The CONFUSING world of STRINGS! | EP117 | The SBL Podcast
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- The CONFUSING world of STRINGS! | EP117 | The SBL Podcast #117
There's nothing quite like slapping on a new set of strings. It’s the quickest, easiest and cheapest way of breathing new life into your instrument. But finding the right set can take a few tries, as different players like different brands and gauges. In today’s episode, we run through our pick of the best bass strings out there, and everything you need to know about them.
In this episode
How often should you change your strings?
Nickel Vs Stainless Steel: The pros and cons.
Can different gauges change the playability of your instrument?
What’s the difference between hex core and round core strings?
Does Steve Harris really play flatwound strings with Iron Maiden?
And much more!
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Id definitely love the massive ian and Scott string comparison video, plus the string podcast pt 2
Loving the string chat today.
I prefer flatwounds these days on my basses, but not for the usual reasons. Most of the gigs I play these days are ampless and using in ears and I cannot stand the sound of string noise in my in ears when sliding. Drives me crazy. Also strings are pricey these days so I don't want to change out strings as often as is needed with rounds. I change my basses more than I change my strings 🤣
Thank you so much for these podcasts! I would love an episode 2! (and if you can let us hear what it sounds like while talking about it, it would be fantastic!)
One of the best episodes ever! Thank you. You guys could do a podcast just dedicated to strings, and I would inhale it forever.
So yes, please. Another episode on string secrets is more than welcome.
I have so many questions. The wider the variety of strings available and the more expensive they are, the harder it is to get an overview. I like the idea of you, Mr. Allison, to have lighter gauges on the lower strings and heavier gauges on the upper strings. Did you really do this, and did you buy single strings for that?
Some people say that it is better not to remove more that one string at once, cause the neck may deform without the string tension. How do you do it? And how is oiling the fretboard possible without removing all strings?
Great episode on an overlooked subject of strings - could we please have a ‘part 2’ at least? Thank you chaps.
Strings are an important topic. I'm a guitarist, as mentioned. I've been thinking about strings for a little over 40 years now. It's so critical to have the correct strings for whatever you're trying to do. Or at least it is for me. Basically, everything has to be perfect, I guess. No problem! lol!
On bass I'm just trying to not suck. In whatever way that might be accomplished. Still working on it. So yes, please more string talk.
Ian, you talked about being able to make a custom set that varied in guages. StringJoy allows you to order custom sets. You can select the gauge of each string in the set.
About gauges: I personally get Ian’s point about heavier top strings and slightly lighter bottom two strings.
That’s how Fender used to set op their basses (nut!) for too back than: 100-80-65-45.
Perhaps it’s the fact Ian likes a little less fundamental on the two bottom strings, and more over- and undertones there, and more of the fundamentals on the two top strings? Like what medium- and shortscale basses provide?
I totally get that. I really dislike the sound and feel of tiny strings on the D and G strings: there’s no tone compared to the E and A. I think Fender got that back in the day.
Almost everybody thinks all bassplayers used to play sets like the ‘famous’ LaBella 110-55 set back in the day. They weren’t. This set was thought of as a strange beast set back than too. Most old guys that played in the ‘60’s and early ‘70’s told me so.
You’ll kill any early ‘60’s vintage Jazzbass neck with a set of those, 😉.
A player my age I know really well uses them on his custom shop Fender Jazz...
He kind of digs ‘the real high action’ as he says. But, it doesn’t work: every time he plays like an F or F sharp on the E string, the notes are already out of tune (sharp).... And, that’s nothing like vintage tone 🤣.
What I like about Maron’s playing so much, is his (lighter) touch. A great player like Tim Lefebvre for instance, for my taste, plays just a little too strongly on the right hand sometimes. He’s a powerful humanoïd and definitely plays like one. But, that’s just taste. Another great player from our time on a flatwound strung P bass is Andy Hess (played with Gov’t Mule and many others). He had a great touch too.
There’s a great (almost one note) bass solo of his online on his ‘63 P online.
I’ll try to find it and send it to Ian’s Instagram.
Another one: Darryl Jones!
