RickFrom76 Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Hello All, Now heres a question and a half.... Being new to purchasing bass strings I was wondering what is the most common bass string bought amongst you good people? Having looked on Flea Bay I can see Ernie Balls, Rotosounds and D`addario`s which are around the £15 mark then upto a whopping £39 for the signature Steve Harris Rotosounds. But which are the best? and more importantly which are not going to cost half a weeks food budget! Regards Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 Legacy strings from Stringsdirect are fantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iiipopes Posted May 15, 2012 Share Posted May 15, 2012 (edited) What do you mean by "best"? There is no single "best" string. Depending on the tone you want, the style you play, your budget, how your bass interacts with the string, and otherwise what you need out of a string, there are a lot of variables. Cheapest isn't always crap, and most expensive isn't always desireable. Longevity is an overlooked factor. For example, if you need the brightest possible tone and have the gigs to back it up, changing Rotosound Swingbass every gig is not out of the question. But if you play only occasionally and have a tight budget, something like Fender Flats 9050CL which are economical and last a long, long time may be the string. If you want "THE" Sir Macca tone, then you're going to have to pay for the TI's or Optimas, and so forth. And in spite of the marketing hype, having tried just about everything out there for the past 36+ years playing bass, all of the standard brands (not the imported strings or the "boutique" strings) of nickel plated roundwounds are about the same, good all-round strings with reasonable tone and life for the average player. Edited May 15, 2012 by iiipopes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 You might try saving for something like Elixirs. They are more expensive, but last a looooooooooooooooooooong time so probably end up working out mush the same as a cheap set you have to change constantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 (edited) Elixirs aren't much use if you play with a pick, tho - well, not unless you like your strings to have a 'beard' pretty quickly I do like D'Addario Nickel rounds, tho: they're great for the money. As far as stainless rounds go, I've always liked the cheapo Hartke ones, although they're getting harder to find. Edited May 16, 2012 by Muzz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrTaff Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I like the sound of Roto steels, but they kill my fingers & frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1337194360' post='1657041'] Elixirs aren't much use if you play with a pick, tho - well, not unless you like your strings to have a 'beard' pretty quickly [/quote]I do. Not a problem IME Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1337109770' post='1655724'] Legacy strings from Stringsdirect are fantastic! [/quote] yep legacys are ace, £7 a set. never broke one yet even with a pick, last 3 months a time, nickel suit me best, fine for gigging in a leary rock band! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 [quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1337198175' post='1657119'] I do. Not a problem IME [/quote] Really? My set looked like crap a few weeks in, beardy and scabby, and I don't use the heaviest of picks - .88 Dunlops. Blimey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnyboy Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1337109770' post='1655724'] Legacy strings from Stringsdirect are fantastic! [/quote] I hope so I've just bought 3 sets!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I've always bought cheap strings and never been particularly happy with any of them. There always seems to be a very short period between too bright and new and dead. I have to confess that I won't replace them unless I break one, then I will change the whole set because the remaining ones won't match the new one. The last set of strings I bought I decided I wanted to try flatwounds but thought that if I wanted a fair representation then I shouldn't just buy the cheapest I can find. I bought D'Addario Chromes and I adore them. I loved them as soon as I put them on and several months later they're just as good. They're not cheap, but I don't expect to be replacing them anytime soon, in the end they will work out a lot cheaper and I'm a lot happier. Because of the price it's taking me time to get around to changing the strings on all my Basses to the Chromes, but it will happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1337202078' post='1657185'] Really? My set looked like crap a few weeks in, beardy and scabby, and I don't use the heaviest of picks - .88 Dunlops. Blimey. [/quote]They beard. It's not a problem as I don't care what they look like as long as they sound good, which they do, and it's barely noticeable - and I use 3mm Dunlop Stubbies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I really like Elites Stadium Series strings. They're around 2/3 of the price of the most common brands, and have a very bright sound, with them being stainless steel. They also are very smooth feeling compared to some other brands like Rotosound or Warwicks, which people say cut their hands to ribbons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted May 18, 2012 Share Posted May 18, 2012 Rotosound flats. Very bright and possible to EQ so that they sound like slightly worn in rounds. £30 a set and I'm 18 months into mine so that works out at £1.67 per month so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shunt2 Posted May 27, 2012 Share Posted May 27, 2012 +1 for the rotosound flats, really nice after using roundwound steels for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1337109770' post='1655724'] Legacy strings from Stringsdirect are fantastic! [/quote] This Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatgoogle Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 For cheap, i generally go with warwick red labels, especially if re-stringing the 6 string. I dont find them half as harsh as new roto's which is a plus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 Check out the Alice strings on eBay - I bought a set of the coloured ones which I really liked...the postage is normally more than the strings themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yepmop Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I went for Fender flats and absolutely love them and at £15 a set I love them even more Might save up for some Roto Flats to compare to the Fenders but at nearly twice the price I really need convincing that they are that much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 [quote name='yepmop' timestamp='1339522620' post='1689903'] I went for Fender flats and absolutely love them and at £15 a set I love them even more Might save up for some Roto Flats to compare to the Fenders but at nearly twice the price I really need convincing that they are that much better. [/quote] + the 1. I tried the Status ones instead, but didn't like them and went back to Fenders. Have had the same set on my P-bass for nearly 2 years now, and they still sound ok (in the middle of a loud rock band ) The ones on my fretless are 3 months in and still mwahhhhing very nicely (cos they're steel, and my board is ebony) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Jus strung my 5er up with Warwick Reds to see what they were like... Actually really like em! They seem to have more depth than Elites. Obviously I can't speak for how long they last yet but at that price I can't grumble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 If you can find 'em... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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