S.I.T. 12-String Bass Strings

S.I.T. makes string sets for 12-string basses in both their Power Steel and Power Wound series in the long 34" scale. They are made in the USA in Akron, Ohio.

• Fundamentals: G .040, D .060, A .075, E .095

• Octaves: G .018pb, D .025, A .035, E .045

At one time a set with .020 gauges for the octave G strings was offered. It is no longer available.

Older string packaging. A variety of different labels were used, some which listed only the set number while others included all the string gauges.

S.I.T. 12-String Bass String Reviews

S.I.T. Power Wound Nickel Strings for the 12-String Bass

by Surf

I have used several different brands of strings on my 12-string bass over the past three years. These have included GHS strings, which I wasn’t impressed with since they had a rather dull sound, the Hamer strings that were made by D’Addario, and I even tried Rickenbacker strings when I was in a jam, having to improvise with two 8-string sets. My preference has been the D’Addario’s - they are good sounding, consistently good quality and have definitely been my favorite. Until now.

I recently tried a set of Power Wound Nickel strings made by S.I.T. Strings. Stay-In-Tune strings are made in Akron, Ohio. I had never encountered these strings before as no local stores carried them.

For those who are really into the technical specs, these strings have a Swedish Steel hex-core with a nickel plated cover wrap and are round wound. They claim that the hex-core produces a brighter, more stable string since the hexagonal corners lock the wraps into place. Every S.I.T. string is quality checked three times, once as it comes off the machine, once by a quality control staffer, and finally when it’s coiled.

The Power Wound strings have been their most popular and widely used bass strings and it’s easy to understand why. These are really good sounding strings! They have a very similar look and feel to the D’Addario strings but with a much rounder, warmer tone. They are very comfortable to play. The string tension is good, not too tight or loose. The gauge of the octave 'G strings is .018pb. Normally I use .020’s for the high G strings but the .018’s seem to help take off the nasty edge that can result with the EMG pickups. They are more subdued but still have the presence I like.

The real test for me was how these strings would sound when recorded. As many of us have discovered, due to the wide frequency range it’s tough to record a 12-string bass! It’s easy for me to get a good live tone with most quality strings. But the problem has been that when it came to recording, I have never been happy with my tone. I either ended up with that nasty high end or a wimpy sound lacking in lows. I am happy to report that these strings have made a significant improvement in my recorded sound. The warmth and roundness in the sound combined with a smoother top end has made a big difference. I’m actually looking forward to recording again, now that I don’t have fight with my tone every step of the way.

S.I.T. guarantees their strings to stay in tune, hence the name. And stay in tune they did. They have held their intonation very well. I’m definitely impressed with the sustain, they ring a long time!

I always buy my strings one set at a time. I’ve experienced just enough of the Dead String Syndrome when buying in bulk that I’d rather buy strings as I need them to make sure I get a fresh set. The problem with doing it this way is that it can get expensive but SIT strings are much more reasonably priced than the other major brands. I’m glad I discovered S.I.T. strings. I’ve been buying more!

Power Steel "Juan’s Blistering Harmonics & Plenty of Punch Set”

by Juan R Leõn

A few weeks ago I tweeted a short comment about my love for the S.I.T. Power Wound Nickel 12 string Bass Set. I commented on their wonderful tone and great feel. I also commented that I would love to see a lighter gauge, stainless steel set. Well, a day later I was contacted by Tim Pfouts of S.I.T. about helping me out with a custom set. I told him what I wanted and he said he would get back to me. A couple of days ago I received my custom set in a nice white package with the words “Juan’s Blistering Harmonics and Plenty of Punch Set” right across the front. I had commented to Tim in an e-mail that I wanted a set that would deliver those exact things. And they do.

The custom gauges that I was looking for were somewhat lighter than the 2 sets that S.I.T. currently offer (or any other string manufacturer for that matter). Here is the rundown:

• Fundamentals: 30 (G) - 50 (D) - 70 (A) - 90 (E)

• Octaves: 18 (G) - 25 (D) - 30 (A) - 40 (E)

Long scale, stainless steel round-wounds. The octaves have the bass string size ball ends. These are S.I.T. Power Steel strings which are made from USA #430 stainless steel wrap over USA hex-core. All Power Steel strings are wrapped using S.I.T.'s exclusive S.I.T. Level Wrap process which keeps proper tension and angle under extreme power winding. This ensures consistent feel and tone with brilliant brightness, clarity and plenty of punch. Like all of S.I.T. strings these were expertly crafted in Akron, Ohio. My custom set cost me $40.00. This is not an off the shelf product and that price point is certainly modest.

The Power Steels have a wonderful and crystal clear harmonic sweetness with plenty of growl and mid range that is at once cutting but never harsh. The sustain is impeccable with slow die-off. The strings are easy on the fingers (and neck) while not feeling too “jangly”. I tend to find 12vers strung with heavier gauges too feel stiff and un-responsive to subtle finger articulation. With this set I can execute fast runs with ease and more precision while vibrato and legato laced runs feel comfortable. I don’t use a pick when I play so a gauge of this determination feels like heaven. The strings stay perfectly in tune, of course, and respond well to my aggressive and varied playing styles such as finger picking riffs, raking, slapping and tapping.

