I Change My Strings Every Day
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video, we dive into the world of bass strings! From popular options like Round Wound, Flat Wound, and Nylon Tape Wound to stainless steel and nickel variations, we explore different types of strings and their uses. I share my personal preferences and the strings I use on my main 5-string F Bass as well as the other basses in my studio. I also touch on how often you should change your strings, which is ultimately a personal choice based on budget, feel, and sound.
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All the strings seen in this video:
DR High Beams - amzn.to/414nE20
DR Legend - amzn.to/3lKJ2ZV
DR Pure Blues - amzn.to/3Ediy9S
D'Addario Nylon Tape - amzn.to/3K8qlK2
D'Addario Half Round - amzn.to/40YT4aa
La Bella Black Nylon - amzn.to/3I6q2wD
we really need a bass collection update
Agreed!
Hi Janek, I tried numerous strings before finally settling on DR Pure Blues for all my fretted basses. I try to play the strings for at least 10-12 hours before gigging so that they lose a little of their top-end. As far as changing them, I agree with you - its a feeling-thing rather than their tone. However, after 15-20 hours gigging and practising between gigs (as well as using them with students when teaching) they’re pretty much screamimg at me to be changed 😂
I've got a set of each, flats on the p, rounds on the jazz, and tapewound on the hollow body. I get a little of everything!
Very nice mix!
Really excellent job on the videos, Janek. The content has ALWAYS been amazing , but you can tell you’ve stepped your editing game up. Thanks for all the hard work !
Never thought I'd like flats but at Christmas changed out rounds for La Bella flats on my four string Jazz. My fingers are are very grateful and they sound amazing. Can't believe I slept on these for so long. Maybe not great for slap sounds but the thump and thud in the lower register is so addictive and they are surprisingly bright higher up and sound great with a band. Can't recommend them highly enough; love them.
I'm a big fan of D'Addario Half-Rounds personally. Tried lots of other strings & just keep coming back to them because they feel so good. That said, I personally like the sound of broken-in strings, and the Half-Rounds don't gunk up or have the string noise you get from round wounds, but they're also zingier than flats or tape-wound. Perfect for someone like me who doesn't like changing strings very often.
That was “trick” advice that was great! Everyone thinks that they’ll play or “be” like a hero bassist.
You should want to be your own sound and feel, and that relates to the string changes as well.
Great quick overview. The key things I think are: 1) find what works for you, and 2) work within your budget. For me, the world changed when I finally tried flats a couple years ago. And now I’m all about the tapewound. Great tone and super smooth to play. I just put a set of La Bella “white” nylon tapewounds on my new Jazz Bass and I’m very happy with the feel and sound! I’ll probably keep them on until I wear them out.
Found your channel via Vertex Effects. Love this short and to the point video. And your playing is incredible! Killer tone.
2:17 sounds great
Great video! I’ve been playing bass for 45 years, in a wide variety of styles. These days mostly rock, in a roots/Americana style, but also funk, reggae, blues, garage-y. I don’t slap much because the styles don’t call for it. I’m mostly a finger style player, though I do use a pick now and then for attack/effect. Over the years I’ve more and more gravitated to flats on almost everything. It started many years ago. I have a 69P that was my main gigging bass during my prog/new wave/XTC-ish days and was running rounds on that bass, but it never quite felt right. The frets are worn pretty low on this bass so it’s finicky. Anyway, took it in to a bass shop for appraisal a few decades ago and talked about my love/hate with this bass. He suggested I try some Thomastik-Infeld JF344s. He warned me that they’re expensive, and they are! But 5 minutes with those strings on that bass and its inner Jamerson just came bursting out, and from that time on, the JF344s are the only string I put on it. The flats are just such a perfect fit for that old bass. Engineers/producers absolutely love it, and it literally takes 10 seconds to set up in the studio. Plug it in and it’s good to go. I don’t gig with that bass anymore, but over the years I’ve slowly migrated to using the JF344s on most of my basses. I find I can get that funky P bass tone we all love very easily, but those strings can get aggressive when you need them, and they’re even decent for slapping. I’ve been totally happy in most situations tone-wise, on P-style and J-style basses, both fretted and fretless, passive and active. They aren’t cheap but I never change them. They’re like a fine wine, they just get funkier with age! The other thing to keep in mind is that they are fairly light gauged, and quite flexible. I love that combo, and they have a very full and deep low-end, so it works for me. And the feel is perfect. So those are my main go to strings.
