but didn’t like the tackiness of the coating. I don’t like regular EB Slinky’s, or DR Sunbeams, just meh. And the jury is still out on tapewounds. I only tried them once as they were on a used bongo. they were the Labella black tapewounds, they felt good, but were replaced for conventional flats right away.
I always order strings online as I’m constantly trying new gauges, materials and windings. I like, DR, D’Addario, Dean Markely, LaBella and Fodera. No one string is perfect for all basses.
GHS Boomers 45 – 105 roundwound and flatwound for my fretless custom built J Style Basses. I use GHS because they sound and feel the best on these basses and there is nothing else to add.
1 4-strings: Old strings – perfect for my sound!
2 D’Addario Chromes flat-wounds
3 Available everywhere, cheap and easy
4 4-string sets
5 Reverend Rumblefish PJ (changed the OEM strings to Chromes at purchase, they just celebrated their 10th anniversary); Reverend Dub-King ((changed the OEM strings to Chromes at purchase), Fender Precision Frankenbass – built from parts, including Bill Lawrence PUPs, Badass II bridge, Res-o-lite tuners, upgraded switches, pots and wiring, Mexican jazz neck, 66 red body. Chromes on this, natch!
For over ten years, I used Ken Smith Taper Core strings for my basses, including a Conklin Sidewinder 7. I’ve switched to DR Fat Beam & Hi Beams for everything except the Conklin, which still has the Smiths on it, and my Steve Bailey fretless, which has Smith groundwound strings.
1. New strings; can’t stand the sound of old strings, especially on fretted basses. I’ll change strings out depending on how much use a particular bass gets, usually every 3 months or so.
2. Roundwounds definitely on a fretted bass. The Steve Bailey has the aforementioned Smith groundwound; I have an Ibanez 6 converted to a fretless with an epoxied fingerboard, it’s safe to put DR Hi-Beams on it.
3. Most stores have the 4s & 5s in stock, but I’ve been buying online lately for the 6s; I special order strings for the Conklin. Not hard to obtain strings, just may have to wait on them.
4. Right now I’m playing 5s & 6s; the 7 is semi-retired.
5. Conklin 7, Smith 6, Warwick Streamer 6, Fender Steve Bailey, Modulus Quantum 6 & Genesis 5, Sadowsky Metro 5, Ibanez 6, Xotic 4.
1. I like them about a week old
2. D’addario EXL-179’s in 4,6 and 8 string sets
3. Online or from friends
4. 4/6 and 8 string basses
5. USA B.C.Rich Mockingbird,Bich 8,Ironbird,ST and Widows, Yamaha RBX 6JM, Spector Euro 4LXFM and a Kramer
I play Lakland 5 string and Warwick 4 string basses:
– I prefer a newer string, with open harmonic content, and abhor dead strings
– I buy D’Addario Pro Steels, extra long scale because they
A) sound excellent
B)are consistent from set to set with very few wonky sounding new strings
C) they are very reasonably priced and
D) are readily available almost everywhere I travel in Canada
Thomastik-Infeld flats for my G&L M-2000 and Elixir stainless coated rounds on my G&L ASAT and SB-1. The T-I flats (.043-.100) are the best flats I’ve ever played and were the only strings that gave the M-2000 a voice. The Elixirs (.045-.105) feel good and have a smooth growling tone I love. I use the Elixir nickel coated on my Thumb bass…perfect combo.
1. Old. New strings just feel like crap to me.
2. Roundwound
3. Fairly easy to find in shops. Rotosound Swing Bass Strings.
4. 4 strings all the way. I play bass, not a wet fart.
5. Oddly enough it’s the bass in the picture you posted. 2011 Fender American Deluxe P-Bass
45-65-85-110-135
G – D – A – E – A
the 45-110 set is from Skull Strings and the 135 is a D’addario Pro Steel, the 135 from skull strings sound like shit…
Unfortunaly I can’t find DR String with that gauge in my country 🙁
1. I liked them with a broken in feel.
2. Nickel.
3. GHS Pressurewounds ML 0.044-0.102
4. 4 strings fretted only
5. Fender Precision, Bacchus Jazz Bass, Yamaha Jazz Bass
I like the broken in feel of the pressurewounds with some zing but more fundamental than a regular nickel roundwound string
I use Fender 7150s because nickel strings (not nickel plated) will not wear out your frets like stainless steel. And the sound once broken in is quite nice; still twangy if you want, but also very balanced overall.
Circle K .130 balanced 5-string set. Might try the new Labella RX strings when they’re available.
1) I like new Strings, I play lots of tapping and harmonics, so I love having strings with a bright sound on them to make those techniques easier to hear and play….
2) I use those 4 types of strings, but most of the time I play rounds, the second type I use more often flats, and tapewounds just on one bass… half round almost never…
3) My strings are hard to get, because I play 10 string and 8 string basses, so for those basses I get the strings only on the web… For my 6 or less string bass, I can find strings easily…
4) I buy strings in sets, but for my ERB´s I would love to have custom sets, or at lest buy individual strings….
5) I have a cheap 4 string bass, 2 Yamaha 6 string basses, a custom 8 string fretless bass, a custom 10 string bass, and a Chapman Stick… Hoping to get a 8 custom fretted and a 10 string fretless son….
Thanks!
1. I like new strings. Stainless strings sound a bit harsh right away, but nickel string sound perfect right away in my experience. Flat/ half wounds need some time to soften up, and I don’t like them to be bright anyway.
2. DR Dragon Skin and D’addario half wounds.
3. Quite simple to acquire.
4. Both 4 and 5.
5. Fender Jaguar, Ibanez ATK300, Homemade 5 string.
About a week old
Nickel Rounds
DR Lowrider = Easy
5 String
Roscoe SKB 3005’s fretted & fretless – Lakland 55-94 Classic
As I’ve collected over twenty basses over the years I use Rotosound RB35’s as they’re probably the cheapest string I can get as well as being the most consistent!
1. New strings.
2. Nickel plated steel rounds.
3. DR Sunbeams or Dunlop Nickel Steels.
4. Four string.
5. Rickenbacker 4003s, Fender P-Bass (heavily modified Mexican made), Fender Geddy Lee Jazz bass (also modified).
1. It doesn’t matter much to me.
2. D’Addario XL170’s (nickel rounds)
3. are easily available
4. for my 4-string
5. G&L JB-2 basses
I use Payson Nickels. I play a Dingwall Combustion with a 37″-34″ Fan Fret design. Payson Nickels provide the perfect balance of warmth and clarity to take advantage of the fan fret design of my bass.
1. I like them new and with a ping.
2. I’m a Rotosound guy, rounds but flats on my fretless.
3. Easy to get and well priced.
4. All 4 strings, I’m totally old school.
5. I have a Fender Precision Elite II, Stingray, and an old Aria Fretless.
i like chrome flat wounds for a new mellow tone. but it depends on the bass it’s self. brass round wounds are best on my electric/acoustic but would like to try some tape wrapped ones to see how they sound. steel flats have to much output for me. i keep my strings as low as possible and try to keep my touch light so flats do it for me. and i like the strings broke in for about 40 hours for the best sound. everyone is different and has a different ear. the strings i play are eacy to get and don’t break the bank, but if i was earning my bread playing i’d go for the high dollar ones. i’ve got a fender squire that i hotrodded with a badass bridge and some hot bass line pickups and tricked out electronics and an ibanez fretless that is nice to play. also an ibanez electric/acoustic, and just found a rogue violin style bass for not much that actually sounds better than i thought it would although i just set it up and it has some rounds on it. after the frets get a little worn i’m going to change out the stings to some chrome flat wounds. all are 4 string.
rock on.
2
I use Elixir Nanoweb coated strings exclusively on all my basses, both fretted and fretless. I like the slick feel and the coating helps to minimize fret noise when recording. My hands tend to perspire when I play and regular, non-coated strings, would lose their clarity pretty quickly. I find a set of Elixirs can last me up to a year and that equates to quite a savings when you consider the cost of a good 5 string set these days.
I like the D’Addario Half Rounds 45-100. They allow me to get warm tones and less string noise, and still pop and slap.
Elixer nanoweb. 45-105. Tone last longer. Use to use DR HI Beams but would beat the tone out of the E and A in one or two gigs. Elixers tone stays even across all strings for months longer insted of weeks
Circle K balanced set on Yammy TRBJP2.
DR Hi Beams on a custom Hanewinckel bass guitar.
