| Author | Message | ||
| crgaston
Intermediate Member Username: crgaston Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2005 |
On the bass side of my neck pickup, I think the brass insert may be slightly stripped, as the screw looses it's grip well before the bass side is at a decent height. Does anybody know the screw size? I will take it to the hardware store tomorrow to try to find a longer one, but information is always good. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3369 Registered: 5-2002 |
This doesn't tell you the size, but I didn't realize the neck and bridge sizes were different. I can't remember why at the moment, but I think you will need to look for a stainless steel replacement. Some where around here I think there is a post explaining why. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3370 Registered: 5-2002 |
Found it. Here is what Mica had to say about pickup screws: "Ferrous magnetic materials have the most affect on response ... That's why we .. don't use magnetic steel screws to anchor the pickup, we use stainless." | ||
| crgaston
Intermediate Member Username: crgaston Post Number: 108 Registered: 11-2005 |
Thanks, Dave! They're 6-32's. I ended up using the same length for the neck p/u as were on the bridge. Nothing was stripped, just too short for what I wanted. I also went crazy and spent 1.26 to get brass screws all around. I did it for looks, but am interested to hear that it may have sonic benefits as well. If corrosion becomes a problem, I can always polish them up and apply a thin coat of clear fingernail polish to the screw heads. http://alembic.com/club/messages/411/25827.html?1141493524 | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 652 Registered: 9-2002 |
I just love learning new things . . . stainless steel is NOT ferrous and not magnetic? J o e y | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3394 Registered: 5-2002 |
Ok, you piqued my interest. Apparently, there are different types of Stainless Steel. From Wikipedia: When nickel, for instance, is added [to the alloy] the austenite structure of iron is stabilized. This crystal structure makes such steels non-magnetic and less brittle at low temperatures. For higher hardness and strength, carbon is added. When subjected to adequate heat treatment these steels are used as razor blades, cutlery, tools etc. ... austenitic stainless steels comprise over 70% of total stainless steel production. | ||
| crgaston
Intermediate Member Username: crgaston Post Number: 116 Registered: 11-2005 |
OK, but then how do nickel steel alloy strings work if they're non-magnetic? I assume it's a matter of degree? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3395 Registered: 5-2002 |
Without actually looking up the composition of any particular strings, I found this; again from Wikipedia: MKM steel, an alloy containing nickel and aluminum, was developed in 1931 by the Japanese metallurgist Tokuhichi Mishima. While conducting research into the properties of nickel, Mishima discovered that a strongly magnetic steel could be created by adding aluminum to non-magnetic nickel steel. MKM steel is tough and durable, inexpensive to produce, maintains strong magnetism when miniaturized and can produce a stable magnetic force in spite of temperature changes or vibration. These properties made MKM steel ideal for various applications in the rapidly growing electronics sector and allowed the miniaturization of components used in personal electronics and the communications, aviation and automobile industries. Now I don't know if this is the type of steel used in Nickel Steel strings, but it does suggest a possible answer to your question. | ||
| crgaston
Intermediate Member Username: crgaston Post Number: 117 Registered: 11-2005 |
You are SO the man. | ||
| dfung60
Intermediate Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 140 Registered: 5-2002 |
With regard to nickel strings... Stainless steel strings have stainless steel wraps around a high carbon steel core. Your pickups will "hear" the core regardless of whether the wrap wire is ferrous at all. You make stainless steel by creating an alloy of iron with chromium and nickel. As you add more chromium and nickel, the alloy becomes less magnetic. The stainless steel in a kitchen knife is relatively low and is magnetic; as your kids know, the stainless on your refrigerator door is high in chromium content and non-magnetic. You'd have to unwind a string and test the wrap wire, but I would guess that they're using a magnetic stainless there. Usually, when you're talking about "nickel" strings, they are nickel plated stainless steel (this is like a D'Addario or DR), so the same behavior should be seen - you can definitely pick up the core wire, probably the wraps as well. You can buy pure nickel wrapped strings (more common for guitar, but Fender makes them for bass) where the wrap wires are totally non-magnetic, but the core wire still is "seen". The core wire is a special super-strong, high-carbon steel that's made very precisely in size. I was doing some research on this years ago and spoke to a nice fellow at the Mapes Wire Company who manufactures wire for most of the big string makers. In addition to many sizes of musical wire, they also are the big military provider for the wire in wire-guided-missiles (this is a missile where guidance information is being sent through a wire which is trailed out behind the missile!). The reason for all this metallurgy is almost kind of silly. Your frets are nickel-silver which is basically hardened nickel. Back in the old days (the 60's) strings were pure nickel wrapped and softer than the frets. When you played the strings, the frets would wear notches in the string which led to the string losing tone. In the 70's, string makers (I think Rotosound was first) started making the wrap wires stainless steel which was harder than the nickel silver frets. They didn't get cut up as much, so the strings lasted longer (of course, the fret didn't!). Because the magnetic properties were different, it was a big change in tone, which was good for some and bad for others. David Fung | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1062 Registered: 7-2004 |
"as your kids know, the stainless on your refrigerator door is high in chromium content and non-magnetic" David: You obviously haven't seen my refrigerator door. In fact, neither have I lately as it is completely covered with MAGNETS! If the above statement is true, what's keeping the refrigerator magnet industry going? Bill, tgo (Message edited by lbpesq on March 07, 2006) | ||
| olieoliver
Junior Username: olieoliver Post Number: 40 Registered: 2-2006 |
I think my Refrigerator magnets are held on by the same vaccuum that sucks all the food out and keeps it empty! Of course it may be my daughters boyfriend that keeps it empty too. HmMMM, magnet fairies then?!! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3400 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bill; David's not talking about all refrigerator doors, just the real pretty stainless steel ones. Amana for instance offers stainless steel as an option on some of their models. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 1065 Registered: 7-2004 |
