String Advice for My New Rickenbacker

[jack1953]

My new Rickenbacker should be here today or tomorrow. I wanted to get some expertise as far as strings. Now I know a lot of this is personal preference but I wanted to go ahead and get the opinions in here, I can weigh all of it and make a choice.
I hear that Cassius is Da MAN when it comes to strings, so if you're around Cassius I'd appreciate your expertise as well.

My personal preference is flatwounds. I have La Bella Deep Talkin on my Hofner and GHS Precision flats on my SX. Beyond the sound, I like how easy they are on the fingers. However, I am not set in stone to flats. I'm open to the best 'Rick' sound.

thanks

God bless,

Jack

[rickenbrother]

If you're into flats, Joshua (Cassius), John Martin, John Biscuti and Tony Cabibe would be among the group of guys that use flats on a regular basis.

[blueflamerick]

I really think that D'Addario strings are tough to beat.

I use these flats on my basses: http://store.daddario.com/category/1458 ... cale_40-95

I use these flats on my guitars: http://store.daddario.com/category/1457 ... ight_10-48

[jbrando]

I've used TI, La Bella and D'Addario flats on my 4003.

My issues with TI flats (.43-.100) are their price, they weren't well balanced and the really low tension created issues including fret buzz, dead notes, etc. I also didn't like that they were dull/thumpy and took the "growl" out of my Ric. Some people swear by them. I don't.

My issues with LaBella flats (.43-.104) are their price and the E string's winding is a little thick (the silk portion) - therefore it made it difficult to fit the string into the center hole of the tuning post without having to use a pliers to straighten it a bit. I've had two sets and both had this issue which leads me to assume it will be the same for every set.

I've settled with D'Addario ECB 84 (.40-.60-.80-.100). They're a well-balanced and affordable set that offers great tone and feel. The best price for this set is probably from JustStrings.com.

[sloop_john_b]

TI's are nice strings, but they are very low tension. I have no choice but to use them on my 4003 because it has neck issues and can't really take anything with higher tension.

On my other basses, I use D'Addario Chromes, which for my tastes are way too clanky at first, but after one or two gigs, mellow out VERY nicely. Too much tension for my Rick though.

I have heard good things about the new round-core Pyramid strings and would probably try those first if my 4003 could stand the tension.

[jdogric12]

I:
work hard
play hard
dig Roto's

Okay, the first one is a lie.

[cjj]

+1 on Rotos, I've been using them for years.

But, I'm liking the official RIC strings that have come on new basses too. These seem to be fairly close, if not perhaps the same thing as D'Addario nickel rounds. Maybe not quite as bright and snappy ad Rotos, but pretty darned good sounding...

[spongebob]

D'Addario Nickel Wounds for me every time!

[FretlessOnly]

Since it looks like you are keeping one of your Hofners, I would leave the flats of your choice on that (LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass would be my choice). As for your 4003, the stock Rick rounds sound pretty good to me. Pyramid rounds sound good, but avoid the heavier gauges to help prvent tail lift.

LaBella makes a Deep Talkin' Bass round set, but the tension seems a bit high for a 4003 tailpiece to me.

All things being equal, the stock Rick rounds seem to do just fine - this way, you'll be able to run the gamut of tone with the rounds on the 4003 and the flats on the Hofner.

[cjj]

Of course, you could always buy a few more 4003s and string them all with different strings...

[FretlessOnly]

That's what I did. I've got nylon tapewounds on the '08FL, Labella DTB flats on the '73FL (for now) and stock Rick rounds on the DCM fretted.

[Peacefrog35]

Rick Rounds on my 4003.

[VRICKY63]

The stock RIC strings are very good. I like DR lo-riders for a bit more sizzle and tension. I like my strings stiff and taught feeling. Fender flats are my favorite.

[cassius987]

I hear that Cassius is Da MAN when it comes to strings, so if you're around Cassius I'd appreciate your expertise as well.

Who told you?? I had no idea anybody valued my opinion... maybe I'm just loud enough to seem important.

My advice on strings is to just take a few "extra" things into consideration that the manufacturers rarely do themselves: try to balance the strings so the tension on each is similar, and try to stick with gauges that will give you a loud enough G string and a resonant enough E string. A too small G will sound thin in my experience--I'm talking less than .040''. A too large E will also have trouble because it won't ring well (too much mass), but at the same time a small E will flop around and have no definition. I recommend anything from .095-.105'' for E strings, no more or less if you can help it. Finally to achieve string-to-string balance you can *usually* follow the "4/3 Rule": a .060'' string is 4/3 bigger than a .045'' string, so usually a D and G string (respectively) made from the same core and wrap in these particular gauges will have the same tension. And so on. Just realize that the 4/3 Rule is just a guide, not a hard-and-fast (but it IS very reliable in my experience).

In general, GHS is the easiest company to deal with getting custom singles. I really like their Super Steels for roundwound punch and use a 44-58-78-105 set and it is almost flawlessy balanced, and has a wonderful roundwound tone.

My favorite flats are LaBella Deep Talkin' Flats in these gauges: 43-56-77-104. This is available from JustStrings as singles but is expensive. Alternatively this prepackaged set is a close second: 760FL.

[beacon]

I had always used the Ric stock strings...though a bit expensive and sometimes take a while to get (I don't plan well, and just decide one day I need new strings).

A friend turned me on to Sadowsky strings last year and I have been very pleased with them so far (on my second set). I am using their Blue Label standard Nickel rounds, 45,65,85,105. Very much sound like the Ric stock set, perhaps just a tad warmer and a better feel on the fingers IMHO. Seem to last a tad longer as well.

They also have a Black Label which were described to me by the sales rep as having a bit more tension and brighter tone. Stainless rounds and flats are available in both Blue and Black as is a lighter gauge. The Blue Label I am using are like $22...and they have always arrived pretty quickly.