I really like the Sadowsky Black Label flat wounds. I use them on a 1978 Jazz and really like the sound and feel. They are well worth the little bit of extra expense.
Roto 66 swings on my fretted 5 and six. Roto tru bass tape wound on my fretless 5. Roto 77 jazz on myfretted 4
I use DR’s HI-Beams on every bass that I have except my Precision bass which has Thomastic Flats.
I’ve been using Rotosound Steels (45-105) on my fretted and fretless Jazz Basses since I bought them. Rotosound was the first string set I ever bought and have yet to have a reason to change them. Even though I have considered switching to nickels to prevent fingerboard wear on the fretless, and I’ve dropped a set of Bartonlini’s in the fretted bass that don’t need really bright strings to get some bite.
I used Elites for a long time, but when I bought my ACG I discovered SIT string. They have a great bass plus a much longer-lasting top end.
My basses and strings are as follows –
ACG J-Type 4SU 4-string
SIT Power Wound Nickel – NR-45105L (G 45, D 65, A 85, E 105)
Ashbory Mk 2
Aquila Thundergut Bass Ukulele Strings
Vester 5-string
SIT Power Wound Nickel – NR545125L (G 45, D 65, A 85, E 105, B 125)
ESP Ltd B-208FM 8-string
Rotosound Swing Bass Stainless Steel RS668 (G 20-45, D 30-65, A 35-80, E 45-105)
I have the B-208 on order. Is the Rotosound .020 a wound string?
I’ve standardized on GHS cryo boomers and pressurewounds – lightest guages of each. They’re balanced tension, which is important to me, as well as being relatively low tension. They seem to last a good while as well. The boomers go on a couple of fretted basses, which are all modded enough that mentioning the model of bass is meaningless. I have one very Fenderish P bass and 2 fretless basses that get the pressurewounds, which I like because on those basses, they have just a littel less zing. I like all my strings best at about a month to 4 or 5 months old. When the tone knob on the bass is at max or a string starts to sound dead, it’s time for new strings.
I use DR Low Riders on my 5 string home made basses. I prefer them broken in. I usually get them from on line stores because the local supply is unreliable.
1)I prefer to use new strings, because for the “touching” of the strings…and the sound
2)Stainless strings roundwound for freted bass and flatwound for fretless bass
3)Rotosound For The WIN!!! 45-105; 130-45 and 40-100 for the fretless one
4)4 strings and 5 strings
5)Custom-made jazz”METAL” Bass (maybe one day on de session “Bass of the Week” , old BC Rich US, Rick 4001, ESP Horizon, Lawsuit prec’ Ibanez fretless, etc…
TI flats on the VJ. TI rounds on the LEJ. D’Addairio XL’s on the P bass. TI’s just feel amazing. They feel like no other and for jazz basses they are the bees knees. XL’s are the quintessential string. They are the mcdonalds of strings. Consistent, predictable, available and cheap.
1. P bass I use Pyramid flats 45-105. These nickel flats give me the least treble of all flats I’ve tried.
2.J Fretless gets DR Sunbeams 45-100. I may bump up to 105s soon. Soft to the touch but great tone.
3. J Fretted gets Roto rounds if I need a Chris Squire sound or Sadowsky black nickel for a JPJ sound. Both 45-105.
Tx
1) New strings, every time a whole 4 string set
2) Flatwound and roundwound
3) Fender P Bass – flatwound, my homebuilt PJ Bass Optima Gold 2319 .045 – .105 24k gold plated roundwound
I use Thomastik-Infeld strings almost exclusively (nickel flatwounds on my old Fenders, nickel roundwounds on everything else including the custom fretless and Spirocore for my upright. When I was still out on the road I used GHS or Rotosound because they were cheap and I changed my strings after every two gigs. Now GHS has left Battle Creek Michigan and moved their manufacturing to Asia. As a result the quality has suffered. I used DRs for awhile but found their quality varied from set to set and often from string to string in the same set starting in the early 2000s. Thomastiks are expensive (so are Pyramids) but they outlast and out perform everything else I’ve used in the past 40 years. Unlike some others who have posted here I think they sound and play great. My old P bass was strung with these when I was in college and after a hiatus of about 5 years I brought the old girl out again and the Thomastiks still sounded great.
Hey Friend, GHS is still in Battle Creek. They still do some of their manufacturing in Battle Creek, though I think they did move some of their manufacturing to the South Bend area.
i use rotosound billy sheehan strings ive only got squire basses pj special and a jazz sounds good through sansamp di pedal and hartke a100 combo
1. P bass I use Pyramid flats 45-105. These nickel flats give me the least treble of all flats I’ve tried. I will keep them until they break. Hopefully never.
2.J Fretless gets DR Sunbeams 45-100. I may bump up to 105s soon. Soft to the touch but great tone. 1 week break in needed.
3. J Fretted gets Roto rounds if I need a Chris Squire sound or Sadowsky black nickel for a JPJ sound. Both 45-105. New for thw Rotos, at lesst a week old for the Sadowsky’ s.
Tx
1. I prefer new strings. They sound bright and I love how they cut through the mix. That being said, I don’t mind playing old strings. I do change them when I record.
2. I use roundwounds. Preferably stainless steel.
3. I mostly play DR strings since 1995 and they are easily available. Though After so long, I am trying Circle K, which can only be purchased directly. I don’t mind it at all.
4. 4 and 5 string sets. Mainly for the 4 bangers.
5. Funny, since I do have Squiers (Vintage Modified P) and Spectors (Legend 4 and 5). Also modified MIM Fender J-Bass, Hamer Cruisebass and an upcoming Ibanez BTB675.
1) For fretless, I use DR Legend flatwound stainless strings. They feel good and sound good, with a soft attack and nice harmonic content. On fretted basses, I use Circle K balanced strings. They sound good, give me an even tonal response across all strings, and they have a nice feel under my fingers.
2) I use flatwound stainless on fretless, roundwound nickel alloy on fretted
3) Easily available online, unavailable in local stores
4) 4-string flats and 5-string rounds
5) Fretless self-made 4-string and fretted self-made 5-string
I’ve always been a fan of D’addario strings but lately switched to DR’s for my Fender Geddy Jazz and Carvin LB75 just to try out but I think I’ll go back to stainless strings for those. My Fender modified fretless jazz I’m using D’addario half wounds and love the way those sound!
1. DR Handmade – I prefer new strings – brighter cleaner sound
2. Roundwound
3. Very Easy
4. I play a 5 string Bass, and I own a 4
5. BTB 705DX and BTB200
1. Not brand new, not completely dead. I find them too clangy at first, but when I find the strings don’t respond as well, that’s when I swap them.
2. Rotosound Swing bass for everything except my Godin A4. Nylon tapewound for that one. I’ve tried other stuff, but always come back to the Rotosounds.
3. Neither are particularly hard to find
4. 4s and 5s, complete sets, in a local store.
5. A few homemades, a Godin A4, a defretted PJ clone, a defretted Lado, and a Brian Moore i5.
1. I like them new, the first week of use is the best. Play 4-5 times a week. Change them every 4-6 weeks.
2. Carvin Nickle Round Wounds made by LaBella.
3. By them through Carvin, 12 sets at a time.
4. Carvin LB-76 6-String and Alembic Rouge 6-string, both are very customized. Play through a Avalon U5 preamp into club PA’s, no onstage bass speakers.
i use circle k strings. they’re very, very crisp and bright sounding, with an excellent punch. they’re balanced and never been coiled so they require no breaking in and (after nearly a year of use) lose very little brightness of timbre. i personally use the six string detuned sub set (EBEADG); lowest string is a .200g, which did require some minor routing modification of my nut, but is large and crisp enough to actually pronounce those sub frequencies. definitely recommend a biamped rig if you plan on playing this low, of course, but you can really feel some circle k strings.
I use Naked Strings, nickle round-wound, custom light gauge. They are high quality at a great price. I like my strings nicely broken-in but with plenty of that fresh stank left.
1. I like the sound when new after just a bit of break in.
2. I use Ernie Balls on my “Sting Ray” after trying a few others. On my personal custom I use DR Sunbeams. I get compliments on the tone from my band mates on both.
I have found that boiling the strings after they have lost some of that clarity of freshness actually works! Why? I don’t know.
I’m a “Keep it simple” type player. Good strings are important and to each his own, whatever makes you happy.
DR Stainless Lo-Riders on all my basses. They are brighter than nickle rounds but not quite as bright as most stainless strings. The hex core gives them a good tight tension and they have good life.
