mcnach

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358935791' post='1947178'] I disagree that if you don't get gigging quickly you never will. My band rehearsed for 18 months before we even thought about gigging---although, to be fair, we did start out as just three guys who wanted to make a racket in a rehearsal room... [/quote] But that's the thing. If you set out to gig, and that's what you are aiming for... and spend 6 months trying to get to a giggable standard without success... then something is very wrong. If you're just doing it for fun and don't have a particular aim, that's another thing. I have been in bands that had no intention of gigging, and it was ok. Some were just recording projects and an excuse to get together and make noise The bands that started with the idea of bringing the music to a stage, did not take very long once the band members were set.

I was watching a video of Maceo Parker a couple of weeks ago, and the bass player used a BC Rich (Wave? Eagle?) with dual P pickups... and what a tone! It got me gassing for a P pickup at the bridge. Badly. Today I found one of the cheaper BC Rich Mockingbird basses with dual P pickups on eBay. It said "or make an offer". So I made an offer. It was black and boring, and the Mockingbird shape does not give me goosebumps either, so I made an offer without a lot of interest... and it got accepted! So, I'll get to try a dual P setup soon properly and see whether I really like it or not. I doubt I will keep this particular bass unless it surprises me and it's amazingly nice to play... so either I'll decide "nah, dual P is ok but not for me" and let this bass go, or go "hmmm, lovely" and I'll be gassing for one of the nicer BC Rich basses... which will be a pain as they don't come up very often, and when they do they are not cheap. Ah well... GAS, eh?

Found a cheap BC Rich Mockingbird... so that will be my introduction to dual P basses. EBay is a terrible thing. I used the "make an offer", and... it was accepted!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358858325' post='1946050'] What I find about Hi Beams / Fatbeams/ Sunbeams is that , like all strings , they lose that new zing after a certain time but after that they still sound good and not " dead " in the sense that they are dull , lifeless and in need of changing . That still sounding o.k phase lasts for ages and ages . That coupled with the great feel makes them worth the extra money . The only problem I have with them is that on some basses , to my taste at least , the 40-100 set feels too light and elastic but the 45-105 set feels a little too taught and heavy . Its about time DR brought out a Dingus Signature set gauged 42-62-82-102 . They could make up some story about them being wound at a high temperature and call them Baked Beams and package them in a tin rather than the usual cardboard packet . [/quote] If I ever became semi-known, I would do that!

It is useful to thread the screws through a candle first, to get some wax on the threads. That acts as a lubricant and it allows to thread the screws back the way they were minimising damage.

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1358846633' post='1945821'] I'd be interested in trying the FatBeams. My TRB came with DR roundwounds but the seller couldn't remember which variety. They lasted *ages* (I've had the bass for nearly 18 months now and the strings are still OK---I took them off to put flats on last month but they're otherwise fine) and sounded good. I'll probably buy more but £35 is quite a lot to gamble! Certainly, your photo is consistent with what my DR strings look like. [/quote] Well, I'll have the FatBeams soon, and my L2000 is supposed to have HiBeams on. I have a new set of HiBeams, but the L2000 is still more than fine, so it may be some time until I change them. They really do seem to last, so it does not work out so expensive after all.

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1358846424' post='1945819'] Wasn't it you that I was taking the mickey out of because you were putting a black pickguard on your 75 Jazz some time ago? Something about you should wear a Marcus Miller style hat? Now you're using his strings too! Highbeams / Fatbeams sound great on a Jazz bass, you should definitely give them a try. Buying the strings is expensive but they last much longer than any other uncoated strings I've tried, they actually work out better value for money long term. [/quote] ah!! it's true!!! let me check... no, he still has not inflitrated my CD collection, phew He just seems to be a man of taste, I suppose £75 on strings for three basses? ouch. I guess I'm spoiled as I don't play double bass

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1358854561' post='1945956'] oh, ok. Didn't realise you were a major artist... sorry [/quote] so, you need to be a "major" artist to know and have views about sound?

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358815661' post='1945687'] I can vouch for this. [/quote] you are not helping.

Oh, I so love to play at low levels!!! (not actually low, but it seems a lot of people feel that if it cannot deafen you, it's too quiet). Why is it so hard to get people to play at reasonable volumes where our hearing is at our best and we can better judge what we sound like?

This could turn out to be expensive

And a Jazz!!!

Hmmm... a Precision with FatBeams could be pretty amazing...

[quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1358799920' post='1945344'] well as some reinforcement to the other comments I've just dug out the old fat beams and they look exactly the same, the ball ends are identical, the windings look right and from your description of the sound and feel i'm 99.9999999% sure they're fatbeams. they are expensive but they're fantastic strings, i'm tempted to order a set for one of my 5er's but i'm on a flatwound kick at the moment. Matt [/quote] Thank you, Matt! Well, I ordered a set. Everything looked right about them. Every description, the unusual gauge set... now you added more evidence... You are right, not cheap (£35, ouch!). But they do sound good, and it looks like I would change them once a year, or less. If I used D'Addarios, at around half the price, I would feel like changing them probably after 6 months... so there really isn't that much difference. I have a set of pretty new Ernie Ball Cobalts on my Stingray. It would be interesting to compare the new FatBeams to those, as I got the Cobalts mostly because of the midrange. I hope these are the ones. They made my SUB sound amazing, and I miss it already!!!

