| Author | Message | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6139 Registered: 7-2004 |
I just got an email from Juststrings.com touting Optima Gold strings (24 carat gold-plated) as the finest in the world and lasting 3 times longer than plastic coated strings. Guitar strings are on sale for $27 a set! I know all you bass guys are used to paying in this range and quite a bit more for those cables you use, but, as a guitarist, I seldom pay more than $5 a set, so these are significantly expensive. (I just checked, the bass sets are $67.50 - $90). Not that I'm itching to buy a set, but was just wondering if there is any real advantage to gold-plated strings or is it just hype. Anybody ever tried them, or know anything about them? Bill, tgo | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 438 Registered: 6-2014 |
I'm thinking Flip had those on one of his basses one time... I can see where the gold plating would resist corrosion, but I can't see how they would last significantly longer. Though I have not tried the Optima gold guitar strings, the Thomastik-Infeld strings I do use on my vintage Martins are currently about $25/set, and worth it for my ears. | ||
| serialnumber12
Senior Member Username: serialnumber12 Post Number: 1102 Registered: 12-2004 |
I had a set, that "Crispness" lasts alot longer than non gold plated strings. | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1650 Registered: 6-2002 |
I like the TI power brights. The top strings have a coating of brass. It wears some after a month of daily playing, but they continue to sound great even after 6 months. They are about $15 a set, and worth it every time I hit a note.I see it like putting great tires on the car. It might be worth trying a set of optimas, but I'd strongly recommend the TI powerbrights if your in an experimental mood.Effects are supposed to respond well to them, or so goes the hype ;) Interestingly, I've become fond of EB slinky bass strings for my G&L L2000, they cost about as much as the guitar strings. | ||
| gtrguy
Senior Member Username: gtrguy Post Number: 895 Registered: 9-2004 |
I need the bling!! Anyone got pics? | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1651 Registered: 6-2002 |
TI PB's with gold Jescar-EVO frets | ||
| slawie
Senior Member Username: slawie Post Number: 807 Registered: 8-2002 |
I stumbled upon a set of Optima Gold Flatwound a good number of years ago. Those strings were the best sounding and smoothest playing strings I have ever played. I accidentally gave them away with a bunch of other strings to a music school in Ukraine. They weren't meant to be included in the shipment but inadvertently were. I have never been able to find another set. I really think that they are the best strings I have ever played | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6141 Registered: 7-2004 |
Curiosity got the best of me. I just ordered a set. At least I found a better price at stringsbymail.com. Bill, tgo | ||
| peoplechipper
Senior Member Username: peoplechipper Post Number: 613 Registered: 2-2009 |
24k gold would not corrode or tarnish, only eventually wear away so they should last a long time and the conductivity of 24k gold is second to none so pickups should love them...I did not know such a thing existed so please update us all on them, I am curious and interested; being a goldsmith and all...Tony | ||
| elwoodblue
Senior Member Username: elwoodblue Post Number: 1653 Registered: 6-2002 |
They sure look nice at the Optima website. I'm gonna have to get onboard. I'm looking forward to hearing what you think Bill. | ||
| bassilisk
Intermediate Member Username: bassilisk Post Number: 132 Registered: 4-2009 |
I had a set long ago and I do remember I liked them, though details elude me. I think I wanted to go with something brighter so I took them off and used them on several other basses before they were finally retired permanently. I will admit though, the bling factor is tough to beat!  | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2392 Registered: 11-2004 |
I got a set for Xmas a few years ago from an ex, they sounded great and didn't lose there zing but unfortunately the G snapped at the ball end(too much popping I expect) As they were a present I don't know how much they cost but they did look good as well as sound good | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4565 Registered: 6-2002 |
I was curious about them but the price put me straight off. I think they were about £60 for a 5 string set and I wonder how long the coating would last. Maybe someone can answer this question. The metal coating on strings e.g. nickel, stainless steel or gold plating is, I assume, an extremely thin layer compared to the mass of the rest of the string, I find it hard to see how it would make a dramatic impact on the tone of the string. So my question is, is the construction of the string different depending on what the external coating is? | ||
| eligilam