I prefer both old and new strings. On my jazz basses – new strintgs. On my P-Basses old strings.
I use round wound, flat wound and coated strings.
The strings I use are easy to get.
I primary buy 5 string sets, but I also buy 4 string sets.
I have a Lakland 5501,5564, 5560, MTD Saratoga 5, 2 Fender Standard P-basses.
I primarily use D’Addario strings.
1. New strings.
2. Round wound.
3. Reasonably easy to get, I use DR, Ken Smith and Steinberger sets. (all ordered online)
4. Four and five string sets
5. I use DR (stainless steel) Low-riders on a MM Bongo and a Jazz, Ken Smith on a five string Warwick and Steinberger on a Status S2. After trying just about every make of double ball-end strings I’ve found the Steinberger strings to be the best I’ve heard and it’s flippin’ easy to wash em’ and use again, and they sound like new!
For the big bottom, LaBella Deep Talkin’ Flats on my Precision. These I change every few years. For main-bass variety, D’Addario XL half rounds on my Corvette $$. I change these twice a year, usually. For the piano sound, Rotosound Swing 66 on my LX4. These get changed 2-3 times a year, or more if I’m recording.
La Bella Nickel Plated 5 string purchased at Carvin. Put ’em on my Ibanez SR1005EWN Prestige
I use Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys 5 String on “My Aly” (my Ernie Ball MusicMan StingRay 5H. They are comfortable, natural for me, and really sound good. I have yet to try the new Cobalt strings by Ernie Ball.
I use DR Red Devils on my Modulus VJ and 2004 Fender Jazz 4 string basses. They have a great tone, sound crisp and clean, they have added sex appeal and I change them every few months especially before a higher level gig. I used to buy them at a local Sam Ash store but now buy online at Amazon.com ….better price and much more convienent. One note: the first time I bought them was to match the red SVT-610 cabinet I had at the time and was playing at a local casino.
My preference is for strings that are not dead. Too zingy, and I pull out some treble, but they need to have a full spectrum sound, for what they are.
Each bass has different strings: Stainless, nickel, coated, flatwound, tapewound, rubber.
I prefer DR Strings, which are generally readily available, and purchased in sets of 4 or 5. I have tried various sets on each instrument, and those that are currently installed are what have worked best to date.
Four basses are US Masters – passive maple-bodied P4 with Legend flats, passive lacewood HH4 with Nickel LoRiders, active maple PJ5 with Marcus Miller signature strings, and an active lacewood HH5 with Black Beauties. An alder Fender Am Dlx Jazz Fretless with D’Addario Tapewound, and a Kala U-Bass Hutch Hutchinson with factory strings.
1. new
2. both
3. online only, but not difficult to find
4. four
5. TI flats on my Jazz, TI Power Bass on my P.
1. I prefer new strings – I like the sound as well as the feel of new as opposed to old.
2. For my 4-string fretted, Boomers. For my 4-string fretless, I have half-wounds on it at present but do NOT like the feel. It will be roundwounds in the future. For my 6-string, Smith taper-core med-lights.
3. I order the strings for the 6 from JustStrings.com – the price is fair & they have WHAT I WANT. The others I get locally.
4. I answered this above.
5. The 4-string fretted is a Warmoth P-bass neck with a body I fabricated, with an EMG bass humbucker (yes, it’s old) in the P-Bass position. The fretless is a Warwick Corvette Standard passive. The 6-string is an Ibanez BTB model, modified by replacing the stock electronics with an Aguilar OBP-3.
1. New Strings!!! I change them every two weeks.
2. DR DRS_MM5-40. Stainless Steel Round wound. .40 – 120
3. I order them online, most stores carry the typical .45 – 130 5 string set, cause yea all of us bass players want that thick muddy sound..
4. 5 String sets
5. Spector Legend Classic 5. With Bartolini HR-4.5 preamp and Bartolini MK5CBC pickups.
I use Dr DDT on my Ibanez 5 string with 1/2 step down tuning, and i love it, after 3 months its just got better, sounds fat and clear, best i used. (Rotsound SB, Ernie ball S. Slinky, Warwick black, EBS, Elixir Nano )
For my fretted basses I prefer Elixirs or DRs, for my fretless bass I use Thomastick-Infelds only; I do not use strings that are older than one year at the most.
D’Addario ECB81 Chrome Flatwounds on Fender Jazz Bass, OLP MM3 5 String MusicMan Stingray Clone, and Epiphone EB-1 Fretless violin solid body, and D’Addario EXPPBB170 Coated Phosper Bronze on a Fender Kingman A/E bass. Flatwounds keep that good, deep thump a long, long time, just give ’em a good wipe after playing and they’ll sound new even when they’re getting old. The Coated PB’s have a lifespan and are the only coated strings i use. They sound great.
I prefer the sound of strings that are around 2 weeks old (on the instrument)
I use DR Extra Life round wound 5 sets. They have a superb tone that lasts for several months before losing much sound. I play them on my LTD.
I am in Love with the New Ernie Ball Cobalts. I use the Hybrid set 45-105 on my Lakland basses. I tested 1 set for a solid year Feb through March and was Very Happy with the way they held up. I Never Noticed them dropping off but did notice a difference when putting on a newer set. I have to Order the Hybrids as I can not get them in stores but that’s not an issue for me. For my EAB’ I use Elixer Acoustic also really like them for sound and durability.
On my deluxe jazz (my back up) i use dr med light flats. They’re getting harder to find. My ratrodded p bass gets dr low riders in 45-105. My hohner acoustic gets the old flats. I like my strings to broken in, but not dead… In the studio i use various strings…
I use DR LoRiders for that true deep bass tone. I play hard rock and found no other strings that compare. But I do sometimes use Neon’s just for a ‘Looks’ affect.
1 New Elites for me on all 3 Bass Collection 310s Slinkys on the Musicman 40-105.
2 round wound for all, doing shows with the musicman I do like it when they are older as Bass is not the most important instrument there. 3 easy to get online 4 normally sets of 4 but I did go to an auction and buy 25 sets for £100. 5 Musicman stinggray 4, bass collection x3, Aria ZZB deluxe and Ozark accoustic.
On my Marcus Miller 5 and 4 strings I use DR High beams, On my 73 pBass and Highway 1 basses I use D’Addario XL 170. The DR’s last longer under normal playing. My Highway 1 and 73 hardly goes out of the house . Both of these string makers make a nice , playable string with not too much tension on the neck.
thomastik-infeld jazz flats..i like the low tension and the sound.i use them on all 3 of my p/basses (58,64,+ a new one).
New vs Old strings:
New strings for my ESP 5-string. I like to have a clean snap sound. “Seasoned” for my Ibanez Expressionist four-string. New for my USA Custom Guitars 5-string fretless, the back wrapped DRs bring out a growl and but stay warm with Bartolini soap bars.
Type of string:
Roundwound nickel (Marcus Miller Fat Beams) for the ESP and Ibanez. Flatwound for the fretless.
Easy to buy online, can be tough locally even tho I’m in Orlando
4- and 5-string sets
ESP Custom Shop 5-string
Ibanez Expressionist 4-string
Pedulla Buzz Bass Fretless
USA Custom Guitars 5-string
Hello Wow great topic.
like it very much!
I have everything that we know bass…
Contrabass, Upright Electric bass, 6 string basses:Yamaha John Patitucci 1st model, Carvin LB76F Frettless bass.
So about my El.basses, I play basic with all Daddario Strings.Why?Because for me John Patitucci is the best inspiration, as i am close to this tone feel very impressive.Before maybe 4 months i bought new set Fender.DIdn’t was so satisified from the sound as Daddario.It was just deal and was in discount, thats why i bought it.Anyway i learn something from it.
Now about the Frettless.I learned something very specific for the Frettless.I have also piezo peak up and the strings are laying down the piezo.Before i was buying new strings normal.But it doesn’t right,Somebody will ask why?
Because for my frettless was very specific strings and where is laying down the string, the string is very thin, in this situation, the thin string can resonant more clear and powerful.
Before i was working with normal strings, and the sound was very close, after somebody tells me the secret, i was so happy the tone open up, and even i can imitate the sound of Jaco, and even Alain Caron that love alot.
So hope that all this information will help for somebody,will be happy to answer to any questions.
By the way the topic is very interesting.
Thanks for sharing!