You mean the Alembic of refrigerators? Sorry, can't afford one of those. (Especially after doing the weekly food shopping last night). Bill, tgo | ||
| dadabass2001
Senior Member Username: dadabass2001 Post Number: 541 Registered: 6-2002 |
That's it! I want a custom Amana with ebony laminates, dual ice rods, low impedance freezer coils, and buckeye burl butter holder! Mike the cold one | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 3402 Registered: 5-2002 |
And no doubt both of you are filling your reefers with beer! (No not those reefers!!) | ||
| keith_h
Advanced Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 360 Registered: 2-2005 |
"(No not those reefers!!)" I would hope not. They wouldn't burn very well if they were all wet from the beer. Keith Had enough for the day and going to get a cold one | ||
| dfung60
Intermediate Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 141 Registered: 5-2002 |
Whoops, I could have been clearer. When you go to the appliance shop these days, you'll see a lot of beautiful raw stainless steel doors, usually a $100-400 upcharge from regular steel. When you get that one home, your kids will be disappointed because magnets don't stick to them. Our refrigerator is regular steel and, like yours it totally covered with magnetic letters, pictures, and a gigantic collection of every magnetic business card/pizza order number that's ever been given to me. My wife would love to see those disappear! David Fung | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 665 Registered: 9-2002 |
OK, as long as you guys are on this fabulous Mr. Wizard roll, what is GHS talking about when they say they use 'filament' wire on certain strings? J o e y | ||
| dfung60
Intermediate Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 142 Registered: 5-2002 |
Joey - That's an interesting question. I did a couple of Google searches on "filament grade" and variations and it doesn't seem to have any meaning outside of GHS' marketing! Most of the non-GHS references are actually related to graphite and composite fabrics rather than steel. There's probably a good reason they used this name, based on something the wire vendor said. I notice that they don't make Progressives anymore, but that strings like their Pressurewounds are made with "Alloy 52" which is also "magnetically active". A skeptical guy would probably just say that this is marketspeak in action. I guess we could write to GHS about it. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 671 Registered: 9-2002 |
df60: I actually have been talking to GHS, but forgot to ask exactly what 'filament' wire meant. They were very kind to send me a present of some of their accessories and a Boomers TShirt. They changed their mind due to consumer pressure to keep Progressives in production. Always wanted to try one of the Gary Willis sets. They dropped the 'B52s' but still make strings with 'Alloy 52'. Marketspeak sure gets deep, but I've always used Boomers, always been very consistent for me. Plus it seems like every time I like some other string, they go away! And for some reason, NOBODY in Nashville carries Thomastiks or Alembics. Plus I'm always disappointed I find relatively few choices in five-string sets here. But I can always find Boomers so they've become my string-du-jour. J o e y | ||
| olieoliver
Member Username: olieoliver Post Number: 71 Registered: 2-2006 |
Joey, When I was playing full time I would change my strings every week and the Boomers are what I would use. They do have a good sound especially when new and they are very affordable. I have noticed in the last 5 years (being semi retired I don't change my strings as often now) or so that they don't seem to retain that bright sound as long though. And every so often I will get a set right out of the bag that just doesn't sound right. Anyway for the working basssist without an endorsement they are the perfest combo of affordability and quality! | ||
| dfung60
Intermediate Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 143 Registered: 5-2002 |
Joey - I like the Boomers too. Given my druthers, I find that Rotosound Swing Bass strings are just perfect for me in the 4 string set, but somehow, the Rotosound low B is totally not happening! I really like the piano-like zing of a new set of roundwounds for the 3 days or so that it lasts. But most of the time, I'm not all the keen on really bright strings. Rotos are stainless steel wrapped, but generally I would prefer the tone of nickel plated strings. Stainless maintains their sound much longer, but if you don't like the sound of the strings, why would I want it to keep sounding like that?!? :-) Rotos are stainless, but don't sound like that to me. I still vary 5-string sets with different basses, but I favor the Boomer 5-string sets if the particulars of the bass don't favor something else. When I had my last Series II built, I had the factory set it up with Markley Blue Steels which seemed kind of interesting at the time (this was a long time ago, in the early 90s and these strings were new). This string has a very nice quality feel, but just sounds terrible to me. That bass has had Boomers since then, although I will go for long, long periods of time between changes. On some of my other 5-string basses, I found that I liked D'Addario Slowounds, which are no longer made. D'Addario says that advances in their manufacturing mean there's no difference between the Slowounds and the XLs. It sure doesn't sound that way to me - I find that the XLs have a pretty wimpy sound compared to the Slos, although I think the low B does vibrate better in the XL set. I've got DR Low-Riders on some Modulus basses as well, although they seem a little thin to me too compared to the Rotosound 4-string set. On guitars, I used to use D'Addario XLs most of the time, but over the last 10 years, many manufacturers have brought out pure nickel wrapped roundwounds, like they were in the 60s (not that I was playing then). The Gibson Vintages or even the Ernie Ball Classic Rock 'n' Roll Slinkys are a huge plus for guitar tone in my book. | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 679 Registered: 9-2002 |
I like nickel too. The Fender 'pure nickel' we spoke of earlier ARE available for fives: You get the four string set and you can buy the same string in single 130s, if you're so inclined. Rotos are real cheap these days, they make nickel sets (the blue labels) but I can never find them. The Swing Bass sets just varied so much; it finally dawned on me they spend a lot of time at sea in containers to get here. Hmmm... I would like to try the new Markley Rocco strings, nickel wound on round cores (like round cores too), believe they're called RPS. Boomers always do seem to work on anything, at least till you find your exact preference. J o e y |