Senior Member Username: eligilam Post Number: 429 Registered: 2-2006 |
I had these on both my Ric 4003 and my Wal MKI for about two years each---they lasted about 10 times longer than any non-gold set I've tried. It's expensive up front, but IMO, they last so long that they wind up being a good return on investment. Also, they look really cool on basses that have gold hardware... | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2393 Registered: 11-2004 |
jazzy..obviously the windings are not pure gold, if they were a) A set would be as much as a Series 2 ! b) The would not last long at all as gold is the most malleable metal in the periodic table. They would flatten off on the fret side very quickly ! The gold plating is to prevent corrosion from the sweat of your fingers as it is totally unreactive, there is no difference in construction, there still is a core but the windings are gold plated. As I said, it still doesn't stop eventual metal fatigue at stress points(bridge,nut and tuners)but they do stay brighter for a whole lot longer and yes they look very flash on your bass! I have just done a few gigs so I may treat myself to a set | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4567 Registered: 6-2002 |
Thanks Terry, maybe i should treat myself to a set for my Series II bass sometime and hear what they are like. I've been thinking of getting some black coated strings for my black Europa too but put off by reports of the coating not being very durable. | ||
| murray
Advanced Member Username: murray Post Number: 218 Registered: 7-2007 |
£42 a 4-set from Strings Direct it seems. I am tempted - any more people tried them? (Presently pleased with Skjold S/S at £20) Glynn | ||
| murray
Advanced Member Username: murray Post Number: 219 Registered: 7-2007 |
Plunged- ordered a set from Strings Direct. Will report back. | ||
| fc_spoiler
Senior Member Username: fc_spoiler Post Number: 1755 Registered: 5-2006 |
I wouldn't say they last longer, but they sure look extremely neat :-) Normally I use stainless steel strings that can easily (and very effectively) be revived by soaking them in methylated spirit. (I have a stainless steel tube for this and let them soak overnight, they come out as new -> unlike when you're boiling ("destroying") them in water) The Optima's do corrode after some time, these are mine after being extremely abused for a long time:  | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2396 Registered: 11-2004 |
Bloody hell FC !..you got H2SO4 coming out of your fingertips ?? Obviously that rust is coming from the wire when the plating has worn off ! | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 1156 Registered: 7-2003 |
Well, I once tried them as JE also played them for some Time But I Must say they really did Not Last that long and they Are way too overpriced. I Need that extra Piano twang and I get this much better with Rotos. But Rotos nowadays also have a Problem because they Seem to have Changed the Steel At one Point and so the Result is much more Rough feeling with them nowadays. Just my Personal opinion Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 458 Registered: 6-2014 |
Slightly off-topic... Anyone here use a GHS product called "FastFret"? (it's a string cleaner and lubricant) I have used it for years to preserve my acoustic guitar strings, mostly because I hate breaking-in time on new strings. I soon found it also extends the life of bass guitar strings, especially the bronze-wound nylon TI Acousticores, and TI Jazz Flats. (both sets = $100 U.S.) | ||
| senmen
Senior Member Username: senmen Post Number: 1157 Registered: 7-2003 |
Edward, Yes I Use it from Time to Time, mainly for cleaning. Oliver (Spyderman) | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4575 Registered: 6-2002 |
I have it and use it when I remember but I can't actually say that i've noticed any benefit at all. It has a nice smell when you first rub it on the strings.... :-) | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6152 Registered: 7-2004 |
My Optima Golds arrived yesterday and I put them on my Alembicized Modulus/Warmoth that I built last year. They do look sweet against the flame Koa top and the black graphite neck. The real test comes tomorrow when I play with Wolf (Sonicus), another guitar player, and a drummer. Bill, tgo | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4357 Registered: 5-2009 |
Bill, I look forward to the jam. I think that the musical chemistry with that drummer will be good as well as with everyone else. With strings of gold there might even be propensity towards "ALCHEMY " ! Wolf AKA Sonicus @ The Alembic Club  | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 577 Registered: 6-2012 |
