A
My first choice for 5-string basses
I've played electric bass guitars for about ten years now. Since that I have tried a wide range of different bass strings. After extensive playing I decided that D'Addario strings are the best choice for me. They are not overpriced, they last a long time and just give me the tone that I want. One could also mention the differently coloured ball ends that make restringing your bass a bit easier.
For my long scale 5-string bass guitars the D'Addario EXL170-5 strings seem to work best. I use them for B-standard tunings and occasionally for A#-standard. While I wouldn't use them for drop tunings they might as well work for other people just fine. You should try them yourself because the perfect string gauge also depends on your personal preferences.
I would like to add that I am very satisfied with the low B string. I have played a few low Bs by other string manufactures that didn't feel right and had different tone characteristics than the other four strings. With the EXL170-5 set you get a low B-string that isn't floppy at all and delivers a warm and full sounding tone.
I should mention the fact that these strings are nickel wound. So if you have any problems with nickel, you should consider other strings.
For my long scale 5-string bass guitars the D'Addario EXL170-5 strings seem to work best. I use them for B-standard tunings and occasionally for A#-standard. While I wouldn't use them for drop tunings they might as well work for other people just fine. You should try them yourself because the perfect string gauge also depends on your personal preferences.
I would like to add that I am very satisfied with the low B string. I have played a few low Bs by other string manufactures that didn't feel right and had different tone characteristics than the other four strings. With the EXL170-5 set you get a low B-string that isn't floppy at all and delivers a warm and full sounding tone.
I should mention the fact that these strings are nickel wound. So if you have any problems with nickel, you should consider other strings.
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JK
My Favourite Strings
Since I started playing bass I used the Daddario EXL170, when I started playing 5 String basses the natural choice was to use the EXL170-5.
I have tried many other brands and gauge of string but my brand of choice will always be Daddario and the string I use for standard tuning will always be this EXL170-5, (I use these to play everything from Death Metal to Funk and anything in between).
The strings sound bright and have a definite depth and clarity that sounds more brilliant and lasts longer than other brands I have tried, even outlasting some coated strings I have tried.
In terms of quality, sound and value for money these strings are the best.
I have tried many other brands and gauge of string but my brand of choice will always be Daddario and the string I use for standard tuning will always be this EXL170-5, (I use these to play everything from Death Metal to Funk and anything in between).
The strings sound bright and have a definite depth and clarity that sounds more brilliant and lasts longer than other brands I have tried, even outlasting some coated strings I have tried.
In terms of quality, sound and value for money these strings are the best.
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K
Definite go to
Other than a couple of basses with flats or steel strings, this is my definite go to. Compared to D'Addario steel strings, these definitely seem to have better longevity, and definitely more tension. When fresh, the sound is surprisingly crispy, especially paired with my Ibanez SR505.
Over years and years of use, I decided to give the quality aspect 4 stars because it seems fairly often that I have a dead string somewhere in the set, especially low B and E.
Over years and years of use, I decided to give the quality aspect 4 stars because it seems fairly often that I have a dead string somewhere in the set, especially low B and E.
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F
Will Last Aeons!
Gotta be honest, I'm one of those people who doesn't change bass strings much - These things stay feeling fresh for aaaaagges. Take a good bashing & sound great for Metal & Hard rock playing.
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S
Satisfied
These are my go to mid priced strings. Good tone, lasts about a month for me, but that is individual and depends of the hours played, and i play a lot. They feel good under the fingers not smooth as some strings, but considering tone and durability I give them 5 stars.
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A
Punchy but a little dull in lower tunings
These strings are very well built and strong, as always can be expected from D'Addario. They're nice to play and and feel comfortable in standard tuning/Drop A however going any lower than that or into any other altered tunings and they can become a bit less clear and rather muddy. However I am not a dedicated bassist, but rather a guitarist who plays bass when recording demo's for my band so for the amount I actually play bass these strings are good enough although maybe next time I'll go for a custom gauge set to provide brighter highs and clearer lows.
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LM
Great basic stings
I bought these to replace the stock strings in the HB bass I bought just out of curiosity. I left 1 original string just to compare the sound. And there is a huge difference. I have used Daddario strings in guitars for several years and they have never let me down. And they didn't let me down this time either. Sound is clear and articulate and the playability is great. Very much recommended. Compared to stock HB strings, these have much more output and clarity. Just to mention a downside, I accidentally overtightened one couple of steps and it snapped. Don't do that.
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B
Nice Strings, but not the best you can get!
Well, I tried a couple of strings in the last months and this Set from D'Addario was one of them. I can compare them to Ernie Ball, GHS and Rotosound-Strings. The sound of the D'Addario-Strings is good. The B-String got a fat but pretty clear Sound and it has a great tension: not too soft and not too hard.
Compared to the other Strings I used I would vote them between the Rotosounds (worst Strings I've tried imo) and the GHS (Boomers). The reason why I gave the D'Addarios only 4/5 * for the Sound is that I preefer Stainless Steel Strings because of their aggressive tone. Compared to the Ernie Ball (Nickel)-Strings they don't have the Punch, which i love from EB-Strings. But for this price you can't make anything wrong with buying D'Addario Strings. ;)
Compared to the other Strings I used I would vote them between the Rotosounds (worst Strings I've tried imo) and the GHS (Boomers). The reason why I gave the D'Addarios only 4/5 * for the Sound is that I preefer Stainless Steel Strings because of their aggressive tone. Compared to the Ernie Ball (Nickel)-Strings they don't have the Punch, which i love from EB-Strings. But for this price you can't make anything wrong with buying D'Addario Strings. ;)
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A
Great mid-level strings!
The first thing I look for in 5-string sets is that the low B string has a strong fundamental, and that the volume difference between it and the other four strings is not too great.
These strings deliver that without venturing into the higher-end ?50-100 set. I can't tell any difference in the balance of the B string outside of studio recordings, which a tiny bit of compression will easily handle.
Sound-wise they are springy with an aggressive tone, but not the warmest strings going.
Oh, they last ages too! I've had the same set on my main bass for maybe two months of heavy use, and though they've lost some shine, they're still quite springy!
I have tried many different string sets, at every different price point, and haven't found a better quality: price ratio than these.
These are the perfect solution when you need that new string sound, without spending ?1000s a year on strings.
These strings deliver that without venturing into the higher-end ?50-100 set. I can't tell any difference in the balance of the B string outside of studio recordings, which a tiny bit of compression will easily handle.
Sound-wise they are springy with an aggressive tone, but not the warmest strings going.
Oh, they last ages too! I've had the same set on my main bass for maybe two months of heavy use, and though they've lost some shine, they're still quite springy!
I have tried many different string sets, at every different price point, and haven't found a better quality: price ratio than these.
These are the perfect solution when you need that new string sound, without spending ?1000s a year on strings.
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k
Ideal strings
I bought these to downtune a Warwick $$ 4 string in B. Being a Daddario string 'fan'. They stick to the usual awesome Daddario quality and tone
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