THIN vs. FAT - BASS STRINGS COMPARISON
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- The D’Addario NYXL4095 on Thomann* ► bit.ly/NYXL4095
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bassist: Frank Itt
host: @GregorFris
camera: @audiovisualelements
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0:00 Intro
1:35 D’Addario NYXL 40s Sound
2:13 D’Addario NYXL 55s Muted Sound
3:08 D’Addario NYXL 55s Open Sound
3:50 Comparison Sound & Conclusion 
Развлечения
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Very nice of Gregor’s dad Frank to take him to meet Victor Wooten when he was young. Everyone needs a dad like Frank Itt
The Name itself is bass phrasing.
“As always, it’s the drummer’s fault“. Amen.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Very interesting, thank you! After playing the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge, I think Frank deserved a cold beer.
You will most likely notice the difference in a live setting. When you’re playing live with a full band and a full PA/FOH, heavier gauge strings definitely come through in the mix and push the subs. Some of the really beautiful overtones you get with lighter gauge strings can be completely lost in a mix when you’ve got drums and other instruments going at it. In my experience, heavier gauge strings really shine in a live band situation in a way lighter gauge strings often do not. Thanks for putting this video together!
I agree 100% with this i’ve noticed this from trial and error!
With reason…
I switched to 100-45
Like the bass response better
Less mud more punch
I have eq comp and amp sim to dial from there
La Bella Deep talking flats .45 to .105
Frank has an awesome bass face. You can tell he's feeling it, and I feel *that*.
Around 40-100 works the best for me, depending on the brand and/or type of strings.
Rounds: GHS Pressurewound 40-96 for standard tuning and 44-106 for droped tuning.
Flats: GHS Brite flats 45-98 or La Bella SS flats 43-104.
And for my acoustic bass La Bella Gold Tapes.
^ this
Hey buddy,,,I use Bass Boomers on almost everything,,if not boomers it will be one of THE GHS STRINGS FAMILY 🎸🤠 from Arkansas USA.
@@robertsuggs2510 I just love those alloy 52 strings, thats why GHS pressurewound and brite flats. But for the James Jamerson vibe I have switch to La Bella flats.
45-130 DR Lo-Riders are my strings of choice.
Stiff and high tension
I sometimes use DR lo-riders. Really great strings. There Also underrated
I like the black beauties on a couple of my spectors.
I can't stand thick strings because they lose their fresh tone quicker than thin ones, for some reason. If I use a 40-100 set and a 50-110, the 100 will last at least 2 or 3 months longer, while the 110 turns to mud after a few practice sessions
Interesting, that is my experience too.
It's probably easier to knock gunk out of the floppy low tension strings.
On my Spector NS2 from 1987 I play 128 at 55 four string in regular tuning. Not all string manufacturers meet my requirements, but Rotosound and Pyramid can withstand these pulls permanently. I love the attack and the extra growl.
I used to use heavy strings because the school of thought was fat strings = fat tone. However, the one thing no one has ever commented on when I'm playing is my string gauge. I use a 118 for a B on my 5 string and it sounds as good or better as any 125 or 130. I use a .90 for the E on my precision- sounds great. Why make it harder on yourself?
It’s always a give and take, personally I’m play 50s and I’m a big fan because the higher tension feels more responsive, and since I started on upright I don’t super mind the slight extra push from the left hand. Tone is kinda different, but the difference is negligible at best so it’s mainly playing style
@@glowco.717ditto 50-105 is my nirvana spot. I dislike light G strings / floppy sets and other strings that people rate as " bridge cables" that don't really bother me, coming from an upright background.
Just what I needed to know, bravo!
First, that BTW Sandberg is KILLER! Second, the light strings really spoke and were snappy, bright, and focused. And third, I use Fender 50s flats on my Reverend Thundergun bass. One more thing- that Red Bird bass is also incredible. I hope it is used for future demos- Thanks. Oh and love your channel, Gregor!
This reminds me to swap out the skinny G string on my bass I bought 10 years ago.
Years ago I had a second hand Rogue fretless. I polished the synthetic fingerboard to a mirror finish and put the lightest strings I could find on it.
It sounded amazing.
I use Bass Centre Elites Stadium 35-90 or 30-90 depending on the scale of my bass. With my Fenders I use 35-90 and my Spector 30-90 as the longer the scale length the more tension on the strings.