I do have a couple of Jazzes that I put rounds on. I like the JR344s, the round version of the T-I flats. They’re great strings too, but I’d say not quite as mind blowingly perfect as the flat version. They are also light gauged and flexible, which I like, but I find they need to be changed more often to keep that brighter, round sound (or because I break them!😅). That makes the cost a little more prohibitive. A few years ago, a friend turned me on to MJC Ironworks strings, and I became an artist endorser, and got a custom gauge set of 40-60-70-90 which matched the JR344s pretty closely in terms of heft, feel, and tone. I really loved those strings, but sadly the owner passed away during the pandemic and as far as I can tell, they are permanently out of business.
So that is one question I have: what’s a beefy but flexible round wound in the mold of the T-I JR344’s but at a more affordable cost, given the need to change rounds more often than flats?
Other strings I use: LaBella Deep Talking Bass on my 1990 Warwick fretless Thumb gives it a nice, upright-y kind of sound and really brings out the beautiful Warwick wood tone. MTD branded exposed core strings on my MTD 535. Oh and yeah, I just had my upright in the shop for a tune-up and got new strings put on it. I bet I could get 3-4 sets of T-I JF344s for what I paid for new upright strings! 😂
Obviously cost is a big barrier when you need to change them often. I'm very out of the loop in terms of what strings cost as I've been with various companies in an endorser capacity for most of my career now, so I can't direct you towards a specific company with budget in mind. I would suggest that you try a few of the lower priced brands out and see what works for you, and then lean into one of them if you can.
A bunch of great information here in less than 5 minutes! I spent a long time messing with amp and effect settings trying to get the sound in my head before realizing a few years ago that I just needed to be playing flats instead of rounds most of the time. Thanks for the great content as always!
Roundwounds on fretless, both steel and nickel, forevah...LOVE DR's, though in the last couple of years Stringjoy(Nashville) strings are my new favorites. Thanks for continuing to post on YT!
Wishing you and the fam good times and good health✌🏾
Love the production on this video. Hopefully it will help bring in a wider audience for you!
Thanx to you, i discovered Nylon Tape strings and i really like them!
Hi-Beam user too, I'd love to be able to change them every day as they're so sweet when they're brand new, just costly!!
Another great video! I know some studio players that will take old strings off and write on the package how long they were played and what the tone like when they were last played, then they take them to sessions and will swap out strings to help get a certain tone. I have never done that but I thought the concept was interesting.
I have a few like that! One set of used flats I have in a packet marked 2001 I think... 👴🏻
Great video Janek. Been loving the NYXLs on my basses, change them out on my main bass a couple times a month usually.
Another great video Janek. I use DR Black Beauties on my Fender jazz bass. Haven't changed them in three years. I love the sound but also the look of these strings. Keep up the great work.
On my( Rondo Music) Brice 5 setting fretless, 75 jazz copy. I use Labella blk. Tape wounds....... low E - High C.😎😎😎
Definitely agree, on some basses I never change strings until I break a string (which is rare but has happened a few times) some projects require that fresh string sound and aggression so I'll change my strings before recording or a show when I need to, I mostly use elixirs when I need a roundwound set, I know some people don't like the feel of them, but they feel good to me, they sound practically brand new for months, was initially hesitant because of the price, but I've ultimately saved money since I change my strings less than before
I love the feel and zing of new strings so it's stainless, roundwound Rotosounds for me, and I change them often.
I use DR Hi-Beams as well on my main bass. When playing on tour 6 nights a week I change them every two weeks. If at home I leave them on as long as possible and only change them for studio sessions or an upcoming single night gig.
I also have DR Pure Blues sets on some other basses where I change the strings only when going into the studio. And P-Bass with flats that have never been changed.
DR strings feel good for me, great touch feeling
I love that you use DR. That has been my favorite electric guitar strings since I tried them. The DR Veritas is the best. I´m just starting out on bass.
Hi, I'm a 65 year old bassist, I use Fender Nylons on Electric and La Bella black nylons on Acoustic bass (Fretted or Fretless)
Thomastik-Infeld Flat wounds on old P Bass and on Fretless Jazz bass. La Bella Ron Carter nylon set and 7720S solo set on Electric Upright. If you haven't tried Thomstik-Infeld flats on a Fender before, please try, they are expensive for a good reason. But they also last for ages, so it's worth it. It's made in Vienna.