I always use GHS rounwound in combination with a ’78 Fender Jazz Bass and after a half year ik boil them in water with soda. After that the quality is not real longlife but after one ” cooking” they sound very smooth.( I play rock like they play in the ’80 )
My P bass has been wearing a set of DR Neons for the last year or two. These have lasted and sound just the way I like. That is, not too bright, but slightler warmer and settled. I’ll buy another set of these soon I reckon.
On my fretless basses (Yamaha TRB5IIF and custom made), I’ve been using flatwounds, specifically GHS precision flats. I did this because I was looking for an upright sound. I’ve really liked playing on flatwounds and used them on two T-bird style bass I built just recently.
For my upright bass, I use Velvet Anima strings. I’ve been using Velvets for nearly a decade now and have found them the best strings to get a gut style sound.
I order almost all my bass strings on line these days because Australia is a hard place to find things that are available, let along cheap.
DR Hi Beams – long lasting, lots of zing!!
(1) Generally, I prefer new strings. I change strings about every 3-6 months depending upon how much they’re played. I will put old strings on my backup jazz-bass, especially if the strings have not been used that much during their normal wear period.
(2) I use D’Addario EXL220-5 Extra Light Gauge on my 5-strings. EXL170-6 Regular Light Guage on my 6-string. I generally stick with D’Addario because I just like the sound I get out of them.
(3) Not everyone carries the EXL220-5 but they are fairly easy to find at around $20/set. I generally buy 4 or 5 sets at a time.
(4) I always buy 5- and 6-string sets.
(5) I have 2 Fender Deluxe Active Jazz V Basses: one is Mexican, the other is American-made; MusicMan StringRay5 HS; Spector Rebop DLX5 5-string; Yamaha TRB1006 6-string bass.
I use Circle K’s. They only make roundwounds and I can only order them online. I play them on my 2012 Fender American Standard P-Bass. They are the perfect string for me. One reason being that they are just about indestructible. I had DR Hi-Beams on prior to the CK’s and broke two of them within a week. They sound amazing. They are a steel/nickel hybrid. They have a nice bright sound when new, but aren’t harsh by any means. They keep that new sound for quite awhile, before settling into a nice warm crunchy tone. I use their balanced tension .106 ‘s. Absolutely fantastic strings. Will never use anything else as long as they are available.
I’ve been a bassist for almost 40 years & have tried a number of different brands of strings. I’m currently using Rotosound RS 66 Swing Bass strings. They are bright & growling. With Chris Squire, Paul McCartney & Getty Lee using them, they can’t be all bad. They also last a long time.
I use D’Addario Chromes on my Precision Bass. I use D’Addario XL Nickels on my Jazz Bass. And I have a set of D’Addario Black Nylon Tapewounds waiting for a custom fretless that is being built. I prefer to keep my strings for around a year or two, and change them after that.
Been a player for 30yrs, prefer New String sound. But leave them on for about a year depending on playing time.
Like Galli, SIT & Fender roundwounds as they are fairly easy to get except for SIT.
Also use Fender Nylon tapewounds for my Ric 4001.
4 string set up only @ 105 – 45 guage set for both Passive & Active geetahs.
Pbass, Jbass (fav) & Ric 4001.
Cheers
Circle K strings because of the balanced tension and thicker gauges available for my 5-string jazz and p-basses. Roundwounds, fairly new, but will play a set for up to six months.
1. New(ish) if rounds. Old if flats.
2. Round or Flats depending on application.
3. I’ve yet to find my ideal string, so….no.
4. I play 4, 5, and 6.
5. I play EB Cobalts on my Warwick Streamer 5. DR Lowrider Nickels on my Peavey T-40, D’Addario Chromes on P Bass.
Elixirs. These coated strings have a sweeter treble frequency – takes just a little of the edge off so they are less twangy. Also they last a very long time.
i use labella flats on my gibson sg and fender jazz for me flats give me sound and tonality i need.labella strings in my opinion take a lot of beating and since the late sixties i have not found a better string
1.I’m like Joe Osborn, I leave’m on forever. I’ve used R.Cocco nickel roundwound since ’94(no break in no stretch). Use GHS steel flatwound wounds in studio. I have owned and played only one bass for 44 years, a 1968 Fender Jazz Bass(never needed any other bass).
RotoSound Swing Bass 66
I play a Lefty Squier Modified Jazz with an active/passive pre from bestbass (with passive tone too). Bartolini J-pups (split coils). This combo definitely gives me the old school 70’s Funk vibe.
Also have an older lefty Raven West 5-stg with Kent Armstrong pups(MM & soapbar). Replaced the pre also. Roto’s on there as well.
1-love the sound of new strings, but love the tension of old ones.
2- Has to be round wound for fretted bass.
3- I buy on line for convenience and price. Tried many and I always go back to Rotosound.
4- Always replace in sets of 4 about once a month playing 1-2 hours per day.
5- On my Sadowsky Standard I use Rotosound Nickel RW. On my RIC 4001CS and Fender Geddy Lee Jazz its Rotosound SS RW. Nickel is a little easier on the fingers, but both have that killer Rotosound treble attack I love so much.
New
Round-woulnd
Ernie Ball Flea set
4 String
80s Fender Jazz Re Issue
Just started playing a few years back, and have gone from D’addario nickel rounds, to steel rounds, and have settled on ChromeFlats that I haven’t changed in two years. I buy a 4set longs online which I string through my custom Koa top, maple neck through PJ. This is definitely the setup for Hawaiian Music.
DR Marcus Miller Fat Beams (MM5/6-130s)
– My go-to fretted string since about 2011
– So comfortable to play
– Fantastic sound
– Seem to last quite a long time
D’Addario XL 6s (EXL170-6)
– My main string from about 1992-2011
– Now really only used on my Yamaha TRB…it’s just THE sound for that bass
La Bella tape wound roundwounds
– Used on my Veillette chambered fretless
– Effortless to play (though it could be the bass too)
– Such a cool sound
DR Sunbeam nickels (NMR6-130)
– All other fretlesses
– Took the recommendation of a friend and am still up in the air
D’Addario Helicore Hybrid mediums
– EUB
– Good blend for pizz and arco on a piezo instrument
Corelli 370Fs
– Double bass
– Very comfortable to play and great tone
I have 5 basses.
1 Carvin LB76
1 Custom 6 Fretless (BotW July 2011)
1 Ovation Acoustic
2 Ibanez Short Scale 4-strings (1 passive, 1 active)
All but the custom bass are stock off the rack. I use Carvin Bass string sets for all of them. They hold their tone long time, are bright and punchy, roundwound nickel (black nylon/Teflon thingys for the acoustic). I’m not a real nuance player, bold and reliable is the name of the game so consistency is a good quality for between instruments. With the Carvin stuff, the price is right (and they are local for me). I order on line sometimes if I’m not going to be in the area.
I just recently use elixir they are very brillant sound but very expensive here in France
1. On fretted electric I like D’Addario EXL170 because I like the lighter gauge higher strings, and I find that D’Addario’s strings maintain their brightness longer with my body chemistry. On upright, I use Superior Bassworks Nylon because they sound a lot like gut strings while lasting longer and costing a lot less.
2. Clearly roundwound on electric and gut/nylon on upright.
3. I usually buy online, but occasionally have to buy locally.
4. Generally try to leave changing until they’ve lost most of their brightness.
5. My electrics are a G&L Lynx & a Music Man Stingray. For upright, I play a Palatino electric upright.
I LIKE D’ADDARIO,FENDER,SADOWSKY,
DEAN MARKLEY WILL LEE,DR AND FODERA
I have a number of different basses that have an ever-changing selection of roundwounds on them. Can’t quite seem to find a set that I like. That being said, here’s my consistent observation:
1. With round wounds, I prefer them to be pretty new/bright. For this reason, I usually opt for coated strings to help keep them fresh. With my black nylon tapewounds, I love them once they’ve broken in a bit/gotten a little older. I have a set I’ve been using for a year and a half and I absolutely love them still.
2. Roundwounds on most basses; black nylon tapewounds on my Music Man Bongo 4 LTD 2008.
3. I order most of my roundwounds online @ juststrings.com or circlekstrings.com. Oddly enough, the black nylon tapewounds I’m usually able to find at Steve’s Music in Toronto.
4. 4 string sets all around, except when I order from Circle K for my 5 string.
5.
– 4-string Warwick Corvette Standard
– Music Man Bongo 4 LTD 2008
– Fender Jazz 24 V
– Godin BG IV
I like different strings for different basses but it always comes down to three:
DR Low Riders
Sadowsky Stainless Steel Blues
D’Addario Pro Steels
My primary concerns are comfort and tone. These all have a similar tension that is very comfortable for my tendonosis. They are easy to play without being flaccid.