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Great start guys, but it seems like you've only scratched the surface. I totally agree that flats on a short scale are a different thing.. Also, I've found that pickups and strings tend to interact with each other with some magic mojo. For example I have a Hagstrom bass that sounds AWESOME with LaBella Deep Talkin' bass flats, and other flats just don't sound anywhere near as good. Finally, Your mention of light playing and "fat sausage waveforms" reminded me that a compression discussion would be awesome!
Great pod, love what you guys bring to the bass community!!!
Strings are so personal. Two bass pals of mine wouldn't touch flatwounds, I can't stand the string noise, sound and especially feel of rounds.
I tried and loved LaBella Black Tapewounds, but to avoid grounding issues, I stick to LaBella DTF 760FL flatwounds for my long scales and 760F's for the short scale. They give me exactly the tone I have in my head and are buttery smooth to the touch.
I've tried other flatwound and tapewound brands, but nothing feels and sounds as smooth as LaBellas.
over the last few years ive been on a string journey. tried most brands in all different material configuration. and the moment i started playing DR pure blues, my search stopped for my baseline favorite string. incredibly smooth for rounds and the tension is exactly what i have been looking for. Tone also obviously is incredible.
Guys massive thumbs up here for more string comparison and deep dive content. It's something that I've been chasing for a while after having been very happy with a sound and then losing it and not finding it again due to wanting to branch out. Also so lovely to hear someone else mention that they like the fresh flatwound over a broken in flat. Coz I personally love that sound. Great pod this
Dunlop Super Brights are the best! Makes everything much easier!
Im so glad I listened to this podcast before lowering the action on my p-bass. I was also about to remove the flats that it had not knowing i had to wait a while. Thanks guys!
Love to hear more about other types of strings. I have tape wounds on my short scale and like the feel and look of them. I'm interested on your take of tape woulds.
After years of experimenting my picks are:
rounds - Dunlop Super Brights Nickel 45-105
flats - Thomastik Jazz Flats 43-100
These two sets have a really low tension that helps my tiny hands move around quicker and longer 😂
We need a part 2. I am diving into the world of flats and need more info. Can you play the different types of strings for us to hear sonically the difference?
Love you guys and your podcasts are a must
Thanks guys, always good, yes definitely interested in another video on other string types, maybe with some demos, although obviously not possible for each & every type. Thanks again !
Excellent. Give us more. Love the tape wounds too. Hated Half Rounds.
Yup, we need part two and perhaps a part three. Part three could be demos of the previously discussed strings on one type bass; a jazz or P. Scott demos 4-5 rounds, Ian 4-5 flats, Scott does several tapes, Ian does Pressure and ground wounds (1/2 flats).
I really enjoyed today's episode. Ian brought up a good point about string gauge. I normally play medium gauge but I really like a heavier D and G to get a fatter high end.. I currently use dunlop stainless steel flats on my musicman sterling 4h and 4 hh (like joe dart) I use my 3 band EQ (roll down the treble) and pickup selector switch to "fix" my tone. Ian that might help with the "musicman sound" in the studio.
Plz do a part 2 of this I love the nerdy bass topics and this is one of my favorite podcasts and it gives me a different perspective on stuff like strings and I play on elixir strings
Great topic! Please do episode 2 and 3 on strings 👌👌
Great episode! And yes please to episode 2! Very interested in tapes and pressure wound. Thanks!
You for sure need to do pt 2. I think it would be helpful if you would break down your own experiences on what they sound like.
Great episode. I feel that you guys started by talking about what I expected (differences between features and how it affects the sound) but then diverged into specifics of certain brands and artists. Another episode where you answer questions about how each feature affects the sound would help me to know what to buy in the future. Everyone has an opinion about what are the best strings but unless they tell you why, it is not useful. Answering questions like nickel vs steel, hex core vs round core, round wound vs flat wound are what I'm looking for. Also, do nylon tape wound wear out faster? How often should you change your strings? (was that answered?) How should we care for them? Are light strings brighter and easier to play, while heavy strings are meant for those who play harder? Do wound strings wear out the fretboard faster? Are certain guitar and strings meant for each other? What is better for fingerstyle/pick/slap? Is boiling a worthwhile activity? (or are there better treatments?)
Definitely need a part 2 with more info on flats and then the exotics one listed by Ian at the end. And also a massive video with sounds demo on the same bass from a sample of strings.
