This took a lot of time and a lot of string winding but I really appreciate y'all watching! I hinted about this video a few weeks back on my Instagram, so if you want more teasers and other cool stuff, follow me over there!🤘 instagram.com/patrickhunter
Can we all take one minute to thanks Patrick, who went trough the pain and blood to change 8 time his strings. More than most of us, bass player will do in one lifetime!
if you won't keep those strings, have tools (plier, winder) and done that bass before, its indeed quite fast. you straight up cut strings, clean, insert and tune them. but then, if you gonna keep some strings? add time. dont have tools? add time. never done that bass? add time (an extra care). inserting expensive strings? in an expensive bass? then more extra care lol. Now we easily have a relative time range of 5 minutes to a good half of an hour. Drinking beer with friends? add some huge chunks of time
I just started looking into bass strings and holy F* are those things expensive... I thought it would be along the lines of guitar strings + 15% or something but G* DAMN... If I restring my bass 5 times the strings will have cost me more than the damn bass xD
Dude, the Fender and Dunlop strings absolutely blew my mind here. I wasn't prepared for the volume difference, and I really enjoyed the sound of the Fender strings too. Normally an Ernie Ball or Kalium guy myself, but I might be venturing out to try Fender sometime now.
Me too, just bought a American fender precision 2 from factory and they have fender strings but I don’t have the info on them but I was extremely surprised by their sound that I didn’t put rotosound. On it.
I thought this was going to be a terrible but that was a great demo! I have quite a bit of experience with a few of those sets and you captured the characteristics of the strings very well! The playing was very consistent set to set and style to style! This is by far the best bass string demo I’ve ever seen on UA-cam! Great work!
Im with you bro. Hi Beams were my go to for a good decade. But...I discovered Elixir medium-bright and jumped. Similar to Hi's but more musical (imo) and last waaay longer. Worth the extra $20.
@@WilDBeestMF hey thanks for the info bro. I will definitely get a set to try out. They must be good if you swapped your HiBeams for them after ten years of using them. Thanks for the info 👍
@@TheJimboe11 I kind of miss the weirdly glassy in a good way quality of the upper register of the Hi's, not going to lie man. Haha. But hey, definitely worth a shot! You may just find the Hi's will always be your thing..
I've used nearly all of these and many others too, and my favorite is the Fenders. People make fun of me but I love them and have them on all my basses. To me they sound best here too. The bassier strings might seem more impressive in a youtube comparison, but the bright midrangeyness of the Fenders works really well in a band. It puts you in your own little space where you can be heard without competing with the kick drum or cymbals. Excess low end in a string does nothing for you. In fact lots of people are running high pass filters now to cut lows and get a better sound in the mix.
I've never played Fender strings, but their brightness really stood out here -- even brighter than Rotosounds. I'm a DR player mainly, but am thinking of trying some Fenders now. A question for you... Are they rough to the touch like Rotosounds?
Man I've been looking for fender strings for that reason, I've played fender basses at stores that are strung with their strings and they alway have that fender "twang, clank" i like but I haven't been able to find them for sale and guitar center or sam Ash don't even carry them. I play pop punk and emo (90's vein) and I like that mid range brightness in my sound
dont waste your money on expensive strings just to get a little more mid/treble, just turn your mids and treble up a little bit. edit: also, fuck a highpass filter. i use a 21" 4000 watt subwoofer in my bass rig. i ALSO have half a dozen horns on it so its not just bass, but anyone running a highpass is an idiot, and thats why the crowd dosent even know that youre plugged in.
I also like Fender bass strings, I think they are very good for metal and punk, their brightness cuts through the mix and naturally gives the agressive sound I want for those genres. For blues, jazz, reggae, soul and Classic rock, I like flatwound strings, I like the bass heavy but warm sound that gives a lot of bottom
DUDE You and your channel are GREAT I love how humble and honest you are, and all the different basses and things you demo and you can really jam a Bass...
Finger style: the Dunlop nickel wounds stood out for its gritty bottom end. The DR High Beams also stood out for powerful but clear low end. Slap style: The GHS Boomers stood out for its big bottom coupled with a somewhat muted high end. This works well for slapping because you don’t want to overdo the high end.
Very surprised by the video. Here's some of my initial takeaways. 1. the cleartone strings had the most mids, hence the perceived "volume" boost. 2. EB Hybrids and Fender have the most articulation/cut. 3. the GHS was the most rounded or flat on the top. 4. The rest of the strings were pretty similar. Keep up the great stuff Patrick.
Came here to comment this almost exactly, only adding that the GHS have a sort of naturally scooped EQ to them. I can't imagine what is actually done to those Cleartones to get those weird mids to pop like that.
For me the Ernie Balls and the Dunlop Super Brights stood out when played with a pick or finger style. Biggest surprise for me were the Fender strings, might have to give them a go when I go shopping for new strings! Awesome vid Patrick, it's really cool to hear these strings played back to back to really discern the minute sound differences.
Thank you for doing this. I have been using GHS for bass (and GHS guitar boomers for a couple years) for at least 20 years and like them a lot. They sound great when they are new and have a great warm tone when broken in. I was curious about the sound of the others, but after hearing them all, I'm going to stick with GHS for now. Thanks for all your hard work!
Yup... been playing roto on my jazz to get that mid bump but find they dull easier and fender are cheaper and last longer and fit a great middle ground between roto and dr... dr are too scooped to me usually I’ve yet to try the Dunlop mm set I have as they are 105 and I’m falling for the 100 🤘🤘🤘
I’ve been an EB string guy for a good reason. This video proved me right. Ernie Balls are the best strings for guitar and bass. Only downside is the longevity. They lose treble in a week or two. If you have a gig, put them on 48 hours before. Tried them all EB ftw!
I always get nickle round wounds. I really am not a fan of the hot high end that steel strings and I play with my fingers only i.e. no slapping. My go to are DR Sunbeams.
For me the d’addario XT just stay super fresh and lively, than the other strings I’ve played (rotosound, fender, Ernie ball) the swells in the midrange work really well for me in the context of my band and they respond super well dynamically, which is arguably the greatest quality a string can have in my opinion
I’ve tried quite a few of these brands over the years. These days I’m wanting more of a low mids punch, and not a lot of high end. I’ve found I prefer nickel plated steel roundwounds. GHS Bass Boomers are my favorites. My overall favorite of all strings are GHS Pressurewounds. Thank you for reviewing all of these different brands of strings. Your comparison is one of the best that I’ve found.
These are the kind of equipment vids that musicians need. Thank you! My two favorites were the Cleartones (surprisingly) and the DRs. I typically go with DR Sunbeams on most of my basses
Dude- that had to have taken some serious patience. Thank you for putting time and effort into making this happen! On a related note, I tried to keep my listening as "blind" as possible so I didn't have any brand bias, and the Ernie Ball Hybrids got me every time. I've been playing with Ernie Balls almost exclusively since 2010 when I bought my Geddy Lee Signature J Bass, and no matter how many other brands I've tried out (most recently including D'Addario - which are not bad), EBs hit the most points for my playing style.
I think my favorites were the GHS boomers, the rotosound and the Ernie balls. How about doing a tapewounds comparison video? I’d really like to see that one
I thought that the Fender strings sounded the best in all except the slapping wherenI liked the sound of the Dunlop strings. Overall the Fenders for me. Surprised me that.
