D'Addario XL ProSteels Bass Guitar Strings - EPS165 - Long Scale - Regular Light Top/Medium Bottom, 45-105

Great strings at a good price (always worth checking different sites), clear, defined sound if you prefer steel to nickel, good feel on fingers and reasonable durability as well!

I'm absolutely in love with these strings. I've had them on only a day and currently love the sound and feel of them. On first impression, the strings felt a lot abrasive against my fingers than the D'Addario Nickel Roundwounds that I was removing from my Jazz Bass. The strings tuned right up to pitch and I only had to adjust them 2 times as they settled in. As for the sound, it's, well, amazing. The sound I get with the neck pickup (Jazz Bass) and tone wide open is simply incredible. Both pickups sound very good too as does the bridge solo'd. Roll off the tone and you get a nice, deep sound. The highs and the lows on this set of strings are balanced out very well. I play a mix of genres and bands, think Rush/Green Day/Iron Maiden/Smashing Pumpkins, bands like that. The strings adapt well to any sound required for my playing. The strings feel very rough, a lot tougher than traditional roundwounds. They will wear out your frets faster and your fingers will probably hate you after a few hours. I would recommend these strings for anyone playing rock/metal/progressive and looking for a really bright sound with deep low ends. I would not recommend the strings for beginners as they are very rough against your fingers and could be very painful if you haven't developed callouses. Conclusion: D'Addario ProSteels are great strings for bassists looking for a really bright sound with a balanced low end. They are very rough against your fingers so I wouldn't recommend them for beginners. Update 18 November 2024 - it’s been over 7 years since my review and I still stand by every word I said. I don’t play as much anymore, and as such am still running the last set I bought in 2020. Between then and now I tried a few other brands, but kept coming back to D’Addario ProSteels. I’d like to add as well that when the strings get old, they don’t develop that sticky feeling you’d get with nickel wound. They also still sound okay and definitely passable for most scenarios where the bass is a background instrument. I think I’ll treat myself to a new set after 4 years!

Hi to everyone here. It’s my first time to buy D addario strings, and I did it on Prosteels rounds. I think these stainless steel strings are among the best as for longevity and as for Sound result. I didn’t see them sound super bright for punchy Funk sounds, unlike with a little palm muting on the bass bridge and with a pick, I can say they sound pretty much the same as flats. Today now 20:57pm I just put them on, on my Jazz B, and I am F....n far too excited by their live sound. Comparing stainless steels and Nickels, I can say, Prosteels are far too better.... and of course I recommend them. I will for sure think of buying also, D addario chrome flats in the near future. I really didn’t expect that D addario would produce such awesome strings. Guys?? Well done, keep it up. You already won one more customer- me!!!! My review is entirely real and decent. Ilias 39, Athens Greece

Could last longer but fair for the price

Strings arrived on time, sealed, not even a scuff. If you've been considering giving these a try, go for it. They really are noticeably brighter in tone than the nickel-steels. Extremely clear sound and strong attack, especially if you're playing through the strings, slapping or using a pick. Put them on my ibanez SR 305 and they sound great through the humbuckers, good with the coil tap engaged but you might want to roll off the treble just a pinch. The one major issue I would warn about is that they are not very finger-friendly. If you've got the callouses you're good, but I can't imagine they'll be comfy on fresh fingers. They have a little more grip in the texture, so that might take some adjusting. Conversely the extra grip I can see being beneficial in a live environment where there's sweat, beer, blood or other fluids to contend with.

Good quality stainless steel bass strings. These strings are punchy and clear.

Very bright sound, good quality

These strings are very much worth the price. I've used these twice for my bass ahead of recordings, and they've always sounded bright and clean for each one without having issues of the strings buzzing on frets (a problem I had with another, cheaper product). Will continue to purchase these strings for my bass since they do such a great job!