Interesting insights there into your string management processes. It's been a long ongoing discussion here with me & my wife about the need for so many basses, totally makes sense that they do different jobs to me, she much less so! ;). I retired from the live scene after a physical issue that took me out of life for a while, but when I used to work in the live scene I used to go through 3 sets of strings a night (one for each set) because I was playing in rock, blues, and country music bands and used to sweat so much they turned to mud at the end of the set. However, I didn't buy 3 new sets every night, that would be nuts! I used to boil them, four sets a gig, 3 for the sets, and a backup! I also used a Steinberger as my main, so swapping sets was a breeze! Thanks for the vid Janek!
I am a big fan of yours and have been following you for years and learned a lot from you thank you!
I am a semi-professional bass player who has also played the double bass for years and due to osteoarthritis wear on both thumb joints I had to stop using the double bass from the rheumatologist, otherwise I would no longer be able to play the electric bass in a few years, which is also my great passion, especially the fretless bass.
Play with an old P bass with Labella flats, on an old Jazz bass with various roundwounds and on the 5 string Ibanez GWB-1 nickel wound from DR..
Indeed follow your feeling and ears and try out different sets..
stay healthy & keep grooving and motivating!
Kind regards
Fred
the Netherlands
sorry for my English
Rotosounds are great, Jaco used them. Also, Dunlops Nickel's are nice, especially if you like low tension strings.
Great Vid Janek..
Used to always use DR when I was gigging but find myself playing Rotosound stainless steel at the moment. Next string change I’m going back to DR, they are the best and last the longest.
That FBass sounds incredible!
I personally have a flatwound with strings that are coming up on 2 years (or since I got it), but my other bass is multi scale and roundwound. I have replaced the strings once, but I honestly don’t like super bright tone, so I’ll probably swap them like twice a year.
High beams are the best. 45-105 on the stingray.
*great video.* Interesting point that it’s more about the feel than the sound. I agree I do enjoy the feel, but as a non-pro I just accept the scuzzy feel of the month old rounds…
elixir. nickel you have to buy the C .32 to make a 6 string set. but they last. the plastic coating stop them from decaying. sounds nice and bright all the time. doesnt sound thumpy. nice crisp tone. i have a gibson lpb-2 (4string) gibson eb5. (5 string). and 2 carvin basses (6 string). have a good day.
Good job on the videos Janek. I use D’Addario 170s on my fretted basses. I had a set die after 6 weeks. Fastfret revived them though and I now get about 6 months out of a set (with repeated use of fastfret) before they die. I have chromes (flats) on my fretless. They’ve been on for about 15 months since I bought the bass new - I think they will stay on for awhile yet.
I am really digging these recent videos. I always thought you were a Dunlop guy for strings. Is DR a sponsor or endorsor? They make fantastic strings....just curious.
Yes, I endorse DR strings and get them for free. I switched about 3 years ago.
I use the strings it came with, only had it 20 years but I don't play it very often
I use the DR High Beams in my Fender Ultra Jazz Bass, wich I use let's say for the "modern" repertoires. I said man if Janek uses them I have to give'em a try. Woh, what a tone, almost two years with them. They get old good two, that is a great factor.
Great video as always!
Broken in but not worn out hi-beams like the ones you demoed are the best strings in terms of allround sound and playing feel for round wounds imo.
R. Cocco roundwounds have the best sound for playing jazz on a fender jazz bass but the playing feel is very much rotosounds which is not really my thing.
Hi Janek, I use Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwounds with cobalt wraps .040 to .095 gauge on my favorite Jazz Bass. They almost sound like rounds but with the feel of a flat. And they do not wear very quickly. I change them once a year.
As a fretless player, I prefer gauge 45-125 rounds. Depending on the bass, some strings will stay in use for longer than others. I basically change strings maybe once or twice a year. Also like you, my P-bass has strings that are about 5 years old(I changed the strings when I first got it). But it’s really a subjective matter of personal preference and choice.
Commenting for the algorithm. Love your work. I’m very tempted with the super heavy labellas for my precision, I just loved the fat sound you get with open D and G ala Jamerson. I’m so deeply in love with that cat. Keep up the stella work man. I’m from your neck of the woods, Sutton area - I work in a music shop, Phil the bassist comes in often! He speaks highly of you
Phil Mulfford?!? That's my guy. Love that cat. And I remember Sutton very well. I've been to that music shop many times.
