How To Choose A Bass String With Ian Martin Allison

Dunlop Bass Strings — Review Summary

Ian Martin Allison compares eight Dunlop bass-string types on different basses, focusing on tone, feel, and playing style. His overall point is that strings are an inexpensive way to change a bass’s sound and response; there is no single best set for everyone.

String Types and Impressions

• Standard nickel roundwounds: Balanced, medium-tension strings with warm fundamentals and punchy mids. Allison liked their even response across the lows, mids, and highs, and said they passed the slap test. A good general-purpose choice for players seeking a balanced nickel sound.
• Standard stainless-steel roundwounds: Brighter and grippier than nickel, with more edge, clarity, and aggression. They have a focused midrange and strong low end, and work well for slap, pick playing, and other techniques that emphasize the top end. The trade-off is a rougher feel under the fingers.
• Super-Bright nickel rounds: Allison’s long-time favorite. They have somewhat lower tension and a supple, buoyant feel that responds dynamically to the player. Their B string retains a strong fundamental. He likes them both new and after they have lost some brightness, noting that they break in well while retaining clarity and bounce.
• Super-Bright stainless-steel rounds: Combine the Super-Bright recipe with stainless steel’s brighter, grittier character. Allison found them especially complementary to an active, modern bass, with clear fundamentals and a cutting top end. Best for players who want that edge and do not mind stainless steel’s grippier feel.
• Marcus Miller Super-Bright strings: A customized steel formula intended to deliver growl and urgency. They are lively and rewarding for slap, while still usable with other techniques or a rolled-back tone. Allison describes them as supple but with extra raw energy and aggression in the highs.
• Robert Trujillo strings: Available in nickel and stainless steel; Allison tests the nickel set. Compared with Super-Brights, they feel slightly tauter while retaining rebound and snap, with a little more aggression. Their response encouraged him to strike through the strings rather than pull through them. He especially liked them on an active bass.
• Dual Dynamic Layered Twin Alloy Hybrid strings: Nickel over stainless steel, designed to combine the inner wrap’s steel tone with the outer wrap’s nickel feel. Allison found them somewhat tauter than Super-Brights, with lasting top end and a buttery nickel-like feel. He considers them versatile and close to a “best of both worlds” option.
• Stainless-steel flatwounds: Designed to bridge old-school warmth and clearer, more modern flatwound articulation. Fresh, they have more clarity than a typical broken-in flat but do not sound like rounds. Muting and tone control can bring out a more traditional flatwound character. Allison also demonstrates a set used for about a year, which has mellowed; he likes how the flats sound both new and broken in.

Other Points

• Dunlop manufactures its own strings rather than simply putting its name on strings made by a large supplier.
• At the factory, the company experiments with materials, core size, inner and outer wraps, wrap angles, and its ball end. Allison says this process helps the company tune a string’s feel and tone.
• The strings are demonstrated on multiple basses and with different approaches, including fingers, pick, slap, muting, and drums. The examples illustrate how the same string can sound and feel different depending on the bass and technique.

Pros and Considerations

Pros: Broad range of tones and feels; several options retain useful clarity as they break in. The reviewer particularly praises the Super-Bright nickels, hybrids, and flats for their feel and versatility.

Considerations: Stainless strings have a noticeably grippier feel that may not suit everyone. String tension and brightness vary by set, so the right choice depends on the player’s preferred response and sound.

Verdict

The review gives no numerical ratings and identifies no outright poor option. Choose nickel rounds for balance, stainless or signature steel sets for extra edge and aggression, Super-Bright nickels for a supple, dynamic feel, hybrids for a blend of nickel feel and steel character, and flats for warm tones with adjustable articulation.

Speaker Perspective

• Ian Martin Allison: Provides all the demonstrations and evaluations. He especially favors Super-Bright nickel rounds, praises the hybrid strings as versatile, and likes how the Dunlop flats sound both new and after a long break-in.