Beat me to it by 5 days. The Fenders sound like what I expected the Rotosounds to sound like. Midrange presence unlike any other. That’s the kind of sound I’ve been looking for. I’ll be trying Fenders next time. Except for slap. The Dunlops have an aggressiveness that none of the other strings have. I don’t play slap, but if I did, it would be Dunlops. The D Addarios stood out to me, as sounding dead compared to the rest. And to think I’ve been primarily playing D Addarios for many years. Though I currently have a set of Ernie Ball and I do like them better.
Fenders and Ernie Ball stood out to me, but I know from past experience that I kill a set of Ernie Ball's in like 2 weeks... which is not enough life to me. Currently use D'Addario XT but gonna give a set of Fenders a try.
@@garrydhintz8017 yep, I’ve always used D’addarios. Put on my first set of Ernie balls last time just to try for once but was really disappointed. I usually get 6 months out of the D’addarios and the EBs already need replacement after about a month. They also don’t seem as bright, and I feel like the don’t stay in tune as well. Definitely will not buy again . I’m sticking with D’addarios.
Ernie Balls have the most color, and a defined high-mid range that adds a ton of presence to your sound. Love the clarity - they're the best by a mile for me.
I’ve been using Rotosound RS-66’s since high school, back in the 70’s. The repair guys that used to tweak my 4001 said Chris Squire used Roto’s and that’s all it took! I’ve used Thomastick Infield, JB-344 FW’s, whenever I wanted an upright sort of tone, expensive but worth every penny and they last forever! Great string review, thanks for posting!
Thanks, liked the Roto 66 strings best. Guess we gotta wait on the longevity test? Gotta tip for the rest of us poor bass slingers! Get a Tupperware bowl about 6" diameter. Fill a couple inches deep with 91 % isopropyl alcohol. Take yer dirty old strangs off and roll them up. Put them in the bowl, lid it. Sit down, smoke one, put in a movie. And shake the bowl up occasionally. Movies done, dry them off with a clean t-shirt, slap them back on. They'll sound new. Ya can pretty much keep doing this until they break! Bowl of alchohol will last indefinitely. Anyway, have fun!
Wow- EXCELLENT review! FINALLY, a sensible controlled comparison, done with three styles of playing. It's amazing how many comparisons there are- none of which are as logically done as this one. The unprocessed direct sound, and the- as- we-play-live bass amp sound was perfectly done. I've used all of these sets, except for the Cleartones. And that's kind of ironic- as all the strings sound similar.. BUT, the Cleartones are the single standout set. They have a seriously noticeable bump in the mid-mids. If you are looking for that- those are the best choice here. Personally, I do not care for that myself. As far as what I've experienced with these sets- P.S., I'm 70 now, and playing since 1967... is this. Another caveat: I do not play hard, or have excesses of sweat, or acidic things that kill strings quickly. What does make a nice set of strings, is simply usage/ metal fatigue. A weekend of gigs will make me want to take them off. I played a tour with a rock legend at one time- and was using Ken Smith and Dean Markley Blue Steels. Those got replaced after every show. Expensive, but it made a difference. Currently, I use Ernie Ball Stainless, and a lot of flats- almost all are D'Addario or Ernie Ball. I also love the S.I.T. stainless rounds... on my 5 string basses. Ernie Ball, and D'Addario are my favorites here in this test. GHS Boomers, never pleased me- they were only used because of lack of availability of my preferred sets. They don't last very long, and take on a thuddy, weird tone, and poor feel with age. D'Addario XLS- and stainless Ernie Ball Slinkys -longest lasting rounds for me. Dunlops- nice strings- now overpriced, and died kinda fast in my experience. DR, nice strings- but didn't like them enough to switch from EB and D'Addario's. Rotosounds- the originals.. I switched to D'Addario rounds when Carl Thompson made me a bass in 1976. I use a couple of different RS77 sets- flat, I love 'em. Fender rounds. Sounded nice, and died way too fast. I didn't like that. Ironic- I have many basses strung with fender 9050 ML flats. Great strings.
First of all, Thank You for all your effort making this video. Very much appreciated. For the feedback your expecting, I am Not a Fender strings fan for guitar, and I Never used them for my Pbass. The Fender strings you showcased, gave the authentic Fender bass tone. Now, it seems I have to try them. I used Roto Sound Bass strings since 1985 and they Always did me well. But I just purchased my first Jass bass ( G&L ) I am so use to the PBass I need time to get use to the Jazz Bass and the strings were the first thing on my mind. I'm thinking of the Fender strings for my first shot at this. Thanks for helping me with that.
E-balls, Rotosound and DRs are the most clear and consistent! E's and DR's are my usual choice. Rotosound surprised me, will try them. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! I was recently blown away by how dull the Daddario XT's sounded right out of the box, the regular XL and NYXL are MUCH, much better. It's interesting here to see that some sound better for certain styles than others. For pick, I loved Ernie Ball and Rotosound. Slap was Dunlop hands down. The Fender's were surprisingly good too!
Firstly top work Patrick, I love this sort of test, I was really surprised that the differences were so subtle, or was that the limitations of my Sonus sound system? I would have loved to have seen a visual of the level of the different frequencies each set of string hit. (I know I'm a nerd) Also I imagine the strings would react differently with an active bass. Keep up the good work. Cheers Stu
I've used Rotosound 66's at .50-.110 for years, and I don't see myself changing, but I will say that the DR's for me sounded really good and I've always personally liked their Drop-tune guitar strings, so I might pop some of those on my other bass to see how I like 'em.
Awesome comparison video man!! I play pretty hard and broke a lot of strings. I have been playing Ernie Ball Hybrids for years simply because they lasted so long. A while back I tried some DR Black Beauties out of curiosity and love them. They sound great, are silky smooth on the fingers, look cool and most importantly have been durable.
My only issue with Ernies are they seem to die quickly. Not to a cool vintage tone either; but lifeless. Until then they sound great! I just don't have the $$ replace them constantly.
ewwww flatwound bass strings? no thank you. i quite enjoy my clangeddy clang. also, cobalt strings are brittle as all hell. enjoy your B snapping in half during installation, wasting 45$
Big fan of Roto Sound, have used them for years. After watching this though, I think i'll be switching to Earnie Ball. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video!
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. I know it took A LOT of time stringing the same bass, recording each string sound, and then putting it all in order! Whew! I'm using Regular Slinkys. 45 to 130 5-string on a custom with EMGX series pickups and they sound great. It's either those or Fender. I was amazed at how close allot of the strings were except the Boomers which almost sounded dead compared to the rest but would probably sound good on a P-Bass?
I thought you would talk a bit of the feel of each brand. I think that makes a difference when I choose my strings. I think Ernie & Rotosound are the best with a shoutout to Dunlop, cool video!
For my style of pick play EB's Roto's and DR's have great articulation and "zing". The Fenders and Cleartones were interesting, they have a good tone that will work on specific P Bass sounds. The others were neutral and didn't do much for me personally. Great vid, thanks!
The two best overall strings for that bass I gotta go with the Cleartones or Fenders. They sounded good no matter what style you played and cut through the best
It's great to be able to hear each string in a mix with varying playing styles, really helps find what you're looking for based on what style you/band play from all perspectives. This video is priceless
Patrick, nice job. I felt that the Ernie Balls had the most zing and clarity of all the roundwounds, and the DRs and Rotosound (you said Rotostring at the beginning😀) came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. For roundwounds, Ernie Ball wins hands down.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but they were all roundwounds, right? Patrick distinguished at the beginning between roundwounds and nickel plated, but that is an erroneous classification as being roundwounds and nickel plated us not mutually exclusive. I believe that what he meant to say was that he was testing all roundwound strings some of which are stainless steel and others which are nickel plated.
