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Post subject: Strings???
Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:10 pm
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Hello,

Well I bought a fender fretless used and reading through the threads I have read that certain strings must be used to avoid fretwear. Can anyone give me suggestions as what strings to dress her in to avoid this? Any help would be appreciated thanks in advance.

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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:35 am
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do you mean fretBOARD wear? If you do, you should use flatwound strings. I dont personally own a fretless bass, but I use D'Addario chromes on my Pbass sometimes. They have a really big sound to them. I havent really tried anyother types of flatwounds but i hear TI's are great.


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Post subject: STRINGS???
Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 3:28 pm
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Yes I mean fretboard wear I was told the wrong strings can really damage the fretboard and I don't want to do that any suggestions would help.

THANKS AGAIN


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:08 pm
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Hi, I play strictly fretted. But feel compelled to chime in anyway.

TI strings have been brought up. Specifically the Jazz Flats or more technically the Thomastik-Infeld JF344 set.

The JF344 or JF345 set sounds DIFFERENT from any other flatwound bass string. They are very bright sounding when new and mellow out to sound more upright bass-like in a few months. The tension on these is probably the lowest of any string set I've ever used. This low tension induces a tendency to overplay them when switching between a bass set up with a higher tension roundwound string and the TI JF set. This is not a problem so long as you play them exclusively. The list price for a TI JF set is nearly $107 but the street price is closer to $55. That is still very expensive. When I run out of the ones I have on hand, which is 3 new sets left, I probably will not buy any more of them because they are so danged expensive now. It is the US Dollar vs. the Euro since they are made in Austria and the dollar is losing big time. Just glad Fender's not making basses in Vienna or they'd cost $4000 USD for a Standard.

The positive to the TI JF sets is that they last INDEFINITELY. No kidding. One set of TI JF344's will last a year at least.

Now, there are other metal wrapped flats like the GHS and Chromes and Labella to consider too. The Labella and GHS are pretty high tension. I've never used the Chrome flats so can't comment on them.

HOWEVER I can comment on NYLON wrapped strings. If you are looking for an upright type tone out of the package you should look at the nylon wrapped strings. They are the most gentle to the fingerboard and sound the most like a stand up acoustic bass. There are several brands including GHS, Rotosound, Labella and Fender. I've used two different Fender nylon wrapped sets. The two sound and feel very different. The Fender 9120 comes in 58-72-92-110 gauge and sounds the most to me like an upright acoustic. I love them for ballads. The Fender 7120 in 70-80-90-100 gauge were a funkier sounding and fun to play string that would better for an upfront sound on a fretless. I'd try them both.

In short, look to the nylons on a fretless bass for the absolute minimum of fretboard wear. But they are going to sound different than anything you've ever used before probably. While I like the sound a lot you may be looking for that MUAH sound and that will come from metal wrapped flats like GHS or Fender Flats or maybe the Chromes.

I do know that rounds on a fretless are going to chew up the fretboard so get a set of metal wrapped or nylon rapped flats on there pronto.


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 8:26 pm
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Thanks fellow jazz enthusiasts this is great info. Keep on chimin in the more insight the better. Brother dave wher can one get the TI'S?


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:50 pm
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If your local music shops don't stock the TI JF344 set then you can buy them from lots of places. Here are a few.
carolkaye .com who last time I looked had the best price. She obviously had some stockpiled...and on top that...she's a LEGEND
JUSTSTRINGS>COM
MUSICIANSFRIEND.COM
'MUSIC123.COM
All of them sell TI JF344's.


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Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:55 am
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I'm partial to the GHS brite flats on my fretless Fender. These are round wound strings that are ground down to be flatter. Not quite as bright as round wounds, but pretty close and not nearly as tough on the fingerboard. They're pretty well balanced from string to string and last fairly long - not to expensive either.


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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:03 pm
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I use roundwounds on my fretless, but it's got an ebony fingerboard. You can use them on rosewood too, and the damage won't be too terrible. I just hate the muddiness of flatwound strings, & if I have to I'd rather replace my ebony fingerboard than use flatwounds.

To me it's a question of having the tone I like vs keeping the fingerboard pristine. I choose the tone. So I'll be replacing the ebony... eventually.

Keep the action low and keep a light touch if you go this way.


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