String gauge is more than a number: it determines how your bass strings will feel and sound. Rotosound flatwounds produce a rich warmth with a good level of brightness. Now choose the best coated bass strings for you, Electric Bass Stainless Steel with NANOWEB Coating, Electric Bass Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating, Acoustic Bass 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB Coating, Acoustic Phosphor Bronze with NANOWEB Coating, Acoustic 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB Coating, Acoustic 80/20 Bronze with POLYWEB Coating, Electric Nickel Plated Steel with NANOWEB Coating, Electric Nickel Plated Steel with POLYWEB Coating, Electric Nickel Plated Steel with OPTIWEB Coating, Banjo Nickel Plated Steel with POLYWEB Coating, Mandolin 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB Coating, Nickel Plated Steel Bass Strings with NANOWEB Coating, Acoustic Bass 80/20 Bronze Strings with NANOWEB Coating. Another important part is the type of outer wire which is tightly ‘wound’ around the core. For stage-shaking performance, it is vital to choose bass strings that suit your instrument, tone and playing style. Most bass players stick with hex cores which are cost effective and do a great all round job.
The nut floats the strings above the fretboard, and scale length is measured to this point. We use cookies to provide you with the best experience on our website. To get a rich, bright and punchy tone from your acoustic, a set of light Elixer bronze strings are a great option. Our Stainless Steel Bass Strings with NANOWEB Coating have a bright stainless tone with growling mids that offer an articulate pop 'n' punch. As with all light gauge combinations, the Elixer acoustic range (.045 .065 .080 .100) makes these strings easy to fret and play, overall a great option for acoustic lovers. To help you explore the different options available, I’ve selected 9 of the most awesome bass strings for a close up review. Your email address will not be published. String gauge is measured in 1/1000th of an inch. The string texture is similar to standard roundwound strings, but a lot smoother with the added coating. As a general rule of thumb, the other sizes are: Where the ball end of Bass strings are connected. As an Amazon Associate and through various partnerships, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).
The three most common winding methods are roundwound, flatwound and halfround which are different shaped metals that produce different sound profiles: Depending on the type of bass strings you use, the most noticeable ‘flag’ is dullness or visible dirt build up on the surface. And who doesn’t want to glow in the dark!? These are aggressive, power strings which give off a ton of sustain, brightness and deep bass tone. Although coated roundwounds are smoother than normal, flatwounds are completely silky smooth end to end. If you play 6-string, our medium C .032 is ready to pick up as a single string. GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE • LONG LIFE, "e" icon, and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. Ernie Ball Regular Slinky. Although these are the super light gauge (.040 .060 .075 .095), I personally don’t find they lose too much sustain or volume. Looking to keep things simple, yet refined? Bass necks come in different lengths, which means you need to know which strings will fit your model. If you’re a beginner looking to explore tone and slightly heavier gauges, a set of hybrids are a great option to try out. There are a lot of materials, windings and thicknesses to consider, all of which can turn an average bass guitar into a tone monster! String gauges—the diameter of the string—are expressed in thousandths of an inch. Most electric bass string cores are made out of steel. Please see the Cookie Policy for more information.
The strings could be attached directly to the Bridge or through the body. There are a few different cores and winding combinations which produce different sound characteristics. Even though these are a light/regular hybrid gauge (.045 .065 .085 .105), the neck tension and gauge ‘feel’ with flatwound bass guitar strings will be a lot higher than roundwounds of the same thickness. For example, Drop D, High tension on the neck means less suited to vintage models, Not the easiest to fret or play for beginners, Great all rounder for a diverse range of playing styles, Awesome tone balance between brightness and warmth, Not as long of a lifespan compared to coated strings, Great balance of warmth, punch and brightness, Excellent gauge for slap bass and funk music with extra thump on the low end, Not as long of a lifespan compared to coated bass strings, Lighter gauge is friendly to beginners and shredders, Colours match all the clothes in your wardrobe, Quite expensive but they do last a long time, Not as much sustain or volume compared to uncoated strings, Corrosive resistant and smooth textured coating, Good tone balance between brightness and warmth, Good level of grip while also reducing fret squeak, Not as loud as standard, uncoated roundwound bass strings, Fairly expensive (although really long lasting), Classic warm tone perfect for blues, jazz bass and british rock styles of music, Smoothest playing surface of all winding types, Brighter than most flatwound bass strings, giving a lovely tone balance, Gauge is heavier than roundwounds of the same thickness, Higher tension makes flatwounds less suitable for vintage basses, Loud, punchy and bright even on a lighter gauge, Can be a little more ‘scratchy’ on fingers and frets, Tend to lose their brightness and tone quickly. Old strings have almost no brightness and tend to give off more of a muddled sound. Also, according to players, they retain tone longer than any other bass string, uncoated or coated. Follow the advice below – then check out the Elixir® Strings range to find the best bass strings for you…. ©2009-2020 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. This website uses cookies. Steel strings are great for a wide range of music styles, but work especially well in hard hitting music like rock and metal. There are quite a range of scales – from extra-long six-string basses (35"), through Fender's famous Precision and Jazz models (34"), right down to Gibson's short-scale 30" SG models – but Elixir Strings has the range to ensure you can arm your favorite bass with the best. Even though these strings are coated, they are a lot brighter than you might expect with a decent level of mellow warmth. Perfect for slap bass and funk, while also having plenty low end growl. The super light gauge (.040 .060 .075 .095) make these suitable for beginner bass players who are still developing their fretting techniques, while also looking to get a consistently great sound. I’d highly recommend going for a set of Elixir Nickel Plated Steel NANOWEB’s which are super well balanced across all departments. Well, there you have it! All opinions expressed here are the result of direct experience or extensive research. Great low-end performance isn't just about amps, pickups and pedals: it all starts with your bass strings and the metal alloy that gives them their distinct tone. The rule of thumb is, that heavy-gauge strings (around .050 - .105) have a richer bottom-end, but require more finger-strength than a lighter set (typically .040-.095). If you’re a metal or hard rock fan, you’ll probably love the GHS Bass Boomers string set (.050 .070 .095 .115). Picking, slapping and popping - all take their toll. Although the most popular format might be 4-string bass, Elixir Strings makes it easy for players of every persuasion.