49:32 :) on an 1980s Hohner fretted 4 string PJ, with the rounds that were there already, I "had" to replace the G (because it rang so high and sounded like it was from an entirely different set) with a Rotosound 88, flat, tape wound G (left over from a BEAD restoration/art-piece project bass), and now it sounds in concert with the rest :)
Andrew Gouche use 30-40-60-80-100-120 on his 6 string basses and he's tuning is ADGCFB. Sonny T. use 30-50-70-90-105 on his BEADG 5 string. Amazing! I can't stand less than 80 on A string lol! Lower than that is unplayable for me.
Ian’s microfiber comparison is perfect. I prefer flats, though I understand when round can suit the sound. I don’t like the sound of finger noise, so flats are even quieter than dead rounds and much easier on the frets. Currently using Jim Dunlop flats (45/105), but also like D’Addario Chromes (45/100), Fender 9050 and LaBella. I’d recommend Dunlop to people who like lower tension, but they all are good in their own way.
I think, Ian and I are polar opposites. I want really heavy strings on my basses, like 50-110s (full transparency, though, I tune them to Eb standard), and I want them to have rather high tension. I hate 'floppy' strings. 😂 I love the Dean Markley Nickle Blue Steels, btw. I play those on most of my basses. Cobalt Slinkies for more modern tone and Blacksmith Strings on my 6 strings.
Love the pod! Strings part 2 with a few demos would be amazing! Thanks!!
Yes! Do I string research week or two!
Dogal Hellborg strings are worth checking out! Both flats and rounds.
Strings part 2 for sure!
Yes, more string episodes. Like you say, it's so long between changes and they're so expensive, it's good to hear your opinions. I first learnt bass on an active Washburn with flats. I still use that bass for an 'acoustic' trio I'm in. Its sound it goes really well with the acoustic guitar.
Really enjoyable episode. Johnathan Maron’s tone is killer!!
I wonder what flats he uses. Most definitely a lot to do with how he plays but I’m extremely interested in what flats he uses.
I’m a MASSIVE fan of Mitch Friedman who works at labella. My lord his tone is 🤗
Yes and yes. Like the flats and others idea!
Ernie Ball Slinky or Rotosound 45 (45-65-85-105) roundwounds for me, since 1993. La Bella 52-110 Flats on one of my 1977 P - Basses. Change only when absolutely necessary. My upright has had the same strings for 20 years
Great discussion as always!
For me, it's TI flats all day long. They are light gauge and low tension but have a super fat tone and last forever. Yes they are expensive, but I never change them unless they break and they should never break. They really do get better with age.
I got turned on to them probably 20 or so years ago when I first brought my 69P to get appraised at a local bass shop. I'd been playing prog/alt pop on the bass with rounds and while it was good, the bass never felt great. One oddity about this bass is that its frets are very low. Dunno how they got that way but I've had that bass for at least 40 years now and that's the way it's always been. It means the bass is very finicky and rounds were not really that complimentary to the finesse it needs. The bass shop owner suggested I try the TI JF344s on the bass and when I did, its inner Jamerson came to life. While it still needs that finesse, the tone is so buttery, it just informs how you play the bass and demands that classic P-bass + flats tone. I've called it my "magic bass" ever since and used it live and in the studio, where 9 times out of 10, you plug it in and the producer/engineer tells you to stop right there. Over the years, I've switched most of my basses over to the TI's and just love their feel and tone, almost regardless of the genre (blues, r&b, garage rock, reggae, roots, alt, country, even harder rock wheel house). I have them on P-basses and Jazzes, and put the JF324s on my Sandberg Lionel shorty, which has become my #1 bass since I got it. It's just about perfect.
I do have rounds on a few of my other basses for variety, and use Labella DTB on my Warwick Thumb fretless 4, where they give the bass a nice, woody, almost upright tone. I've never really quite settled on a round that I like - the TI JR344s are a great string, also light gauge and fat, but aren't quite mindblowing or long lasting enough to justify the price, and with rounds, the light gauge of the JR344s don't always work. I was a fan of and endorsee for MJC IronWork strings, and had a custom 40-60-70-90 gauge set that I loved, but sadly Michael Connelly the owner passed and unfortunately those aren't available any more, so I'm just playing through the last sets I have. I recently tried some Curt Mangan nickel wounds that seem really nice. I use MTD hex core rounds on my 535 which are really well matched and the exposed core B is fantastic.