I consistently liked the Ernie Ball and the Fenders. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video! Other videos play and talk play and talk and you just played them one after another so we could hear the difference side by side, thank you so much!
Playing with pick and fingers the ones that stand out for me (according to brightness) are: 1.Ernie Ball 2.Fender 3.DR 4. Rotosound. With slapping: Dunlop, Ernie Ball, DR, Fender and GHS sounded better, without any particular order. Do you still have the Harley Benton Basses? I think they come with Harley Benton strings. It would be interesting to hear about them.
Rotosound are the cheapest & best value (in uk anyway), don’t hear too much difference between them & Dunlop, D’addario- all sound fine. Surprised at how bad the Ernie Ball & Fenders sound. GHS has a mellow tone, almost flatwoundy but I thought the DRs sounded really great here 👍🏼. Might have to check those out when I win the lottery. Good vid.
Never liked Rotos much due to the feel entirely. Even their flatwounds are a bit rough/sticky on the fingers. They sound great but I can't get behind playing them at all.
Herr Schultz that’s interesting I got a set of D’addario flatwounds & had similar problem- sounded good, didn’t like the way they felt. You’re right, Rotos are a bit rough but I don’t mind funnily
GHS and DR sounds the most balanced here, right amount of every frequency band you need and not excessive amounts with different playing styles. I am Dunlop guy. I had experience with EB, Daddario and Rotosound and these are all good but I thing Dunlop SBNs have a little edge over the others imo. Might give a go for GHS and DR as well now.
For me the Dunlaps is my pick in this test. I've always been a D'addario guy. Both for there tone and lifespan. However there are strings that sound better out of the box but two weeks later that great tone is gone and I'm left with something that doesn't compare to the D'daddarios. That's my only issue with Ernies; they die quickly. Not to a cool vintage tone either; but lifeless. Until then they sound great! I just don't have the $$ replace them constantly. Many commented that Fender had the stand out sound but I have to dissent. Although not my favorite; Cleartone in my opinion had the most unique tone of all.
Thanks for the test. They seemed surprisingly pretty similar. The Ernie Ball and Fender especially had the same kind of sound, more harsh. I like the Dunlops, GHS and Rotos. Classic.
While I watching this, I had an evil idea. I make a video doing a similar shootout with different strings, but I hide which clip is for which string (String A, String B, etc.). People pick their favorites in the comments and then I later reveal that I didn't in fact even buy new strings and that every clip was the exact set of strings and they had making themselves hear differences that weren't even there. Anyway, here's Wonderwall.
Great shoot out. I was surprised at the Ernie Balls, Fender and the Cleartones. Also, some strings sound not so good finger style but really good slapping and vise versa. I usually use the D’addarios. They sound kind of average all the way around. I may have to try some other brands. Thanks.
Great video mr.P :) The comparison was well done. I just HAVE to test the fender strings, they sounded cool :) When I started playing bass, GHS was the only brand my local music store carried. (i.e. a small corner in the local grocery store) I have played the string brands: EB, DR, D`Addario and Rotsound. I think each string brand has their own string feel and sound, and some of the strings suit certain styles of music better than others. Today I use Ernie Ball for rock and heavier stuff and GHS mostly for Motown and 70s soul/funk etc. Keep bassing guys !! Greetings from NORWAY \m/ \m/
I wanted to hear Patrick's opinion after running the test. I thought the Dunlops were kinda dull except when slapped then they really came alive and sounded great. The Fenders sounded terrible all they way though, thin and harsh. I thought the Slinky's and the DR's sounded the best. The DR's had more mid and a fuller sound. The D'Addarios were pretty neutral as were the RotoSounds but they were a bit brighter. Clear Tone had a noticeable Mid-scoop. The GHS were "Boomy" but muddy except for the slap.
Damn I think I am a Rotosound guy. Thank you for this video. I know it probably cost you a small fortune, but it takes an equal mixture of bravery and dedication to do this, and I congratulate you. Keep the quality content up man! love the vids.
Iv'e been using the Rotosounds for some time now. After having tried several other brands I realized nothing compares to the overall sound of the Rotosounds. my Bass instructor back in the day got me using the Roto's. Fantastic strings!
First, thank you! This is awesome. Cleartone has to be the worst looking packaging. I wanted to dismiss them because they look so cheesy, but there was a noticeable volume difference. For me though, those Dunlop were very surprising for their tone! I'd funk that set. Fender had such a nice growl with pick though.
Thanks for another strings vid, and with a very consistent play/shooting method and also of course 8 different sets of strings. Your vid surprised me. 6 sets of nickel and 2 sets of stainless and while stainless are famous for brightness, in your video, I really couldn't discern the difference in those two sets. Last October I had a flu and listened to ALL the strings videos in my most of a week in bed. I had the time and the phones and right then a super keen interest. I REALLY wanted some of those EB Cobalts. They have this special midrange bite. I was told by one store owner [activate cheesy voice], "There are only a couple different string factories in the world and what everyone gets are the same strings, just stuck in different bags so you think you're getting something special with a logo. I got 2 packs of Chinese strings in the store, $16 apiece, do you need 4 or 5? I have one baggie of each." While thoroughly understanding the dude was F O S, and having a severe snobbery against junk made in China, I laid out my Hamilton, Lincoln, and Washington and went home to string them on. Well shit, they sounded great. I later got a set of Cobalts for my other bass and decided that Is struck gold. With Nickel and Stainless being the popular two types of strings, the Cobalt are an entirely different beast with higher gain that almost overdrove my amp. Wish you had included them. So back to your vid, one store owner [not the cheesy voiced bser] told me that Fender doesn't make their own strings, but that Dunlop makes them and they are repackaged with that cursive F on the bag. Well those two sounded distinctively brighter in your vid, enough to remind me of this claim. I'm always interested in knowing WHY things work differently. In comments, someone said they liked one sound with more bottom. I would reason they all must have had the bass frequency, but others had the treble frequencies masking out the bass, and of course I want to know why. Flats are famous for not having the treble, and especially for lasting for years if cared for which would spell even less treble overtones. Again, why? String manufacturers have to be one of the highest profit companies in musical instrument gear. They only have to make a single class of product, only a few tools and materials, especially compared to making guitars, fewer steps in turning out completed product, far less training to get factory workers to put out a saleable product, and then in some cases, people throw out their strings after a single show or a couple of weeks! For 6 string, cheaper than two drinks at the bar. Just make more and ship them out!
Dang, the Fender set is *bright* . Piercing, even. Loved Dunlops and D'Addarios. Round sound, pretty good and tight bass, not boomy. GHS had huge bass, but sounded a bit too boomy.
What is that slap line you’re playing? 🤩 The Dunlop and D’Addario were my favs in this. I usually play on La Bella strings … but … might be Dunlop next purchase. Amazing vid comparison, thank you for your effort!
Been playing Rotosound all my life, but the Ernie Ball sounded best to me in all categories. Thick with definition. Definitely giving them a try. Thanks for upload.
GHS Boomers I feel like are the best strings in a mix. Out of all the bass strings demoed, I liked the Boomers better with the backing track. Not so much by themselves but those Boomers are meant to be in a band mix !
DR Hi-Beams have been my goto for years, but I recently switched to the NYXL strings to try something different. Both get me the clank I'm looking for.
