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Post subject: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:26 am
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Do you guys see any problems stringing flats through the bridge (instead of through body) with the current MIA standard precision bridges? Especially with flats that have higher tension?

I am not sure whether to trust those three screws when it comes to bridge cables.. :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 5:02 am
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3 screws ? I see 5


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 1:11 pm
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LoveMeFender wrote:
Do you guys see any problems stringing flats through the bridge (instead of through body) with the current MIA standard precision bridges? Especially with flats that have higher tension?

I am not sure whether to trust those three screws when it comes to bridge cables.. :roll:



Should not be an issue. If I can string high tension flats through this...

Image


The new bridge can certainly handle it. Go for it. Flats and string through body is how the P started.

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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 3:50 pm
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I always string flats through the bridge for the straightest string pull possible. I also think the tone is better, and strings last longer.

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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:06 am
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Certain old-school flats, specifically the Labella 760M set, should not be body-through strung. Starting several years ago they started putting a warning sticker to that effect right on the package. If they had started that in 1969 it would have saved me a lot of trouble...and money. Many other sets are OK for body through stringing though including other Labella flats of today. However after bad experiences body-through stringing the 760M Labella set before they started the warning sticker I setup flats bridge-through whenever possible. Other sets might not be a problem, but I'm a better safe than sorry person. On a first generation P-Bass you really don't have a choice though, which is why so many people replace the bridge on them with a convertible type like the Fender Deluxe 3 screw. The problem with the Fender Deluxe 3 screw is short saddle travel though.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:44 am
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Flatwounds should be strung to the bridge; not through the body. Some manufacturers specifically tell you that; others don't say anything.
Stringing through the body creates a sharp bend at the bridge. Often, if you look closely at the string (particularly the thickest string) where is presses on the bridge, you will see the winds spreading on top. This creates undue stress at that point on the string and will lead to premature failure.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:37 am
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warnergt wrote:
Flatwounds should be strung to the bridge; not through the body. Some manufacturers specifically tell you that; others don't say anything.
Stringing through the body creates a sharp bend at the bridge. Often, if you look closely at the string (particularly the thickest string) where is presses on the bridge, you will see the winds spreading on top. This creates undue stress at that point on the string and will lead to premature failure.

Yes, ^^^ this ^^^ is correct. When this happens it is impossible to intonate the string accurately.

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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:14 pm
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I think it depends on the core type being used on the particular string. My MIA and Road worn have Labella and Sadowsky Black Label flats on them and it is through-bridge for those. My '51 Reissue P is strung through body but I am using Thomastik Infelds which have a different core than the other 2. I aksed TI about this and they assured me there would be no problems stringing through body.

My TIs are pretty old and are really sounding great and if I was going to re-string, I would probably go through-bridge. I know Leo installed them through body originally but that sharp bend scares me. I have worked hard to break these things in and a replacement set would not work for me.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:31 pm
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Yeah, I don't know. The Labellas were intense like Dave says, but Fender flats I would consider on the higher tension side of average flats. (definitely more so than TIs, EBs or Rotos) I ran a set of Fender Flats on my 51RI for over 6 years and NEVER had an issue. With the bridge or intonation. Other than the saddle travel issue Dave points out I can't imagine Fender redesigning a bridge almost 60 years later that ends up having the same issue that the original did. Also, as you can see from the photo I am certainly having no issues with my CS 55. However, when all is said and done if Dave says to pass, I'd take that as money in the bank and string it through the bridge if you can.

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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:37 am
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flatwound wrote:
I think it depends on the core type being used on the particular string. My MIA and Road worn have Labella and Sadowsky Black Label flats on them and it is through-bridge for those. My '51 Reissue P is strung through body but I am using Thomastik Infelds which have a different core than the other 2. I aksed TI about this and they assured me there would be no problems stringing through body.

My TIs are pretty old and are really sounding great and if I was going to re-string, I would probably go through-bridge. I know Leo installed them through body originally but that sharp bend scares me. I have worked hard to break these things in and a replacement set would not work for me.


I couldn't agree with you more. Many flatwound sets are perfectly Okay body through. The TI Jazz Flats are not your typical ribbon wrapped flats anyway, so they are okay for body through if you have to go that way because of the way the outer wrap is applied. Not sure about the GHS ribbon wrapped ones though.

There isn't much of a tonal advantage for me in body through stringing. You usually get more sustain body-through, meaning more of the same tone for longer...but I do not get a vastly different tonal composition. Often I'm using some sort of muting to kill sustain anyway, so more sustain or overtones are rarely my friend. I use a lot of compression for smoothness and that naturally adds sustain, which probably explains why I like my strings deader than most.

I don't experiment with different strings a lot. I pretty much know what works on what instruments for me and stick to the same string set on that instrument. There's a lot to be said for consistency.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 6:32 am
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I disagree about using TI Jazz Flats through the body. These are the strings that I use exclusively and I know from experience that stringing them through the body is a problem (and, of course, they will always break at the most inconvenient time like the middle of a song in the middle of a set).

TI Jazz Flats pretty much last forever if you string them from the bridge. If you string them through the body, your low string (typically 'E') is going to eventually break.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 8:40 am
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I think you misunderstood me completely and I am afraid this was caused by my poor English.
Ich bitte um Entschuldigung! :mrgreen:

What I meant was whether the current bridge of the MIA P models (which only has three screws) is capable to bear for the somewhat higher tension of flats (especially the stronger ones) when strung through the bridge (not the body).

Nevertheless, this is an interesting discussion. :)


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 10:08 am
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Are only three screws strong enough? That is a very good question. I have wondered about that, too. In fact, that is why I originally routed my strings through the body. But, then, I started experiencing problems.

Well, if you're concerned about the strength, you could run the smaller 'A', 'D' and 'G' strings through the body and run the 'E' string from the bridge. Personally, I will never run a flatwound 'E' string through the body again.


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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 1:33 pm
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Funny how Fender factory Am. Std. Fretless have Flats strung through the body. Image

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Post subject: Re: Better string through the bridge with flats on a MIA P?
Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 3:29 pm
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I thought I answered that with the pic of my Custom Shop 55. The original Precision bass bridge only had 3 screws, and could only be strung through the body. (also it was nowhere near as robust a bridge) I have no issues running flats on mine, nor did I have any on my old 51 Reissue. However, if you have the option to do either or. Then as some point out you might want to opt to string it through the bridge. In the end. The bridge, screws, and body will handle it. It's the string that might have a problem.

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