@@janekgwizdala that’s the guy! The shop is still surviving despite the modern internet age. Keep up the good work!
Im lucky to have a four string and a five string bass so i put flat rounds on my four string and i absolutly love the feel and the sound. I usualy solo on my five string anyway as it has more freds as my four string and i like slapping on it weirdly more
I've been playing long enough that I've had a decade plus worth of round wounds really chew up the frets in some of my older basses. So somewhere along the line I switched to nickel-wound to help mitigate that. I've been playing DR Sunbeams pretty much exclusively for 5 or so years and really love them. They're a little bit more warm than the DR high beams I was using before that, but at least for my personal style not so warm that it takes away from what I'm shooting for.
Loved this!!!
My p bass is strung with flatwounds that I never change, so in that regard I'm pretty similar to you. On my main bass though I want strings that are going to have a bright clear sound for as long as possible. I've had good experiences so far with D'addario XL strings, they seem to last quite a while before they die. If I want a more thumpy tone out of them I can always turn down the tone knob, but I want them to keep their zing for when I need that too. I've never toured, so that might change how I do things if I ever do, but for now I'm happy with the results I'm getting.
I use different strings for different basses. My fretless, my semi-fretless 6, and one of my J’s I leave downturned have stainless rounds, my active Stingray and my usual recording basses have stainless flats, and my American J and my short scale Stingray have tapes. Each have their own use and each bass responds differently to each type, took a lot of experimentation to find what I liked on each. Also for upright I have gut strings on my acoustic and typical Spirocores on my electric, depends on the vibe I’m going for
Love the DR Blues on the Lakland DJ5. Not crazy! Upright strings can get nuts. Paid $160 for a single Gamut D gut string... it was worth every penny!
DR Pure Blues for me, I do not like the feel of the brand new set, I prefer 3-4 days old on my Jazz Bass. It is about a feel and balanced sound between the strings for me.
Hi Janek! Any experience with Cobalt strings? As someone with a pretty severe nickel allergy, they've been an interesting other option besides stainless steel. It's almost been like they have a bit of extra harmonics going on in the highs perhaps? Always appreciate how much you give back to the bass community!
I’ve almost exclusively played DR high beams on my spector basses for the last 17yrs. Got into NYXLs for a bit and still use those on certain basses. It really does boil down to the preference and usage. Hell, I’ve not been a gigging musician in years but I still change every few weeks depending on how much I practice. I will say that I’ve come to enjoy the sound and feel of month old high beams. Anything after that is DEAD.
Have you ever tried cobalt strings? I have a 5-string fretless strung with cobalt flat wounds and they really help coax a nice tone out of the pickups.
Cobalts add a certain high end quality to my Sandberg basic, which is similar in tone and pickup configuration to a music man. It doesn't go away fully even with months of wear on them.
I have not... I will investigate though!
Hi Janek, great video as always! How do you feel about different type of strings and their effect on pedals? I've heard several times that people swear their OC2 tracks better with flats (presumably as they produce less overtones compared to rounds). Did you ever experiment with strings and your typical synth pedal setup and felt that there was a difference?
Just here to upvote OC2 (and really any harmonizing pedal) tracking more accurately with flats in my experience. If I’m playing rounds and want a clean tracking lower octave I role off some tone and/or position my hand away from the bridge. The more fundamental sent to the pedal, the “better”. Sometimes I want the tracking to glitch more then I just play around with it.
I think there's definitely some truth to that. I process my sound so much that I'm rarely only using an OC-2, so the difference between the two string types has always been minimal for me.
@@janekgwizdala Yes, I agree. I'm playing rounds since day 1 and have never tried flats, and by roling off the tone knob and playing close to the neck my octavers track fine, but I still wonder if playing flats will make a notable difference.
Im fan DR round cores. Seems to last quite a long time, and have a kind of complexity that I like. I change when I need too before recordings.
Just bought the DR high beam to test them out
I was thinking, maybe you can do something similar but with amplification.
Another great video Janek. In my job I have to help university lecturers make videos and I was wondering if you give us a breakdown of the time it took you to plan and execute this video (how long to script, to find all the video snippets to add, to film yourself for the video, editing rendering etc.) would be really interesting to understand the workflow in detail that you need to for a 5 minute video.
@@Elephantitusofthenuts lol what prompted this hate?
Nice studio setup!
It's slowly getting there...