Hey Patrick Hunter from Michael T Wyman and 99 in West L.A. Great bass string comparison video! Thanks for your great work. I play lead guitar AND bass. Right now I play more bass and prefer bass. I 've had 5 or 6 basses and played most the brands you tested. Right now I have a medium scale 4 string with DW's (I think) which I love. Also I like Rotosounds and GHS. Fender is always ok and probably cheaper but Fender seems to break / snap faster than others for me. Same with with Fender electric guitar strings . The GHS did sound a bit different than the others on your video. A little scooped mids-ish. GHS sounded Awesome on your funk jam. Ernie Balls seemed to underperform a bit. Especially direct. The Ernie's just did'n't seem as loud or as punchy. Sorry Ernie. Never heard Cleartone -sounded great.
I was surprised by the Warwick Reds. Got a pack as "case candy" when I bought a used bass a while back, and just left them in my gig bag as a backup. Decided to install them on my Streamer LX one day and was very pleasantly surprised. They sounded great. A little rough on the fingers, but that's not an inhibitor to me. For the price, they're not bad at all.
@@woot1404 yeah they aren't as smooth feeling as some other strings and in the uk you can pick up a set for £8 -£10 which to me for the sound they have i dont know any others in that price range that are as good as reds.
I live in Michigan, and GHS are made here, so I've always used those on guitars. On bass they slap real nice, but I've always chosen Rotosound Swing66 for bass (Rush thing). I ordered some Fender and Dunlop to try because of this video. Thanks for the no-nonsense presentation
Wow, the Ernie Balls, DR's, and Fenders are my favorites! The EB's have that little high end boost that puts them over the rest when played with a pick. You worked hard on this video, thanks a ton!
"Than a coated string" All the other strings were uncoated. If there was a set of elixers or coated strings from the other companies, then a comparison could be made.
I just ran across this video. Nice job with the comparison. 53 years of playing have taught me this: Those Fender, Rotosound and Ernie Balls give you definition that’s easy to tonally shape when recording or playing live. Strings with a lot of bottom might sound cool alone while your pant legs flap in the breeze but can easily get lost behind the band in a muddy bottom and can be a royal pain to tame when mixing live or in the studio. That said, to each their own, though….
I’ve been a DR player for a long time. They are expensive but man they don’t skimp in the sound. I’m not a fan of the GHS sound they are way too dark for a round wound string. Try out some LaBella tapewounds they are interesting and fun.
I completely switched to flatwound strings last year and went with the Fender 9050. Just as with the roundwounds in this video, they're noticably brighter than most other flatwounds. Playing garagerock with a pick, a moderately driven tube amp and lots of volume: it's perfect! And they're the cheapest flatwounds I can find in my region. Win-win!
I love playing Flatwounds for rock. I use Dunlop flatwounds on my Mustang and GHS on my Jazz. The Dunlops are pretty bright as well, at least when they're new-ish.
I can't say there was any huge standout for me, except that I didn't like the Fenders strings in any of the samples, but all the others shined with some combination of playing style and VST/Direct. I've been using Ernie Ball strings pretty exclusively and this video didn't give me any reason to switch. Thanks for putting in all that time and effort!
Yep, the EB's on my jazz are staying too. I had fenders on a p I used to have and thought they sounded pretty good but in this comparison, they're the worst of the bunch.
The Fenders didn't sound great. The cleartone sounded odd. The GHS didn't sound that boomy at the end. The Rotosound definitely gave a unique tone. The DR's sounded really good. I used those currently except the sunbeam version. I'm am really excited to get the La Bella Deep Talking Flatwound string set up on my P-Bass for that nice Jamerson sound.
This took a lot of time and a lot of string winding but I really appreciate y'all watching! I hinted about this video a few weeks back on my Instagram, so if you want more teasers and other cool stuff, follow me over there!🤘
instagram.com/patrickhunter
4à1à¹
My hamster is called Patrick
Should of tried out SIT strings! Love them!
I've only ever got dr and ernie ball
Put Earnie ball on their basses
Fender on fender
Can we all take one minute to thanks Patrick, who went trough the pain and blood to change 8 time his strings. More than most of us, bass player will do in one lifetime!
Should change strings every 3 month minimum 😂 it only takes 5 mins but he spent a lot doing 8 in one day
Legend.
@@00Dusty 5 minutes? You’re a champ.
if you won't keep those strings, have tools (plier, winder) and done that bass before, its indeed quite fast. you straight up cut strings, clean, insert and tune them.
but then, if you gonna keep some strings? add time. dont have tools? add time. never done that bass? add time (an extra care). inserting expensive strings? in an expensive bass? then more extra care lol. Now we easily have a relative time range of 5 minutes to a good half of an hour. Drinking beer with friends? add some huge chunks of time
@@00Dusty i change every 2 month
8 sets of bass strings! He gotta be some tech billionaire
😂😂😂
I just want him to show how to restring a bass. It's been so long, I don't remember how anymore.
He's not wrong, that shit is NOT free
I just started looking into bass strings and holy F* are those things expensive... I thought it would be along the lines of guitar strings + 15% or something but G* DAMN... If I restring my bass 5 times the strings will have cost me more than the damn bass xD
@@SyntheticFuture I feel your pain. Just spent 25$ to fix the output and put 40$ strings on my $160 Peavey Milestone 🤦♂️
Years later and STILL one of the most USEFUL string comparisons ever made.
Those Fenders surprised me in how good they sound.
but not for me ...
The Fender Strings surprised the hell out of me... A bit bright but definitely good.
Agreed the Fenders did sound a bit more special.
Agreed. I hear a more growly tone on the Fender strings . Might try them out myself!
They sound the best to me but that’s just my preference because my first bass is a squire
I like the focused tone of the Dunlops. Great clarity and definition in the notes
i noticed that too, didnt know if it was all in my head.
Dude, the Fender and Dunlop strings absolutely blew my mind here. I wasn't prepared for the volume difference, and I really enjoyed the sound of the Fender strings too. Normally an Ernie Ball or Kalium guy myself, but I might be venturing out to try Fender sometime now.
Me too, just bought a American fender precision 2 from factory and they have fender strings but I don’t have the info on them but I was extremely surprised by their sound that I didn’t put rotosound. On it.
Amazing how different they sound, didn't expect that much. Thanks for the unprocessed direct sound Patrick, very revealing.
I thought this was going to be a terrible but that was a great demo! I have quite a bit of experience with a few of those sets and you captured the characteristics of the strings very well! The playing was very consistent set to set and style to style! This is by far the best bass string demo I’ve ever seen on UA-cam! Great work!
I will live and die with DR. They have never done me wrong and the brightness is fucking mint. Amazing tone for metal.
And they last 3x longer than all the rest.
I agree. I’ve used nearly all them strings. I’m new to DR Hi Beams and I’m finally 100% happy. Totally transformed my 86 P Bass.
Im with you bro. Hi Beams were my go to for a good decade. But...I discovered Elixir medium-bright and jumped. Similar to Hi's but more musical (imo) and last waaay longer. Worth the extra $20.
@@WilDBeestMF hey thanks for the info bro. I will definitely get a set to try out. They must be good if you swapped your HiBeams for them after ten years of using them. Thanks for the info 👍
@@TheJimboe11 I kind of miss the weirdly glassy in a good way quality of the upper register of the Hi's, not going to lie man. Haha. But hey, definitely worth a shot! You may just find the Hi's will always be your thing..
Rotosound Swing 66 are my personal favourite bass strings.
The fender strings I think was the only one that had somehwat of a difference, but for me it’s DR all the way
I was surprised to hear those too. I thought the Fenders and Rotosound had a bit more midrange presence while the DRs are a bit more focused.