I tried a Sandberg Lionel in a shop a few months ago and was completely floored. I'll definitely be getting one as soon as I can, it was freaking amazing!
@@georgecookonbass Shh! Don't tell anyone - short scales are our secret weapon! 😀. Seriously though, almost from the moment I got the Lionel, it became my main gigging bass. There's nothing not perfect about it, especially if you dig that P-bass vibe in a lighter, more agile package. I have a hardcore aged goldburst and it's beautiful. I can play 4 hour gigs with it no problem, and no longer risk smacking my singer in the face with a headstock sticking way out! Tone, feel, it's got it all. It's plecked so totally consistent all up and down the fretboard. Not a dead spot or wolf tone in earshot. A buddy of mine has the new Florence and it's a wonderful bass too. Very similar feel but tonally different due to the mudbucker. Still contemplating picking up one of those. I think a lot of players think you are giving something up with short scales, but they actually have a fatter tone and there is very much nothing "toy" about them. Put TI JF324's on the Lionel and you will love it. Another thing: it's hard to find a good gig bag specifically for short scales, but the Lionel fits a Mono Vertigo M80 great. There's a little room above the headstock, but it doesn't matter. The neck brace is placed perfectly. I have an Ultra on order and Mono confirmed it has the exact same interior dimensions.
I have La Bella LTFs on my both my Jazz and Precision. Hitting them soft is nice, but hitting them hard produces a clanky upright sound which I love.
Great podcast guys!
very interesting episode!
Hi, we sure do want part 2, please. It's always great to hear and see you guys talking. And Jonathan Maron, oh My!, that tone makes me want to live on that sound, if that was even possible. It's so good. I simply love this kind of tone, players like Jonathan Maron, Michael League, Sean Hurley.
Do you guys have any thoughts about that neck pickup of that other guitar Jonathan uses? I mean the one with pickup right after the fretboard? It looks like a guitar pickup, don't know, I have not looked into it yet.
I was in the “never change your flats camp for decades” and then I had a string core separate and got a rattle. New set went on and the E especially sounded so much better. Way more fundamental and character. They went dead in a few months and I was back in flat land with better sounds. Probably will replace every year or so from now on. Still gotta change rounds much more $$$
Yes please for “strings 2 - the strinquel”. Ian’s suggested line-up sounded good.
I tried Ernie Ball slinkys on my fretless (a flat that is supposed to sound like a round). They were really sticky though - the friction was so high that I couldn’t slide into notes. I’ll try the on the fretted shortscale. Hopefully I can reach the target fret if I do slides on it.
my favorite kind of string are usually hex core light gauge ( 100-40, usually with a 120B, sometime 125 and a 27-28C) the DR lorider steel and nickel 120-40 were my favorite for the longest time. now i play 6 string mainly and DR doesn't make lorider in this gauge for 6 string so i'm playing GHS supersteel 126-27 whom are also hex core.
i tend to favor steel string as i feel that the last a bit longer ( and i have very acidic hand). light gauge too seems to last longer for me. usually 3 month when my usual dr pure blues/lorider in medium gauge seem to die in 3 week.
I’m using 45-100 (a la Ian) EB cobalt flats on all my basses (short scales included), except my 2 fretless basses that have La Bella, black nylon, tapewounds. The cobalts give a nickel roundwound type of sound, but with the smoothness of flats, a great all round string. I had them on one of my fretless basses too, but wanted a more upright sound from it so fitted the same tapewounds as I had on my Rob Allen. Did it work out, er, not as I expected, but I like them on that bass (MM style, 33” scale) and am sticking with them.
You definitely need a Strings pt2 podcast, the surface has only been scratched so far.
Gary Willis uses a D'Addario XL Nickels 45,65,85,105 & a tapered 135 B String.
He's been using a 135 B string for over 30 plus years when he use to use GHS Progressives.
The gauge of the string doesn't make up the tension. It's the core & shape. Hexagon cores usually have more tension than round cores . Try GHS Boomers (hex core because they make Boomers with round cores)
45-105 next to D'Addarios & you'll notice a difference.