Thank you for this one! Such a clean example
I recall Victor saying in an interview that sound wise he prefers thicker strings but playing wise thinner ones.
Definitely more overtones with the 40s. Personally, I've been using Ken Smith Rock Masters on my Fender Jazz for Round 30 years or so, despite the E string being a little too long for the wrap around the tuning machine pole. I just love the feel and tone.
Great gauge comparison vid! I use SIT (Stay In Tune) strings because they are (mostly) always in tune across the fretboard. I my experience with D'Addario strings, when the octave (12th fret) is intonated the notes below are flat and notes above are sharp (!).
I've been a fan of heavier guages for a long while and order individual rotosounds for my 6 string: 35, 50, 70, 90, 115 & 140. The B string is usually tuned down to A, thanks to the great Chris Squire
I think that Frank could play a bass with bridge cable or dental floss for strings and still make it sound great.
As for me, I use medium gauge to sound good.
Great videos, pretty much explains why strings gauges varies, for me
Is mostly the style and the neck and electronics you’re playing, slapping popping tapping like Victors style super thin strings are just fine on a active fodera, but rocking those with a pic on a passive bass will make them rattle against the freats and break them fast, pic style demands thicker more stiff gauges, añso hex core,round core is very loosy but great for slapping, popping and acrobatic Victors style stuff, however on my personal preference some basses feels and sound and plays better with thicker hex core strings, like traditional thick and wide neck P bass with at least 45-105 for rock and pic styles and minimal 40-100 for funky and softer styles, on thin jazz bass necks max 40-100 and minimal 35-95, on 5 stringers 40-100-135 feels comfortable but for low tunnings the thickest strings are a must to not get horribly fretbuzz, cool video 👍🏾
I’m a medium strings guy (SIT Foundations, the thinking man’s Nickel Lo-Rider) because I prefer the tone of thinner strings but have a tendency to dig in really hard in a way that favors thick strings, but couldn’t articulate the differences before watching this video. Cheers!
I play Thomastik Infeld Jazz Rounds which are .043 to .089 so crazy thin.
They're amazing and even lighter than the Jazz Flats.
I used to use thkck string on my 4 string. I just prefer the 4 string bass as opposed to a 5.
I use Stringjoy's 55/110s on my Jaguar P/J bass, and the thump is unreal! I especially like how they sound with the bridge pickup, since the heavier gauge makes it sound bright without being thin.
I've used Rotosound RB35's since the seventies and still do to this day! When I started getting them they were 70P each. Now you lucky the find a set for under twenty quid!
I am using the Daddario Pro Steels 45 to 130. They are super bright and have not too mutch or too less tension. The right tool for distrted metal bass. 🤘
I play 40-95 strings for the lighter tension. A few years ago I broke and dislocated the pointer finger on my fretting hand and ever since then playing heavy gauge strings just hurts. When I tune down to C standard for stoner/doom I play 45-105. As far as brand I have always played Ernie Ball Slinkys because I can find them at pretty much any music store in stock plus they always sound good. I've tried other brands but just keep going back to the Ernie Balls.
I prefer Rotosound bass strings, especially the full wounds and the black nylon flats. Two different sounds for different styles.
I use different strings brands on the particular bass i have in question. They are all .045-.105 came down to tone from the fingers and pickups. I use each one for that tone quality as my ears like.
Interesting comparison. The thinner strings sounded a little bit brighter to my ears and the thicker strings sounded warmer in comparison. I’ve been using stainless steel and nickel-plated strings that’s at .45 to .130 gauge(sometimes to .125 gauge depending on what strings I buy).
I've always gone to the heavy end, but I like what I hear from the light gauge. On 5 string, I've been trying heavy bottom and a lighter top, trying to get more tension on the B string. Isn't that a big part of extra long scale and multiscale, a longer B with more tension?
I was using d'adario Pro Steels heavy gauge on my BTB, but too much tension. I am putting on some DR Hi-Beams today 45-125.
I've always gravitated towards the 35-95 or 40-95 gauge strings. I like to play stuff that's a bit faster and more technical, so the low string tension helps with fatigue. That, mixed with super low action makes every instrument I have set up like this fret if you just breath on it, and they usually don't rattle unless I really get to playing hard.
I started with thin strings but mow I go as thick as I can.
I used to play Light Superwounds on my first Wal.
The 'piano twang' was REAL ..
That bass got stolen and Superwounds eventually stopped being available.