Yes sir why I've been playing Dr strings for 15+ years sounded almost like a 500hz-800hz bump in eq with the fender strings.
LowMan Josh heck yeah
Ian Strickland 100% agree.
DR dimebags for life!!!
I've used nearly all of these and many others too, and my favorite is the Fenders. People make fun of me but I love them and have them on all my basses. To me they sound best here too. The bassier strings might seem more impressive in a youtube comparison, but the bright midrangeyness of the Fenders works really well in a band. It puts you in your own little space where you can be heard without competing with the kick drum or cymbals. Excess low end in a string does nothing for you. In fact lots of people are running high pass filters now to cut lows and get a better sound in the mix.
I've never played Fender strings, but their brightness really stood out here -- even brighter than Rotosounds. I'm a DR player mainly, but am thinking of trying some Fenders now. A question for you... Are they rough to the touch like Rotosounds?
Man I've been looking for fender strings for that reason, I've played fender basses at stores that are strung with their strings and they alway have that fender "twang, clank" i like but I haven't been able to find them for sale and guitar center or sam Ash don't even carry them. I play pop punk and emo (90's vein) and I like that mid range brightness in my sound
dont waste your money on expensive strings just to get a little more mid/treble, just turn your mids and treble up a little bit.
edit: also, fuck a highpass filter. i use a 21" 4000 watt subwoofer in my bass rig. i ALSO have half a dozen horns on it so its not just bass, but anyone running a highpass is an idiot, and thats why the crowd dosent even know that youre plugged in.
I also like Fender bass strings, I think they are very good for metal and punk, their brightness cuts through the mix and naturally gives the agressive sound I want for those genres. For blues, jazz, reggae, soul and Classic rock, I like flatwound strings, I like the bass heavy but warm sound that gives a lot of bottom
@@edbutler3 no they are the smoothest I've tried !
DUDE You and your channel are GREAT I love how humble and honest you are, and all the different basses and things you demo and you can really jam a Bass...
Finger style: the Dunlop nickel wounds stood out for its gritty bottom end. The DR High Beams also stood out for powerful but clear low end.
Slap style: The GHS Boomers stood out for its big bottom coupled with a somewhat muted high end. This works well for slapping because you don’t want to overdo the high end.
Very surprised by the video. Here's some of my initial takeaways.
1. the cleartone strings had the most mids, hence the perceived "volume" boost.
2. EB Hybrids and Fender have the most articulation/cut.
3. the GHS was the most rounded or flat on the top.
4. The rest of the strings were pretty similar.
Keep up the great stuff Patrick.
Came here to comment this almost exactly, only adding that the GHS have a sort of naturally scooped EQ to them. I can't imagine what is actually done to those Cleartones to get those weird mids to pop like that.
GHS sound more distinctive for slapping.
For me the Ernie Balls and the Dunlop Super Brights stood out when played with a pick or finger style. Biggest surprise for me were the Fender strings, might have to give them a go when I go shopping for new strings! Awesome vid Patrick, it's really cool to hear these strings played back to back to really discern the minute sound differences.
I been playing ghs for 40 yrs.
The fender strings are my next set to try.
Thanks and cheers 🍻🎸👍🏼
Thank you for doing this. I have been using GHS for bass (and GHS guitar boomers for a couple years) for at least 20 years and like them a lot. They sound great when they are new and have a great warm tone when broken in. I was curious about the sound of the others, but after hearing them all, I'm going to stick with GHS for now. Thanks for all your hard work!
I’m a loyal EB string guy but in this video the Fenders stood out for me!
Yup... been playing roto on my jazz to get that mid bump but find they dull easier and fender are cheaper and last longer and fit a great middle ground between roto and dr... dr are too scooped to me usually I’ve yet to try the Dunlop mm set I have as they are 105 and I’m falling for the 100 🤘🤘🤘
I’ve been an EB string guy for a good reason. This video proved me right. Ernie Balls are the best strings for guitar and bass. Only downside is the longevity. They lose treble in a week or two. If you have a gig, put them on 48 hours before. Tried them all EB ftw!
I really loved the GHS bass boomers. Nice and smooth.
I always get nickle round wounds. I really am not a fan of the hot high end that steel strings and I play with my fingers only i.e. no slapping. My go to are DR Sunbeams.
Across all of the "tests", I found that the GHS strings sounded best to me. I like the depth they provide.
Holy Shnikes. Hunter has never played Rotosound? Y'all were made for each other.
For me the d’addario XT just stay super fresh and lively, than the other strings I’ve played (rotosound, fender, Ernie ball) the swells in the midrange work really well for me in the context of my band and they respond super well dynamically, which is arguably the greatest quality a string can have in my opinion
Yes, I use the NYXL's 45-105. Great tension, sound and last ages. Love em.
I’ve tried quite a few of these brands over the years. These days I’m wanting more of a low mids punch, and not a lot of high end. I’ve found I prefer nickel plated steel roundwounds.
GHS Bass Boomers are my favorites. My overall favorite of all strings are GHS Pressurewounds.
Thank you for reviewing all of these different brands of strings. Your comparison is one of the best that I’ve found.
These are the kind of equipment vids that musicians need. Thank you! My two favorites were the Cleartones (surprisingly) and the DRs. I typically go with DR Sunbeams on most of my basses
Dude- that had to have taken some serious patience. Thank you for putting time and effort into making this happen!
On a related note, I tried to keep my listening as "blind" as possible so I didn't have any brand bias, and the Ernie Ball Hybrids got me every time. I've been playing with Ernie Balls almost exclusively since 2010 when I bought my Geddy Lee Signature J Bass, and no matter how many other brands I've tried out (most recently including D'Addario - which are not bad), EBs hit the most points for my playing style.
KILLER video.
SUPER helpful.
Probably the BEST bass string comparison video I’ve ever seen.
👍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍
💯🔥❤️🔥🔥
Those fenders had a great growl to them. Maybe not the best for slap, but definitely had a great mid forward presence.
I think my favorites were the GHS boomers, the rotosound and the Ernie balls. How about doing a tapewounds comparison video? I’d really like to see that one
I think GHS sounded the worst, unexpected as they have a pretty good reputation.
ghs sound like old strings to me
I thought that the Fender strings sounded the best in all except the slapping wherenI liked the sound of the Dunlop strings.
Overall the Fenders for me. Surprised me that.
Beat me to it by 5 days. The Fenders sound like what I expected the Rotosounds to sound like. Midrange presence unlike any other. That’s the kind of sound I’ve been looking for. I’ll be trying Fenders next time.
Except for slap. The Dunlops have an aggressiveness that none of the other strings have. I don’t play slap, but if I did, it would be Dunlops.
The D Addarios stood out to me, as sounding dead compared to the rest. And to think I’ve been primarily playing D Addarios for many years. Though I currently have a set of Ernie Ball and I do like them better.
Ernie Ball is made for Rock n roll! The gritty gnarly midrange they delivered for the pick style was just unsurpassed
Fenders and Ernie Ball stood out to me, but I know from past experience that I kill a set of Ernie Ball's in like 2 weeks... which is not enough life to me. Currently use D'Addario XT but gonna give a set of Fenders a try.
Never buying ernie ball again for that same reason. And some strings are good sounding when they wear in but not those. Lol
AFAIK d’Addario makes Fender’s strings...
