fishfry Posted January 20, 2015 Posted January 20, 2015 Curious as these basses seem very highly rated but what situations do people use them in and what strings go well with them?. I believe the stock pickups are usually left in, so that leaves the strings as the biggest variable. Quote
Horizontalste Posted January 20, 2015 Posted January 20, 2015 Hybrid Slinky's or D'addario of the same gauge for no other reason than I like the feel. The D'adds take a little longer to break in as they are really bright when new. Quote
Truckstop Posted January 20, 2015 Posted January 20, 2015 I like LaBella Stainless Steels because they start off quite bright but after a couple hours playing they bed down for a really nice vintage tone and a kind of stiffer tension that I really like. The BB's really excel at vintage tones; bridge pup great for all those 80's disco lines and the P nails the 60's Motown vibe. Blended together they sound great for rock and pick playing, again, think classic rock tones. You won't be able to coax a scooped EQ out of a BB, there's a lot of mids there! Truckstop Quote
uncle psychosis Posted January 20, 2015 Posted January 20, 2015 I have a BB414, so obviously its a bit lower-end but I use GHS Pressurewounds on it. I especially like the feel of the pressurewounds but they're also very versatile. Quote
fishfry Posted January 21, 2015 Author Posted January 21, 2015 Interested in the pressurewounds. Given that the instrument is naturally mids-heavy, do people go with a string to balance out the freqs? I guess a string with lots of mids would work well for rock but less for funk,reggae,jazz etc? Quote
Truckstop Posted January 21, 2015 Posted January 21, 2015 Yes and no. Playing technique and EQ brings more to the table than strings do, in my opinion. I can get a zingy sound from every stainless steel sting ever made by using the tone controls on the amp. I can also get a thuddy bass sound from any string ever by using tone controls on the bass and the amp and by changing my playing style. Personally, I choose LaBella Stainless Steels because they have a tension that I really get on with. I didn't get them because they match the instrument particularly well or because they emulate a certain sound I'm after. I use the amp controls for that! Just my 2p. Truckstop Quote
Horizontalste Posted January 21, 2015 Posted January 21, 2015 I think truckstop sums it up perfectly, for me the only variables in strings (apart from flats v rounds) are feel and longevity. Some are brighter than others but it doesn't last. I honestly can't tell the difference in tone after the zing has gone. Quote
uncle psychosis Posted January 21, 2015 Posted January 21, 2015 [quote name='fishfry' timestamp='1421799486' post='2665289'] Interested in the pressurewounds. [/quote] I really like them, annoyingly they're a bit awkward to get hold of over here (they're $20 in the states, £30+ here...). Once you get past the "new string zing" they can do the "played in" round sound very well but with less finger noise than you normally get from rounds. Nice piano-like tone from them IMO. I tried them after moving from rounds (too zingy and clanky) to flats (too muddy). I'd definitely consider trying them. Interestingly I sold a bass that had them on it and the guy who bought it loved the bass but hated the feel of the strings! Quote
fishfry Posted January 21, 2015 Author Posted January 21, 2015 I agree that playing technique is a huge part of it, but a set of labella deep talking flats on a pbass is an example of a great match. Truckstop, could you give me an example of some of those 80's disco tones? I would think of Bernard Edwards as 70s (late 70's at that) but maybe his stingray tone (both pups on yamaha) is something to strive towards with this bass. What do sounds/bands do people aim for with this bass? Quote
thebuckets Posted February 4, 2015 Posted February 4, 2015 whatever it left the factory wearing and it sounds great, as above pup selection, tone roll off and an amp tweak can give me all I need Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 I use Rotosounds on mine because Bass Guitar magazine gave me some for free. Quote
barkin Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 I use Rotosounds on mine 'cause I like 'em. I find them too zingy at first, but that goes away very quickly (which is why some don't like them...) after which ISTM that they stay where I like them for ages - certainly months, rather than weeks, for me. I normally only change them when the intonation starts to get iffy. Quote
jezzaboy Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 Chromes for my BB1100s. First time I have used them and I like the feel and the tone. Quote
Truckstop Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 [quote name='fishfry' timestamp='1421856040' post='2665843'] Truckstop, could you give me an example of some of those 80's disco tones? I would think of Bernard Edwards as 70s (late 70's at that) but maybe his stingray tone (both pups on yamaha) is something to strive towards with this bass. [/quote] I think I can pretty much nail the 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' tone using the bridge pup solo played close to the bridge. Leaving the bridge pup selected and playing above the neck pup you can get the whole Sister Sledge vibe; He's The Greatest Dancer, Lost In Music etc. Blending the neck pup and playing by the bridge gets the Chic sound perfectly. You gotta use worn in strings though. Otherwise you'll sound too crisp. I have a robust finger style and can get that nice burpy tone by playing hard. YMMV, we all play differently and it takes a lot of experimentation to get where you want to be. Alex Quote
Cosmo Valdemar Posted February 5, 2015 Posted February 5, 2015 [quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1423142842' post='2681310'] I use Rotosounds on mine because Bass Guitar magazine gave me some for free. [/quote] FWIW, I do genuinely like these Rotos too. They may have been used as a convenience but they are still on there with good reason!. Quote
fishfry Posted February 8, 2015 Author Posted February 8, 2015 Getting that chic sound is very much one of the tones I'm after. Have ordered pressurewounds and also big bass core strings so we'll see how those get on. Quote
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