Last chance: 36" - what strings?

[Sandu]

Originally Posted by knuckle_head

FWIW - I do have a 36" scale prototype that is going in to production that will sport a F#/E. It would indeed be a safer bet to build out at a 35" scale length, but my needs are intended to serve several builders and I bet I can provide something viable in about 6 to 8 weeks time.

I've modified the order for 36", and this time I'm not changing my mind again, unless I want to go even longer. I sent another email to Pyramid regarding a custom set (maybe they'll do an F# too), this time I've been more specific, so if this doesn't work out, than I guess I'll have no choice than to go your way with the F#, hopefully in time, to get the strings to the luthier to do the initial setup. I remember that thread on Jean Baudin's Hideous Claw, the project was held back by the lack of strings of proper length.

Originally Posted by Roland777

Sandu, the Warwick .175 will NOT work with a "36-scale. It's barely enough to fit the "35 Vampire Dark Lord (string starts to taper over the nut). Sure, the Warwick two-piece bridges use up a little more string-length than your standard toploading single bridge, but it's not enough to warrant a "36.

That just sucks

I already exceeded the original budget by quite a lot (can't help myself when I'm in the shop), I don't know what I'm gonna do to get the money in time... And now this proves to be more a headache than it should...

[Bass Below]

What kind of a build time did the luthier give you? Doubtful that it is less than 6-8 weeks, in which case you should have exactly what you need as far as strings go available to you from Knuckle by the time your bass is completed.

As far as the Warwick .175, if you say the individual bridges he's using only use up 1" of string, you might just be able to squeak by with it. As long as the taper doesn't start until the head side edge of the nut, you're good to go. If my measurement, your guesstimate and the intonation Gods are all good, you'll have about 1/8" of string to spare above the nut

[Sandu]

He said at least 2-3 months, maybe more since I'm all crazy on comfort, cutaways, contours, neck profiles and all that.

About getting the strings, it's the shipping time and customs that I'm afraid of the most, the 6-8 weeks are no problem...

As for the Warwick F#, I'm not gonna risk a useless purchase, 45 euros per set with no available single string (that I'm aware of, here in the EU). I'm already so stretched out. If I get my hands on one I'll surely try it out, otherwise I'll wait for the assembly part and measure precisely the total distance needed for the string and confront that with your measurement, maybe then I'd be willing to go for a set of those... They're still stupidly expensive tho, IMO.

[Sandu]

Problem solved! Pyramid were quick to answer my second email, and they can make whatever gauge and length I need, and the price was decent. Max indeed seems like a very nice guy, so everything should be going smoothly from now on. Thanks guys!

[Bass Below]

Originally Posted by Sandu

Problem solved! Pyramid were quick to answer my second email, and they can make whatever gauge and length I need, and the price was decent. Max indeed seems like a very nice guy, so everything should be going smoothly from now on. Thanks guys!

That's interesting. Do you think they'd be willing to make very heavy flats? Or extra extra long scale flats?

[Rickett Customs]

The measurement of a Thomastik Infeld "jazz bass" string from end to end is 49", if this helps.

/Jason

[knuckle_head]

Originally Posted by Sandu

Problem solved! Pyramid were quick to answer my second email, and they can make whatever gauge and length I need, and the price was decent. Max indeed seems like a very nice guy, so everything should be going smoothly from now on. Thanks guys!

If you'd be willing, I'd love an introduction to these guys. I have sent emails to a couple of Pyramids (at least two that I am aware of) and got no responses from either.

One more source for strings is a good thing!

[Sandu]

Well, it's a bit tricky. They answered my second email because they, quote: "have received your request over our US-friend, thank you". By US friend I guess they mean the user Wiro who replied on the first page of this thread and brought Pyramid to my attention in the first place. It doesn't look like I had much to do with it, so I suggest you talk to Wiro first, otherwise your email to them may as well be falling on deaf ears. By the way, Max doesn't handle English too well as far as I can see, and that may be one of the reasons why he hasn't answered my third email regarding payment methods... I knew I should have asked a german-speaking friend to write the email for me...

[wiro]

Max wrote me that my custom strings will be delivered this week. Which results in a delivery time within 6 weeks.

I cannot be 'the US friend' for I'm from the Netherlands and he knows that. My first contact however was through a US dealer. So perhaps Max's is referring to them?

And eh, by the way, his English is not that bad.
It's about the same level as mine.

[Sandu]

Sorry, I didn't see your location.

Anyway, I'll be recieving my set as well in a week or two. It all worked out well. I'm not saying Max's english is bad, it's just that there are a couple of words that I expected him to know, 'cause after all they're a string manufacturing company. I may have been just a bit nervous though, strings were the last part of the instrument I expected to have trouble with, so I'll stand by Wiro and say that he's a nice guy to work with, service is great, the price is very good (the price they gave me initially included the flat shipping rate and VAT, and even if it was the string set alone it still would have been a pretty good price), now I'm waiting on the strings so I can comment on the sound and quality, as I haven't played Pyramids before.

[Roland777]

I'll definately want to read an in-depth review of those strings. I'm seriously contemplating ordering custom F#-sets for a 6-string from them as well! Could you compare the Pyramids to a well-known benchmark, say the D'Addario XLs?

And as far as the rest goes, iti doresc noroc cu basul.