Thunderbird Strings

[n!k]

Still looking for the right string, I feel like I'll never be satisfied. 

I've tried:

Gibson/Epiphone stock strings - Actually liked these quite a bit but short life

Rotosound SH77 Steve Harris - I loved Roto flats on my Casady bass and I liked these too, but they get sticky and rug-burn your fingers bad. The heavy gauge was also unnecessary.

Ernie Ball Medium Slinkys - Needed a cheap set and Slinkys are always handy. They're not bad strings, just blah. I have no opinion.

DR Hi-Beams (Steel) - The last time I'll try roundwound steels. The low-end felt really sterile even though the highs really sang.

S.I.T. Powerwounds (Nickel) - Liked these a lot. Balanced tone, long life, cheap for a set ($20)

GHS Precision Flatwounds - Current set. The D and the G string are really awesome;  that nice muted flatwound tone. But the the bottom two are just terrible. Totally without definition, no life. These have got to go.

Well, what should I try next? The search continues

[copacetic]

Dean Markley Blue Steel flats son.

[Basvarken]

I use GHS Heavy Bass Boomers (50-115) on all my basses.

I like the tension and tone.
They stay fresh relatively long.


I've tried all kinds of strings. From cheap to expensive. Dean Markley, DR, SIT, Rotosound, Ernie Ball, etc
None of them really convinced me, except for the GHS Boomers.
I refresh them every 3 gigs or so.

[Chris P.]

Every three gigs? I once did 54 gigs and 52 rehearsals with one set of strings on my Bird;)

That really happenend, but nowadays I do like half a year with strings, with sometimes 15 gigs and some regearsals.

[FrankieTbird]

I like DR Lo-Riders, but for some reason they've gotten really hard to find.  I just bought a pack of strings this weekend, and I had to settle for the Sunbeams, which I guess are OK.  I tried the Hi-Beams once and I hated them.  I can't hang with those stainless strings, gotta go with nickel.  I'll use GHS Boomers too if I can't get the DR's, which also sound pretty good to me.  Haven't had much use for any other brands.

[Basvarken]

Every three gigs? I once did 54 gigs and 52 rehearsals with one set of strings on my Bird;)

That really happenend, but nowadays I do like half a year with strings, with sometimes 15 gigs and some regearsals.

OMG they must have sounded as dead as a doornail.

The difference between fresh strings and heavily used strings of 6 months worth of gigging is huge. How do you deal with that difference?
With old (and dull) strings I really miss the harmonics that give fresh strings the power that I love.

[uwe]

Still looking for the right string, I feel like I'll never be satisfied. 

I've tried:

Gibson/Epiphone stock strings - Actually liked these quite a bit but short life

Rotosound SH77 Steve Harris - I loved Roto flats on my Casady bass and I liked these too, but they get sticky and rug-burn your fingers bad. The heavy gauge was also unnecessary.

Ernie Ball Medium Slinkys - Needed a cheap set and Slinkys are always handy. They're not bad strings, just blah. I have no opinion.

DR Hi-Beams (Steel) - The last time I'll try roundwound steels. The low-end felt really sterile even though the highs really sang.

S.I.T. Powerwounds (Nickel) - Liked these a lot. Balanced tone, long life, cheap for a set ($20)

GHS Precision Flatwounds - Current set. The D and the G string are really awesome;  that nice muted flatwound tone. But the the bottom two are just terrible. Totally without definition, no life. These have got to go.

Well, what should I try next? The search continues

D'Addario chromes should make you happy. Or Labella Flats, if the D'Addarios have too much pull for your girlie hands!

[TBird1958]

Errmmm......

I'm the one with the girlie hands.........

[Highlander]

claws away...

[angrymatt]

DR Black Beauties for the 'bird.

Ernie Ball Hybrids for just about everything else.

[godofthunder]

What else ? Roto Sound RS66LD

[rockinrayduke]

Wonder how some Smith Rockmasters would sound? Anyone tried 'em?

[uwe]

He explicitly requested proposal of flats, gentlemen, so why do you go about recommending rounds?

[rockinrayduke]

So what's everyone using on their Thunderbirds these days?

This is the original question, counselor. What's that got to do with flats?

[bassvirtuoso]

Because I requested rounds first