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How do you know what strings to buy?


bassturd

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Well, it's a P-bass so don't worry about short scale. Ask what strings you should buy on this board and you'll get 50 different opinions. Mostly it comes down to good old fashioned trial and error I'm afraid. So let the games begin and I'll start off by asking...what kind of tone are you interested in? Bright? Metallic? Subdued? Thumpy? Sustained?

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I'll give you opinon #1:

 

If your technique sucks (i.e. you hear a lot of fret noise and extra stuff you don't want) or you just want a boomy undefined sound, then buy nickel strings and never change them.

 

If you want it to be bright and aggressive and your technique can handle it, buy steel strings and change them every 12-20 hours of playing time.

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I would experiment a bit. ALL strings have a different sound on different basses. A few years ago I got a 100 pack of Ernie Balls......YES, a 100 pack! I used them on all of my basses, but I noticed that they sounded different from bass to bass. Then I decided to try something different on the Spectors, so i switched to the DR High Beams. OMG, what a difference. So I decided to try a pair on the Sterling. Not the same effect. The Ernie balls actually sound better on the Sterling, but the DR's sound MUCH better on the Spector. Now you will be totally confused :poke::freak::confused:

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If you don't know a whole lot about bass, strings are your least concern. I went with www.webstrings.com since they were cheap as hell. There are flats and rounds. Different feel and sound on both. There are different gauges.... I went with the biggest ones I could find thinking that I could aways go down a gauge and "be better".

 

If I were you, I'd get some cheap medium-ish gauge nickel rounds.

 

Yo.

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Well, it's a P-bass so don't worry about short scale. Ask what strings you should buy on this board and you'll get 50 different opinions. Mostly it comes down to good old fashioned trial and error I'm afraid. So let the games begin and I'll start off by asking...what kind of tone are you interested in? Bright? Metallic? Subdued? Thumpy? Sustained?

 

 

yeah, going for thumpy mid cut, just nasty sound.... like fieldy

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well im a beginner on bass, so yes i suck.... and never change them? don't they get nasty and corroded like guitar strings?

 

I'll give you opinon #1:


If your technique sucks (i.e. you hear a lot of fret noise and extra stuff you don't want) or you just want a boomy undefined sound, then buy nickel strings and never change them.


If you want it to be bright and aggressive and your technique can handle it, buy steel strings and change them every 12-20 hours of playing time.

 

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Yup, trial and error.

I've been playing for 12 years and I still haven't decided what my favorite strings are. All I know is, I hate Rotosounds and D'Addarios. So don't buy them, because my opinion es verdad.

C7

 

i hate regular d'addarios as well, but i love Rotosounds IF changed very frequently...

 

but have you tried the D'addario Prosteels? i love them... some of the most underrated strings these days IMO... :cop:

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I vote for Hartke strings, The Modern Bass Sound.™

 

Really, though, go with basic and get more specific as you go along. Learn before you dump so much into your sound. Make sure that you can coax yourself out of your instrument before you try to coax someone else's tone out of it. :)

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Yup, trial and error.

I've been playing for 12 years and I still haven't decided what my favorite strings are. All I know is, I hate Rotosounds and D'Addarios. So don't buy them, because my opinion es verdad.

C7

 

I change brands almost every time I change my strings, thats the only way to find the one that you like the best. I do like the Optima Gold on my SB Elite II, they've got a very nice sound.

 

I actually like D'addario's, I've got a set of XLs on one of my basses. They don't sound the liveliest though. Dunlops are nice also.

 

In answer to the opening question....trial and error. Lots of error. :lol:

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I vote for Hartke strings, The Modern Bass Sound.(TM)


Really, though, go with basic and get more specific as you go along. Learn before you dump so much into your sound. Make sure that you can coax yourself out of your instrument before you try to coax someone else's tone out of it.
:)

 

:lol: You're not endorsed yet and you're already trying to plug them! ;)

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You can save a bit of money by avoiding Ernie Ball and Ken Smith strings...both are {censored}.

 

 

 

:D

 

But, seriously if you like the sound of the stock strings you'll be looking for roundwound long scale, next you have to decide whether to go with either nickel or steel strings.

 

nickel = more "brilliance" initially but become dead faster than steels...warmer with nicer high end, dark mids, wears out faster on the frets though. Great slap tone if that's what you're after.

 

steel = more even and lively tone with a bit more zing and does not wear down easily, actually the frets do. Can be cleaned and brought back to life.

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I was in a store when the first order came in as a new product, so I had to try a pack...Wow, I was quite impressed after taking off a set of new S.I.T. 's. They are gold in color and sound!!! The strings sound incredible, feel great and look really nice. They are supposed to have a long life span, so far, so good! I play this bass everyday! The strings are a bit little pricey, but I think the are well worth the extra cheese!:thu:

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