I played the same flats very good strings good tone well constructed. I
I switched to DR low rider /5 string set I tune my JBass BEAD and use the 65 85 105 125. After 20 years of flats they felt so fast and easy to play. Suddenly I was a monster on tracks that had always given me trouble and bending strings like a guitar player
I left a set of flats on my ‘72 PBass in standard tuning for old school rock steady and ska.
Was a DR Hi Beam guy forever. My favorite string. Bright, punchy and the feel of steel is definitely my preference. Not sure why DR hasn’t entered the multiscale market but as a result I’m using whatever multiscale set I can get easily. The Spector and Dingwall sets are both workable but I miss the sound of my Hi Beams honestly.
R. Cocco’s ended my bass string search. I loved DR Sunbeams, Sadowsky Blue Labels, Dunlop brights and would go back and forth between those but I’m smitten by the R. Cocco’s.
About flats:
I read or heard somewhere about Sean Hurley's tip on breaking in new sets of flats. He puts some vaseline on the new strings and it helps basically getting them dirty/dead. I used this trick when switched to flats.
Hi Ian, I believe there is a daddario nickel wound 5 string set in the gages you‘re looking for: 0.45-0.65-0.80-1.00-1.30. did you ever check these out?
D'Addario Pro Steels Roundwounds. I have Used them for decades. I went to Dunlops Superbrights when they first came out. They sounded good but they had a dead string in almost every set.I even tried them again a few years ago hoping they had the bugs worked out, but they didn't. Before that I had DR Hi Beams I liked those too. But In all the years I have used D'Addarios I have never had a defective string and I have never broken one.And you can buy them as singles and put custom gauges together. I use a 125 tapered B. I also use D'addarios on guitar, they are a great company.
This definitely needs the follow up episode „Flats and others“!
Ive been playing flats for 2 years and love them but decided to try roto66swing strings. You know the whole Kaco thing. My bass is along the lines of a 51 p bass. Im not sure i love them but what i have noticed is that you can definitely get a wider range of sounds out of the bass. I understand why Jaco liked those strings because you have a much wider spectrum of sounds depending on where you put your hands. You can do that also with flats but with all the overtones uou get a much wider range of tones in each position. They are wily though kind of like a ferrari vs flats which are more like an old 50s car with no power steering.
Currently using elixirs on my main axe, I like them quite a bit, but next I want to try those labella copper white nylon tapewound
I use D’addario NYXL 45-130 on my Fender Jazz Bass. I use the same on my Sandberg California fretless. I have used Elixir coated. But the they changed them for a new “improved” sound. I found them very dull. So I started my quest for another brand, and ended on the NYXL.
After lots of experimenting with several brands, types, nickel, steel, coated, uncoated etc, I finally zeroed in on the Elixer Stainless Steel Nanoweb strings. 😎
PS. I haven't used Flats or Tapewounds yet.
My Bass is Headless, so options for Double Ball End strings is limited, meaning I have to be ready to cut the strings with Single Ball End strings, kinda tedious but I'm getting used to it now.
Im using the Lo Rider lately. Love them. Thinking about using flats on my 5 string bass. Would like to hear another episode about bass strings.
I recently replaced my P bass rounds with La Bella low tension flats. So far, I love them. I have had Thomastik low tension, and the La Bella Deep Talkin flats and they were just awful (for me) I don't play that hard but developed really bad tendonitis in my plucking fingers with the other two flat wound experiments. The new La Bellas feel above the pickup position about how the rounds feel playing closer to the bridge...which is a comfortable tension for me and where I tend to play. Now I can move my hand towards neck and get a more substantial tone and still enjoy the tension/resistance I like. I think it was the Nick Campbell interview that clued me into these.
I have used sunbeams for years, love them and the toughest thing is deciding when to change them. They have this period after breaking in where they are perfect, but then they fade, I regularly pull and then snap each string pulling it up and letting them snap back from the 5th, and twelve fret to keep them bright, but eventually they need to get changed, you change them, and then it takes a couple of weeks where they are too bright, so it is different, and you just have to play through it.
