Bass String Features

In this post, I will review the features to consider when picking a bass string; ordered by significance. I will mark my personal favorites with a star.

Features

Winding

Ordered from darkest to brightest;

Winding	Sound	Suitable for
Tape-Wound	Darkest	Dub, reggae, upright simulation
Flat-Wound	Less top-end, more bottom-end	Vintage, motown, R&B, blues, jazz, post-modern indie
Half-Wound Half-Round Ground-Wound	Flat-Wound plus some top end OR Round-wound minus some top end	*
Round-Wound ⭐️	Balanced, rich top-end with harmonics	Modern, pop, rock, funk, metal. Default strings of our era

Material

There are many string materials, even hybrid ones; but most fall into two categories.

Material	Sound	Suitable for
Nickel ⭐️	Mellow, balanced, less finger / pick noise	Anything regular
Steel	Sharp, trebly, more finger / pick noise	Slapping, cutting through, pick-playing, metal

Steel might eat your frets faster than nickel.

Gauge

String gauge is a personal choice. Lower gauges are easier to play, but have less body and tension. Higher gauges are a little harder to play, but have more body and tension. Here are some common gauges.

Gauge	Feel	Sound	Suitable for
40-100	Floppy, easy to bend	Thin but very articulate	Soloing, chords
45-100	Like 40-100, stiffer D/G	Like 40-100, stronger D/G	Support playing with weak hands or basses with weak sounding G’s (like some StingRay’s)
45-105 ⭐️	Tense but playable	Enough body	Regular support playing All-around
50-110	Very tense, hard to play	Can be a little muddy	Power, metal, down-tuning

Core

To me, the core is a secondary factor that affects tension. The primary factor is gauge.

Essentially; hex-core strings will have a little more tension than round-core strings. I find that hex strings step the tension one step up. Which means; 40-100 hex strings will have the tension of 45-105 round strings.

There are many exceptions to that, obviously – that’s just a general approach.

Combinations

Here are some suggestions towards musical goals.

Goal	Winding	Material	Gauge	Core
Upright simulation	Tape	*	*	*
Vintage motown / blues	Flat	Steel	45-100	Round
Regular all-around support ⭐️	Round	Nickel	45-105	*
Slap	Round	Steel	*	*
Down-tune metal with pick	Round	Steel	50-110	Hex
Solo / melodic / chords	Round	Nickel	40-100	Round

Remember that there are no hard rules in music. You may break those orientations and still sound good. It is a balancing act between sound, playability and band-fit.