Review Summary
4.0
2 Reviews
5
50% (1)
4
0% (0)
3
50% (1)
2
0% (0)
1
0% (0)
0% Recommend this product (0 of 2 responses)
By Dan
Falmouth, Nova Scotia
Great for BEAD, CGDE on a 4 string
October 2, 2019
This big-ass worm of a string is great if you're trying to get amazingly clear, 9ft grand piano-like bottom end out of a sub-bass tuning or fifths tuning on a 4-string 34" (standard long-scale) bass.
However, the super-long scale makes it very tough to tune on a regular long-scale bass. It took 6 months for it to straighten out completely above the nut, because the full .145 ends up past the tuning peg on a 34" scale bass.
In the end, it worked fine, but I would have got this in long-scale instead of super-long, if you stocked it.
One weird thing is how the tapered end at the bridge makes it prone to that same kind of harmonics you get when you play "prepared" piano by plucking the piano strings vs. using the keys. I'm not talking about artificial or false harmonics. These are completely out-of-tune harmonics produced by the discontinuity at the taper.
When playing above the 12th fret it becomes fairly pronounced and annoying as the out-of-tune harmonics are almost as loud as the note you're supposed to hear. I'm talking about normal plucking here, not "stopping" the string to play actual or artificial harmonics, just to be clear.
Not that one has to play the 4th string that high very often (but the newer Broadway stuff tends to get up there). The string is so fat that it's hard to wrangle way up there also.
However, the super-long scale makes it very tough to tune on a regular long-scale bass. It took 6 months for it to straighten out completely above the nut, because the full .145 ends up past the tuning peg on a 34" scale bass.
In the end, it worked fine, but I would have got this in long-scale instead of super-long, if you stocked it.
One weird thing is how the tapered end at the bridge makes it prone to that same kind of harmonics you get when you play "prepared" piano by plucking the piano strings vs. using the keys. I'm not talking about artificial or false harmonics. These are completely out-of-tune harmonics produced by the discontinuity at the taper.
When playing above the 12th fret it becomes fairly pronounced and annoying as the out-of-tune harmonics are almost as loud as the note you're supposed to hear. I'm talking about normal plucking here, not "stopping" the string to play actual or artificial harmonics, just to be clear.
Not that one has to play the 4th string that high very often (but the newer Broadway stuff tends to get up there). The string is so fat that it's hard to wrangle way up there also.
ProsBig fat juicy string with tons of clear bottom end due to the tension, even on a 34" 4-string.
ConsSo big it tends to squirm like a worm under my small fingers. False harmonics are an annoyance. I've switched back to a .135 non-tapered and it's an ok compromise.
Unfortunately, a.145 non-tapered would require me to machine my bridge to fit. If I was running 5 strings and 35" scale, I would definitely buy the non-tapered version of this string to avoid the false harmonics.
Friends don't let friends use tapered strings...haha!
By j
better B string thickness
February 18, 2011
The best B string I have ever had on my Bass Guitar. No more floppiness, no more vibrating off the Fret board and easier intonation. I will never go back to a .132 for a B string.