D'Addario XL Nickel Wounds - sound beautiful when new, so responsive. However due to budgetary constraints (=no budjet!) I find the older the strings the more I focus on what sound I'm achieving - Dead strings make me work so much harder to get a consistent sound. Then pop a new set on, WOW!!
I play Rotosound flatwound. Standard gauge for now but if I do tune one of my basses to D standard down the line then will go a gauge heavier. They just feel better under my fingers - I play finger style. Like another commenter, I like the sound a lot too, not super bright and nice on the bottom end.
Just put light gage Roto Sounds on Musicman .. all steel .. thought on Roto Sound strings Janek? Buy welcome to the Fbass family .. wonderful basses
Before I had a deal with a string company I used to buy Rotosounds quite a bit when I still lived in the UK. Very nice string from what I remember.
flatwounds with a p forever.❤
I've had Chromes on my pbass for over a year now... Think they are starting to break in... Rounds on everything else but want to try a set of Labella flats and see if I can get that Duck Dunn sound
Can't beat Dr Hi-Beams for me
i just switched to hi- beams after 1 year of using the supplied Ernie ball strings on my Sterling ray34.
they are very supple but at this moment still a bit too bright for my liking
Hi Janek, great Video. it`s a bit of your "fault", that i absolutly dig Dunlop Superbrights, but the Nickel-Version. I love the feel of them and i can leave them for a while on a Bass. Longer on my 4String Spector for classic Rock and Funk Sounds, less on my 5 String Spector(modern Soul,Pop usw) and forever on my old 80s ESP Jazz Bass for classic Soul Sounds.
Cheers!
Great video Janek! What’s your take on coated strings (Elixirs, D’addario XTs)?
Yes, that would be interesting.
I used Warwick EMP on a 4-String and was rather happy with them. When I switched to a 5 they didn't have the string gauges I wanted so I tried DR Dragon Skin strings (what a name 😂). They're not bad, I'll probably try something else though.
One thing to keep in mind with coated strings: they wear slower, but they still do wear... after some time you might be fiddling with your EQs and wonder why everything sounds bad until you realise that it might just be time for a string change!
I've never been a fan. It's just not the right feel for me at all.
Congratulations, looks like you got the video out in under 24 hours!
Yes! Was a bit of a mission, and meant I was up until 1:30am. But it's out!
Wait, they still make XL Reds? I used to use them on guitar, and I loved them. I would definitely like to try them on bass. I play flatwounds on fretless basses exclusively, and roundwounds on fretted basses exclusively. I do not currently own a fretted bass, and haven't had one for over a decade now, but I also haven't been in a rock band during that time, so I haven't remedied my lack of fretted bass. On my StingRay fretless, I play Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 Monel wound flats, regular tension (RS77LD), and on my Warwick Corvette Proline fretless short scale, I play D'Addario Prelude 4/4 medium tension cello strings, tuned in cello tuning (CGDA), but I think I'm going to move back to fourths tuning on that instrument and will probably choose D'Addario Chromes stainless steel flatwounds, if I don't go with the D'Addario Helicore Fourths Tuning strings, which I would like to try, but they are $190/set.
With flatwounds, I don't change them unless there is a particular reason to change them, because they don't wear and get dull the way roundwound strings will on a fretted bass. My current strings have probably been on both instruments for at least 10 years. I have been listening around for new roundwound strings, and tops on my list are the Rotosound Ultramag, D'Addario NYXL, and Ernie Ball Cobalt strings, but I'm also hoping that Rotosound one day gets around to making Monel rounds. I find stainless rounds to be a little too bright, plus the additional wear on frets isn't welcome, but with flats, the extra brightness works much better, to my ears. I may try the Ernie Ball Cobalt flatwounds, for my next set of strings on the StingRay, but my Roto 77s are still in great shape.
With roundwounds, I change them when they need to be changed, so when they get worn out (divots from the frets), when they start to feel dead, when I'm starting a new recording session, a few days before an important gig, or if/when my bass needs to go to a tech for a complete setup. I don't like "new string sound" (so much treble zing it's annoying), so I always make sure to change them at least a few days before they need to be used, and that is true for both guitar and bass. The only time I will willingly play on freshly installed strings is if I happen to break a string live, and need to replace one to finish a gig.
I really dig the DR Legends and have them on all 4 of the basses I have flats on. I've never changed any of those (yet) some 2 yrs old. For my other basses with rounds I guess it depends on how much I play each one. But I'm talking maybe 2-3 months. I switch around a lot and usually play a different bass for each week or gig. I keep an Excel spreadsheet to document when each is changed, also included are battery change dates for the active ones. I have a hard time remembering those things and I am a nerdy science guy by vocation.
