Accoousic question

slaerts · #1 09-10-2006, 05:34 PM

Hi I bought an acocustic bass over a year ago just to play at the school where i work, so i dont need expensive strings. I figure it is time to change the strings. Are there a special type of accoustic strings for bass guitars? Or do i simply put on strings from an electric bass?

Bobby King · #2 09-10-2006, 06:32 PM

"Acoustic"

richnota · #3 09-10-2006, 06:39 PM

the spell check police strike again.

Most string manufacturers make bronze bass strings (like a steel string acoustic guitar). My favorites are nylon wrapped strings from Labella and rotosound. I've also gotten great sound out of thomastik nylon core strings but they're quite costly.

MD · #4 09-10-2006, 07:02 PM

Another thumbs up for Labella black nylon tape wounds.They produce lots of warm volume, and the coating eliminates fret buzz. You can get them here...
http://www.carvin.com/products/singl...r=4012&CID=ACC

TI Acousticores are also a great sting. I used them before the LaBellas.
They are however, ~40.00 USD. They are a low gauge, low tension string, so they produce less volume then other ABG strings. Some day I might try a set on my B-10 since I amp it at all times.

Do a search on ABG, you'll get lots to read.

slaerts · #5 09-11-2006, 02:40 AM

Ok thanks guys but can i rephrase my question. I can get nice cheap electric bass strings, will these work on my acocustic bass?
I use it for about 20 minutes once a fortnight so I dont want to spend much money at all. Even US$40 is a lot as it converts to about AUD$55 over here and I can get cheaper ones for about AUD$19 to do the job.

Philbiker · #6 09-11-2006, 07:49 AM

What's wrong with the strings on the bass now? Are they losing intonation?

I've put the LaBella nylon tapewound strings on my acoustic bass, but they are much larger and much higher tension than my acoustic bass can handle, I think they damaged it.

I'd recommend standard Phosphor Bronze acoustic bass guitar strings. Electric strings will probably work but will probably sound and play quite different than the acoustic strings. I wouldn't use them, you might like them.

slaerts · #7 09-11-2006, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

What's wrong with the strings on the bass now? Are they losing intonation?

I've put the LaBella nylon tapewound strings on my acoustic bass, but they are much larger and much higher tension than my acoustic bass can handle, I think they damaged it.

I'd recommend standard Phosphor Bronze acoustic bass guitar strings. Electric strings will probably work but will probably sound and play quite different than the acoustic strings. I wouldn't use them, you might like them.

So you are saying that regular electric bass strings will probably damage my guitar. I assume by warping the neck. Is that right? Can anyone else verify this?

Michael Eisenman · #8 09-11-2006, 07:13 PM

I have a Tacoma CB-10 4-string acoustic (why, there's a picture of it, right there). It came with big ol' flats and the neck was pretty bowed.

I first tried the TI AcoustiCore strings, and while they sounded good, they were brighter than I wanted. Also, I didn't like the finger noise that resulted, as they are a roundwound string (though the windings are very fine). Very low tension and easy to play.

I then tried Ernie Ball Group IV flats, and they worked pretty well. (They were the lowest tension of the various EB groups.) Just tightened up the trussrod a bit; no problem.

I wanted a tubbier, more upright bass type of sound, so I tried the Rotosound black tapewound strings (77's, I think). Pretty good, too, but I tired of them. I think I tightened the trussrod a bit more for these, too.

My current set is TI Jazz Flats. I also have them on my Warwick Corvette Standards (4-string fretless and fretted), and I love 'em. They have relatively low tension, and the bass sounds great. I loosened the trussrod for these. They get better as they break in. They're about $40 US, but they'll last a very long time. I highly recommend them. In the long term, you'll get your money's worth.

I love flatwound strings, and any string will work with the piezo pickup that comes on acoustic basses.