Beware using too much "FastFret". It will build up on your fretboard and actually attract the dirt and crap that contributes to shorter string life. The more dirt and crap that is attracted, the more you'll want to use the product and a vicious cycle begins. I can't begin to tell you the number of filthy fretboards resulting from this product that we've cleaned at the guitar store where I work. It's so annoying that we no longer carry the product. Whether you use Optima Golds, Thomastiks or less expensive strings, the single most important thing you can do to prolong string life is keep your fretboard clean. And a clean fretboard starts with clean hands and fingers. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6153 Registered: 7-2004 |
David: What would you use to clean the phenolic fretboard on a graphite neck? Bill, tgo | ||
| 5a_quilt_top
Senior Member Username: 5a_quilt_top Post Number: 578 Registered: 6-2012 |
Soft, non-abrasive cloth or a Q-tip and a very small amount of mild non-abrasive cleaner (possibly SimpleGreen). For less involved cleaning, I'd try a little plain tap water mixed with a small amount of liquid soap (like Dawn). Whatever you do, don't soak the fretboard - make sure your cloth is just damp enough to remove the dirt. And, as you probably have figured out, the critical areas are right around the frets because that's where most of the crud collects. I use a damp Q-tip for that and sometimes have to resort to very careful use of a sharp X-acto blade for the really crusty stuff. If you do a light cleaning with each string change and routinely clean your hands before you play, you should have little or no build-up. Do let us know how those Optima strings perform - I've been curious enough to want to try them, but the price is a little scary. | ||
| dfung60
Senior Member Username: dfung60 Post Number: 613 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bill - Phenolic was the first commercial composite material. It's basically paper impregnated with a resin material. The problem is that paper can still absorb water, especially in a fingerboard which is sanded to an radius which exposes the layers (that's why it can sometimes look like woodgrain). So don't get it sopping wet, but if you use a damp cloth with some soap, you'll probably be OK. You don't want it to be so wet that water gets into the fret slots. Original Steinbergers also have phenolic fingerboards and the Steinbergerworld crowd likes to use WD-40 to clean the fretboard (Ned approves), but I have to admit that I've never tried that. David Fung | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1910 Registered: 10-2006 |
Are the unwound strings plated, too, Bill? Peter | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6155 Registered: 7-2004 |
Yep. Every string is gold. Looks real sweet against the flame Koa top and black phenolic fretboard. Tried them out in a jam yesterday. Sounded great and I didn't notice any difference in feel from my usual GHS Boomers. Now let's see how long these suckers last. Bill, tgo | ||
| cozmik_cowboy
Senior Member Username: cozmik_cowboy Post Number: 1911 Registered: 10-2006 |
Well, Doctor, I can't function because I'm having constant visions of a snowflake 000-45 with Jesco frets & gold strings; does my insurance cover the cost??? Peter | ||
| murray
Advanced Member Username: murray Post Number: 220 Registered: 7-2007 |
Reporting back after one gig with Optima Gold 45 - 100. Initial reaction was good to the sound.A bit warmer than Skjold S/S 40 -100 which I rate highly. Not quite as bright (I play fingerstyle only so that is no problem). Are they a bit stiffer in tension maybe rigid when playing? I didn't feel I was moving so quickly around the fretboard but maybe imagining. I can't think that 45 rather than 40 would make any difference, it was more in the lower strings. What does anybody else think? Glynn | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6207 Registered: 7-2004 |
The Optima Golds have been on for a little over a month, now. They look, play, and sound as when new. My GHS Boomers or D'Addarios would have discolored a little and lost some presence by now. I'm going to try their Maxiflex Gold and also an acoustic set. Bill, tgo | ||
| murray
Advanced Member Username: murray Post Number: 221 Registered: 7-2007 |
I have had to take my Optima Golds off after one gig. They look great and the sound is good but I find the density a bit too stiff for me - my fingers are not as strong as they used to be after a small fracture in one finger. They cost £42 so a bit of an expensive experiment. Terry, if you want to try them out I could post them to you, see what you think and make me an offer that suits? They are cut to fit an Orion and are 45 to 100. My email is murray@axis-connect.com Glynn | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6212 Registered: 7-2004 |
Have you checked out the Optima Maxiflex Gold? They're supposed to be more flexible. I ordered a set which arrived yesterday. I'll be putting it on my Ferlembic tonight. I'm curious how these compare with the standard Optima Gold's. Will report back. Bill, tgo | ||
| ed_zeppelin
Member Username: ed_zeppelin Post Number: 59 Registered: 2-2010 |
