chris_b Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 On 20/01/2022 at 16:04, EssentialTension said: Yes, Fender basses were factory-fitted with flats from the beginning until the late 1970s. Expand So were the original Musicman basses. 1 Quote
Geek99 Posted January 20, 2022 Posted January 20, 2022 On 19/01/2022 at 20:30, wateroftyne said: As a flats user of 20 years or so, Expand So that’s one set used up then? I have some of those cheapo Olympias landing on my doormat tomorrow’ 1 Quote
Bagman Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 On 19/01/2022 at 05:55, wintoid said: Oh really? So there are double ball end flats, or some sort of adapter for normal strings? Expand Double Ball i don’t have the string adapter 2 Quote
wintoid Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 On 21/01/2022 at 03:12, Bagman said: Double Ball i don’t have the string adapter Expand Thanks, I might try on my Hohner one day. Quote
Reggaebass Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 On 19/01/2022 at 05:55, wintoid said: Oh really? So there are double ball end flats, or some sort of adapter for normal strings? Expand I’ve got labella double ball end flats on my Hohner, they are a really nice string, but they are pretty expensive Quote
wateroftyne Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 (edited) On 20/01/2022 at 23:33, Geek99 said: So that’s one set used up then? I have some of those cheapo Olympias landing on my doormat tomorrow’ Expand Pretty much. I've got 5 unopened sets of LaBellas and GHS Flats here, which I'll keep for my great-grandchildren. Edited January 25, 2022 by wateroftyne Quote
wateroftyne Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 On 21/01/2022 at 08:56, wateroftyne said: Pretty much. I've got 5 unopened sets of LaBellas and GHS Flats here, which I'll keep for my great-grandchildren. Expand Quote
Geek99 Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 On 21/01/2022 at 08:56, wateroftyne said: Pretty much. I've got 5 unopened sets of LaBellas and GHS Flats here, which I'll keep for my great-grandsons. Expand Yes, when they excavate your house in year 3346, they’ll tell your descendants it’s time to change those flats Quote
Geek99 Posted January 25, 2022 Posted January 25, 2022 Just fitted the cheapo Olympia set 40-100. They seem quite high tension shocked at how the acoustic sound of the bass has changed. Not amplified it yet Quote
Reggaebass Posted January 25, 2022 Posted January 25, 2022 On 25/01/2022 at 04:41, Geek99 said: Just fitted the cheapo Olympia set 40-100. They seem quite high tension Expand I haven’t tried those, I’ve had a set of addigio flats on on one of my jazzes for about 7 years, they were only about £10, really nice strings, I’d say they were medium tension Quote
Bagman Posted January 25, 2022 Posted January 25, 2022 I put GHS Flats on a Fretless Jazz a month back and yeah they are nice Quote
Linus27 Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 15/01/2022 at 11:13, Jonse said: TI flats or Ernie Ball Cobalt Flatwounds Expand So I've just replaced my Rotosound 77 Flats 45 - 100 with a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45 - 100 on my fretless Precision. Observations are that they are much higher tension and I can't bend the strings as much as I used to be able to with the Rotosounds. Still very playable but noticeably different. The Ernie Ball flats are also sitting much closer to the fretboard but they are not buzzing so I've not needed to adjust the height yet. I'm wondering that the higher tension is making them sit closer to the fretboard? What I do like is the tone. They sound lovely and a lot more zing, expression and mwah. Certainly not as deep sounding as the Rotosound flats which sometimes sounded a bit flat. So really happy with how they sound. One other thing I noticed is the Ernie Ball flats have that stickiness to them that has been mentioned in this thread. Hopefully that will go the more I play them. Early days but happy so far. Quote
Maude Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 21:44, Linus27 said: So I've just replaced my Rotosound 77 Flats 45 - 100 with a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45 - 100 on my fretless Precision. Observations are that they are much higher tension and I can't bend the strings as much as I used to be able to with the Rotosounds. Still very playable but noticeably different. The Ernie Ball flats are also sitting much closer to the fretboard but they are not buzzing so I've not needed to adjust the height yet. I'm wondering that the higher tension is making them sit closer to the fretboard? What I do like is the tone. They sound lovely and a lot more zing, expression and mwah. Certainly not as deep sounding as the Rotosound flats which sometimes sounded a bit flat. So really happy with how they sound. One other thing I noticed is the Ernie Ball flats have that stickiness to them that has been mentioned in this thread. Hopefully that will go the more I play them. Early days but happy so far. Expand I want to try some Cobalts but I really do not like anything even approaching low tension, which I thought the Cobalts were. It's odd that you consider them higher tension than your old Rotosound's yet the strings are sitting closer to the board, which surely would indicate a relaxing of the neck due to less tension on it? I may have to just bite the bullet and try a set. Quote
Linus27 Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 21:51, Maude said: I want to try some Cobalts but I really do not like anything even approaching low tension, which I thought the Cobalts were. It's odd that you consider them higher tension than your old Rotosound's yet the strings are sitting closer to the board, which surely would indicate a relaxing of the neck due to less tension on it? I may have to just bite the bullet and try a set. Expand Unless I'm getting my low tension and high tension definitions mixed up?? If the strings feel more taught, is harder to bend or move, is that higher tension? If the string is looser and can bend easier, is that lower tension? The Ernie Ball Cobalt Flat are more taught and harder to bend than the Rotosound Flats. Quote