I like the sound of fresh strings. Each of these brands represent the entire frequency range well but have a good attack. I use the pro steels when I desire the most “piano tone” or the most “sparkle”. DRs and Sadowsky fight for room on my Jazz and PJ (both with Aguilar pickups).
For roundwounds on the PJ when I want vintage tones, I always go for Lakland flats.
1. I prefer new strings.
2. I always use Roundwound. Ken Smith burners (30-45-65-85-105-130) on all my 6 string basses, although I will accept DR Hi-Beams (eventually I play 5 string basses tuned E to C). They sound just like I want and because of the smooth feel of them.
3. Easy to get online. I always buy strings this way.
4. 6s and sometimes a 5
5. Eliezer Lara Custom 6 string 35″ with black korina neck/body (set-neck) and brazilian rosewood ft. board; Antoniotsai 6 string 35″ (several customizations on this one) with maple neck-thru, mahogany body wings with bubinga top and ebony ft. board; and finally a cheap Condor 5 string 34″ (several customizations too) tuned E to C with basswood body and bastogne walnut top, maple neck and indian rosewood ft. board. I use Delano pickups on all basses.
I love the sound of new d’addario pro steels! I use them on my btb Ibanez 5,and warmoth 4.On my washburn ab 45 I use their tapewounds.I use sit’s on my Dean 12 string bass.And the fender factory model on my fretless jazz bass
1. New round wounds and old flatwounds. Rounds sound best for the first couple weeks, flats don’t sound right for a couple weeks.
2. DR HI-Beams for J-Bass, D’Addario Chromes for P-Bass, and D’Addario Half Rounds on fretless. (rounds were too bright and flats were too dark)
3. juststrings.com
4. Always in sets.
5. Parts bass J-Bass copy. 4 string tuned BEAD. Warwick Corvette bubinga fretless 6 string.
I use Rotosound Swing bass Round wounds 40-95. I have a light touch and use very low action. They are bright and snappy sounding and have a clang.
1. Old or new Flatwounds, new roundwounds.
2. Flats on my 4-strings (incl. fretless), rounds only on my 5-string.
3. The fatwounds are hard to get at brick-and-mortar shops, easy on-line. Roundwounds are everywhere.
4. 4-string sets of flats, 5-string sets for rounds.
5. I have a Musicman Stingray Classic, Fender Precision Vintage (Re-issue) ’63, Ibanez SR300F (4’s); Ibanez SR375M (5’s).
I have used all kinds of different strings trying to find just the right ones for my ’75 P-Bass. The last time I changed strings I tried a set of D’addario XL Pro-Steels. I LOVE the slightly gritty texture. They really respond extremely well when I dig in or play softly. They just feel great to my fingers and they seem to be lasting way longer than anything else I have used. I’m sticking with these from now on!
As different as my basses are , so are the strings I use on them, and how often I change them. On my humbucker 5 string I use Dean Markley Blue Steel, 4 sting 55 P Bass = Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky, fretless P Bass = GHS Tape Wounds, 4 string Tele Bass & 4 string Charvel = DR Black Beauties, 4 string semi hollow Jazzmaster = LaBella flatwounds, and Dean AEB 5 string = Dean Markley Bronze. I geneally like strings in the 45 to 105 or 45 to 128 guage and best after a couple of gigs , allthough on the frettless the older the better for a more double bass sound.
I use DR High Beams on my Yamaha TRB 6p, and prefer them new. The ringing of new strings is kind of my signature sound. The Yamaha has Bartolini G6 pickups installed and they boost the midrange to make the bass sing great. I do need to roll of the treble on the EQ quite a lot, but to get my sound that´s the way to do it. On my fretless jass bazz copy from Warmoth, I use DR fat beams. They produce the warm fretless sound that´s close to Jaco´s sound. The bass has a mahogany body which also makes the sound even warmer. Great combination of bass and strings.
I use Rotosound Swing Bass 66’s on my Ampeg GEB 750’s & Dan Armstrong, as well as my Jag Deluxe, PV’s, & SX Jazz copy. My Schecter C4 has Rotosound RB 50’s. I like medium & heavy strings because I like to play hard with my fingers & nails. My main sound pref is driving bottom with a slight edge & enough mid to make the notes’ pitch heard. I play original/classic rock & some hard rock.
1. I prefer new strings.
2. I use round wound and flat wound.
3. No. not when ordered online.
4. That would depend on which bass is in need.
5. Hammer velocity 1, flat wound roto sound, mid 70’s jazz Aria pro 2 GHS boomers, Chinese 5st xotic XP series Dean Markley blue steel.
I am a pro in a Texas Country band and I use SIT taperwound nickel strings on my Modulus Quantum 5 string. They feel balanced, last a loooong time and intonate well, plus they sound great. Also, I have never had a bad string in any set. Ever. I just started putting SIT strings on my 12 string bass. Excellent all-around.
Fodera S.S. 40 – 120 roundwounds. They are the best sound (to me) and last much longer . I now use them on a Xotic Xj-1T 5 and in line with the response in that bass they all sound even in volume & tone. I have tried various others over the years , but these sound the best to me.
1. new
2. round, DR Sunbeams, 45-105
3. easily online
4. set
5. Fender Aerodyne Jazz with SD Basslines and BadassII trough Sadowsky preamp
DR lowriders , very crisp sound that lasts ages
On my status headless I use status hotwire double ball: Its a status and I love them.
On my p bass I use DR Neons in green as they look awesome on stage.
I prefer new strings on my practice bass just because jamming alone is boring and clean strings make everything sound that much better.
Dean Markley Blue Steel LT 45-100 are the only strings I use now, there lite and responsive.I play through a Custom PJ 4 string bass with Seymore Duncan quarter pound up front and Hot Stacks in the back.
The Blue Steel’s can be bought online or at any music store cheap !!
Rotosound RS66LD 105’s on all my basses.
On the Thumb, I use Trace Elliot stainless. Scored a bunch of sets of EBay some years ago.
On the Corvette, Thomastik flats. Expensive eys, but seeing as how they been in the string business for almost 300 years, they seem to be getting a handle on making strings. The P has a set of nickel roundwound Trace, the fretless Jazz uses Fender black tapewound, and I change them out when they break. And having had a D break on me a bunch of years ago, I still got the scar from that one.
1. Do you prefer new or old strings? Some players like the piano-like twang of new strings while others prefer the old (and there are even some players who play 40 or even 50-year-old strings out there).
A: I used to like new strings, until I began using Rotosound strings. Now there isn’t a great difference; I’ve had the current set on for 18 months, and clean them after each use, and they sound like the day I put them on. Used to change EB strings every couple months as they become dead.
2. What type of string do you use? Roundwound, half-round, flatwound, tapewound, etc.?
A: Round wound. I use Rotosound RS66LE Swing Bass 66 Stainless Steel (50 70 85 110)
3. Is the string you use easily available or hard-to-get?
A: This gauge is only available online, in my experience. I live in Philadelphia, PA, so I’m in a populous enough area that I would think it would be easier.
4. If you buy strings in sets, is it for 4-string, 5-string, 6-string, or greater?
A: 4-string set, as described above.
5. What type of bass do you own? Those who read this would appreciate knowing the kind you’re installing your strings on. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an inexpensive Squier or a high-grade Spector. Go ahead and mention what you have.
A: Warmoth custom job: swamp ash J-Bass body; maple/maple 21-fret P-Bass neck; 3-band MM EQ; BassLines Alnico MM pickup in “sweet spot” [a la G&L]; Schaller BLM tuners; Gotoh 201 bridge.
DR Sunbeams 45-105. I love the tension and growl.
New strings( I don’t change until they break). Roundwounds I want to try flats. I order them from the web unless I need them on a hurry, But I always have a spare set. 4 strings only, have not graduated to the extra strings. I have a 80’s Ibanez and a Dean, the rest (3) are custom (cheap basses Frankensteinezed)
1. New
2. Round DR hi beams 40-95
3. Mostly easy to buy
4. Always as a set
5. Fender MM jazz bass
I prefer lighter strings cause they’re easier to play (bending, slapping, chord playing)
1. Broken in, but not “old” – generally keep them 6-9 months before changing (depends on gig schedule)
2. Flats (generally GHS Precision Flats, 50-110)
3. Very easy to buy online (both Amazon & Just Strings usually have them for around $25)
4. four string set
5. Fender Jazz Aerodyne (P/J pickups, passive)
Love the feel/tone of the flats, especially GHS Precision. Work well in the mix of classic rock/country/pop our band plays. Have also used D’Addario Chromes from time-to-time for brighter sound/greater tension.