Science always helps music! I wish I had kept better records about exactly when certain sets of strings went on some basses...
I wish I'd only spend $200-300 for upright strings. Reality is more like double that in Australia.
Always inspiring
40-95 string gauge coated nickel Elixirs were a revelation for me on my Jazz basses. But they’re not right for me on my P, MM or modern basses.
I implore you to try out Jonas Hellborg's signature set from Dogal. They're unreal. Aside from that you know all my friends are the DR Lo-riders!
The problem for the non pro is the complexity of doing the comparison of the different sets…. For me for instance the gauge and the tension play the largest role on the feeling… and I tend to buy the set closest to this “measurable” figure= string tension. Normal action (lower more than higher) and non wobbly strings drives me to larger gauges (not to extreme especially with the low B). Maybe worth mentioning this for the newbies
I have a Yamaha 6 string which has really been showing its limitations since I got a Fender American Ultra. Back in my metal days, I used to love the metallic bite of Warwick black labels. I've now switched back to them as that high end still cuts through the muddy pickups. I wouldn't use them on the Fender though.
I think I switched to semiflat d'addarios on my DIY fretless, worth the extra cost as everything else sounds sh*t on it.
McLovin the GHS Boomers for the DROC. Roto's on the Ric. Probably Boomers on the L2000 ...
Never tried a cheap ultrasonic cleaner to clean strings? Works well for me, 10 minutes in the bath and brightness is coming back like a second life! Not sure for the feeling though..
Not as good as new for sure, but a good 30$ investment for many strings to come that you can keep for longer time.
Also nicer than boiling strings with vinegar...
I've tried boiling and cleaning them once. It didn't bring back the feel which is ultimately the only thing I'm after.
I have tried several methods and they do work (in the sense that the strings sound better afterwards), but these 'refurbished' strings don't kepp that quality for long. So if you, for example, clean 4 week old strings with your preferred method, they will be dead again after some days. To me, not worth the effort/time...
hola, what pedals do you recomend to buy first for a upright bass player, gracias por los consejos. saludos desde Panamá
Just for the records..I like the theory of the tape, strings (the black ones right?) but not the feels of them..anybody else has the same feeling out there?
Excellent stuff, Janek. Maybe one thing you can touch upon in a new vlog/stack/short -- your work has inspired me to move on from 4 str. So I've been OBSESSING over 5 strings at Sweetwater, etc, and of course virtually every production 5 string bass comes strung w/ a low B, tuned B-E-A-D-G. This has me considering nuts and saddles, ie, if I order a bass "off the shelf", will I have to make additional mods to ensure there's no lateral movement/buzzing caused by a thinner string sitting in a wider slot. This has caused me so many mental somersaults I'm almost considering going to a 6 just to avoid the nut/saddle issue altogether.
So, for those of us who can't afford (yet!) to get a custom Fodera or F Bass build, what are some off the shelf considerations for us looking to move to 5 string but wanna tune w/ a high C?
Love your content brother, can't wait to see you on April 2!
I think you'll do just fine buying anything off the shelf. But like you said, you will need to change the nut. It's a small price to pay considering the gap between and off the shelf 5 that you make a simple mod to, and a super high-end custom bass that you might need to re-mortgage your house for...
Some strings are tapered at the bridge end, which means the part that crosses the saddle is thinner, which makes the string vibrate more easilty. Have you tried these and if so do you detect an audible difference?
I'm not a fan of tapered strings at all. I definitely hear and feel the difference in them, and it's not something I like.
My main doubt nowadays is with the tension of the different flats in the market. Still researching.
Hey Janek,
I also use DR Hibeams because I love the sound and feel of those strings. I remember you using Dunlop strings for a while and I am wondering what inspired you to switch? In my experience the dunlops feel much different under my fingers than Hibeams do. Also i wanted to say i really enjoy the new videos you have been putting out! Your content is very inspiring to me and I hope that you exceed your goal of 100k subscribers.
I switched because of quality control issues with the Dunlops at the time. I was finding way too many dead strings in sets.
I personally don't hear a difference after one listen to the 5 day old strings and the new strings. I probably change my strings once every 2-3 months which I'm told from other bassists is excessive. I tend to tune down often as I have only 4 strings and tune down as low as C# for some gigs so I'm sure that has something to do with it. Do you ever experiment in tuning down and what do you find is the benefit to changing your strings every few days?