I went back to 45s full time when my Modulus Quantum 5 arrived back in '96.
No truss rod so the gauge has to match the neck; they added a truss rod to later models.
Still my #1 Bass though. ❤
I love the feeling of light strings, but ultimately I go back to 45-105s (with some rotating gauges for the low B, right now I’m using a 125) because while light rounds require less effort to play, heavier strings have a higher ceiling before they give up. I also am primarily a double bassist, and while I don’t play much jazz anymore and have spent a lot of time cultivating a lighter right hand approach on BG I do appreciate having the ability to dig in if I need to. I haven’t tried any super heavy sets like 55-110s or La Bella Jamersons though, and interestingly for flatwounds I prefer much lighter sets like Thomastik Jazz Flats.
I used 45s for most of my life as a bassist, but ca. 2 or 3 years ago I started gravitating towards 40s. At first, I installed them on my fretless for lighter feel and more "singing" top end (yes, the difference is very slight and probably no listener will tell but it's more enjoyable for me so there) and decided I liked the tension more. I play music where bass needs to be rather bright and pronounced, and good 40s deliver (I mostly play Ken Smith stainless steel strings nowadays, except for the fretless, where I prefer GHS Boomers). The only bass where I'm planning to install a set of 45s is my Washburn by Status S-1000, tuned DGCF. 40s are too loose in that tuning for me. But it still sounds great, especially when I slap the hell out of it (that’s what I bought this one for in the first place ;-) ).
DR Lowrider 30 - 125 on my 6string Sandberg, on my 5 String Tune 30 - 105 and for my 6string fretless Sandberg I am still experimenting but I like the DR hibeams.
I use DR victor wooten signature 40 55 75 95 roundcore pureblues. Everyone who picks up my bass says it feels like a guitar. 😂 But i play them for one main reason: comfort.
Love the overtones and playability of light strings but coming from playing a lot of double bass with a heavy setup I always end up overplaying them on the gig. I have a compressor with an led light and check in with how much I’m triggering it to try to remind myself. Settled on the Marcus Miller super brights 45-65-85-105-125 and they seem to be a sweet spot for me, have a nice bouncy resistance, but love the dadarrio Nyxl too for sounding good right out of the pack.
Dean Markley 2680s have been my favourite strings for years. 50-128 (5 strings). I like the heavier top strings which gives a more solid fundamental for high stuff, but then without the ridiculously thick E and B strings that you get with most sets. Seems to be a gauge combination not offered by any other string manufacturers, but I like it.
Team Chonk!
I just got some 50-110 strings and I love them for what I do.
I do like the sharpness of lighter strings, but I have telephone cables on my fretless 7-string Conklin, and I'm melting building foundations.
Edit: the higher 2 strings are actually extra-light for a sitar sound. It's the lower end I went extra-heavy with.
I had Fodera super lights (or was it extra lights hah) on my 6 string, but now I'm trying the cheaper options. If they are okay, I'm not against saving.
I used .030, .050, .070, .090, .115 on my Ibanez 5 in the mid 80's.
Those light strings seem to be needed for all the double thumb/upstroke thumb popping….Not a fan. A big sacrifice for overall versatility of sound. I prefer 45-105/128. Yeah, the upstroke thumb stuff is a struggle….but hey, even slap bass is hardly necessary these days. I too held Vic’s bass and was surprised at the extremely light gauge. Works for his style. Can get a bit binky to my ears, although I love some of his studio recorded bass tones.
Comparing 45-105 la bellas and 43-100 thomatiks; i found the la bella, despite being much stiffer in character, sounded a lot cleaner (no fret noise) even with low action. There’s just too much movement in the lighter gauges and i needed a much higher action to reduce the fret rattle- which completely undermined my initial thoughts of the lighter strings being easier to play.
The tone in the intro is really really nice.
My favorite way is the Billy Sheehan way. Super light on the top, extra heavy on the bottom. He uses something like a 40-65-85-110 set which basically sums up both of these sets :)
he uses a 43 at the G, but it’s actually a 45, because Rotosound labels strings differently. the 45 in standard sets is a 48, as it was in the 60’s, but in the 70’s they started labelling it 45
the actual set is 43-65-80-110
@@Pierfra007 shit I forgot that!