ESP LTD D-5, using D’Addario XL Chromes in 40, 60, 80, 100, 132. I accomplished this by buying the light 4-string set, and adding the low-B. This achieves a more balanced tension across the strings. I chose the flatwounds to tame some of the seemingly inherent brightness of the D-5. I find the sound pleasant, and the very night I switched to these, out sound guy said, “Wow, that thing was really thumping tonight!” I believe I achieved what I was looking for.
I use GHS Pressure wound, medium scale. I’ve been using these for about 25 years–love them. I play 2 to 3 gigs a week, so I try to change my strings very 2 months. I have a Pre Kramer Spector I bought in 85–love it. Between the bass and the pressure wound strings I can get just about any tone I want, which is good since I play anything from Satin Doll to Rebel Yell to Red Clay. I buy them on line now. I use to always have to order from music stores. I highly recommend them. Most guys who sit in wnat to what kind fo strings they are because they like the feel.
Ray— The Marshall Law Band–S.F. Bay Area
1. New
2. Rotosound Swing 66 – 65-80-105-130 stainless steel roundwounds
3. Easy
4. LH+ 65-130 set or 45-130 5string set (sometimes it is cheaper)
5. Fender Jazz Bass 83′
DR Neons. Love the feel and the sound!
I use Circle K strings for these reasons:
1. They sound great!!!
2. I can get any size/scale length either as an individual string or in a set
3. They require very little breaking in with minimal stretch on new strings
have used rotosound swing bass for 30 yrs on rick 4001,guild pilot,and fender jazz basses,i perform live 1 or 2 nights a week for 4 hr.set,so i change strings about once a monthi like keeping the brightness in the strings with the thump of low end
Ghs Boomers, Med Light. Perfect for my Rick 4001 like to play fast….and well dam loud.
I use old strings. I have a headless bass with strings last changed in about 1987 ish round wound, MMan with 8+ year old flats and a short scale P with 8+ year old tape wounds.
The strings are Labella flats, i think fender tape wounds, and SIT double ball ends (last purchased in the late 80’s.)
I change strings so rarely it doesnt matter where i get them from. i own a music shop in Australia (www.ponymusic.com.au) and i had to import the labella’s myself, the importer wouldn’t get the ones I wanted.
All my bases are 4 strings only, thats enough for me.
My main basses are a Music Mann SUB (old one) with Labella flats. rewired to be PASSIVE only, nordstrand J and Nordstrand humbucker, Vol/Tone (stacked), Blend and 6 way rotary switch (Series/Parallel/Split to front/split to rear/Front out of phase/rear our of phase). great recording instrument. I have also made a pedal with the original active EQ in it. this is great on bass but mind blowing on acoustic and elec gtrs and WOW on harp.
My P is an 80’s fender short scale Mexican. Again nordstrand pickups, Vol/Tone double stacked pot (47uf) and a second push/pull pot that turns on a black ice fuzz and also works as a second tone pot (22uf). Black tape wounds on this one.
Then my 80’s Hohner Jack bass with SIT double ball ends. Original except for a Zero fret to fix the intonation issues it had.
I prefer d’adarrio pro steels — however, for a five string, the low b must be tapered- I find the elixir low b to be the loudest, most consistent— my main axe is a 34″ scale fiver— and this combo works– they are available through online purchase, the elixir singles. The prosteels intonate consistently every time, and are light tension. I prefer a couple of days of wear— and change as often as possible, but the elixir b can go for a few weeks.
Typo- D’addario— my bad–
i use DR’s. bootzillas on my traben bootzilla 5 and i’m trying out the neon-coated on my warwick corvette. They last forever, they’re the only strings i’ve ever had stolen off of a bass, and i put a set on a frend’s MIM jazz and he replaced them because he said the DR’s were “too nice”
I’m a D’Addario fan and I use the .035-.095 set for the fast, soft feel & bright tone on my Squier Modified Jaguar 4-string w/P-J pickup config. They last a good long time. My absolute favorite strings were the D’Addario XLReds that are a rarity to find but worth the effort for their piano-like harmonics.
1. Like strings played for around ten to thirty hours. They (still) sound fresh, feel good and do not annoy you with finger fret noises or piano like ringing.
2. Roundwound are more versatile. You can damp roundwounds too nearly sound like flatwounds (which is nice for good old 60’s bass lines) but you can not make flatwounds ring.
3. After thirty year of playing bass and searching for the right strings I’m happy to stay with DR 40-120 strings. Unfortunatly I can’t decide wether LOW RIDER or HI BEAM are better 🙂
4. I’m only playing fretted 5 string string basses now and buy 5 string as whole set.
5. I’m using fender precison and jazz, an clover avenger and my general purpose sandberg basic JM which is (by customization) perfect for ‘true emulating’ P-, J- and MM- sounds. music is rock, pop, disco, fusion mostly from the 60s to 90s.
1. Like strings played for around ten to thirty hours. They (still) sound fresh, feel good but do not annoy you with finger fret noises or piano like ringing.
2. Roundwound are more versatile. You can damp (by playing technique) roundwound too nearly sound like flatwound (which is nice for good old 50’s bass lines) but you can not make flatwounds ring…
3. After thirty year of playing bass and searching for the right strings I’m happy I can stay with DR 40-120 strings. Unfortunatly I can’t decide wether LOW RIDER or HI BEAM are better 🙂
4. I’m only playing fretted 5 string basses now and buy 5 string as whole sets.
5. I’m using fender precison and jazz, an clover avenger and my general purpose sandberg basic JM which is perfect (after some little custimizations) for ‘true emulating’ P-, J- and MM- sounds. music is rock, pop, disco, fusion mostly from the 60s to 90s.
SIT power wound nickels. hex core with alot of oomph, bright but not harsh. sound great on my fenders, ibbys, and peaveys
D’Addario all the way ! And I prefer the .045 – .090 set of roundwounds, which I replace frequently. I use the lighter guauge strings because of an injury to my left hand that never completely healed. I used to be a Rotosound guy, but their reverse winding was a little rough on the fingers. Gave D’Addario a try 8 years ago and use them since.
D’Addario Chromes, and primarily flats. They’re relatively cheap and always available.
I’ve tried a few different types in both flat and round and the D’ad Chromes seem work best for me.
If I’m doing a custom build and need strings for mock-up I use the standard Fender rounds. I like them enough to have left them on for good!
1. New Strings
2. Nickel Rounds, DR Lowriders
3. Easy to get everywhere
4. 5 string sets, 45-125
5. Roscoe Century V
4.
Flat wound for everything. Feel better, nicer to frets. New until old. Ernie Ball group IV, but prefer Thomastik Jazz ($$)
1.New! I need the ping.
2.Fretted, D’Addario EXL165: same gauge as me old Rotosounds, but nickel wound.
Fretless, HalfRounds, ENR72.
3. Sometimes find on the shelf, but usually order online.
4. 4 string sets
5. Fretted: Ibanez Musician, MC924 (yes, I bought it new way back then, no, you can’t have it!)
Fretless: Tom Martinson “Nessie”
Rotosound swing bass 66 roundwounds always always always….25 years later and they still feel and sound great….they have the bright sound I love that cuts through the mix, and keeps that brightness longer than Elixirs, D’addarios and all the other junk some bassists insist on using….the pro’s still love rotosound after al this time..enough said
rotosound swingbass 66 roundwounds for over 25 years now. Love their brightness and feel. Much better than Elixirs; D’Addario and all the other junk some bassplayers insist on using….I’ve never found a better string that holds it’s brightness and cuts through the mix like these…and many pro’s swear by them…
– GHS Boomers 45-105 for Standard Tuning on my Spector ReBop4-DLX-FM
– GHS Boomers 50-115 for Drop C on my Spector Legend 4 Classic
– Aurora 65-125 (5 string set w/o the G) for Drop B on my Ibanez PGB-1 Paul Gray signature
I occassionally use both GHS Boomers and Aurora because they’re VERY bouncy and bright – perfect for my style of playing. Aurora has a slightly lesser tension, so when I happen to change between both, I’ll have to set up my basses again. Usually I’ll use the Boomers for home and practice, and Auroras for gigs. They feel and sound exactly alike, so I use the Auroras for stage presence and wow factor.