A little late to comment but yes bring us a part 2. I've been big on half rounds as of late
Another episode is not just wanted. IT'S NEEDED!! Came to learn all about flats and tapes and feel like I need at least 3 more hours on this subject 😅 Seriously though.
Interesting that you both prefer Dunlop. I've had the ball end snap on a new set snap while changing them. Several people on Amazon have posted photos of the same problem. It seems to be a real issue with that brand and I wondered if either of you have experienced this. I used to be a string winder for Dean Markley and I'm unsure of exactly why this is happening.
The booming was definitely coming from Scott's end. 😂
On my Warmoth that I got this year, I decided to try flats, so I got some Ernie Balls. Kinda sticky feeling, but I like them so far. I'm interested in D'Addario XL Half Rounds, so you need to cover those.
Definitely part 2. What about the problematic B on 5 strings? I tried a 145 as an experiment. It really does the trick, but it’s a massive jump from the other 4 if you’re just using 45 - 105. Your thoughts on that would be welcomed by many I suspect.
Great Q!
I had DR Sunbeams on my Modulus Flea 4. Chromes and labella low tension are the only flats I've tried. Both good imo
Would love to see the string comparison.
completely agree with Scott, it's really worth exploring the different type of flat wounds , personally I have opted for the following:
Pyramid gold for a '67 Mosrite Ventures solid body ( amazingly balanced, slinky , tone wise think 60's Phil Lesh )
Rotosound Jazz 77 on a '78 Fender Precision ( bright flats, clunky , lots of sustain , famously used by Roger Waters in the 70s but also Simon Gallup in the early 80s)
La Bella Low Tension on a '67 Mosrite Celebrity II (Hollow body) ( stiffer than the Pyramids, big tone)
Rotosound black Nylon tape on a '65 Hagstrom HBII ( love these, surprisingly bright-ish , lots of attack , think Gainsbourg Melody Nelson)
I'm a pick player mostly btw :)
Dadario makes a 100, 80, 65,45 set that is very high quality. My favorite string brand. Plus they make strings for multiple other brands of strings
I have LaBella flats on a Jazz which sound great and I just fitted a set of LaBella tapes on my active five string. They sound amazing! What a revelation; much less fatiguing than rounds and they have (to me anyway) way more bottom end and definition in the low B, in particular. No fizzy fret clack and rattle, low tension so I can take some tension out of the neck. Only problem is the G string is a bit too long for the distance from the nut to the post and I'm waiting for the thing to snap. They don't make a string which fits this distance - mediums are too short. So we'll have to see how it goes...but the tone is awesome.
Nena - 99 Luftballons - is a dope bass line! I know I’m probably commenting this waaaay to late for your seminar haha
I have Elixers on my Basses. Really enjoying them.
Definitely agree there’s wider variation in flats than rounds. Would like more on that…. Heavy light flexible stiff, tonal variations. LTFs are broken in tone almost right away.
Half rounds etc. mostly seem neither here nor there, not the mellow character of flats or the growl of rounds. But they’re best of both worlds on an EB-0, not too bassy, but retains that vintage character.
The La Bella Olinto Flats have a thinner core (if i remember correctly from what Eric & Mitch told me), which makes them feel a tiny bit bendier/lower tension than the standard La Bella 45-105 flats, even though they're overall thickness is higher. When playing the Flats and Olinto Flats back to back, they definitely don't feel like you're stepping up to a bigger heavier gauge string. (Also, ask Eric about how Willy Weeks inspired the Olinto Flats.)
I settled on Labella Deep Talking Bass 760 FLs, 104-43 on my short scale Starfire. I like the low tension, smooth feel, and big fat tone. I'd like to try some Tomasticks someday but they are pricy and 5-6 yrs on the Labellas still sound good. For rounds I'm not too picky, but I prefer nickel. I just put a set of D'Addario Pure Nickel Light Ga on my P/J and they sound great. I probably should replace the rounds that were on my Jazz when I bought it almost a yr ago, but I kinda like the way old roundwounds sound too, lol.
IMO & IME strings are the single biggest change you can make (equipment-wise) to your tone. I’ve tried quiet a few different brands / gauges etc over the last 40-odd years and the difference a different of strings can make is absolutely enormous.
Dunlop Super Bright Nickel, 45-105! My favorite string too!!!