@@garrydhintz8017 yep, I’ve always used D’addarios. Put on my first set of Ernie balls last time just to try for once but was really disappointed. I usually get 6 months out of the D’addarios and the EBs already need replacement after about a month. They also don’t seem as bright, and I feel like the don’t stay in tune as well. Definitely will not buy again . I’m sticking with D’addarios.
Fenders last about usually 2 to 3 years between change......
@@BosworthMcG my dude you should not be keeping your bass strings on for 6 months straight either way hahahahaha typical bass player
Ernie Balls have the most color, and a defined high-mid range that adds a ton of presence to your sound. Love the clarity - they're the best by a mile for me.
I’ve been using Rotosound RS-66’s since high school, back in the 70’s. The repair guys that used to tweak my 4001 said Chris Squire used Roto’s and that’s all it took!
I’ve used Thomastick Infield, JB-344 FW’s, whenever I wanted an upright sort of tone, expensive but worth every penny and they last forever!
Great string review, thanks for posting!
Those Dunlops in particular just sounded so aggressive and I love it
For me, since several years, it's Rotosound Swing Bass 66 and nothing else! Thanks anyway for taking the time to make that video Patrick!!!
Thanks, liked the Roto 66 strings best. Guess we gotta wait on the longevity test? Gotta tip for the rest of us poor bass slingers!
Get a Tupperware bowl about 6" diameter. Fill a couple inches deep with 91 % isopropyl alcohol. Take yer dirty old strangs off and roll them up. Put them in the bowl, lid it. Sit down, smoke one, put in a movie. And shake the bowl up occasionally.
Movies done, dry them off with a clean t-shirt, slap them back on.
They'll sound new. Ya can pretty much keep doing this until they break! Bowl of alchohol will last indefinitely. Anyway, have fun!
Wow- EXCELLENT review! FINALLY, a sensible controlled comparison, done with three styles of playing. It's amazing how many comparisons there are- none of which are as logically done as this one. The unprocessed direct sound, and the- as- we-play-live bass amp sound was perfectly done. I've used all of these sets, except for the Cleartones. And that's kind of ironic- as all the strings sound similar.. BUT, the Cleartones are the single standout set. They have a seriously noticeable bump in the mid-mids. If you are looking for that- those are the best choice here. Personally, I do not care for that myself. As far as what I've experienced with these sets- P.S., I'm 70 now, and playing since 1967... is this. Another caveat: I do not play hard, or have excesses of sweat, or acidic things that kill strings quickly. What does make a nice set of strings, is simply usage/ metal fatigue. A weekend of gigs will make me want to take them off. I played a tour with a rock legend at one time- and was using Ken Smith and Dean Markley Blue Steels. Those got replaced after every show. Expensive, but it made a difference. Currently, I use Ernie Ball Stainless, and a lot of flats- almost all are D'Addario or Ernie Ball. I also love the S.I.T. stainless rounds... on my 5 string basses.
Ernie Ball, and D'Addario are my favorites here in this test.
GHS Boomers, never pleased me- they were only used because of lack of availability of my preferred sets. They don't last very long, and take on a thuddy, weird tone, and poor feel with age.
D'Addario XLS- and stainless Ernie Ball Slinkys -longest lasting rounds for me.
Dunlops- nice strings- now overpriced, and died kinda fast in my experience.
DR, nice strings- but didn't like them enough to switch from EB and D'Addario's.
Rotosounds- the originals.. I switched to D'Addario rounds when Carl Thompson made me a bass in 1976.
I use a couple of different RS77 sets- flat, I love 'em.
Fender rounds. Sounded nice, and died way too fast. I didn't like that. Ironic- I have many basses strung with fender 9050 ML flats. Great strings.
This was the best string comparison video I have ever watched. You're playing is so consistent from set to set! Next up: Flatwounds? Tapewounds?
First of all, Thank You for all your effort making this video. Very much appreciated.
For the feedback your expecting, I am Not a Fender strings fan for guitar, and I Never used them for my Pbass. The Fender strings you showcased, gave the authentic Fender bass tone. Now, it seems I have to try them.
I used Roto Sound Bass strings since 1985 and they Always did me well.
But I just purchased my first Jass bass ( G&L ) I am so use to the PBass I need time to get use to the Jazz Bass and the strings were the first thing on my mind. I'm thinking of the Fender strings for my first shot at this.
Thanks for helping me with that.
E-balls, Rotosound and DRs are the most clear and consistent! E's and DR's are my usual choice. Rotosound surprised me, will try them. Thanks for the video!
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! I was recently blown away by how dull the Daddario XT's sounded right out of the box, the regular XL and NYXL are MUCH, much better. It's interesting here to see that some sound better for certain styles than others. For pick, I loved Ernie Ball and Rotosound. Slap was Dunlop hands down. The Fender's were surprisingly good too!
Firstly top work Patrick, I love this sort of test, I was really surprised that the differences were so subtle, or was that the limitations of my Sonus sound system? I would have loved to have seen a visual of the level of the different frequencies each set of string hit. (I know I'm a nerd) Also I imagine the strings would react differently with an active bass. Keep up the good work. Cheers Stu
I really can't tell the difference, apart from the Fender and Rotosound that sound a tad brighter.
Nice video 👌🏿
Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿❤️
I've used Rotosound 66's at .50-.110 for years, and I don't see myself changing, but I will say that the DR's for me sounded really good and I've always personally liked their Drop-tune guitar strings, so I might pop some of those on my other bass to see how I like 'em.
Awesome comparison video man!! I play pretty hard and broke a lot of strings. I have been playing Ernie Ball Hybrids for years simply because they lasted so long. A while back I tried some DR Black Beauties out of curiosity and love them. They sound great, are silky smooth on the fingers, look cool and most importantly have been durable.
y'all should try ernie ball slinky cobalt flatwounds, most of the tone of a roundwound but oooh so smooth on the fingers
Agree 💯
Absolutely. I remember Fluff doing a demo on those strings a while back. I was actually shocked at how the E string sounded.
My only issue with Ernies are they seem to die quickly. Not to a cool vintage tone either; but lifeless. Until then they sound great! I just don't have the $$ replace them constantly.
ewwww flatwound bass strings? no thank you. i quite enjoy my clangeddy clang. also, cobalt strings are brittle as all hell. enjoy your B snapping in half during installation, wasting 45$
@@FingerinUrDaughter i have 3 basses with them in different gauges and no breaks, also all 4 strings, so no B to worry about. Also, they are $30...
You sir, took the time and gave us a great tool for us! Thank you!!
What is crazy to me is how with certain styles you don't hear a difference and with others it's blatantly obvious
Big fan of Roto Sound, have used them for years. After watching this though, I think i'll be switching to Earnie Ball. Thank you for taking the time and effort to make this video!
The harmonics really sing with the DR and that’s why I’ve played them for many years.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video. I know it took A LOT of time stringing the same bass, recording each string sound, and then putting it all in order! Whew! I'm using Regular Slinkys. 45 to 130 5-string on a custom with EMGX series pickups and they sound great. It's either those or Fender. I was amazed at how close allot of the strings were except the Boomers which almost sounded dead compared to the rest but would probably sound good on a P-Bass?
I thought you would talk a bit of the feel of each brand. I think that makes a difference when I choose my strings. I think Ernie & Rotosound are the best with a shoutout to Dunlop, cool video!
Same to my ears!
For my style of pick play EB's Roto's and DR's have great articulation and "zing".
The Fenders and Cleartones were interesting, they have a good tone that will work on specific P Bass sounds. The others were neutral and didn't do much for me personally. Great vid, thanks!
