EssentialTension

Rotosound factory:

[quote name='BurritoBass' timestamp='1348005536' post='1808144'] Cheers. I think I'm looking at medium length according to other sites. Yep, the 60s vibe is what I was after and I knew a bit about string history - just not the lengths! Hofner strings are ridiculously expensive so probably just one of the usual (cheaper) manufacturers like Rotosound is fine [/quote] Medium 32" scale is probably going to work. I believe Hofner strings are really Pyramid strings - which won't make them any cheaper.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346049999' post='1784377'] The original meaning is to kill one in ten (hence the "deci" part) which in my book isn't a large percentage at all. [/quote] [quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1346087653' post='1785107'] Nowt, but a few of us, me included, are so old that we both remember the original meaning of the word, and rode on dinosaurs in our youth. best, bert [/quote] 'Decimation' was used by the Roman armies as a punishment for mutiny or cowardice. The mutineers or cowards were put into groups of ten. Lots were drawn to see which one of the ten soldiers would be 'decimated'. The unfortunate chosen one was then killed by the other nine.

This is Jim D'Addario (I'm presuming it really is him) from 2008: [quote] XL120 10-31-2008, 05:11 AM This is Jim D'Addario here. . . .I find these threads very interesting. Unfortunatley there is a lot of myth and fantasy in some of them. I can share with you that D'Addario is the largest manufacturer of strings in the world right here on Long Island. We have 800 employees in NY making strings and Evans drumheads. We produce 550,000 strings per day and devote ourselves to maintaining high quality standards. We have never purchased a string from anyone. Yes there are only a handful of major string manufacturers and many of them including D'Addario make strings for other brands that you may play and love. Many brands that out-source their strings from other manufactuers do have their own specifications so all strings are NOT THE SAME. It is true that prior to marketing D'Addario as a brand our family business was known as Darco Music Strings. We sold the company to Martin Guitars in 1969. All D'Addario strings are made in the USA. Some major brands import strings. You should check your country of origin when buying. D'Addario is also the only company that makes its own wire. We have two wire mills, one in Conn. and one in Mass. that make super high quality, specialized wires just for string making. One makes our core and plain steel wire and the other coated EXP wire. FYI. JD [url="http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=456584&page=2"]http://www.thegearpa...t=456584&page=2[/url] [/quote]

La Bella factory:

Here's the D'Addario factory:

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1347918667' post='1806763'] The problem is, if I went to the trouble of cutting and pasting loads of info, pics and vids of Scott Thunes, it would take me two hours and the thread would get 4 hits. Everything is out there already, if people are interested they'll find it (and that's half the fun). And who is going to trust that dAVE_tHE_bOLLOCKS from Lowestoft who lists his interests as 'saving the Marsh Harrier, blogging the history of melamine, and sitting firmly on heritage potatoes.' has got the definitive reference collection on Robert Palmer from No Quarter? [/quote] I would consult your Scott Thunes thread, so you only need three more.

That would be bad, in a bad sense.

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1347901732' post='1806416'] ... got to talking about the type of basslines he likes to listen to ... [/quote] I don't really listen to basslines as such, I listen to music. However, a good bassline can occur in any genre of music. I think the only genre I never listen to is that metally kind of stuff.

I've never been able to tell the difference ... ... but I think if there was any difference it would be less than the difference from moving you playing hand from bridge towards neck or vice versa or having a little play with your EQ.

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1347868494' post='1805811'] If it wasn't her, I don't think she would be allowed to put it up on her website someone would have kicked off by now if it were false [url="http://www.carolkaye.com/www/library/basshits.htm"]http://www.carolkaye...ry/basshits.htm[/url] [/quote] Ha Ha!

[quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1347867618' post='1805797'] It was Carol Kaye [/quote] Very possibly, but how do we know?

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1347867308' post='1805794'] i heard an interview somewhere where she said she had played that session - maybe she's done so many she cant remember them all edit - [url="http://www.allmusic.com/album/listen-to-the-band-mw0000675366/credits"]Listen to the Band[/url] album has 18 different bass players credited for the whole album and includes Joe Osborn but doesnt say which track [/quote] Wikipedia says:[list] [*]Written by Neil Diamond [*]Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz [*]Backing Vocals by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones & Peter Tork [*]Guitar: Neil Diamond [*]Drums: Buddy Salzman [*]Other personnel unknown [*]Produced by Jeff Barry [/list]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1347799078' post='1805072'] was it Carol Kaye on the monkees studio version? [/quote] I'm guessing Joe Osborn.

... me too.

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1347823909' post='1805528'] not again! [/quote] ... and £15.99.

