| Author | Message | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 736 Registered: 9-2008 |
I just bought my first fretless bass, it's a pretty wicked looking Wishbass made out of highly figured, red cedar, neck has 2 mahogany, 2 maple, and a single purpleheart lamenant and a purpleheart fretboard. I was just wondering what some good strings would be for it? It's one of the newer ones with a Kent Armstrong MM pickup and am hoping to get a nice warm, bassy sound out of it and also a nice growly tone if possible. I've never tried flatwounds but understand they are good for getting more low end. has anyone tried the D'Addario half wounds? how do they sound? thanks everyone for their help :D should be getting the bass in the next day or 2 ~Taylor | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 675 Registered: 6-2006 |
I use Fender (?) black tape wounds on my fretless. Running P/J EMG configuration. They have been on it forever. They do NOT have much of a growl. I used to use GHS Boomers on it and they growled like a Snarling Dog (bad pun). | ||
| keith_h
Senior Member Username: keith_h Post Number: 1705 Registered: 2-2005 |
I use D'Addario Chromes on mine. They are a flat wound string and very bright when new. I'm still using the original set and they have settled in and sound great. One thing worth mentioning is they are a fairly stiff/high tension string but I like that for this application. Keith | ||
| jcdlc72
Intermediate Member Username: jcdlc72 Post Number: 114 Registered: 11-2009 |
I do use very worn, old roundwound strings on my fretless. Flats didn't gave me the "growl" I was after (too much of a dark tone) and fresh rounds are just not it for me. So I grabbed a worn old set and voilá. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2067 Registered: 5-2009 |
For GROWL I use Round Wound strings , I like Dean Markley round wound , I like XL 2670 . Round wound strings CAN eat your finger board however on fretless, if it does not have an epoxy like finish on it or other synthetic material surface. For Flats I like Pyramid Gold or D'Addario Chromes. I have made Pyramids growl on fretted and fretless. I find that I can get GROWL from the proper EQ adjustment on the Bridge pickup. That GROWL is also in your SOUL and your HANDS and can be trained with your mind.______________ Just be sure to kept that GROWL on a leash when not appropriate ! _________ GROWL !!!!!!!!!!!!! lol ++++++ | ||
| mike13
Intermediate Member Username: mike13 Post Number: 105 Registered: 11-2007 |
Roto flats only way to go | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2015 Registered: 10-2003 |
Always had good luck with the same Rotosounds (swing bass) I used on my fretted basses. | ||
| svlilioukalani
Member Username: svlilioukalani Post Number: 92 Registered: 6-2008 |
GHS bright flats are a great comprimize between a brighter sound and not chewing up your neck. Alembic strings are also great on a fretless. | ||
| mario_farufyno
Senior Member Username: mario_farufyno Post Number: 731 Registered: 9-2008 |
I've tried Halfwounds in my fretted Rogue once and they didn't sounded much different from a regular nickel set like GHS's Boomer or Rotosound's Swing Bass (what means that they sounded not too bright as steel strings, but not dark as flats). The difference may be that - as I remember - they lost their top end earlier than regular nickel strings and they clearly felt more rough under my fingers. The hard edge from sanding windings makes them as abrasive as steel strings, may be more. Easier on fingers are the presurewound kind. Their compressed windings should makes them softer to fingers, but - to be honest - I don't remember them being much different from any roundwound. I gave up them because they didn't gave me the open sound I always look for (and the growl effect would be probably attenuated by that too) and seems to deaden too quickly. Ah, and they will probably eat your fingerboard too (since the problem comes from pressing metal against wood). Thats the compromise effect, not too soft as flats and not articulated as rounds. To me they were somehow disappointing, today I tend to go pick a way and go for it, deep. If you want the softness and get rid off finger noises, go for the flats, don't get stuck in the middle of the way. | ||
| souza_lima
Junior Username: souza_lima Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2003 |
sorry, wrong profile... (Message edited by souza lima on September 29, 2011) | ||
| mario_farufyno
Senior Member Username: mario_farufyno Post Number: 732 Registered: 9-2008 |
While ago I had 2 fretlesses, one strung with rounds and another semi-acoustic strung with flatwounds (I recently sold them to buy a Epifani Cab). The idea was to get one "jaco" sounding bass (round) and the other sounding more like an upright (flat). Who plays the acoustic knows that we can't get that full tone on an electric, but it fitted my needs... Although the growl was more proeminent on the one with rounds, both could growl as stated by Wolf (Sonicus). The difference was the higher-mid frequency content you get from roundwounds, and that helps to enhance articulation and definition. Flats doesn't have more low end, they lack more high end. This means they relatively sound more bassy and the aparent weakness on the growl comes from the softer higher harmonics that makes the change on tone during growling more explicit. In a Bass with fairly straight neck and action sufficient low you can get the amount of growl you need simply controling your plucking strenght. The string kind will affect how it will sound like (tone) and the way it will feel under your fingers | ||
| mario_farufyno
Senior Member Username: mario_farufyno Post Number: 733 Registered: 9-2008 |
If you have doubts on growl, it is obviously good ask for directions to (a) Wolf. Who else?... ha ha ha | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 2069 Registered: 5-2009 |
Mario, yes LOL ! I am a Friendly Wolf and Growl only for effect when appropriate . LOL ! (: I did the same thing that Mario did ,two fretless Bass's One with Flats and another with Round wounds, I agree ; if you want that" Jaco" like sound the Round Wounds won ___, to my ears at least with mind , soul and hands permitting on a good day. | ||
| 811952
Senior Member Username: 811952 Post Number: 2017 Registered: 10-2003 |
Especially if your needs are dire! ;) | ||
| tmoney61092
Senior Member Username: tmoney61092 Post Number: 738 Registered: 9-2008 |
Thanks everyone for the advice! I got the bass last night and she sounds amazing!! After reading peoples reviews my expectations weren't that high. The "finish" on it is very poor as expected but the sound is amazing as well as the action! I don't know what kind of strings are on it but assuming they are roundwounds bc it has a very "Jaco" esque sound and I love it! Thanks everyone for the help as always! ~Taylor | ||
| benson_murrensun
Senior Member Username: benson_murrensun Post Number: 535 Registered: 5-2007 |
+1 for GHS Brite Flats. | ||
| slawie
Advanced Member Username: slawie Post Number: 351 Registered: 8-2002 |
I use monel flatwound bass guitar strings by RotoSound. Seems to be some GRRR in them but then again that is mostly from technique. I was using Dean Markley Blue Steels but stopped due to the fretboard being chewed up by roundwound strings. slawie | ||
| edwin
Senior Member Username: edwin Post Number: 1043 Registered: 5-2002 |
I absolutely love DR Sunbeams on my David King fretless 5. Really good growl and every other tone I can imagine out of that bass. As much as I like flats, I'm not a fan for fretless. YMMV, LOL, etc. | ||
| jbybj
Advanced Member Username: jbybj Post Number: 340 Registered: 6-2006 |
Wishbass and Alembic, the polar opposites in the world of custom basses, but both awesome, in their own fashion. My experience/understanding of the halfwounds is that they are intended to sound like rounds, but feel like flats. I really like the D'Addario halfwounds | ||
| tubeperson
Advanced Member Username: tubeperson Post Number: 216 Registered: 5-2005 |
I use D'Addario half rounds for all of my fretless basses and some fretted basses. I have lost some high frequency hearing due to tinnitus and I need the boost. Plus, flatwounds are like pluckng telephone poles! | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 2868 Registered: 6-2002 |
tubeperson - clearly you haven't tried Tomastik-Infeld Jazz Flats, they're very supple. |