Maude Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:15, Linus27 said: Unless I'm getting my low tension and high tension definitions mixed up?? If the strings feel more taught, is harder to bend or move, is that higher tension? If the string is looser and can bend easier, is that lower tension? The Ernie Ball Cobalt Flat are more taught and harder to bend than the Rotosound Flats. Expand Yes that's right, well some folks will get all uppity and correctly say we're talking about compliance, but everyone knows what we mean. It seems odd because changing to strings with more tension usually means the neck will bend more and raise the strings off the board, and the opposite with lower tension. If the strings are sitting lower this would indicate the strings have, in fact, a lower overall tension than the Rotosound's, but maybe feel stiffer due to construction. I'd certainly like it if Cobalts were a fairly high tension. Quote
Linus27 Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:30, Maude said: Yes that's right, well some folks will get all uppity and correctly say we're talking about compliance, but everyone knows what we mean. It seems odd because changing to strings with more tension usually means the neck will bend more and raise the strings off the board, and the opposite with lower tension. If the strings are sitting lower this would indicate the strings have, in fact, a lower overall tension than the Rotosound's, but maybe feel stiffer due to construction. I'd certainly like it if Cobalts were a fairly high tension. Expand Ok cool, thank you. I've just been playing some more and I'm just getting a little bit of buzzing mid neck on the A and D string. It's only very slight but it's there. Again that points at lower tension right if the neck is bowing that way? Quote
shoulderpet Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 21:44, Linus27 said: So I've just replaced my Rotosound 77 Flats 45 - 100 with a set of Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats 45 - 100 on my fretless Precision. Observations are that they are much higher tension and I can't bend the strings as much as I used to be able to with the Rotosounds. Still very playable but noticeably different. The Ernie Ball flats are also sitting much closer to the fretboard but they are not buzzing so I've not needed to adjust the height yet. I'm wondering that the higher tension is making them sit closer to the fretboard? What I do like is the tone. They sound lovely and a lot more zing, expression and mwah. Certainly not as deep sounding as the Rotosound flats which sometimes sounded a bit flat. So really happy with how they sound. One other thing I noticed is the Ernie Ball flats have that stickiness to them that has been mentioned in this thread. Hopefully that will go the more I play them. Early days but happy so far. Expand It is very puzzling that you find the Roto's to be lower tension, that are known to be pretty much the highest tension flats out there, I wonder if there was a mixup with the gauges at the factory Quote
Linus27 Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:37, shoulderpet said: It is very puzzling that you find the Roto's to be lower tension, that are known to be pretty much the highest tension flats out there, I wonder if there was a mixup with the gauges at the factory Expand It is a bit puzzling but I was also recommended to try them and told they are lower tension after other flats I'd tried I couldn't get on with. So I'm just as confused as well 😂 Quote
shoulderpet Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:45, Linus27 said: It is a bit puzzling but I was also recommended to try them and told they are lower tension after other flats I'd tried I couldn't get on with. So I'm just as confused as well 😂 Expand Fair enough, have you tried TI jazz flats? They are very low tension, I am using them on my P bass, they do the flatwound thing but you can get a decent rock tone from them too, they are not just a dull thump Quote
Linus27 Posted January 26, 2022 Posted January 26, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:59, shoulderpet said: Fair enough, have you tried TI jazz flats? They are very low tension, I am using them on my P bass, they do the flatwound thing but you can get a decent rock tone from them too, they are not just a dull thump Expand No not yet, they are next on my list 👍 Quote
shoulderpet Posted January 27, 2022 Posted January 27, 2022 (edited) On 26/01/2022 at 23:44, Linus27 said: No not yet, they are next on my list 👍 Expand Good strings, you have to love low tension though, they have the same tension as Daddario XL nickels 95-40 but they feel even lower tension, I know this as I went from Daddario to TI on my P bass Edited January 27, 2022 by shoulderpet Quote
EssentialTension Posted January 27, 2022 Posted January 27, 2022 (edited) On 26/01/2022 at 22:35, Linus27 said: Ok cool, thank you. I've just been playing some more and I'm just getting a little bit of buzzing mid neck on the A and D string. It's only very slight but it's there. Again that points at lower tension right if the neck is bowing that way? Expand Rule of Thumb: Buzzing below fret 6, generally loosen truss rod, but buzzing above fret 6, generally tighten truss rod. Where do you mean by 'mid-neck'? Edited January 27, 2022 by EssentialTension Quote
Linus27 Posted January 27, 2022 Posted January 27, 2022 On 27/01/2022 at 09:18, EssentialTension said: Rule of Thumb: Buzzing below fret 6, generally loosen truss rod, but buzzing above fret 6, generally tighten truss rod. Where do you mean by 'mid-neck'? Expand So the buzzing is around A and B on the D string and E and F# on the A string. Quote
EssentialTension Posted January 27, 2022 Posted January 27, 2022 On 27/01/2022 at 09:48, Linus27 said: So the buzzing is around A and B on the D string and E and F# on the A string. Expand Well, I'm not a lutherie expert but the rule of thumb (which I get from Lakand's setup video) is suggesting that buzzing at fret positions 7/8/9 means the neck tension needs to increase presumably because the string tension has increased. I imagine this logic applies equally to a fretless bass. Quote
EssentialTension Posted January 27, 2022 Posted January 27, 2022 On 26/01/2022 at 22:30, Maude said: Yes that's right, well some folks will get all uppity and correctly say we're talking about compliance, but everyone knows what we mean. ... Expand If anyone is interested in 'compliance' see here: Lutherie Myth/Science: Human Perception of String Tension and Compliance in Stringed Musical Instruments Quote
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