Alternative to Kalium strings?

Frankers

SS.org Regular
Joined
Oct 12, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Great product, sub-par customer service that I'm tired of dealing with. Are there any other companies that produce similar quality fat bass strings? Biggest I need is like .154 to .160 for 34" or 35" scale length.
Skull strings! https://www.skull-strings.com/wp/en/

They have long scale strings in both nickel and steel for both bass and guitar. If they don't have the exact gauges you like in a pack/set, when you can custom order your own set.

They don't require you to order like 10 or 20 set either. If you want a super weird and unique set then they might ask you to order 2 sets.
 

CanserDYI

Yeah, No, Definitely.
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
Messages
5,482
Reaction score
8,201
Location
419
I'm back to stringjoy personally. They used to be expensive but now that everything went nuts with pricing/availability, Stringjoy didn't seem to raise any prices that I've seen? I can get a custom "baritone" string set (their regular strings fit 28" baritones with inline headstocks with plenty of room to fit, so not sure why anyone would pay extra money for their actual "baritone set" unless you're playing a 30 incher or longer.)

I do wish they had smaller increments when up in the heavy strings though, To go from a 70 to a 74 then an 80, I'd really enjoy a 72 and 76 in there to play around with, frankly.
 

bostjan

MicroMetal
Contributor
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Messages
21,301
Reaction score
13,329
Location
St. Johnsbury, VT USA
Skull strings! https://www.skull-strings.com/wp/en/

They have long scale strings in both nickel and steel for both bass and guitar. If they don't have the exact gauges you like in a pack/set, when you can custom order your own set.

They don't require you to order like 10 or 20 set either. If you want a super weird and unique set then they might ask you to order 2 sets.
Might have to check those out. Thanks for sharing that. They have a lot of artist sets (over 150), but their website looks like something out of Y2K. Needs some rotating animated fire gifs and a geocities domain, actually. :lol:

Have you tried the strings personally? If so, what are they like? Are they akin to Kaliums?
 

Crungy

SS.org Regular
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
2,785
Reaction score
3,500
Location
Minnesota
Sorry if it was mentioned already and I missed it but Payson offers at least up to a 160 for multiscale basses. They've been great to work with and communicate quickly in my experience. Can't say enough good about them.

I'd also suggest not using a 160 for tuning to B, drop A or even drop G, it's so frickin unnecessarily big. Focus on technique vs beating the living piss out of your bass. Have someone do your setup for you as well if you can't get it to play how you want.
 

CanserDYI

Yeah, No, Definitely.
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
Messages
5,482
Reaction score
8,201
Location
419
Might have to check those out. Thanks for sharing that. They have a lot of artist sets (over 150), but their website looks like something out of Y2K. Needs some rotating animated fire gifs and a geocities domain, actually. :lol:

Have you tried the strings personally? If so, what are they like? Are they akin to Kaliums?
:lol: Oh god you're so right about the site, jesus, its bad. Also, sure, they have a ton of artists, but have you heard of a single artist on their page? I know I haven't!
 

Crungy

SS.org Regular
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
2,785
Reaction score
3,500
Location
Minnesota
I've heard of Discharge and just saw an article that Rob Flynn mentioned them as well. I didn't realize they have been around for a minute!

I saw something on their site about Twisted Sister but haven't found an actual product mentioning TS.
 

CanserDYI

Yeah, No, Definitely.
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
Messages
5,482
Reaction score
8,201
Location
419
I've heard of Discharge and just saw an article that Rob Flynn mentioned them as well. I didn't realize they have been around for a minute!

I saw something on their site about Twisted Sister but haven't found an actual product mentioning TS.
Wait Discharge Discharge? Like Dbeat pioneers? I didnt see them on the list, let me double check lol.

EDIT: I see the Exploited, kinda blegh to me frankly lol, but no discharge, where are you seeing that?
 

bostjan

MicroMetal
Contributor
Joined
Dec 7, 2005
Messages
21,301
Reaction score
13,329
Location
St. Johnsbury, VT USA
:lol: Oh god you're so right about the site, jesus, its bad. Also, sure, they have a ton of artists, but have you heard of a single artist on their page? I know I haven't!
I *might* have heard of Trust before, if they are the same French proto-thrash band that was around in the early 80's. The rest look like small-to-medium-small bands in foreign markets. I think some of the artists are in bands who happen to have the same names as other more-popular-but-still-independent bands, so it makes it difficult to say whether or not I've actually heard of any of the bands. The artists themselves, by name, no way, though.
 

GunpointMetal

SS.org Regular
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
3,940
Reaction score
3,268
Location
Madison, WI
Is two months a necro-bump? Anyways, just letting you guys know I've had good luck again with Kalium, ordered last Tuesday, strings arrived yesterday. I don't think there is anything better if you're into ultra-low tunings and you're in the US.
 

DECEMBER

SS.org Regular
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
114
Reaction score
120
Is two months a necro-bump? Anyways, just letting you guys know I've had good luck again with Kalium, ordered last Tuesday, strings arrived yesterday. I don't think there is anything better if you're into ultra-low tunings and you're in the US.
I was getting them regularly for several months, then one time they never showed up until over 2 weeks later. I didn't open it, returned to sender like he told me to do, and it's been 4 months now and he still hasn't given me my money.
Never again.
 

GunpointMetal

SS.org Regular
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
3,940
Reaction score
3,268
Location
Madison, WI
I was getting them regularly for several months, then one time they never showed up until over 2 weeks later. I didn't open it, returned to sender like he told me to do, and it's been 4 months now and he still hasn't given me my money.
Never again.
How long ago was this? The ordering was a total shitshow a couple years ago, but I haven't had any issues in the last year and half.
 

ixlramp

SS.org Regular
Joined
Mar 5, 2007
Messages
3,093
Reaction score
1,939
Location
UK
I was getting them regularly for several months, then one time they never showed up until over 2 weeks later. I didn't open it, returned to sender like he told me to do, and it's been 4 months now and he still hasn't given me my money.
I read the further developments in your post at Talkbass https://www.talkbass.com/threads/problem-with-kalium-strings.1400286/page-3#post-26944658 that you have not mentioned here yet.

Because you opened a dispute with PayPal and have now had your money reimbursed by PayPal, i expect Kalium will have been informed about that. So they are no longer required to reimburse you themselves and they obviously will not pay you a second reimbursement you are not entitled to.

The dispute and PayPal reimbursement will have consequences for Kalium.
However, i am not dismissing your complaints about any other behaviour by Kalium.
 


Top