With my neck pickup all the way up they deliver a deep but not muddy resonance. With my bridge pickup all the way up and no neck they sound thunderous and piano like. I tend to use about 90% bridge pickup and 10% neck pickup with the mids up to 100, hi’s rolled to about 75 and the bass to about 90, and at this setting the S.I.T Power Steels make my Dean Rhapsody really shine.

Without even plugging in my bass I knew that these strings would do the job just nicely. I play through a Behringer 4x10 being pushed by a 1500w Crest Contractor Grade Power Amp and a Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro. I use this rig on larger gigs and out door settings. For smaller venues I run through a Carvin Micro Bass Amp. Both of these scenarios afforded the S.I.T.s to really shine while the larger rig most definitely allowed the strings’ overall timbrel range to really come through. I have always been a fan of stainless steel strings and their ability to produce a truly piano like tone. Though S.I.T.’s Power Nickel sets are incredibly punchy, the Power Steels, to my ears, have that extra zip.

I can’t stress enough how important customer service is to any business and the folks at S.I.T. surely know a thing or two about that. The fact that Tim reached out to me to see what they could do to make my playing experience even better is a rarely seen trait these days. Tim listened to what I had to say, offered great advice, and then delivered a product that was exactly what I wanted, and needed. And the personal touch to the packaging was more than just mere frosting on the cake, it shows that S.I.T. pays attention to detail, at any level.

So for those of you looking for a lighter gauge set for your 12ver most definitely consider getting ahold of S.I.T. Ask for Tim and tell him you want “Juan’s Blistering Harmonics and Plenty of Punch Set”!

S.I.T. Strings Rock Brights Stainless 12-string bass strings

by Juan R Leõn

I have reviewed S.I.T. Strings before as they put together a custom gauge set for me a couple of years ago in their Power Steel Stainless Steel series for 12 string bass. The set was amazing and felt every bit of heaven under my fingers.

So why the switch? Well it certainly had nothing to do with me being unsatisfied with the Power Steels. They are an incredible string with amazing tone, sustain and richness. But sometime in 2017 I began using custom gauged S.I.T. Rock Brights on my “normal” basses and I fell in love with the feel and brightness, the growling deep richness, and the low tension feel. So I shot an email over to Tim Pfouts at S.I.T. and asked if they could put together a custom set of Rock Brights Stainless for me. And once again Tim and his team came through.

The Nerdy Techie Stuff

The Rock Bright Stainless strings start with a #430 stainless steel cover wrap over a hard-tempered hexagonal steel core resulting in a brighter sounding string than their nickel sets. Then S.I.T.’s exclusive "Fusion Winding" process is applied. This process uses an electrical calibration technique to integrate the strings cover winding with its core fusing each string into one super flexible mass, eliminating dead spots that occur during the strings life.

The gauges for my Rock Brights are the same as the Power Steels:

• Fundamentals: 30 (G) - 50 (D) - 70 (A) - 90 (E)

• Octaves: 18 (G) - 25 (D) - 30 (A) - 40 (E)

As with the Power Steel set I wanted a lighter gauge than SIT’s off -the-shelf package. I wanted a string that allowed for easier articulation and less stress on the neck of my Dean Rhapsody. I use the same light gauge on all my basses.

The Low Down

So what’s the difference? Well, first of all they feel lighter to me than the Power Steels as though they have a lighter tension. I can bend and vibrato easier on the Rock Brights. Tapping is also easier as well as slapping. I didn’t think that would be an added benefit of the Rock Brights. I was really only going for a brighter sound, but somehow the Rock Brights feel better to me than the Power Steels.

And what about that sound? Well that’s where I really hear the difference. With a little compression the RB’s are incredibly bright and punchy. I am a big fan of John Entwistle and the incredible piano like tone he was known for. The RB’s certainly deliver that bright bell tone and can crunch with the best of them. The fundamentals have a well balanced tone with immediate attack and slow die off (these guys really sustain) while the octaves are crystal clear and full. Harmonics are sweet and focused across all strings as well.

Introducing a little distortion courtesy of my Helix’s Obsidian preamp modeler (Line 6’s version of the popular Darkglass Alpha Omega 900 Watt Amplifier) and the RB’s wake up and snarl! These guys have some serious crunch with full tone retention. I love distorted chords with the RB’s as they are rich with beautiful harmonic over-tones and a rich mid-range that really sings. They remain extremely musical, pronounced, and full with no harsh harmonics in site. Finding that perfect marriage between distortion and clean on my Helix and BOOM! That Doug Pinnick wall of sound is in full effect, in fact the preset on my Helix for my 12 is called “Dig Dug”.

The Verdict

The fine folks at S.I.T. Strings make an amazing product. I was already in love with the sound I was getting from my other basses strung with the Rock Brights and now my 12ver sounds just as amazing.

I certainly would not frown upon stringing my Dean with a set of custom gauged Power Steels, but if I have a choice, and thanks to Tim and team I do, then I’ll reach for the Rock Brights every time. To my ears and hands, they have that extra bit of edge.