Fender Super 7250 Bass (.045–.105): the factory-spec P-Bass roundwound

Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team · 2026-04-28

Fender Super 7250M (.045–.105) is the long-scale nickel-plated-steel bass roundwound that ships factory-strung on most Fender Precision and Jazz Basses, and it's Mike Dirnt's documented standard set across Green Day's catalog. Punchier and warmer than stainless rounds (Rotosound), brighter and more aggressive than flatwounds (La Bella). The default P-Bass set when you want stock Fender voicing without the fret-eating brightness of stainless. Long-scale 34-inch fit; standard E tuning.

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Anatomy

Model: Fender Super 7250M (long-scale)
Variants: 7250L (.040–.100 light), 7250M (.045–.105 medium, this set), 7250-5M (.045–.125 5-string)
Gauge: .045 – .105 (Standard medium)
Gauge set: .045, .065, .080, .105
String count: 4 strings
Core wire: Hex steel
Wrap wire: Nickel-plated steel
Coating: None, uncoated
Winding: Standard roundwound
Intended scale: Long-scale (34"), fits Fender Precision, Jazz, and most modern 4-string production basses
Intended tunings: Bass E standard primary; handles Drop D and Eb standard
Tension behavior: Medium tension; smoother feel than stainless rounds
Made in: United States
Package: Single pack

Why this is the P-Bass default

Factory-strung: Fender ships 7250M on most Precision and Jazz Bass production models out of the factory. If you bought a Fender bass new, this is what was on it.
Nickel voicing: Less aggressive than stainless; warmer mid-range and a softer top end. Sits well in pop, punk, blues-rock, and country mixes without fighting the kick.
Fret-friendly: Nickel rounds wear frets noticeably slower than stainless. Bass players can go years between fret levels on a working P-Bass strung with 7250s.
Predictable supply: Available at every guitar retailer in North America. Never on backorder, never specialty pricing.

Tone

The 7250M sounds like the canonical P-Bass: punchy mid-range, split-coil bark, just enough top-end roundwound brightness to keep the attack defined without veering into Rotosound territory. It's the tonal definition of "default Fender bass" because every stock Fender bass voicing assumption (factory pickup spec, factory bridge, factory neck) was tuned around this string set.

Compared to the other Tier-1 bass sets:

	Fender Super 7250	Rotosound Swing Bass 66	La Bella Deep Talkin' Flats
Wrap material	Nickel-plated steel	Stainless steel	Monel flat
Brightness	6/10	9/10	2/10
Fret wear	Low	High	Very low
Best for	Pop, punk, rock, country	Rock, prog, slap	Motown, vintage, fingerstyle
Price tier	$	$$	$$$
Documented users	Mike Dirnt (Green Day), Matt Freeman (Rancid)	Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, McCartney	James Jamerson lane

Best for

Pop-punk and punk-rock where the bass locks the eighth-note pulse under downstroke rhythm guitar (Mike Dirnt's lane on Green Day's catalog).
Pop and singer-songwriter with a P-Bass + tube-amp voicing.
Country and Americana where the bass needs warm mid-range without veering bright.
Players who want stock-Fender voicing without thinking about the string choice.

Worst for

Aggressive metal or prog where you need the upper-harmonic content stainless rounds provide (use Rotosound 66).
Motown and vintage R&B fingerstyle where the brightness still cuts too much (use La Bella flats).
Reggae and dub with that Aston "Family Man" Barrett pocket (use La Bella or Thomastik-Infeld flats).

Who plays them

Mike Dirnt (Green Day): documented standard set across Green Day's catalog from Dookie (1994) through Saviors (2024). On his fleet of vintage 1963–1974 ash-body Fender Precision Basses plus his signature Mike Dirnt Road Worn P-Bass. See the Mike Dirnt rig page for full sourcing.
Matt Freeman (Rancid): confirmed in Premier Guitar's October 2024 Rig Rundown, gauged .045 through .105 on his Fender-built chambered touring Precision Bass. See the Matt Freeman rig page for full sourcing.
Most factory-shipped Fender basses: if a session player or working bassist hasn't deliberately changed strings, they're playing 7250s.
Pop and country session players at Nashville and LA studio rates: 7250s are the safe, predictable, stays-in-the-mix default.

