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Post subject: flatwound string problems
Posted: Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:20 pm
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Hello,

I use fender flatwound stainless strings, and they are very bright and zingy with an unstable sounding low e until they break in after a few days and all those overtones go away. Any faster way to get rid of these highs?

Any other string recommendations?

Mike


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Post subject: FELT IT GOOD!
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:17 pm
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Location: Albemarle, NC
I use felt, wrapped around the flats just beyond the bridge saddles. It really helps. Sort of a home made mute. You just overlap a couple of turns of a one-half to three-quarter inch felt strip about the width of whatever scotch tape you are using and tape the loose end down. Here's a photo of one of my basses I use this on.

Image

If you go to any decent crafts store, like the local Ben Franklin Crafts, you'll find about 100 different colors of felt in sheets that are about 8.5 x 11 inches so you can get a close color match. They cost about 30 cents each. http://www.benfranklincrafts.us is the link for the local Ben Franklin Crafts store.

I use spongy foam like the type used for padding in shipping cartons for the same purpose on roundround strings. You just whack off a hunk the right size and slide it under the strings like this:
Image

Under the bridge cover of my basses with roundwounds you will usually spot a little chunk of foam under the strings if you look close enough.

Hope that helps.


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:34 pm
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Some players used to go to great lengths to deaden their strings, things like smearing grease on them and the like.

Me? I like to break them in by playing them non stop for a week or so :p


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Post subject: FELT IT!
Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:50 pm
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john11.2526@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,

I use fender flatwound stainless strings, and they are very bright and zingy with an unstable sounding low e until they break in after a few days and all those overtones go away. Any faster way to get rid of these highs?

Any other string recommendations?

Mike


The Fender Flats are a decent string for the money. I used them for several years before switching to Labella 760M's and then to Thomastik JF344's. The Fender's did seem to go dead pretty quickly, usually sounding really good after a couple of gigs and playing fine for about 3 months before suddenly finding out that I had to put on a new set. They seemed to go dead with no warning as I recall.

Another competitively priced set that I recently found that I liked right out of the package is the GHS STAINLESS PRECISION FLATWOUND 3025 light gauge which I put on a 51 Reissue P-bass. I actually like the medium tension on this set, their very smooth feel and the thump that they make a whole lot. I think I like them better for most of the type music I play than the Thomastik-Infeld JF344's that I've been using for years and still have loaded up on one of my basses.

The Labella 760M is a great string too but the high tension is an issue for me but I sure like the way they sound. I think these were the stock strings on the Fender basses in the early years. The GHS Precision strings are WAY easier to play, have lower tension yet sound really old school.

While a great flatwound string with a sound all their own the Thomastik JF344's have about doubled in price since I started using them. When you buy anything from Europe these days the weak dollar is a negative factor. Another negative for me with them is that if you play them with a heavy hand you'll find they are pretty floppy because the tension is so low.

The Thomastik Jazz Flats do last a very, very, very, very long time and for what they charge for them they certainly should. The Labella and GHS seem to last way longer than I remember the Fenders ever lasting, but it has been at least 10 years since I actually used the Fender Flats so they might have improved them. However from what I remember they toned down a bit after about a couple of weekly gigs and seemed to need replacing every couple of months. While they are really inexpensive for flats, the hassle of changing strings so often finally got to be annoying so I started trying other sets.

Another string I liked right out of the box were the Fender Nylon Tapewound 9120's but they too had about a two to three month usable life span before they up and died.

Dave


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:02 am
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Roadie
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Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 7:12 am
Posts: 212
I notice I don't get all the zing when I string up my'62. It has the 4 barrel bridge where the string sits in a groove. The low E sounds great too.

The'54 has that 2 barrel bridge, and the string lays over the barrel bar. Maybe that allows the string to move ever so slightly sideways across the piece while it vibrates resulting in the zingy overtones until it breaks in.

It has been a week now, and the strings are sounding much better.

I also notice it happens on the more modern 4 barrel bridge. Again, the strings are in a groove but laying over the smooth bottom of the groove. On the vintage bridge, they seem to be suspended between the "threads" of the barrel, and not laying on anything.

I will put a '62 bridge on my '54 and see if that makes a difference.


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Post subject: Re: FELT IT!
Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:52 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
john11.2526@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,

I use fender flatwound stainless strings, and they are very bright and zingy with an unstable sounding low e until they break in after a few days and all those overtones go away. Any faster way to get rid of these highs?

