Good bass strings?

[nuntius]

i've been using elites for the past couple of months, and they're the only strings i've used since i haven't had my bass that long.

i've been told Rotosounds are quite good.

i want something that will sound bright and quite full for a long time but i am not going the elixir route.


damn i wish erlend was still here he told me a lot about bass strings a while ago, but i forgot

im using standard strings ... er i think its something - 100s.

my nut cant fit heavy (* - 110s) but might get 105s.)

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Good bass strings?

ernie ball slinkys

[DanteG]

Re: Good bass strings?

DR's, bro, DR's

[Felix]

Re: Good bass strings?

Just get Elixirs...they are the best! I've had the same set on my bass since Christmas time and they havent really begun to go dead. That's saying a lot because I gig a lot and dont ever wash my hands and i sweat like crazy when i'm playing...i kill a pack of slinky's in 3 days . But yeah, Elixirs are the best.

[kill your scene]

Re: Good bass strings?

I've been playing Ernie Ball Slinkies since I started, but I've just recently been turned on to Dean Markley NickelSteel. I don't like strings that are too too bright and I don't like strings that die out. I also find it pretty tough to swallow that some bass strings cost fifty dollars or more per set. Markleys last for months and months and come in a pretty wide variety of styles and gauges. Not to mention the fact that they're affordable and high quality.

EDIT: Felix - Elixers do last longer than Slinkies, but Slinkies are still a long-lasting string. Not to mention the fact that they're a lot cheaper than Elixers. Slinkies will give you strong tone for months and months. I go (no lie) three months between bass re-strings and three weeks between guitar re-strings using Ernie Ball. The same can be said of Markley.

D'Addario is also a high quality string, but I find them to be a bit too bright. Not my favorite tone. Fenders would be OK except for the fact that they die out too quickly. As for Rotosound, go for it if you prefer kind of a bouncy, bright "British" bass tone. They're the best at what they do. Nothing sounds quite like a Rotosound. Listen to Steve Harris, Billy Sheehan, or pretty much any classic rock band to see what I mean. Not my thing at all, but if that's your bag, then Rotosound is your string.

[Thurisarz]

Re: Good bass strings?

when i played bass, i used Fender 7250's i think, really good!
When a classmate of mine bought his 7ender am. standard jazz bass about 2 months ago it had fender tapewound(?) strings, i really like them alot, after 2-3 weeks he put on D'addario round wounds, worse strings i ever tried, they make really good guitar strings, i use them, but bass, NO! It's my opinion, don't pick on me

[kmcguitars]

Re: Good bass strings?

I have DR's on my Jazz bass. No complaints
I have D'addario's on my G&L L1000. Been on there for 10 years now Still sound Good? ( I guess I should change Em' soon )
The Bassist in my band swears by Roto's

[Sprinter]

Re: Good bass strings?

DR's, bro, DR's

Another vote here for DR's. I use DR 45-105's on my G&L Interceptor bass. They stay in tune and last a very long time.

Sprinter

[nuntius]

Re: Good bass strings?

sorry but i have a big thing against elixir.

i've had three sets on my electrics (1 polyweb, 2 nanoweb)

i've had four sets on my acoustic (all polyweb)

i've been playing guitar 3 years. with the exception of the strings that came on my squier strat (god knows what crap they were) elixir are the only strings that have ever snapped on me.

im not willing to shell out 25- 30 pounds with the fear the damn thing will happen on the bass too, they just dont seem to agree with me.

is it worth getting the nut re done to take 50 - 110s?

its not as if im gonna be bending notes and im not a slap bass player... just wondering about tone benifits

[Ken]

Re: Good bass strings?

I use D'addario soft-guage long scale strings...I find the tone to be very consistent, I just change the strings once a year in order to give the instrument a thorough cleaning and setup. They just sound that good that long (under my hands at least...)

I haven't had a single string break and rarely out of tune more than a few cents, except for right after I put them on.

Not to sound snobbish, and much of it is due to the fact that my body chemistry rules! (My strings age more due to climate/humidity than oils! ) but I would dare each and every one of you to guess how old my strings are. The only thing I can't tell is that they aren't "brand spanking new."

[Tom M]

Re: Good bass strings?

For real bright and clanky, use Rotosound 66's. The Rotos are stainless steel, and they're really hard and rough. For bright with less bite and harsh feel and less fretwear, go with Ernie Ball. Daddario makes a similar string to Ernie Ball but they're missing a litte "something" in the tone.

FWIW, I use a 50-105 set. Plenty of meat, plenty of clarity.

[nuntius]

Re: Good bass strings?

what does fwiw mean?

i might check out those rotosounds this week, i'll tell you how i find them