I use "the Stringcleaner" on all my guitars and basses. It cleans both sides of the strings with one swipe and doesn't require anything but a quick rinse twice a year or so. http://thestringcleaner.com/ Simple, cheap, effective and the bass version has an extra pad that cleans the fingerboard at the same time. I just leave them on the guitar and give it a quick swipe before and after I play. Two seconds, tops. Done. For strings, for most gigs on bass I use Carvin/GHS stainless steel: http://www.carvinguitars.com/products/40STS Ten bucks a set. They sound fantastic on my fretless basses, especially the acoustic 5-string. On my Alembic (Series 1) I rotate between three sets, depending on the gig (the advantage of our amazing tailpieces is that you can pop strings on and off with ease). I specialize in Motown and the basslines of the great James Jamerson: http://bassland.net/jamersonhits.htm The thing about James is that he was an upright man, like me. He left the factory mute on his '62 P-bass, jacked his action up so high that Bootsy said; "you had to have a friend help you play it." He used LaBella Flatwounds that he never changed, and on his Ampeq B-15, he would turn on the treble and mids to 0 and his bass control at full blast. He made it sound like an upright as much as possible. He controlled the amount of sustain by using the right hand pizzicato technique of pressing lightly against the string with the side of his finger while using his index forefinger like a flat pick, for both up and down strokes. He called it "the claw." The next time you hear anything from "Heard It Through The Grapevine" to "Bernadette" or "Knock On Wood," consider that every bass note was plucked with ONE FINGER. http://www.metafilter.com/75769/James-Jamerson-Motowns-Secret-Weapon Here's what it sounded like: http://youtu.be/rfDjwuwlJFo For the Motown orchestra I play with I use a fretless Jazz Bass (a copy of Jaco's) I made, with EMGs (w/mid expander). I wound a strip of thick neoprene through the string ends at the tuners and have a 4" length of soft 1/4" pipe insulation stuffed under the strings, against the saddles. I use a set of black tapewounds - well-used - I found in a cubbyhole of an old workbench I inherited when I went to work at Daddy's in the early 90s. I've been trying to guess the gauge ever since (circus big-top guy wire? Undersea electric cable? Ethyl Mertz' clothesline?) I tried a variety of amps and preamps over the years, until I borrowed a Tech 21 SansAmp DI at the last minute (because I forgot I'd borrowed my amp's power cable for something else and forgot to put it back in my gig bag) and ran it directly into the FOH. Boom, there was the sound I was looking for. "Holy cow, hits you right in the pants, don't it?" quoth the drummer. You bet. That's where I was aiming. I put duct tape across the top of the SansAmp so nothing would change. To this day, I have absolutely no idea what the settings are. One last thing. Legend has it Jamerson recorded all day at Motown then went out to play a gig, got roaring drunk and came back to Motown the next morning without a second's worth of sleep. Smokey Robinson had an arranger write out a very complicated bassline for the new tune he had written, but Jamerson was too drunk to read it. Instead, he laid on his back on the studio floor and said; "count it off. I'll think of something." He played two notes. To this day, over a half-century later, when you - as a bassist - play those same two notes, everybody knows which song it is: http://youtu.be/Vc_SDlPMGDA Now THAT'S genius. Jeez, I didn't realize this sucker became a novel. Oh well, it's a subject near and dear to my heart, and a VERY weird setup you might never hear of another bassist using. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6213 Registered: 7-2004 |
Ed, have you tried the Optima Gold or Optima Maxiflex Gold strings we've been discussing on this thread? Bill, tgo | ||
| ed_zeppelin
Member Username: ed_zeppelin Post Number: 60 Registered: 2-2010 |
Ha ha, yes I have, and I thought I had commented on them. Whoops. This board refreshes automatically when I go to another tab in my browser (Safari iOS, ptew), for some reason, so when I go to grab a link, when I come back the little window I'm writing in right now is always blank. So I have to copy whatever I've said to the clipboard and paste it into the world's worst WP app and finish it there, then copy and paste it back here. As you already know, I'm a blabbermouth (hell, I wouldn't read this swill if I didn't have to. What's your excuse?), with the technical computer skills of a potato. Stuff gets lost. Somewhere before I launched into my Jamerson rant (it was the thought of those wonderful, gnarly tapewounds, I tell ya), I mentioned that I have three sets of strings I use on my Alembic, depending on the gig, but the paragraph(s) about what they were disappeared in some kinda copy-and-paste nightmare. So briefly [pause for laughter] I've used a set of Maxima golds I bought years ago for studio sessions. You gotta hear them through