Any other string recommendations?

Mike


The Fender Flats are a decent string for the money. I used them for several years before switching to Labella 760M's and then to Thomastik JF344's. The Fender's did seem to go dead pretty quickly, usually sounding really good after a couple of gigs and playing fine for about 3 months before suddenly finding out that I had to put on a new set. They seemed to go dead with no warning as I recall.

Another competitively priced set that I recently found that I liked right out of the package is the GHS STAINLESS PRECISION FLATWOUND 3025 light gauge which I put on a 51 Reissue P-bass. I actually like the medium tension on this set, their very smooth feel and the thump that they make a whole lot. I think I like them better for most of the type music I play than the Thomastik-Infeld JF344's that I've been using for years and still have loaded up on one of my basses.

The Labella 760M is a great string too but the high tension is an issue for me but I sure like the way they sound. I think these were the stock strings on the Fender basses in the early years. The GHS Precision strings are WAY easier to play, have lower tension yet sound really old school.

While a great flatwound string with a sound all their own the Thomastik JF344's have about doubled in price since I started using them. When you buy anything from Europe these days the weak dollar is a negative factor. Another negative for me with them is that if you play them with a heavy hand you'll find they are pretty floppy because the tension is so low.

The Thomastik Jazz Flats do last a very, very, very, very long time and for what they charge for them they certainly should. The Labella and GHS seem to last way longer than I remember the Fenders ever lasting, but it has been at least 10 years since I actually used the Fender Flats so they might have improved them. However from what I remember they toned down a bit after about a couple of weekly gigs and seemed to need replacing every couple of months. While they are really inexpensive for flats, the hassle of changing strings so often finally got to be annoying so I started trying other sets.

Another string I liked right out of the box were the Fender Nylon Tapewound 9120's but they too had about a two to three month usable life span before they up and died.

Dave


+1 on the La Bella and TI flats.

As for killing string-zing, I just play and play and play and play till they're seasoned how I like.


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Post subject: Re: FELT IT!
Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:03 pm
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Mastermold wrote:

As for killing string-zing, I just play and play and play and play till they're seasoned how I like.


The KFC drumstick method doesn't work as well since the Colonel went transfat free.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 5:57 pm
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Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:05 pm
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doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

_________________
Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:12 pm
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I love the feel and sound of the flats. Especially no squeaks, which helps out great when playing quiet bass passages at church. I like to play melodic lines during quiet parts of songs, and the squeal of rounds would interfere.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:14 pm
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

Gotta back PJB here. Flatwounds have a place in music.


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Post subject: Use both?
Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:42 pm
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zod wrote:
PowerJazzBass wrote:
doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

Gotta back PJB here. Flatwounds have a place in music.


I use both. Rounds and flats both have positive attributes making them both indispensable from a real player's arsenal.

doodAWESOME welcome to the Precision Bass forum. However, I think you really were looking for the Persnickety Bass Forum though. It isn't on this site.


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:20 am
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zod wrote:
PowerJazzBass wrote:
doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

Gotta back PJB here. Flatwounds have a place in music.


Why thank you sir 8)

_________________
Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:41 pm
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PowerJazzBass wrote:
zod wrote:
PowerJazzBass wrote:
doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

Gotta back PJB here. Flatwounds have a place in music.


Why thank you sir 8)

I still don't like natural basses though. :P


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:31 pm
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zod wrote:
PowerJazzBass wrote:
zod wrote:
PowerJazzBass wrote:
doodAWESOME wrote:
Well the first mistake you made was use flat wounds. Second mistake you actually thought theyd sound good. GET ROUND WOUND ERNIE BALL SUPER SLINKY!!!!!


Your mistake is you're too bias, not everyone like roundwound steels or nicke plated strings. All the Jazz great, even Steve Harris plays with flat.

Gotta back PJB here. Flatwounds have a place in music.


Why thank you sir 8)

I still don't like natural basses though. :P


I know, I know, black on black. :wink:

_________________
Rez(# 30916)
'89 Power Jazz Bass Special-BadAssIII, EMG P/J
Project PBass-EMG PX, Schaller BM Light Tuner
'05 Aerodyne JBass
'06 Spector Legend Custom Neck Through
VT Bass
Hartke TA5000 w/XL Cabs(210, 410, 115)


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Profile
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