Bass strings recommendation

M

mcmd

New member
Hi,

I have a nice hot rod MIA p-bass - about 3 years old. I only play it about once a month when I need to record a bass track. I have never changed the strings! So what strings would you recommend that I use that will last a good while ( and sound good). I play blues/rock guitar (I'm not a good bass player).

Thanks,
mcmd
 
I know they may be expensive but I suggest DR HiBeams. They are great strings and are not too stiff so they should be good for someone who doesn't play bass much. I use them on all my basses.
 
you can boil them in water and it cleans them up too.

i heard about it and did this for my first time and it was pretty impressive.
 
COOLCAT said:
you can boil them in water and it cleans them up too.

i heard about it and did this for my first time and it was pretty impressive.
Click to expand...
Yea, it's true. But if you want to try something new, I've had good results with my GHS Bass Boomers. But they're the only strings I've used so I can't really compare. I loved their guitar strings so I went straight for them when I got my bass.
 
what kind of sound do you want???

There's light years of difference between most nickle strings vs. most stainless strings, and then you get into flat wounds, etc. What sound are you looking for??
 
Boomers are good.
The boil up effect on old strings has a quite limited life.
I don't chanbe strings very often at all: only when I need to.
There's a lot of life in the those thick things & keeping them clean will help. Loss of top end can be compensated for in EQ but then again I have 1 bass (semi acoustic) with flat wound Fender strings as I like that old style (70's was it) & sound as well as round wounds Boomers on another (solid body) for a toppier tone.
I also have some useful effect chains for tweaking any degradation or stylistic longings.
The of course you may prefer coated strings - can be very colourful!
 
Thanks for all the replies....



thewanderer24 said:
what kind of sound do you want???

There's light years of difference between most nickle strings vs. most stainless strings, and then you get into flat wounds, etc. What sound are you looking for??
Click to expand...


That is a good question......the guitar is probably set up with the Fender factory strings (rounds?). The sound that I am after is a good thumping bottom for blues and intrmental jazz rock - Jim Earl (Robben Ford), Roscoe Beck....

Also, I don't has a bass amp, but record DI with a SansAmp bass drive into a Meek VC3Q (for the compressor) or a DMP3 pre.

Thanks,
mcmd
 
COOLCAT said:
you can boil them in water and it cleans them up too.

i heard about it and did this for my first time and it was pretty impressive.
Click to expand...

If you really want to be impressed get a pvc pipe and cut it so it is a little longer than the longest string. Put a cap on one end and glue it shut with pvc glue and attach a screw cap on the other end. These parts can easily be had at most hardware stores. Fill the pipe with denatured alcohol and put your strings in over night. The next day they will be like new. I once rotated two sets of strings for a little over a year. The only reason I gave them up is because they eventually will get weak near the windings and break.
 
As the pirates say........................

DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

High beams
 
EdWonbass said:
If you really want to be impressed get a pvc pipe and cut it so it is a little longer than the longest string. Put a cap on one end and glue it shut with pvc glue and attach a screw cap on the other end. These parts can easily be had at most hardware stores. Fill the pipe with denatured alcohol and put your strings in over night. The next day they will be like new. I once rotated two sets of strings for a little over a year. The only reason I gave them up is because they eventually will get weak near the windings and break.
Click to expand...

thanks...I'll pass it along to my nephews.
 
Don't play around with old strings. Get some Thomastik-Infeld Jazz Rounds. For a true sound, get some flats. Old strings suck.
 
I've used quite a few different strings, from Ken Smith to RotoSound to Boomers to D'Addario Nickle to D'Addario Steel to a number of brands that have faded from memory...

Boomers always seemed to be had for just a buck or two less than everyone else's, But I've never had a complaint for quality...Back then I changed strings every two-three weeks, and the band was paying for them, so longevity wasn't a consideration.

I had a love affair with Swing Bass (RotoSounds) for quite a few years, but they were pricey as shit (post band-paying-for-them days) and I would boil them twice to squeeze extra life out of them. Piano string clarity...

I have D'Addario Steel strings on now, remarkable clarity and life (the set on it now has been there for over half a year), but damn near clinical clarity; The RotoSounds were a tad warmer...The steel strings really expose your technique and style...I might never have tried the D'Addarios except that the concert venue that I do contract work at has a closet full of stuff left behind by bands, and one of those things was a box full of steel wound, nickle wound and .09 XL Red guitar strings...So I'm set for quite some time...

...I would say that for the buck, the Boomers are the way to go. If you get in good with a salesman at the music store they can be had for WAY WAY less than the $35-$40 you see on the sticker. I think I paid $12 for my last set of medium-light Boomers...

Eric
 
Oh yeah, remember to wash your hands before spending time playing. The smallest amount of sweat and skin residue will fill those windings and deaden the strings quickly. I have high pH in my skin and, being a finger-picker (both bass and guitar), if I don't keep my hands washed the shit builds up pretty fast. I've ruined the finish on more than one nickle alloy bridge... :( :mad:

Eric
 
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