Hm, I really wonder what kind of barb wire roundwounds you must have encountered at some point, @PamPurrs!? 
Probably that special batch with extra glass shards embedded in them… You’re only supposed to play those with chainmail gloves and a pick, and for that particular kind of “music” 
If we are talking about the haptic experience alone, I really like that roundwounds have some texture and are not as slick as a a baby’s bottoms… 
Yeah TBH I prefer the feel of rounds. Much less “sticky”, too.
I’ve used several different brands of flats and haven’t found any to be a smooth as Labellas. Their polishing process must be really good. The roughest ones I tried were Rotosound Jazz Bass 77’s. I didn’t like their sound either.
I have a set of Thomastik on the Ibanez and a set of GHS on the Fender. I like both but the Thomastik set are really high quality and actually seem to be sounding better 3 - 4 months after fitting
I have Stock GHS on the LTD B-4E
I have stock Slinkys on my Ray4H and Ray4HH
I have Slinkys on my Ray34, the pink bag, I thing Super Slinlys. They are medium gage, one lower then what’s on the Ray4H, which has a .105 E string. The ones I put on the Ray34 has either a .095 or .100 E string, I don’t recall.
I have coated DR strings on my LTD slayer bass, the Red Devils (suiting for the slayer bass) and I had a set of Black Beauties on the Ibanez SR300. I pulled them off before I returned it, so I could still use them. They are OK, they are not so bright, and they are coated so they don’t feel like normal rounds.
I have a set of Flat Slinky’s. I think I am taking my Ray34 for a Plek in the next few days, I may take that set of strings and have them put them on, cuz that is part of the Plek.
How much does that cost?
$200, but you get a complete set up, and 1 year guarantee, where you can take it in any time within the year and they will do whatever you want to it Plek / set up wise
I have e-mailed back and forth with the owner Hugh a bit, really nice guy.
They are licensed service center for many builders, like Fedora, Ibanez, etc…
IDK how much shipping back and forth would be, but I know they can help with that.
IDK if there is anywhere in AZ to get it done, I don’t actually know how many places in the US can do it.
I don’t know either, I have never looked into it. It requires some fairly expensive equipment to be able to do it.
Yes, it is similar to the kind of equipment that I work with, I am kind of fascinated by it.
My friend here SWEARS by it.
He has a Sterling Stingray RAY34 natural ASH finish.
He replaced the pick up with the Agiular that I am putting in mine
He replaced the pre-amp with the Agiular also
And he peeked it and said this bass is the best thing he ever played, and He owned a Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray
This is what I am doing to my Ray34, and it should be amazing
Sterling is still a quality product.
The Ray4 is like a squire affinity series
The Ray24 is more like the Squire Vintage Modified series
The Ray34 is like a MIM Fender
Then the EBMM is like MIA Fender
Just a comparable scale, and since most understand the Fender scale, I used it for reference.
And my Ray4, is a very nice bass, for the price, it is great.
Squire affinity series, nothing wrong with them. For the price, they are great.
It is just neither is quite the real thing, but you get what you pay for.
Still, when I upgrade the electronics in my Ray 4, it is more like a Ray24, so it jumps from Squire Affinity to Squire Vintage Modified
Not exact comparisons, but close enough
Ohh yeah, Sweetwater does them too. Of course you would have to ship, and IDK if they actually do it, or if they send it to 13th st guitar in CA to do some and send to the east coast to do some of them.
I do know they are backed up, and it will be about a week turn around
Looks like there are 3 here in So Cal, a few in the Bay Area
One in Utah and some in Texas. Those are the closest to you.
13th Street has been the cheapest I saw so far, at $200, others were $220 and $250, but I am still looking cuz somebody on one forum said they got them for like $50 in LA area.
Well, to be honest, the only rounds I’ve ever played on were the ones that came with basses I purchased, and I’m sure those weren’t exactly top of the line strings.
Not necessarily, depends on the bass I guess.
My Rays come with ERNIE BALLL Slinky’s, naturally, and I like them
My ESP LTD came with GHS, and I like them as well.
Those were the only basses I got that were new, so I. am not sure about any of the other strings, I replaced them all
For sure there is some gradation from smoother to rougher round wounds… The ones I found a bit too “rough” where Cobalt Slinkys and stainless steel types. But most nickel-plated roundwounds I tried so far felt really nice.
I’m used to D’Addario Nickel Rounds, which feel great to me.
Warwick cheapo stock strings are the worst I have owned though, very dull feeling to me.
This must be what was going with that Wick Corvette I tried out. They must be stock and on the bass since it was made, and it is an older one. they were the worst strings, in the worst condition I have ever tried to play
Quite possibly yeah.
I’ve been banging away on my Yammie all morning, giving those new Ernie Ball Slinky flatwounds a workout, and have grown rather fond of them. My fingertips have even gotten used to the “slight” roughness of the strings.