Superwound bass strings

[hieronymous]

Went to a small local guitar store that I don't usually frequent - a little too much pressure (was asked "can I help you with anything" by three of the four people working there) plus I don't have any money to buy anything. But they have a pretty good string selection - lots of GHS and D'Addario, plus these:





Crazy light gauge, crazy expensive - but if I had a bass that was appropriate for these I would almost consider them! Mark King is pictured on the back. Didn't Geddy Lee use these on his Wal? Anyone have experience with these strings?

[slinkp]

I vaguely remember buying a set of these way back in the day. I don't recall anything particularly special about their sound.

[Highlander]

I used them (double ball end type) for a while on my headless but they snapped quite easily - the idea was that only the core of the string ran over the bridge making them somewhat brighter - I quickly returned to my standard Rotos...

[hieronymous]

So I did a little bit of googling on these - should have done it first but I was so excited to post. Looks like Superwound was connected with Rotosound. Rotosound still has a set called "Funkmaster" with the same gauge, but it looks like they are just regular strings, without the exposed core and without the customizable ball end length: http://www.rotosound.com/funkmaster.php

Even if I had a bass to try these out on, it just seems like a nightmare - having to work the ball-end, having to reset the neck for the change in tension, having to do something about the nut & bridge saddles - forget it! 

[Hörnisse]

The double ball set worked well for the early Steinberger L2 and Status basses.

[hieronymous]

Just found out that they still do this design - the PSD (piano string design) set - but only in a standard gauge, not the crazy light funkmaster gauge.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences!

[uwe]

++++++ re "they snap easily", but they give you a feeling of ease of playing like no other set of strings I've played.  The ballend stuff is a chore but works quite well.

They had their ten minutes of popularity in the late seventies, early eighties, when le thumb became de rigeur.

[gearHed289]

I've been using taper wound strings for a few years now - Dean Markley SR2000. I have yet to break one, and I dig in pretty heavily. I wasn't specifically looking for that type of string, but they were on sale for like 12 bucks so I thought I'd try them. Ended up loving them and finally defected from GHS Super Steels.

[jumbodbassman]

Labella used to make a set like this with the exposed core end.  hard rockin ....  great sounding string.  have em on my lull equiped bachbird.  Sounded much better than the roto's it had before but in full disclosure  I stopped liking/using  rotos about 25 years ago..   Not sure if they still make them this way as they changed the name  a few years ago.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I've been using taper wound strings for a few years now - Dean Markley SR2000. I have yet to break one, and I dig in pretty heavily. I wasn't specifically looking for that type of string, but they were on sale for like 12 bucks so I thought I'd try them. Ended up loving them and finally defected from GHS Super Steels.

+1: I normally HATE Dean Markley; Blue Steels die on me in seconds while almost ever other brand lasts years, but SR2000's are made for low-action funk and age just fine.

[gearHed289]

Yeah, Blue Steels - sound great new, die shortly thereafter. That was the thing that really got me about the SR2000 - they last freakishly long. Don't tell them that! They'll raise the price. 

[bobyoung]

I used to use some strings with the core end exposed also, was a long time ago, they were supposed to be brighter when only the core went over the bridge. I think I stopped using them be cause I couldn't find any that were long enough to go through a Rickenbacker tailpiece. Blue steels last a long time for me.