But still kinda proves my point. Light top heavy bottom strings are pretty popular on guitars (I've been using them for almost a decade at this point), and they should be on bass aswell!
i use both, 40-95 on my Yamaha with double humbuckers and "normal" 45-105 on my jazz bass with EMG JAX pickups they both have a place and time and I use both
I find the opposite to be true, especially when tuning lower. I find thinner strings tend to give a boomier tone, less overtones and more fundamental, while thicker strings tend to sound brighter with more overtones. I have a thunderbird that used to be tuned down in C# with 50-110 strings on it, and it sounded great. I put a new set of 45-105 strings on it and tuned it up to D and suddenly it sounded muddy. Bringing it up to Eb with the same strings has brightened the tone again. Lower tensions=thicker tone, its why short scales sound so boomy and thick. Thats been my experience anyway
Finding the right strings is a never ending road you have to take.
Since I discovered DR Strings, this road is not so bumpy anymore.
I use midium light gauge only (45-100).
Lo Riders for my Spectors
Sunbeams for my J-basses
Pure Blues for my P-Basses
Have a look at Rotosounds Funkmasters 90/30. These are the ones that Mark King uses. And myself as well.
Real fun video
Been using Pyramid Gold flats 40-100 and it’s the prefect balance of tension, tone and playability
I prefer heavy strings. My plucking hand loves the tension. Playing upright makes it more difficult for me to play light gauge on my electrics. That being said, light gauge do sound really nice.
I prefer light gauge strings myself and only really play 5-string basses. However, I do like the slightly fuller sound of the heavier strings for the G string, but I don’t like to mix and match strings, so I just use a full set of lights.
I generally use 45-100. I don't really care how thick the G string is, tbh. It's going to be easy to play no matter what. I care more about the E string. Recently I got some custom strings that were 45-95. I I really enjoyed having a thinner E and A.
Great vid as always . I use Elites stadium 35-95 on my Sandberg and Elites double ball 35-95 on my Washburn status bass . Elites Detroit flats 45-105 on a generic jazz bass
No , I’m not sponsored by elites … yet .
"I have this crazy German friend named Fat Strings"
Ive played the 110-55s on my first yamaha rbx 170 and found myself downtuning a lot with those, especially getting into a perfect circle (c# standard) and those babies kept it perfect. And i had a set of 95-40s on my bronco squier, and they would sing with a pick, but now ive gravitated towards the SIT silencers, 45-105 on my yamaha and 45(or 40)-95 on my bronco and ive been decently happy with them, but daddario will always be a failsafe regardless
I use 45-105 D'addario XL on my Harley Benton MB-4 SB Deluxe. It came with that gauge already on it so I just replaced them. I feel Indifferent about them, it's been about 20 years since I last played a bass back when I started learning and I only learned for about a year and then switched to guitar. I first started on 9's went to 10's and then stuck with 10 light top heavy bottom. Going back to the bass last year took some adjusting. I didn't know what the string gauge was on my first bass so I just rolled with this gauge set ..I might test out the 40's though
Love that shirt!!! I want !!!
45 - 105 Labella through body long scale flats, tuned to standard pitch, for this old bear.
I heard a difference (thinner strings more treble, fatter strings more bass) but I'd rather be comfortable and adjust my EQ than fight with heavy strings.
I want that Sandberg. With thinner strings.
I put some Power Slinkys on a bass once, and it was like my playing was in a headlock. All of the nuance things I do when I play was gone.
I’ve always felt the same. The tension- more accurately the STIFFNESS- really just kind of immobilizes the vibration of the string to me. Which tracks with a fast fall-off of overtones etc. Plus lighter strings, as you point out, just kinda let you do more. To be fair, sometimes I need to do LESS and I’ve got a bass or two for that as well, but I tend to fall far from the LaBella spectrum of strings stiffness always.
I had a Gibson 5string bass for a while and I had a 145 B string on it, it actually made the B more useful and musical with more sustain than the 135 I had on it before that, and with higher gauge strings you get a quicker response from the string which sounds tighter in the lows, I feel like I can play faster with big strings because they have a more controlled vibration as well!
@@Terrible_Perilit is very different with flatwounds vs roundwounds, because there are aspects of the way flats are made that make them feel higher tension, so that’s something to keep in mind
@@glowco.717 very true! the influence of the core material is still very much at play, among other construction considerations. Hence my favoring the notoriously light-feeling TI flats and now Dogal Hellborg sets.