headphones. Unbelievable. I never got another set (because of the arm and leg these ones cost me) and I was stunned when they stopped making them. So I've always taken extremely good care of these babies. I take them off, wipe 'em down and lay them lengthwise in my road case without touching each other. Frankly, I didn't know they'd started making them again until this thread! Yay! I'm getting as many sets as the Foghorn will let me. (That would be: one. You watch.) They have a wonderful warmth that no other strings I've ever used can match. There's a reason Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis used gold trumpets, y'know. (Satchmo's was solid gold!) The other sets I use are some dead-as-@&$# round wounds I've had for EVER (for country) and the aforementioned cheapie Carvins, because they sound bright as whiz zing in a zinc bucket. I use a Stanley Clarke trick that really saves wear on your strings, prevents grunge on your fingerboard and best of all, allows you to play your patootie off without getting sore fingers. I read about it in an interview with him about the inspiration for his song "Finger Prints." Get a sapphire nail file that has coarse on one side and fine on the other, and use it to sand off your fingertips (wherever skin touches string, both hands). He reasoned that fingerprints are for friction, to allow us to grip surfaces. So by removing your fingerprints, not only does it completely eliminate friction, but it also removes the skin cells that create crud and it virtually eliminates wear on the strings. Use the coarse side of the file to remove your fingerprints, then the fine side to polish the callus. You'll see. Stan's the man. | ||
| lbpesq
Senior Member Username: lbpesq Post Number: 6214 Registered: 7-2004 |
I once had a client, (20+ years ago), that removed his fingerprints by rubbing his fingertips against the cement wall in his holding cell following his arrest on relatively minor charges. By the time they got around to booking him, they couldn't get decent prints and, as a result, they never figured out who he was. I never thought about doing it for musical purposes, though. Interesting. Bill, tgo | ||
| bigredbass
Senior Member Username: bigredbass Post Number: 2430 Registered: 9-2002 |
No. Sand off my fingerprints . . . . . No. Joey | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2419 Registered: 11-2004 |
I agree Joey and on another note on that subject all you are doing is removing the protective epidermis and exposing the delicate dermal layer which is prone to damage and what happens is that it produces really hard insensitive callouses and not hard pads which we have all developed over years of playing. I think it it is one of those myths that we hear, I remember one myth that Stevie Ray Vaughan was allegedly did, he put superglue on his fingertips and then touch his forearm and ripped the skin off giving him more skin on them...a load of bull**** methinks ! | ||
| ed_zeppelin
Member Username: ed_zeppelin Post Number: 65 Registered: 2-2010 |
Ha ha, you guys make it sound like I said to stick your fingers in a belt sander. The point is to polish the surfaces of your skin that touch the strings, that's all. Look at your fingertip. How deep do you think your fingerprints are? Rub it with your thumb. See? That tiny bit of friction is what I'm talking about. Now snap your fingers. That friction is the reason you can snap your fingers. A sapphire nail file is preferable because the particles are uniform, so they don't tear your fingernail edge, they POLISH it. The smoother the edge, the harder. It's tiny snags and cracks that damage nails. Same with your fingertips. (Though I've used emery boards, concrete blocks, whatever ... And asked ladies hundreds of times; "gotta nail file?") Every time you play bass, you're grinding off your fingerprints anyway. That's what fingerboard gunk is made from, y'know. I've probably scraped enough off fingerboards to fill a boxcar. [Shudder] Mica, call Stanley and ask him if he recommended sanding your fingerprints off, in an interview umpteen years ago (talk about returning to forever...) and tell him one weird guy says thanks for saving him from terminal blisters when he was in the house band at a "Bob's country bunker" back in the 90's. In all the decades I've been telling musicians about that trick, this is the first time anyone questioned it. Everybody else went; "wow! That really works! But what do I do when I want to snap my fingers?" | ||
| adriaan
Moderator Username: adriaan Post Number: 3258 Registered: 6-2002 |
The way the Stanley method lingers in my memory, is to rub your fingers against a brick wall in case the callouses get too thick. | ||
| jalevinemd
Senior Member Username: jalevinemd Post Number: 1050 Registered: 12-2003 |
I use an emery board. Works great. File the callouses down just enough so they're not getting caught on strings but still thick enough to provide protection. Also much easier to transport than a brick wall. |