Thanks to all! and especially Dingus, who found the Marcus Miller in the right gauge! Done!!! I ordered a set of DR Fat Beams MMS45, 45-65-80-105... same gauge as I have on the SUB already. That alone is a pretty good push in the Fat Beams direction, as it's a very unusual gauge mix. I should have them before the weekend, I'll report back.

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1358790886' post='1945096'] well the zing has gone and they lasted a long time..... let me put it this way, the fatbeams I had on my P outlasted the coated strings you sold me.... by a long long time [/quote] so, another vote for Fat Beams...

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358790772' post='1945092'] I too heartily recommend Fatbeams . Or Sunbeams if you prefer nickel . Both sound great and last ages . [/quote] "last ages" also fits the description. Like I said, I bought the bass a year ago, and quickly it became my favourite. I have played it a lot more than any of the others... and it did keep the tone barely changing for a long time. Even now, although clearly having lost a lot of the brightness, they still don't sound "dead" like D'Addarios would have felt months ago already. That's it. I'm going to order a set and find out for sure. Even if they are not the same strings, it sounds like the kind of string I'm interested in.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358790596' post='1945088'] No problem. Even if yours aren't Fat Beams I would certainly recommend them. I spent decades looking for the ultimate roundwound strings, then when I found them (Fat Beams), I promptly changed to flats and am now looking for the ultimate flatwound strings... [/quote] The neverending quest! There is always something, isn't it?

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358790385' post='1945084'] Fatbeams are essentially Hi Beams wound at a slower speed than Hi Beams to give a bigger bottom end and more pronounced mids ( allegedly) . The tension feels the same to me , although some people think they are very slightly taughter - feeling than the regular Hi Beams , but all those DR round core strings should feel much more elastic and less tension than the same gauge of DAddario XL strings . [/quote] Bigger bottom end and more pronounced mids could very well describe these strings! The higher tension of whatever is on my L2000 (105/85 gauge, allegedly HiBeams) compared to D'Addario XL (100/80 gauge) is not a problem at all. It's noticeable when switching... but if soon feels very normal. The L2000 strings (HiBeams, possibly, 105/85) do feel VERY MUCH like those on the SUB (105/80), now that I had a quick test unplugged. They also look very similar. Do HiBeams and FatBeams look any different from eachother? I think I have to buy a set of these Fat Beams, too much BC love for them.

[quote name='Matt P' timestamp='1358790214' post='1945076'] i've got an old set of fatbeams at home, i'll compare them to your pics when i get in, i used to use them exclusively when i just had a 5er, i'll probably go back to them one day when i wnat a change from flats (which is all i use at the moment) Matt [/quote] Thanks, I'd appreciate that!

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358789814' post='1945059'] Hi Beams / Fatbeams higher tension that DAddario ? Surely some mistake . Those round core DRs all feel very low tension . Could you have got mixed up with DR LO Riders ( very stiff feeling ) ? The Fatbeams are basically the same tension as the Hi Beams . [/quote] If I haven't been lied to... and those on the G&L are HiBeams, then yes, I feel they are higher tension. Not lots and lots, but noticeable. I say if they haven't lied to me, because I asked and I was told Hi Beams. I have a new set of Hi Beams, but I have not replaced the ones on the L2000 yet as they still sound good. I have not used this bass a lot as I ripped the preamp out early on and it took me months until I fitted the MMSR preamp in there. oh, wait!!! Scratch that. The gauge of the D'Addarios is 100-80 on the E and A strings, compared to 105-85 of the ones on the L2000. So the D'Addario 100/80 feel clearly more elastic than "likely HiBeams" 105/85... I was not comparing like with like. Sorry.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1358789702' post='1945052'] DR Fat Beams. [/quote] Hmmm. The winding looks a bit coarser than on mine, or is that my imagination? I can't see the taper from this angle on the E string, so I can't judge that. Thanks for posting that!

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1358789170' post='1945036'] My guess.... DR strings of some kind - thats judging by look and how you describe them. [/quote] Hmmm, you think so too? I have to say... Fatbeams are the only ones I have been able to locate with a 45-65-80-105 gauge...

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1358788572' post='1945020'] I would have guessed Ernie Ball. Definitelty not Warwicks as the headstock end look kind of like springs on those... IE much less winding. [/quote] you are right! I forgot about the springy part at the headstock of the Warwicks. Pity, as they are really cheap.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1358787406' post='1944988'] Dr Fatbeams Marcus Miller Signature set are 45-65-80-105 and dont have silk on the ends . It could be however , that someone repaced a 85 A string with an 80 from another set before you got the bass . Do the strings feel very flexible and elastic for the given gauge ? If they do that would be in keeping with round core DRs such as the Fatbeams . [/quote] Oooh... Fatbeams already suggested by someone else... and these ones, the gauge matches! Yes, I thought that the A string could have been changed... but it would have had to be done when all the strings were new, as they are all similarly aged. Of course, the previous owner could have just bought singles... My strings do feel pretty flexible and elastic for the gauge!!! Yes!!! The HiBeams do not, however... and they are round core. They feel much less elastic than D'Addarios, for instance. DR fatbeams are not cheap... Happy to buy them if they are the right thing, and they look like they could be... are Fat Beams a bit more "elastic" feeling than HiBeams?