The two best overall strings for that bass I gotta go with the Cleartones or Fenders. They sounded good no matter what style you played and cut through the best
It's great to be able to hear each string in a mix with varying playing styles, really helps find what you're looking for based on what style you/band play from all perspectives. This video is priceless
Patrick, nice job. I felt that the Ernie Balls had the most zing and clarity of all the roundwounds, and the DRs and Rotosound (you said Rotostring at the beginning😀) came in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. For roundwounds, Ernie Ball wins hands down.
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but they were all roundwounds, right? Patrick distinguished at the beginning between roundwounds and nickel plated, but that is an erroneous classification as being roundwounds and nickel plated us not mutually exclusive. I believe that what he meant to say was that he was testing all roundwound strings some of which are stainless steel and others which are nickel plated.
I consistently liked the Ernie Ball and the Fenders. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this video! Other videos play and talk play and talk and you just played them one after another so we could hear the difference side by side, thank you so much!
Playing with pick and fingers the ones that stand out for me (according to brightness) are: 1.Ernie Ball 2.Fender 3.DR 4. Rotosound. With slapping: Dunlop, Ernie Ball, DR, Fender and GHS sounded better, without any particular order. Do you still have the Harley Benton Basses? I think they come with Harley Benton strings. It would be interesting to hear about them.
I think the strings on the HB are 40-100? The whole setup sounds wicked, but so much string clank. Looking for heavier strings.
I've used almost all of those and keep coming back to DR Hi Beams. They are glorious.
Rotosound are the cheapest & best value (in uk anyway), don’t hear too much difference between them & Dunlop, D’addario- all sound fine. Surprised at how bad the Ernie Ball & Fenders sound. GHS has a mellow tone, almost flatwoundy but I thought the DRs sounded really great here 👍🏼. Might have to check those out when I win the lottery. Good vid.
I like ernie ball a lot because it sounds bitey and metallic and it suits my aggressive play style.
Never liked Rotos much due to the feel entirely. Even their flatwounds are a bit rough/sticky on the fingers. They sound great but I can't get behind playing them at all.
Herr Schultz that’s interesting I got a set of D’addario flatwounds & had similar problem- sounded good, didn’t like the way they felt. You’re right, Rotos are a bit rough but I don’t mind funnily
Smirgy Joker Makes sense, I should’ve written they were a bit bright for my tired ears rather than they’re “bad”. Whatever works for you innit?
@@bluerhumba1753 yes sir! Honestly though ernie balls suck at keeping that bright tone, I might try fenders; they are pretty bright too.
GHS and DR sounds the most balanced here, right amount of every frequency band you need and not excessive amounts with different playing styles. I am Dunlop guy. I had experience with EB, Daddario and Rotosound and these are all good but I thing Dunlop SBNs have a little edge over the others imo. Might give a go for GHS and DR as well now.
Recently got put on to Dunlops. I don't think they're spoken about enough honestly!
What made you settle on them?
For me the Dunlaps is my pick in this test.
I've always been a D'addario guy. Both for there tone and lifespan. However there are strings that sound better out of the box but two weeks later that great tone is gone and I'm left with something that doesn't compare to the D'daddarios.
That's my only issue with Ernies; they die quickly. Not to a cool vintage tone either; but lifeless. Until then they sound great! I just don't have the $$ replace them constantly. Many commented that Fender had the stand out sound but I have to dissent. Although not my favorite; Cleartone in my opinion had the most unique tone of all.
Used as many as I could find over the years of playing and recording. Love EB, ended up concluding the DR were the best all round I’ve used 👍🏻
R1 /EBall - 6:00 - GHS 6:47 - RS-66 6:57 - Dlop 6:10 - DR 7:06 - F 6:38 - Clear 6:29 - DXT 6:19
R1 Dry/EBall - 7:20 - GHS 8:07 - RS-66 8:16 - Dlop 7:30 - DR 8:26 - / F 7:58 - Clear 7:48 - DXT 7:39
Earnie : The more balanced.
Fender : Unbalanced
66 : Dull, missing highs
GHS : Mid scooped
Dunlop : Sound unatural, i would prefer, like a bad copy of sadowsky strings
DR : Blured tone
DXT,Clear : Lifeless
Thankyou so much your my savior. Your so detail oriented🙏
Thanks for the test. They seemed surprisingly pretty similar. The Ernie Ball and Fender especially had the same kind of sound, more harsh. I like the Dunlops, GHS and Rotos. Classic.
While I watching this, I had an evil idea. I make a video doing a similar shootout with different strings, but I hide which clip is for which string (String A, String B, etc.). People pick their favorites in the comments and then I later reveal that I didn't in fact even buy new strings and that every clip was the exact set of strings and they had making themselves hear differences that weren't even there. Anyway, here's Wonderwall.
Great idea
Great shoot out. I was surprised at the Ernie Balls, Fender and the Cleartones. Also, some strings sound not so good finger style but really good slapping and vise versa. I usually use the D’addarios. They sound kind of average all the way around. I may have to try some other brands. Thanks.
Damn those Fenders pack a punch 👊
Great video mr.P :) The comparison was well done.
I just HAVE to test the fender strings, they sounded cool :)
When I started playing bass, GHS was the only brand my local music store carried. (i.e. a small corner in the local grocery store) I have played the string brands: EB, DR, D`Addario and Rotsound. I think each string brand has their own string feel and sound, and some of the strings suit certain styles of music better than others. Today I use Ernie Ball for rock and heavier stuff and GHS mostly for Motown and 70s soul/funk etc. Keep bassing guys !! Greetings from NORWAY \m/ \m/
I wanted to hear Patrick's opinion after running the test.
I thought the Dunlops were kinda dull except when slapped then they really came alive and sounded great. The Fenders sounded terrible all they way though, thin and harsh. I thought the Slinky's and the DR's sounded the best. The DR's had more mid and a fuller sound. The D'Addarios were pretty neutral as were the RotoSounds but they were a bit brighter. Clear Tone had a noticeable Mid-scoop. The GHS were "Boomy" but muddy except for the slap.
Damn I think I am a Rotosound guy. Thank you for this video. I know it probably cost you a small fortune, but it takes an equal mixture of bravery and dedication to do this, and I congratulate you. Keep the quality content up man! love the vids.
Iv'e been using the Rotosounds for some time now. After having tried several other brands I realized nothing compares to the overall sound of the Rotosounds. my Bass instructor back in the day got me using the Roto's. Fantastic strings!
First, thank you! This is awesome. Cleartone has to be the worst looking packaging. I wanted to dismiss them because they look so cheesy, but there was a noticeable volume difference. For me though, those Dunlop were very surprising for their tone! I'd funk that set. Fender had such a nice growl with pick though.
Thanks so much for a very comprehensive overview of these strings. That had to take a long time and I appreciate it.
Look at moneybags over here spending a whole house mortgage just to test out bass strings!!
In all seriousness I liked the Fender and DR set the most
He's going to do bass amps next
Thanks for another strings vid, and with a very consistent play/shooting method and also of course 8 different sets of strings.
Your vid surprised me.
6 sets of nickel and 2 sets of stainless and while stainless are famous for brightness, in your video, I really couldn't discern the difference in those two sets.
Last October I had a flu and listened to ALL the strings videos in my most of a week in bed. I had the time and the phones and right then a super keen interest.
I REALLY wanted some of those EB Cobalts. They have this special midrange bite.
I was told by one store owner [activate cheesy voice],
"There are only a couple different string factories in the world and what everyone gets are the same strings, just stuck in different bags so you think you're getting something special with a logo.
