Fender 9050 Custom Gauges

cassius987 · #1 08-08-2010, 10:18 PM

Just wanted to post a mini-review of some really awesome flatwounds I am currently using on my Rickenbacker 4003FL, modified with a 4002 lo-Z humbucker and an "HB-1" hi-z humbucker. The wiring harness is also a minimal loading harness per my design with full copper shielding. Otherwise the bass is stock.

The set are new formula Fender 9050s, gauges .045'', .060'', .080'', .105''. Yes, the E string is gauged larger than on the 9050L set, which is why I titled the thread "custom gauges". I acquired the .105'' E to replace my .100'' string (stock on the 9050L set) from LowEndLover, who got some singles from hasbeen (thanks very much to both of you for this!). Low End Lover is like me, a big fan of balanced tension from string to string. All of these appear to be around 40 lbs of tension for a total of ~160 lbs on the neck. The neck is dead straight, par for the course with my Ric now that it has "settled in", and the action is set very low. No buzz or noise now that I have broken all of the strings in, but with fretless that's not hard to pull off.

The strings have a mellow sound with some unique low-end textures similar but (I will freely admit) not identical to D'Addario Chromes. When first installed, of course, they have a little metallic snarl, but one 45-minute set at a punk bar rapidly fixes that! Dig in lightly and they give you a bit of a growl; dig in a lot and the sustain gets choked off and the growl maxes out. Each string has a large presence in the mix but isn't obnoxious or distracting. In the low register, the strings sound huge and growl perhaps a little moreso than the upper strings. The upper register strings tend toward a healthy "mwah" if played gently; but I have not (yet) tried any sort of Jaco-style uber-"mwah"-festival with these so I can't comment on that. I have a feeling that they are perfectly capable of it, though. I have had no trouble getting the bass to "sit in the mix" live and in the studio with these strings, generally using a clean sound with light or no compression. It is likely if you heard my recent studio work you would think I was playing a very well set-up fretted bass, not a fretless, based on the way I have played it. These strings do not have to sound like an overt fretless even if they are capable of doing that. Low End Lover is using his on a fretted bass and I believe he likes them quite well in that setting, too.

Having the gauging that I do, each string feels and sounds vey similar--the fact that the timbre of each one matches up is so awesome for me, removing the distraction of string balancing with the pickups or playing style. The normal set was already close to perfect to me but that .105'' E really shores it up; there are no tonal inconsistencies, eliminating string balance issues that could arise in studio or even perhaps live work. I've heard that 9050s might eventually come in singles so hopefully this will be available to everyone who wants it. In any case my set seems likely to last for well over a year or two, so I should be well off for a while to come.

Thanks for reading, I hope the review helped some folks out. Keep groovin'!

hasbeen · #2 08-09-2010, 09:08 AM

thanks for the review.....and thanks LowEndLover for passing the .105 along.

Yes, based on some of the PM's I received here, I'll be adding "singles" to the line as well as a 9050CL "Custom Light" set to the line.

I don't think I'll be able to get it into the stores until January though.

cassius987 · #3 08-09-2010, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hasbeen

Yes, based on some of the PM's I received here, I'll be adding "singles" to the line as well as a 9050CL "Custom Light" set to the line.

I don't think I'll be able to get it into the stores until January though.

That is so awesome! Thanks for doing that... makes me glad I love these flats so much to begin with.

Metal Mitch · #4 08-09-2010, 03:45 PM

One of the things I really liked about the OLD 9050ML set was the slightly heavier G and lighter E. Regardless of the feel under the fingers, the SOUND was much more balanced. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

The ones on my 76 P are never coming off. However I do have more than one bass I use for blues and blues/rock. I've tried a few different sets and still haven't found a suitable replacement for the old vendor's strings.

Feel free to recommend a set of flats that SOUND like the old 9050's made in Mexico.

cassius987 · #5 08-09-2010, 08:41 PM

I love the sound of these; they're perfectly balanced for output and timbre as I mentioned. They remind me of Chromes but aren't identical.

Before the replacement of the .100'' by the .105'', the E was a bit muddier. Now they all sound very well-matched.

iiipopes · #6 10-26-2010, 02:33 AM

Had the first "real" test of the new formula 9050L's at dance band practice tonight (traditional 9-piece, 6 horns + rhythm). Amazing. They have exactly what is needed to support this type of band, playing everything from jazz and big band standards to the spectrum of Latin and contemporary charts. From the first note, the attack had more of a bloom than an edge, and all the horns settled back into the "pocket" better than ever. There is a distinct upright feel to them, but still their own personality. They have a little more "bounce" to them, and my articulations were actually cleaner than on the stainless rounds I had been using. This defined the beat and groove better for the band to follow. Even the drummer noticed the difference. Finally, I noticed that I was even more secure in my positions, not resorting to open strings nearly as much, even when sightreading charts to get a bearing.

I don't have the 105 yet, so I have the 100 for the low E, but I noticed that all is not the same from string to string. The width of the ribbon wrap on the low E is narrower than the ribbon wrap on the A string, which I perceive as giving the low E more flexibility so it retains overtones and matches the set better. I am really looking forward to trying out the 105.