Only these 2 brands provide the tone I need for slap, aggressive alternate picking, fingerstyle, boomy reggae, etc. Totally versatile strings.
I play fretless and use black nylon flatwounds (usually rotosound trubass). These help me get the softer, less clunky sound i like. Also, along with the fact that my bass’ fingerboard is made of oak, these strings ensure that fingerboard wear is kept right down. Because I string my bass B-E-A-D, I buy a 5-string set and don’t use the thinnest one. Disappointingly, this is cheaper that buying the four strings I DO need individually.
I use the Pedulla PS5B five string set. They’re stainless steel & have tapered cores which Pedulla does not advertise. I get several sets at a time from Juststrings.com
1. New
2. Darco Roundwounds (50 -105) for years, I switched from Rotosound when the local price went through the roof * 25 years ago no internet– Just recently moved to Austin City Strings (45 – 105) really digging them & they seem to stay bright longer!
3. Easy – Online
4. I buy them always in sets
5. I have 1981 Zon Legacy #18 ~ Built in Buffalo NY & a 1992 Zon Sonus, both 4 strings.
1. I do prefer new strings, but I tend to re-cycle my old strings used on my fretted basses, with my fret-less…
2. I’ve tended to stick with Round-wounds. I used Rotosound (30 – 90) ‘Funkmaster’ when I first started, but when I used to frequent The Bass Centre in London, they used to do deals on ‘Elites’ (35 – 95), which were pretty good vfm. Just returned to Bass after a 10-year break, and using Rotosound again. On my fret-less I would like to try other types, half-round, flatwound etc, to hear how they sound etc
3. I usually buy on-line to get best price!
4. 4-string sets.
5. I have 3 Jaydee Basses, hand built by John Diggins in the UK. Series II, GA24 fret-less and a hybrid Calibas/GA24 custom. http://http://www.jaydeecustomguitars.co.uk/ .. I also have an Alembic four-string signature but it’s too big for me (very long scale), isn’t played much and is currently ‘For Sale’…
Musicians Gear Nickel Rounds. $10/set always available. Like ’em to get broken in and play ’em until they get good and dead. Then I boil them and put ’em back on. Play them until they break.
My main workhorses are Ibanez Roadstars & Blazers
I use D’Addario EXL 160 roundwounds on both my 58 P bass and my Rondo J5 copy. Both basses are fretted. The strings are easy to get in Atlanta, sound pretty good, don’t cost a whole lot, and last a long time. What more can you ask?
1. Older, more broken in for flats. Somewhat fresh for the rounds.
2.Flatwounds = Labella Deep Talking Flats and Roundwounds = Smith Med. Rock.Masters or Rotosound.
3.Nope. The Labellas are at Guitar Center. Wish you guys stocked them. Roto’s are everywhere. Smiths from you guys.
4. 4String only.
5. 2 Currently. 1 Fender Jazz, and the other a homemade build. Both 4Strings.
1) New but with coated strings they last a lot longer. However, once the real twang has gone, time for a change….
2) Round. Used to use Stainless Steel but they lasted 5 mins, now use Nickelwound Coated. Elixir’s are best but they’ve got way expensive so am trying the D’Addario Coated Strings – can’t get these in 5 string set at the moment though. Always use the internet and compare prices.
3) Easily available, however see 2) above about the D’Addario’s. Also, the Elixir’s don’t come in a five string set with my gauge (40-95) so I have to buy a four set and a separate .125 B string. I’m going to try going up to .45-.130 in an attempt to be able to buy them as a five set
4) Four main basses – Status graphite Stealth Five Headless, Status Graphite Energy Artist Five string Fretless, EBMM SR4 Classic and a customized Fender American Special Jazz.
1. I play both roundwounds and flatwounds (depending on the application). For roundwounds, my favorite sound is when they’re just starting to get broken in. Like an “almost new” kind of sound. For flats, as long as you take care of them, it almost doesn’t matter if they’re new. I’ve had the same set of flats on one bass for 3 years with no discernible tonal difference.
2. My favorite roundwound string is Circle K Strings, hands down! (www.circlekstrings.com). I play a customized set that goes .039, .053, .073, .098 (and a .136 for my 5-string). For flats, I swear by LaBella Deep Talkin’ stainless flats. Best inexpensive flatwounds I’ve ever played.
3. They’re not easy to find, but not hard either. I have two sets of flats I use: the 760FL set (.043-.104) and the 760FHBB set (.050-.100). Both are easily found on JustStrings.com. The Circle K Strings, however, can currently only be purchased on their website.
4. I buy the Circle K roundwounds individually (there’s no price difference in buying 4 individual strings as compared to buying a 4-string set, so you can customize your sets any which way you choose for the same price as a standard set). The flats, as I mentioned in question 3, are both 4-string sets.
5. I have 5 basses, none of them particularly fancy, but they’ve all consistently been getting the job done for years.
2001 Squier P-Bass Special
2006 Tradition B-105
2008 Hofner Icon Series B-Bass
2010 Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass
Custom-parts “Roger Waters” style P-Bass
1. I prefer new strings. The new strings match well with my bass to give me the tone I desire. Change them every 3 month, play 3 time a week.
2. I use roundwound Nickel strings (I love the sound of stainless strings, but they tear up my uncoated ebony fingerboard from the vibrato) D’Addario EXL170-5 Bright light gauge.
3. The strings are easy to find.
4. I buy 5 string sets, twin packs for the best cost ratio.
5. I own a 1993 Fender Jazz bass but almost exclusively play my 2004 Custom purpleheart solid body 5 string bass, bolt on maple and ebony neck, with Bartolini 5 string jazz pickups and 3-band pre-amp. The new strings and purpleheart body give me super low growl, midrange punch and sparkling highs when played through my Eden Traveler amp.
I have a self-built 6-string fretless bass. I’ve used Thomastik flat-wound strings on it, and my other fretless (another self-built, with a ’78 fretless PBass neck).
1. New strings, all the way. I’d change every show if I could. I just love the piano-like tone and the response of new strings.
2. Roundwound Elixer. 45-105
3. I try to buy at a local store first. If they’re out, I head to Guitar Center.
4. 4 string sets
5. ’03 American Standard Fender Jazz Bass, a parts Jazz bass with Dimarzio pickups (this one seems to sound better with Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky 45-105), and an Epiphone Thunderbird (also with Elixers). Avalon u5 pre into a QSC 2450 power amp, then either an Ampeg 410 or 810 cab.
1. I prefer new strings.
2. Currently Roundwound on the Oscar Schmidt and Tapewound on the Dean. I am experimenting. I have been away from playing for quite a few years. I plan to keep these strings for at least six months before my next experiment.
3. Difficult. I went to the local music store and the owner only had one set of strings to sell me, the nickel round wounds.
4. 4-string sets. I don’t even know how to play a 5 or 6. Heck, I don’t even need my G string to play like a bad-ass.
5. I own two inexpensive models. First a Chinese-made Dean EAB (acoustic-electric) with the tape wounds. I just changed the Dean’s strings after keeping the original strings on it for past three or four years. The old strings were okay. Strangely, the E string seems to be too fat to fit correctly into the Dean’s groove in the nut. I’ve been finding issues with E strings fitting correctly into/onto the instrument. The second bass is a Washburn Oscar Schmidt OB100/N (acoustic-electric). This is a fun little beast. Small size, yet performs well when amped. I was surprised that the D’Addario EXL170S 4-pack Nickel Wound E string did not fit all the way into the threading hole (the one at the bridge end), yet the string fit snugly onto the nut groove. I might call Washburn/Oscar Schmidt about this issue since it is a brand new on line purchase. The set is .045, .065, .080 and .100 short scale round wound. A, D, and G fit fine…just the issue threading the E string. The “loop” at the end is still protruding about a centimeter or so (not cool). Mind you, I am not a performer. Just playing for the love of playing, learning songs by playing them on my iPod, practicing scales, etc. to keep my mind, ears, and fingers lubricated.
I use Rotosound SwingBass 66 (105-45) on my four string American Standard Fender Jazz Bass, I love the twang of new strings for slapping and Midrangy Progressive rock sound like Geddy Lee or Chris Squire. However, when i have some extra money, i get DR Hi-Beams, because they last longer and are more flexible, allowing me to play faster. If i want a more mellow tone, i will just roll off the tone knob and get it.
wondering which KS strings do you use?