From a 1979 Jamerson interview; doesn't mention a fretless or any throwing incident but confirms the ownership of the Fender V: [quote][i]How many basses do you own?[/i] Four. I have an old German upright, a Fender 5-string, a Hagstrom 8-string, and the Precision. I've had two Precisions stolen from me, but my present one I bought new in '63. When I got it I immediately took the Fender strings off and put LaBellas on, and I've had the same strings on it ever since. You don't need to change strings all the time; you'll lose the tone. It's like a new car: the older it gets, the better it rides. [url="http://www.ricksuchow.com/press-group-248.html"]http://www.ricksuchow.com/press-group-248.html[/url] [/quote]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1347811673' post='1805318'] Perhaps there is a divergence of opinion here because of differing ideas of what is meant by tension. When I refer to tension , I mean in the pragmatic sense of how stiff the string feels and how hard or easy it is to press down , rather than measured pounds of tension. I don't have the means ( or inclination) to measure the tension in any other way than how a bass feels to play, and different brands of strings in the same gauge can feel very different. Picato roundwounds feel very stiff to me, for example, whereas Warwick Black Label feel much more pliable. It's something I am very attuned to because I hate very stiff feeling strings, and always have done. The shape of the core wire and ratio of core wire to outer wrap both effect this characteristic. Look at the diffence in feel between DR Hi Beams and Lo Riders, for example. And most mainstream brands of flats feel very, very stiff to someone used to roundwounds. It may be- I really don't know the answer- that compliance ( stiffness) and tension are not technically the same thing despite bearing some relationship to each other, hence various posters ( including me) talking at cross purposes. [/quote] You seem to be referring to compliance (or elasticity) rather than tension: [quote]The [i]tension[/i] of the string of a stringed musical instrument is defined completely by the pitch the string is tuned to, its vibrating length, and its mass (weight) per unit of length. This is a matter of basic physics. But there are all sorts of other quantities and qualities that are said to affect string tension. They do not, but (and this is a big but) some of these may indeed affect the [i]compliance[/i] of the string, and this will affect how tight the string feels to the player.[url="http://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm"] http://liutaiomottola.com/myth/perception.htm[/url] [/quote]

[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1347808502' post='1805249'] The core of the string is what dictates the tension... [/quote] Tension is dependent only on mass per unit length of string (that's core [i]and[/i] windings), length of string and pitch to which the string is tuned.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1347806128' post='1805204'] I mean that they are a solid bar in appearence , as opposed to the serrated edge of a roundwound string . There is more metal in a flatwound. If you were to weigh the tape wrap of a flatwound , it would in the vast majority of cases be heavier than the same-gauge rounwound wire equivalent. Regarding tension, there are also other factors involved in string design which can effect tension apart from mass , most obviously the ratio between core wire and outer wrap. Thomastic strings are are unique design, with a layer of cotton between core and outer wrap wire, along with other distinct design features that set them apart form most other strings. This is a big part of why they are so expensive. The vast majority of flatwound strings feel stiffer than their roundwound counterparts. [/quote] The only things, apart from mass (per unit length of string), that have any effect on tension are the length of the string and the pitch to which it is tuned. Tension = mass per unit length x length of string x pitch of string. That's it, nothing else.

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1347803943' post='1805166'] Like most everything else, it's horses for courses. I play blues, Beatles, classic rock from the 70's, country rock, Elvis. For those styles, flats on a Precision sound absolutely right. If I was trying to slap my way through jazz/fusion on a Warwick, I guess they'd sound atrocious. [/quote] If I was trying to slap my way through jazz/fusion on a Warwick, I'd sound atrocious.

[quote name='Spoombung' timestamp='1347802441' post='1805143'] Just don't use them under any circumstances. They are unspeakably appalling things. [/quote] [quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1347803643' post='1805158'] Hey, don't say that! I've got a set in the post. No doubt I'll find out for myself whether I agree... [/quote] I just use them under any circumstances. They are unspeakably wonderful things.

[quote name='BarnacleBob' timestamp='1347800479' post='1805102'] Having a google there and found a few brands flatwound at £15-£16 range. However I also noticed Tapewound strings and Black nylon ( oo-er missus ) strings for bass. I don't think I have been aware ot these before. What's the deal with them? BB [/quote] Tapewound is often just another word for flatwound - the final winding is tape rather than wire. Black nylon tapewounds have a black nylon tape as the final winding. Examples are La Bella 760N, Rotosound Trubass, and Pyramid Black Nylons - Fender, GHS and D'Addario also do sets.

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1347799752' post='1805084'] ... Flatwound strings have got more metal in them than the equivalent gauge in roundwound strings, due to the fact that they have a greater mass because of the lack serrations from the outer wire wrap. Rounwound strings lose mass because of the gaps inbetween the wire wrapped round them, wheras flatwounds are a solid bar of metal, if you see what I mean... [/quote] This is not at all obviously true. In fact, given that roundwound strings have a spherical wrap while flatwound have a tape wrap (not exactly a 'solid bar') it seems quite possible that there's less metal in a flatwound. I expect it also varies greatly between different manufacturers. [quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1347799752' post='1805084'] ...This is also why flatwounds feel tighter than the equivalent gauge in roundwound: tension is dictated not by the gauge of the string i.e overall circumferance, but rather by total mass, which is far greater in flatwound strings.... [/quote] But not all flatwounds do 'feel tighter' (i.e. compliance) nor do they all have higher tension (e.g. TI Jazz Flats).

[quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1347798508' post='1805062'] ... Based on the timing of the Supremes track, this would put it at 1968/9. What fretlesses were available then? Ampeg baby bass - Fenders? There can't be many to choose from ... [/quote] It was recorded 1969 I think, and I think the first fretless Fenders were 1970. So, although it might be possible that Jamerson had an early fretless Fender, an Ampeg might be more likely. [quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1347798508' post='1805062'] ... Although he was an upright player, the sound of an upright can help to mask the sound of slight imperfections in playing intonation (hoping not to upset upright players here) - for anyone who's played a fretless electric, there is no hiding place - imperfection in intonation is clearly audible ... [/quote] I take your point but my own experience is that it's easier to be in tune on a fretless bass guitar than on the upright but then I am from a bass guitar rather than upright background. [quote name='drTStingray' timestamp='1347798508' post='1805062'] It will be interesting to hear what you come up with, Essential Tension. [/quote] Nothing so far.