40-95

I’ve been a D’Addario player since 1989, when I started using the copper R350 XL Reds. Those strings became a part of my playing for many years, right up until they were discontinued in 1998.

Because I have a nickel allergy, I need to use stainless steel strings. After the XL Reds were discontinued, I spent several years trying other brands, including Ernie Ball, DR, and Rotosound. I wanted to like them, but I eventually got frustrated with finding bad strings in the packages and having strings that would only make it through a single gig. When you’re playing regularly and you own quite a few basses, replacing strings that often gets expensive pretty quickly.

Then, in 2004, I discovered D’Addario ProSteels—and honestly, it was like finding my strings again.

Since then, I’ve pretty much used nothing else. In all those years, I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad string in a package of ProSteels. They’ve been incredibly consistent and have held up much better than the other strings I’ve tried. Even playing outdoor shows in really warm weather, they just seem to keep going. And the fact that they cost less than many of the other brands is a pretty big bonus.

I started out using the 45–105 gauge sets, but as the years have gone by and my hands have gotten older, I’ve gradually moved to lighter gauges. These days, I’m using the 40–95 set. D’Addario offered a 35–95 set for a while, and I absolutely loved those, but unfortunately they weren’t around for very long. I still wish they were available.

After more than 40 years of playing, I’ve learned that when you find something you can depend on, you hang onto it. ProSteels have been there through countless rehearsals, gigs, outdoor shows, good nights, bad nights, and a whole lot of music.

I honestly don’t know how many more years I’ll get to stand on a stage and play, but I hope it’s a lot. As long as these old hands will let me keep playing, I’ll be putting D’Addario ProSteels on my basses.

Here’s to many, many more years of making music!