There's plenty of nuance in terms of what the situation calls for as well. I keep a bass in AEAD (Drop A) and I use a .115 DDT set from DR. On a Dingwall I worked on recently their 37" A-tuned fifth string was a .167 (on the calipers, I'm not sure which manufacturer they went with) and both instruments ring and sustain the same length of time, but there's a difference in response when attacked, besides obvious tonal or timbral differences.
the waveforms showed me something interesting and not unexpected. My (exceptionally stiffly constructed) DDT had significantly more bottom end, and the much thicker string was a mess of detuned upper harmonics with a sharp transient and fairly swift overall decay.
I love string talk, I am also down to discuss the sounds of plectrum materials in drop tests. Kinda cork-sniffer of me I know but it's my autism and I get to choose the special interest, damnit lol
Fat Beams and Lo Riders. Tho I’ve been curious about these NYXL’s , about the only strings I haven’t tried.
I am bit surprised the sound of very thick strings in E standard sounds like useable really
the only time i used some specials strings was when I did put 2 banjo strongs on my 4 string for DDDD (4 octaves) or DDDA (3 octaves) tunings, I used banjo strings bc Brain Gibson from Lightning Bolt uses CGDA (all fifths) and uses banjo strings for the highest notes, I do not know if it would differ from using guitar strings but Gibson reccomands banjo strings instead, saddly I do not remember the gauges
I know band Magma uses CGDA too, band I really wonder what kinds of strings Janick Top used back in 70s france
50-110 Rotosound flats, finger style. On a modern active bass.
Mark King is also known for using thin gauge strings. I like 40-90 swing bass rotosounds.
Elixir 45 Nickel is my favorite choice. Use them almost everywhere
Personally, I prefer 50/55 to 110 gauge strings on my four string basses. I go with lighter sets on my six strings, though, because I haven't found a heavy six string set, yet. I tune down by a semitone, though.
Is the first riff he is playing at 00:10 from a song? If so what is it? Killer mf
I use 45 to 105 on my 4 string basses and 45 to 130 on my 5 string basses. Mostly because I like the tension and not specifically because of tone.
Opa hat Groove!
50-70-95-145
Those are my strings. I use 4-string Jazz-style basses, all 34" scale, and my band decided to tune down to DROP G#!!!!
That's G#0 for the bass.
Always play 45-105, but now use 40-95 on all my basses. Only Ric has 45-105 and 30' acoustic bass has 55-110
I need that shirt🔥
thiccc strings sound better to me, i tend to dig in the strings a lot. 50-105 hybrid slinkys
Gregor,,,i use GHS alot ,, mostly Boomers at 40 - 100 but because of your review i may try a set of NYXL HEAVIES ,,,thank you for the video,,, from Arkansas USA 🎸🤠😊
Maybe back then it was different, but last time he mentioned anything on the subject, I'm fairly sure he was endorsing DR Strings and playing Pure Blues 40-100 - a standard light gauge. That said, they're round-core and thus feel lighter to the touch and are easier to bend than their hex-core counterparts. But very weak output on passive basses. I've long-gone abandoned 45-105 or 45-135 string sets and use 40-100/120. You just need a proper amp, compressor or whatever floats your boat - or, better still, work on your technique a bit.
I use 45 - 105 gauge but I'm liking the sound of those 40 -95s👂🏽
I hate high tension, it adds nothing but disconfort especially on the D and G. 40-100 (125) are the right compromise to me.
Frank Itt is rapidly becoming my favourite basserator and he looks like me, too. Well, a better looking, younger me... 🎉
Thin on G , thick on E , that’s my mojo
Rotosound FM66 Funkmaster 30-90
I find thin strings harder to play fast finger style because they move too much. But they are easier for slapping and bending.
DR Strings Pure Blues Victor Wooten Signature 40-95
D'addario NYXL 45-105s all day
Wonder what Frank thinks of em...?
Frank sounds like Rocco there with the heavy strings.
Geddy Lee a light guage user too 🤔
50-110. 1.5mm Picks. Heavy distortion. Playing as aggressively as possible. that's me.
I play 40-95 nickels. I can play faster for longer using extra lights, and they sound good, too.
Interesting, I've always played 45-105, but I thought the lighter strings sounded better in your video, maybe it's time to make a change!
Does'nt Victor Wooten use DR Pur Blues Strings 🤔🤔?!? According to my information he developed the "Pure Blues " Strings together with DR and still is Endorser🤔.
yes he is. I only referred to him as a user of very thin strings. Not specifically these ones here