If you are a beginner, you’ll also find the lighter gauge makes for easier fretting and playing. While there are a few interesting materials (chrome, titanium, cobalt, etc), the most common electric bass guitar strings are either a nickel/steel alloy or pure steel. If you’re keen to stand out and add some creative color to the mix, you could go for a set of NMCB-40 DR strings which glow under neon lights! Round cores offer a warmer, vintage sound perfect for jazz and classic rock music. But, they do last longer on tone than uncoated strings which may counter the higher cost.
Do experiment, but remember that jumping between gauges may require you to tweak the action and intonation of your bass. Best Choice: Well designed to provide punch and tone, while also having a long lifespan, Best Value: Really easy to get along with for a majority of music styles, while being really affordable, Best for Heavy Metal: Thicker gauge strings which deliver on those hard rock tones, Best All Rounder: A good middle ground option between playability and punchy tone, Best Hybrid Option: A nice fat bottom end and lighter gauge tops which work well for funk and slap music styles, Most Creative Flair: Not just for looks, these coated strings have a long life span and sound pretty good too, Best Acoustic Option: Designed for acoustic bass guitars with a lot of punchy tone and a coating built to last, Premium Pick: Easy on the fingers and zero fret squeak, these flatwound strings are perfect for those warmer, jazzier tones, Best Steel Strings: Superb clarity and punch perfect for heavy metal and slap music styles. If you’re looking to get a set of long-lasting bass strings which also get a lot of attention, the DR Neon’s are an awesome option! The most common 4 string bass measures 34 – 36” from the bridge to the nut (full scale). We are not sponsored, endorsed or influenced, all opinions expressed are the result of direct experience or extensive research. Finally, if you want to assemble your own bespoke string set to really shake the room, remember that all Elixir Strings coated bass strings are available as singles. What if you are looking for a fat bottom end with a sharp and crisp pop? If in doubt over the correct length to choose, speak to your local dealer. the distance from the bridge saddles to the nut). There are noticeable differences between the two. Bass String Gauges. It does take a few string changes and testing out different string sets to find the ones that suit you best, but overall, it’s a lot of fun to mess around with. Most medium-gauge 4-string bass sets range between .045 and .105. Yamaha TRBX304 Review – The Affordable Tone Monster. The tone may be on the warmer side, but still works perfectly well for a wide range of music styles. Players tell us, that Elixir Strings for Bass offer a smooth, natural feel with enhanced grip and provide greater durability and response, even during hard-hitting attacks, compared to the original NANOWEB Coating.
The core is a single piece of metal wire in either a round or hexagonal shape.
Thicker gauges are harder to play, taking more pressure to fret, pluck and slap. One problem I’ve seen beginners running into is taking off old strings and not replacing them immediately after. They also produce a more ‘twangy’ sound and are more prone to fret buzz (especially if your strings are set ultra low to the fretboard). 5 string bass guitars might be slightly longer. Coated strings are generally more expensive and not as bright sounding. There is an added dimension to choosing bass strings, because you will need to match the string length to your instrument's scale (i.e. The regular gauge Ernie Ball slinky bass strings (.050 .070 .085 .105) are a nice balance between tone and easy playability.
D’Addario EXL165 bass strings provide the best of two worlds with a mix of light and medium gauge bass strings that provide a wide range of tonality (.045 .065 .085 .105). 34 Inches. Typical of uncoated roundwound strings, you get a good level of grip (quite rough to the touch) which produces more fret squeak as you slide from note to note. As a result, our NANOWEB® Coating designed for bass raises the bar for bass performance. The mid tones are more flat which makes for a natural ‘mid scoop’ sound. Aside from playability, gauge also plays a crucial part in tone. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Bass string sets come in different thickness (otherwise known as string gauge). Elixir Strings are the only brand to protect the entire string, coating not just the outer string surface, but also the spaces between the windings. Generally, the thinner the total set of strings, the lighter the gauge. So, as a precaution, before you decide to do a string change, make sure you have a new set of strings standing by.
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