I needed this! I just put my first set of flats on my Pbass and they were brighter than the rounds I took off and I thought something was wrong with them because I was expecting them to be “thumpy”. Gotta put the hours into them now
Sean Hurley has a trick where he rubs vaseline into the strings to break them in faster. I've never tried it but he swears by it... if you're feeling lucky maybe give it a go!
Or massage a tiny amount of vaseline into each string and wipe thoroughly.
Please do more on flatwounds and half-rounds. I have a medium scale Jaguar and would like to try both (eventually).
I really like the TI JF344 (.043, .056 .070 .100) FLAT Nickel Wound strings on my P-Bass, they have a great even tonal sound on each string, great warm lows, with a nice feel on my fingers. So far they have lasted 8 years and still sound great, plus fun to play. I like a low action and light playing touch. (Not ever changing from TI flats). I tried the tape wounds and they sound and play well but not what I wanted, they felt smooth and a little stiff to my fingers.
My Ibanez SR 500 came with coated ( I believe they are Elixir - 45 - 100) round wounds, after 10 years they still sound and play very well - except if you look at the strings over the pickups you can see the coating flaking off as it wears from playing (no pick-just fingers). The coated strings feel great when sliding for being rounds.
Awesome podcast as always…. I would also like to see you guys make a comparison video but with no help changing the strings 😂
That would be nice 👌
Pls make a flats episode wirth sound examples. Yeeh. Would love it.
Wanna add the acoustic aspect. I have tomastic flats on my Warwick Alien which is an acoustic bass. Most of the acoustic basses that I tested come with copper round wounds on them and pretty much all sounded like guitars at lower pitch - very bright lacking low end. The Alien however was the most basslike sounding to me.
Since I put flats on the Alien it provides the full round low and mid range. When amped its a blast. With flats the crispy top and also the touch noise are gone. Love my flats. Cheers
Ian - Which Flats would you recommend for a Rickenbacker 4003 ? I'm looking for perfect clarity on the low end, deepest notes. I'm from the McCartney School as opposed to Geddy or Rick.
Scott, how did you get your focal dystopia diagnosed? Because I’ve just been reading about it following your comments and I think I may have had it for years without realising what it was. There are so many instruments I can’t play because my muscular reactions kind of go haywire.
This is even more niche, but if you play with a pick at all it’s crazy how much of a difference changing thickness, material, shape can change your tone and the way you play. I’ve gone up and down from 1.5 nylons to .63 tortex flex, and now back to the .96 gator grip. I always go down because I feel like I can dig in more, but then I pick up a thicker one again and the low end fills out so I switch back
My dad studied with Carol Kaye. She told him she exclusively played with thomastik flats he then went out and got a set. I played his bass afterwards and then made the switch immediately. I love the playability and tone. I even have a set in my 5string.
Stringjoy will make a custom set for Ian. Loved the pod!
Do the deep dive into strings. Much more info on specific flats.
Please also look at GHS' compression wound strings. Their guitar strings (12-54) are my favourite ever strings, and they're kind of between round and flat but without the weird grippiness of groundwounds. Also, they stay on my guitars until the frets wear through them, so on a bass they may literally last you the rest of your life.
i finally got my Dingwall D Roc 5 string standard and am wondering what strings to put on it after the factory strings wear out
Yea dudes! More string talk
Would love to hear feedback on Ernie Ball cobalt flats. I use these on most of my basses - rounds on one or two.
Yes talk about tapes what you love and where you wouldn’t use them.
Yeah, more string content. I’d also like to hear about the lighter strings are quieter myth.
Didn’t Gary used to play a 135 tapered B String and 045 - 105 standard set on his GWB Signature bass?
Back in the '80s, I found two sets of Fender "Studio Bass" flats, which had recently been discontinued. I haven't found another type of flat that I can stand. (Disclaimer - have not played Thomastiks, and I do love the TI's I have on my acoustic)
You know what I like? Each string having its own color silk - SLOWOUNDS for the win! Wish I could find another set like that
you should commit a bass to the experiment. get a new nut configured to E E E E - all four different ones, then get votes from the whole crew, do a bracket. Linus Tech Tips did this with mechanical keyboard switches