Good luck,
Michael

SamTheButcher · #9 09-12-2006, 06:11 AM

I have a Dean Performer CE acoustic bass bought used that had the phospher bronze acoustic bass strings on it (probably the original ones). Too zingy and too much finger noise for me. I've had Ernie Ball flats on it, SIT power flats (half rounds) both which are electric bass strings, and had no problems whatsoever. Sounded good both amped and unamped. It currently has the previously mentioned Labella nylon Tapewounds from Carvin on it which I really like.

Hope this helps.

jrduer · #10 09-12-2006, 09:15 AM

I use Dean Markley Signature Series PhosBronze Bass, light guage (45-98). They cost about USD$28 around here (Austin, TX area). Might find them cheaper on juststrings.com, I don't know.

~John

Bass · #11 09-12-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slaerts

So you are saying that regular electric bass strings will probably damage my guitar. I assume by warping the neck. Is that right? Can anyone else verify this?

I purchased an SX acoustic bass about 1 year ago and immediately changed the strings to electrics. I used D'Addario short scale XL I think. If you do this make sure that you find the correct length strings.

I have not noticed any damage to the bass. I will go home and inspect the bridge, neck, top, etc... tonight and confirm this.

People who try my bass really enjoy how it feels, plays and sounds. A fellow bass player who also has an acoustic bass (more expensive than mine) prefers my bass to his. So I don't think the electric strings have damaged the bass in any way. People comment that the bass is quite loud for an acoustic - maybe the strings help with the volume?

I have no intentions of using any other string than electrics. I like the way they feel - similar to my P-bass. I purchased the acoustic with the intent of practicing for electric. I'm not worried about damaging the bass one bit.

Philbiker · #12 09-12-2006, 10:27 AM

There's nothing magic acout electric or acoustic strings. Just make sure that the bass and the guage are compatible. In my case, the LaBella pulled up the top on my Tacoma. If you look down the bass from the top you can see a little hump just behind the bridge. The top was flat when I bought the bass, the hump came after having the LaBella nylon tapewound strings on for about 3 years. I loved the strings, but the guage is much larger and the tension much higher than the bass was made for. Labella flats, whether nylon tapewound or steel flatwound are known for being high tension strings, that's one of the things people including me like so much about them.

The Tacoma has peculiar bracing and a solid top, so it's possibly more fragile or succeptible to this kind of damage than more conventional basses. It's not ruined, now it works and sounds great with the phosphor bronze strings, I think I like them more than the LaBellas.

Lokire · #13 09-15-2006, 08:55 PM

If any of you guys are into the tapewound strings, check out Status-Graphite's tapewounds!!! They're tapewounds in a normal gauge and tension. I like them a lot more than the LaBella tapewounds. And their tension is closer to DR HiBeams or any simmilar round-core string (maybe a bit lower even).

For acoustic bass though, I can't see myself ever using anything other than TI Acousticores now. I can't stand the tone and feel of regular bronze strings. The windings on the Acousticores are much finer, so they feel closer to a groundwound style string, plus the gauge is light and the tension is super low, which makes them very easy to play. And the tone sounds the way a bass should, rather than the bright zingy tone of most bronze acoustic strings.

With the acousticores, it takes a little while for the initial brightness to subdue. I've had them on my Kinal Kompact acoustic (fretless) for a few months now and the tone is much nicer. Really close to a small double bass kind of sound. They aren't cheap strings, but worth every penney, and I don't think I'll be replacing them for at least a year maybe. I can't wait to try a set with the piezos on my upcoming Stambaugh 6-string

Earwigger · #14 09-18-2006, 02:00 AM

I picked up a set of D'addario Acoustic bass strings at GC the other day for my Takamine ABG for 20$, only because they were the only ones GC had and I needed new ones. I'm pleased with them, nice volume, nice feel, great price. Good tone too.

I went ahead and recorded a demo of the D'addario strings on my Takamine EG512C. Recording was done through a Roland Guitar Amp (tube, 32watts) straight into my computer. The "disable EQ" button was pressed on the Takamine controls, so this is straight signal. Sounds ok, actually.. you should recognize the song, unless I suck awful.

Click here to hear Takamine-EG512C-w-Daddario-Brights