I got 2 packs of Chinese strings in the store, $16 apiece, do you need 4 or 5? I have one baggie of each."
While thoroughly understanding the dude was F O S, and having a severe snobbery against junk made in China, I laid out my Hamilton, Lincoln, and Washington and went home to string them on.
Well shit, they sounded great.
I later got a set of Cobalts for my other bass and decided that Is struck gold. With Nickel and Stainless being the popular two types of strings, the Cobalt are an entirely different beast with higher gain that almost overdrove my amp.
Wish you had included them.
So back to your vid, one store owner [not the cheesy voiced bser] told me that Fender doesn't make their own strings, but that Dunlop makes them and they are repackaged with that cursive F on the bag.
Well those two sounded distinctively brighter in your vid, enough to remind me of this claim.
I'm always interested in knowing WHY things work differently.
In comments, someone said they liked one sound with more bottom.
I would reason they all must have had the bass frequency, but others had the treble frequencies masking out the bass, and of course I want to know why. Flats are famous for not having the treble, and especially for lasting for years if cared for which would spell even less treble overtones. Again, why?
String manufacturers have to be one of the highest profit companies in musical instrument gear. They only have to make a single class of product, only a few tools and materials, especially compared to making guitars, fewer steps in turning out completed product, far less training to get factory workers to put out a saleable product, and then in some cases, people throw out their strings after a single show or a couple of weeks! For 6 string, cheaper than two drinks at the bar.
Just make more and ship them out!
Dang, the Fender set is *bright* . Piercing, even.
Loved Dunlops and D'Addarios. Round sound, pretty good and tight bass, not boomy. GHS had huge bass, but sounded a bit too boomy.
What is that slap line you’re playing? 🤩 The Dunlop and D’Addario were my favs in this. I usually play on La Bella strings … but … might be Dunlop next purchase. Amazing vid comparison, thank you for your effort!
The fender strings really surprised me. I should try them out!
Been playing Rotosound all my life, but the Ernie Ball sounded best to me in all categories. Thick with definition. Definitely giving them a try. Thanks for upload.
GHS Boomers I feel like are the best strings in a mix. Out of all the bass strings demoed, I liked the Boomers better with the backing track. Not so much by themselves but those Boomers are meant to be in a band mix !
You might be right. The band is an important variable that's missing here. I thought the Boomers sounded great slapped BTW.
Brilliant video, love hearing both the amp tone and the acoustic tone. Perfect way to compare strings.
DR Hi-Beams have been my goto for years, but I recently switched to the NYXL strings to try something different. Both get me the clank I'm looking for.
-Take a shot every time Patrick tosses those string packages one at a time.-
I suppose the Fender has the best price/ vaule ratio: it costs roughly half of the others.
Hey Patrick Hunter from Michael T Wyman and 99 in West L.A. Great bass string comparison video! Thanks for your great work.
I play lead guitar AND bass. Right now I play more bass and prefer bass. I 've had 5 or 6 basses and played most the brands you tested.
Right now I have a medium scale 4 string with DW's (I think) which I love. Also I like Rotosounds and GHS. Fender is always ok and probably cheaper but Fender seems to break / snap faster than others for me. Same with with Fender electric guitar strings . The GHS did sound a bit different than the others on your video. A little scooped mids-ish. GHS sounded Awesome on your funk jam. Ernie Balls seemed to underperform a bit. Especially direct. The Ernie's just did'n't seem as loud or as punchy. Sorry Ernie. Never heard Cleartone -sounded great.
for me i use Warwick reds normally because they are cheap and to me sound really good
I was surprised by the Warwick Reds. Got a pack as "case candy" when I bought a used bass a while back, and just left them in my gig bag as a backup. Decided to install them on my Streamer LX one day and was very pleasantly surprised. They sounded great. A little rough on the fingers, but that's not an inhibitor to me. For the price, they're not bad at all.
@@woot1404 yeah they aren't as smooth feeling as some other strings and in the uk you can pick up a set for £8 -£10 which to me for the sound they have i dont know any others in that price range that are as good as reds.
I think I'm going to check them out. I love the Warwick black label, but they're expensive.
Juan Marquez For the price you can usually find them at, it wouldn’t hurt to give em a shot.
@@woot1404 yeah, only problem is I live in America, so I can't get two day shipping on them.
Really impressed with the Dunlops! Think I'm going to get a set of the brighter 5-strings
Dunlop Stainless Steel all the way. Marcus Miller’s signature string of choice, gets a fantastic bright tone that cuts through the mix
Marcus miller plays dr hi beams
@@str8upcrooked123 Marcus Miller plays Dunlop Super Brights Marcus Miller signature since 2015 😉
His DR Fat Beams were better for me, but I still prefer DR Hi Beams over both
I live in Michigan, and GHS are made here, so I've always used those on guitars. On bass they slap real nice, but I've always chosen Rotosound Swing66 for bass (Rush thing). I ordered some Fender and Dunlop to try because of this video. Thanks for the no-nonsense presentation
I liked the DR's the best; Rotosound #2. Fender was the worst.
Wow, the Ernie Balls, DR's, and Fenders are my favorites! The EB's have that little high end boost that puts them over the rest when played with a pick. You worked hard on this video, thanks a ton!
The Cleartones clearly weren't 36% louder.
"Than a coated string"
All the other strings were uncoated.
If there was a set of elixers or coated strings from the other companies, then a comparison could be made.
They got punch, they were louder in my opinion
I just ran across this video. Nice job with the comparison. 53 years of playing have taught me this: Those Fender, Rotosound and Ernie Balls give you definition that’s easy to tonally shape when recording or playing live. Strings with a lot of bottom might sound cool alone while your pant legs flap in the breeze but can easily get lost behind the band in a muddy bottom and can be a royal pain to tame when mixing live or in the studio. That said, to each their own, though….
I’ve been a DR player for a long time. They are expensive but man they don’t skimp in the sound. I’m not a fan of the GHS sound they are way too dark for a round wound string. Try out some LaBella tapewounds they are interesting and fun.
I've found them on Amazon for around $22.
I completely switched to flatwound strings last year and went with the Fender 9050. Just as with the roundwounds in this video, they're noticably brighter than most other flatwounds. Playing garagerock with a pick, a moderately driven tube amp and lots of volume: it's perfect!
And they're the cheapest flatwounds I can find in my region. Win-win!
I love playing Flatwounds for rock. I use Dunlop flatwounds on my Mustang and GHS on my Jazz. The Dunlops are pretty bright as well, at least when they're new-ish.
For pick - Ernie Ball or Cleartone, for fingers - Dunlop or Cleartone, for slap - Dunlop or GHS
I can't say there was any huge standout for me, except that I didn't like the Fenders strings in any of the samples, but all the others shined with some combination of playing style and VST/Direct. I've been using Ernie Ball strings pretty exclusively and this video didn't give me any reason to switch. Thanks for putting in all that time and effort!
Yep, the EB's on my jazz are staying too. I had fenders on a p I used to have and thought they sounded pretty good but in this
comparison, they're the worst of the bunch.
The Fenders didn't sound great. The cleartone sounded odd. The GHS didn't sound that boomy at the end. The Rotosound definitely gave a unique tone. The DR's sounded really good. I used those currently except the sunbeam version. I'm am really excited to get the La Bella Deep Talking Flatwound string set up on my P-Bass for that nice Jamerson sound.
why don't you use the sunbeams version?
Excellent comparison video. Dunlop user myself. Was impressed with the Fender in this setting.