Install and break-in

Set the bass on a neck rest or padded surface. Loosen all strings evenly before removing.
Wipe the fretboard with a dry cloth.
Install top-down (E first, then A, D, G). Leave 2 to 3 wraps per tuning post.
Bass strings need more stretching than guitar strings. Tune, push down hard at the 12th fret to stretch, retune. Repeat 5 to 8 times per string before they hold.
Break-in: 1 to 2 hours of playing before the set settles into its working brightness.

Verdict

The 7250M is the bass equivalent of Ernie Ball Regular Slinky on guitar: the safe, reliable, factory-default choice that 80% of working bassists either play deliberately or play because they've never changed away from what was on the bass when they bought it. If you want stock Fender bass voicing on a P-Bass or Jazz Bass, this is the answer. If you want something brighter or warmer, see the comparison row above and step to Rotosound or La Bella respectively.

Fender

Super 7250M Bass (long-scale, .045–.105)

.045 – .105

Price tier: $

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The bassist on this set: Mike Dirnt, Green Day's bassist since 1986.
The bands that use this lane: Green Day.
Brighter alternative: Rotosound Swing Bass 66 review.
Vintage flatwound alternative: La Bella Deep Talkin' Flats review.
The location aggregator: Musicians from Berkeley, California, where Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong both started Green Day.

Frequently asked questions

Which artists use Fender Super 7250 Bass (long-scale, .045–.105)?

Matt Freeman (Rancid) has cited Fender Super 7250 Bass (long-scale, .045–.105) in a sourced interview. See "These artists use this product" above for the full citation.

What gauge is Fender Super 7250M?

.045, .065, .080, .105. Long-scale (34-inch) standard. Fender ships these factory-strung on most Precision and Jazz Bass production models.

Are these the same strings Mike Dirnt plays?

Yes. Mike Dirnt's documented standard set across Green Day's recording and touring catalog per Equipboard's gear archive and Dirnt's 2007 Guitar Center interview. He plays them on his fleet of vintage 1963–1974 Fender Precision Basses plus his signature Mike Dirnt Road Worn P-Bass.

Buy on AmazonFender 7250M on Amazon

How does this compare to Rotosound Swing Bass 66?

Same gauge, different alloy. Fender 7250 is nickel-plated steel; Rotosound 66 is stainless steel. The Fender is warmer, less aggressive, and easier on frets. The Rotosound is brighter, more harmonically complex, and cuts through dense rock mixes more aggressively but wears frets faster. Pick by tone goal: Fender for stock-P-Bass voicing, Rotosound for British-rock cut.

Will these fit a Jazz Bass?

Yes. The 7250M long-scale set fits standard Fender Precision, Jazz, Mustang PJ, Jaguar Bass, and most modern 4-string production basses with a 34-inch scale. Double-check your bass's scale length (34 long, 32 medium, 30 short) before buying. Fender ships shorter-scale variants under different SKU suffixes.

How long do these last?

Nickel-plated rounds die faster than stainless. For a daily player, expect 4 to 8 weeks of bright tone before noticeable dullness. For touring players: fresh set per show is the high-end cadence; every 2 to 3 shows is more typical. Mike Dirnt's tech changes them on a per-show or per-week basis depending on the leg of the tour.

What other gauges does Fender ship in the 7250 family?

7250L (.040–.100, light), 7250M (.045–.105, this set), 7250ML (.045–.100), 7250-5L (.040–.115, 5-string light), 7250-5M (.045–.125, 5-string medium). The 7250M is the most common gauge spec'd at the factory across the production P-Bass and Jazz Bass lineups.

Do these come in stainless steel like Rotosound?

No, the 7250 is the nickel-plated-steel line specifically. Fender's stainless option is the 9050 family (Stainless Steel Flatwound) which is flat, not round. For a stainless roundwound bass set in the Fender catalog, look at 7250 alternatives or step to Rotosound directly.