The clip on the Mattisson Henrik Linder Signature 4-string is tuned down to C if I remember correctly. I love tuning down, especially for that style of music.
I know that Geddy changes strings each time he records a new track so that if he needs to come back and redo a part his strings will sound consistent.
Elixir all the way!
Yeah, I'm an elixir man as well. Love the feel of them, and they just seem to last so much longer.
For me it's simple. I buy strings in January and June and change 2 times per year on my instruments.
Janek! For your 33' scale (E to C), do you order the short scale version or the regular Hi Beams?
D'addario for rounds, best all round quality / price in my opinion. And La Bella for flats, expensive but never really change them, unless a core breaks or something. Do you have an artist deal for DR? And with string changing so often, what do you do with the old sets
I am an artist on the DR roster so I get them for free. The old strings go in the recycling.
I did not understand one of the last comments...the E-C is not sold as a set?
What do you think of 110 through 55 set of strings?
I absolutely loved your comment, "what works for you"
I couldn't agree with you more, I have a BBN5A Yamaha bass and an Episode Gothic Thunderbird, I use Ernie Ball 110 thru 55 on my Epiphone in drop D and with my Yamaha I use Ernie Ball 135 thru 50 in standard tuning. I change my Epiphone a lot more because I like that deep growling sound, and I like that warm deep tone for my Yamaha.
I love heavier sets like that for certain things. I have used sets that I've taken off basses, but re-packaged with a note on them about what I liked about them. If I'm doing something that calls for something outside of my normal range of instruments and string choices, I'll go back in the archive and see if there's something to inspire me.
@@janekgwizdala that's for the reply, I've been really enjoying your videos.
Have you checked out the Hellborg strings from Dogal? They are super flexible and almost feel like nylons.
I can account for the double strings. Here in Australia I recently needed to pay $400 aus dollar for a set of helicores so I could play a $150 dollar gig😂 steep but last bought strings 16 years ago so I do get value for the money
I totally should have mentioned that you have to change upright strings waaaaaay less than electric. 🤣
I change every 3 months i play in gospelband while jazz and anything in beetween but i use daddario, and dr sometimes and elixir. BUT Janek how do u get that tone u have without having soo high treble?
I’ve got nylon tapes on one of my p basses, flatwounds on another p bass and roundwounds on a stingray. They’ve all been out on a ska gig with me. The band prefers the p bass with flats! For feel, I love roundwounds. For sound, tapewound are lovely. For the band…. flats. Question - did you ever try the coated stings (elixir?) would they last longer than 30 hours under your fingers?
I've never tried them, although I know I have a few random sets in the closet somewhere. I got as far as holding a bass that had a set on, and after feeling them under my right hand, I knew it wasn't the right feel for me. That being said, I don't doubt that they would probably last a little longer than most. At least that's what everyone seems to say.
Any advice for bass players who are suffering from carpal tunnel? I’m starting to get really frustrated.
You need to see a physical therapist and get an expert opinion on your specific situation.
Have you ever tried to Thomastik-Infeld rounds? I feel like that has a deep singing quality, something would remind me of you. Also not as ubiquitous but the Ken Smith burners are the loudest and most power stringer I've ever played.
I've tried the Ken Smith, but they were a little obnoxious from what I remember. I've yet to try the Thomastik...
@@janekgwizdala What I liked about both sets was they were not the usual symmetrical 45 65 85 105 gauges. I liked the feel of off sets like .44. 63,. 81, and .107 or something like that. Similar to the D'Addario Balanced Tension sets.
I switched to Thomastik flats on almost my basses (all fretless). They were pricey but the sound was worth it. Still kept Rotosound rounds on my Warwick Corvette fretless...
Great video man!
For me my go to strings are Ernie Ball 45-130 roundwounds on my main bass (Schecter Studio-5)
I love how bright they sound. I also play stuff from Metal to Funk and they honestly sound great at every musical situation I’ve thrown at them. I’ve tried plenty of other brands when I was trying to find strings that suited me (as we all have) and it’s been Ernie Ball exclusively for over 15 years now.
Hey janek have you tried d’addario pro steel ? Thx 🙏 and awsome channel ! been here since day one of your vlog years ago
I used to play Pro Steels many years ago, but I haven't for about a decade or so.