I like DR Fatbeams as my first choice, and if the music store doesn’t have them, I’ll use DR High-Beams. I like them because they last a really long time, and they do give you that bit of twang that works well for me. As an earlier poster noted, if I want a more mellow tone, a simple roll-off of the tone controls does the trick.
1)P-Bass w/stock passive pickups – GHS Tapewounds.
2) P-Bass w/EMG Active-P pickups – GHS Brite Flats.
3) Peavey Foundation – GHS Flatwounds.
4) Takamine EGB2S-BK-LH Acoustic Bass – GHS Tapewound.
5) Upright – D’Addario Zyex.
I rarely play at clubs anymore, I mostly play at church. The mellow notes of the Flatwound and Tapewound strings are perfect for what I do. Added bonus: They don’t produce the distracting “squeek”.
I leave my strings on for a minimum of two years. Especially the tapewounds, they require a long breakin period before they warm up.
i use Sit round wound on an LTD Ec 54 and its been there for three yrs now, it lost its clarity but still amazingly sweet to me…beginner bass player
i would go for ghs boomers i suppose.
1. Not so old, I prefer them between the 2nd and 6th month of use.
2. Roundwound
3. I have to get it from amazon because i dont find them in my country, so I spent a little more money cause of the shipping.
4. 4-string
5. Fender Active P-Bass
No special brand, prefer rounds with a 105 and experiment with different brands. Currently, 5 string Schecter Omen Extreme-not sure, they’ve been on for a while and I don’t use it much; Spear S1-SP w/ Fodera mediums, active-passive, MTD Kingston Sarattoga 4 with D’Addario 50-105, Schecter C4 passive with what it came with (?), Rebuilt Squire P w/Tomastic Jazz flats, I’ve owned and played 5&6 string active & passive, but settled on 4 string passive basses. I tried those Everly B52 iron cores, and Wallmart budgets, and saw no difference.
Rotosound Swing Bass 66 Standard Gauge. I’ve used them for 30 years. In my opinion the best sounding, most powerful strings made. They sound like a piano whey you put a fresh set on. Always consistent all the way up the neck. Last a long time between replacements.
I’m late to the party but… I use daddario Chromes 40-100 on my ’77 Stingray and Daddario Tapewounds on my 70’s Fender P bass, my Ernie ball SUB (USA version) and on my 82 G&L L2000. Chromes are great on a stingray! Fat, punchy and still have a nice treble bite. Tapewounds are warm with a really nice clicky high end. I have to order all of these online. The 40-100 super long scale Chromes I have to build As a custom set. My favorite steel round wound set is DR Hi-beams. Low tension and easy on frets.
I just switched from roundwounds to flatwounds and I love the change! Much smoother feel and warmer tone. I settled on D’Addario Chromes.
I like older strings for the most part. I’m old school,and prefer flatwound ,or tapewond on most of my basses.
I use flats,and tapewound predominately,though I do keep a set of half round on one bass. All basses sound different,as well as the strings. Some of the strings I use on some of my older basses are getting harder to find. I am a 4 stringer ! I did play a 5 string for a very short period.Like I said ,old school !
I own 5 basses.
63 Hofner 500/1
69 Hofner 500/1
72 Rickenbacker 4001 stereo bass
1984 Ibanez Roadstar II
1951 Fender P Bass
I keep flats on the Hofners .The 63 has original Hofner flats (no longer made by Hofner or Selmer)
I have LaBella Black Tape wound .50-100 on the 69 Hofner ( trying them out ) The Hofners are very difficult to find original replacement strings that give the original sound, I have tried Pyramid, Thomastick , and all gauges of Labella Deep Talkin Flats on the Hofners .None of them are anywhere near the original Hofner strings made by Selmer for Hofner back in the 60’s and 70’s . The gauges have changed,and I find all of the new flats are too bright for Hofners. The LaBella Black tape wound sound fairly decent if you play strictly with your fingers.I will keep searching !
I have Maxima flatwounds on the Rickenbacker,as they are the closest to original furnished by Rickenbacker in 1972.
I have Kaman Half Rounds on the Ibanez
Recently put Rotosound RS77 Flats .50-110 on my Fender P51.They sound amazingly better than the Fender rounds that I took off,and feel great on the fingers !
I like the deep old upright sound mostly,hence, owning the Hofners,and after 40 years of playing bass,the Hofners are light weight,and feel much better on the shoulders after playing a couple of hours !
If I do studio work,I like the sound & feel of the of The Rickenbacker 4001 .
However,now that I’ve put flats on my P51,it has a whole new sound,and has become more versatile.
Oddly enough though, the cheapest bass I own,( Ibanez) is the most versatile sounding bass of all five ! Just turn a knob ,mix the pickups,and I can go from deep vintage 60’s rock, blues,or soul, right into modern funk & slap. .Can’t do that on my Hofners !
I am experimenting with all the Tapewound strings at this time,and will probably end up putting a few sets on a few of my basses to see what kind of sound I can get .I find that GHS Tapes are getting hard to find,so,I’m looking at trying some D’Addarios, Rotosound,,and perhaps some of the newer LaBellas ?
All my basses have roundwound, I have tried basically every string over the past 35 years. In the beginning it was Swingbass and GHS Boomers. With so many to choose from now I have found That the Ernie Ball Cobalt strings are the brightest, longest lasting, IMO. Especially on my Rickenbacker I get that bark that I love. Sound is subjective though, we all have our opinion of what a “great sound” should be.The only issue I had with RotoSound is that the E or A in a new pack, on occasion, would be duller than it should be. Not dead, but dull. The Cobalts are easier on the fingers too.
1) I prefer strings that last a long time. I know they lose brightness over time, but as long as they can hold their tune, sound good and play well I keep them.
2) Because I play and record a variety of music styles: I use Flat wound Daddario Chromes ECB84 on my Yamaha BB424x, and EB Super Slinky 2834 Round wounds on my Sterling Ray34. Each set of strings enhances the strengths of each bass, and both have distinctive sound and feel. Both last a long time, sound good, and feel good. And these sets sound, volume, and tension feel balanced for my style of finger picking and attack. Thus, I have 2 basses with very different voices, and matching up these strings with these basses help enhance the voice of each bass.
3) The Strings I use are available everywhere online, and a good value. But their much harder to find in the stores because they are popular and sell out fast.
4) I buy one 4 string set at a time once a year for the rounds, and hopefully 8 to 10 years for the flats. Most of the music I play involves using round wounds. The flats get about 20% play time.
5) See answer #2.
My P Bass needs Old Strings ! I haven’t bought new ones in years
I change between Dr Nickels Lo Rider,
Sunbeams , and old flatwounds Chromes and Thomastik, all are incredible strings and work amazing with the P Bass
On my Modern 5 string I like new and bright strings . So I Play mostly Dr Hi Beams and when I find them GHS contact core these are amazing strings .
On my 60 Jazz Bass with Alder Rosewood I like lighter strings 40-100
My favorite are the R Cocco and Dr steel Lo rider ! I like all the stages new and old on this one
On my 70 s jazz bass Ash with Maple board. The R.Cocco nickels work amazing . But since are difficult to find I also put the Dr Nickels Lo Rider these stings work very well with Bright Aggressive character of the 70s jazz . New strings are heaven on this one
On my 5 sting Jazz Ghs Contact core are the best . The retain their characteristics bright and focus lows for a long time also have a great feel
In general I find that each string gives the character after the break in point.
The Ghs contact core and the Hi beam are bright strings even after 2 years of playing the character remains !
I wash them in the dishwasher if I want to freshen them up !
My turn. I’m finally down to one bass. Old beat up Warwick $$ 5-string. Road worn with all gold hardware. Heavy you bet. Strings? I bought the entire inventory of a string business in TX a few years ago and had fun try everything out once. After about six months I settled on one set. Ernie Ball Long Scale Super Slinky Fives. SO I now carry extra sets in my rolling case of stuff. The one I put on my Warwick is still rocking after almost 4 years. Still sounds like what my sound guys say sounds good in the room. They sound fine in my ears. No complaints. About $75 on sale. But I have enought sets to last a few hundred years. The Warwick. No complaints. I’ve played just about all the famous bass models and a few of the pretty ones. This one costs more that the cars some of you drive! This one not only pays bills it pays for cruises, buys nice cars, put my daughters thru universities, paid for the weddings, what else can I say. Warwick is my pension. Oh, I’m almost 80 years old and still rockin and a rolling. Bet you have some of my records!