Less "mid-scooped" SS strings than Fatbeams

SuperDuck · #1 04-29-2006, 09:36 AM

I currently have my Marcus Miller Jazz bass strung up with Fatbeams. (I had to try it at least once!)

I find them to be kind of mid-scooped. I've always played Nickels and am somewhat new to the SS sets.

What are some more balanced SS strings? Something with a little bit more midrange and thus a little more balanced.

SFjonstarr · #2 04-29-2006, 07:50 PM

It was my understanding that the Fat Beams were supposed to have more mids than the regular SS Hi-Beams. You might want to give the SS Low-Riders set a shot. That or the SunBeams they do which are like nickel Hi-Beams. You're probably going to want to stick with nickel strings if you're looking for a more mid-heavy tone.

seansbrew · #3 04-29-2006, 09:01 PM

Having tried countless SS strings, I find Fatbeams to have an excellent midrange voicing. More so than any of the other DR SS strings. I use them on my five string basses.

SuperDuck · #4 04-29-2006, 09:05 PM

Hmm... mayhaps it's just the natural tone of my bass, then. But with all eq flat I still hear a scooped type sound - I just chalked it up to the strings.

DavePlaysBass · #5 04-29-2006, 09:29 PM

In your profile you have a MM J and a Sansamp. The Ash / Maple MM J with a bass and treble boost preamp can have a scooped voicing. Throw in the Sansamp with boost on the Treble and Bass and you may be adder more scoop to the equation.

Dave

SuperDuck · #6 04-29-2006, 09:31 PM

That's a very good observation - you're probably right on the money with the ash/maple combo, though I have not been using my Sansamp as of late. I'm guessing it's just the way the bass is.

LoveThatBass · #7 04-29-2006, 11:53 PM

removed

DavePlaysBass · #8 04-30-2006, 09:58 AM

I just bought my first ash / maple combo. It is a G&L Tribute. I put DA XL nickels on this naturally bright beast and it has nice tone. I wonder if a nice fat nickel string the ash / maple might not be the way to get some mids for you.

On my Alder / Rosewood Sadowsky I prefer steels to get some of the bite that wood combo seems to lack.

Dave

Sean Baumann · #9 05-04-2006, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperDuck

Hmm... mayhaps it's just the natural tone of my bass, then. But with all eq flat I still hear a scooped type sound - I just chalked it up to the strings.

I know what you are saying, I noticed the same thing on my Fender Jazz Deluxe V. I put on some Hi Beams, and my initial reaction was "These are so doinky." Now that I think about it, that is the term I would use for a mid scooped and sort of springy sounding. Now that I have had them on for two weeks and numerous hours of rehearsal and practice, they have settled down and actually have a midrange voice now. I think what really has happened is they have lost some high-end, which makes the mids more noticable.

They still seem to have alot of travel (low tension?), especially on the B.

woody357 · #10 05-04-2006, 06:22 PM

Try Ken Smith Burners

Darth Tater · #11 05-04-2006, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by woody357

Try Ken Smith Burners

He's already got DR's...why downgrade?

paulraphael · #12 05-04-2006, 07:53 PM

"But with all eq flat I still hear a scooped type sound - I just chalked it up to the strings."

not trying to be cheeky .. but isn't that what Marcus Miller sounds like? is it possible they designed the bass capture that?

Lorenzini · #13 05-05-2006, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darth Tater

He's already got DR's...why downgrade?

Well, I attest, Ken Smith Burners are AWESOME and the best string type next to DRs imo.

pickles · #14 05-05-2006, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Baumann

They still seem to have alot of travel (low tension?), especially on the B.

That is due to the greater flexibility of the string from the round core. I love it on most basses, but on a really resonant bass it can get out of control.

High beams do take about 1-2 weeks to start sounding thier best, but then they sound that way for a loooooong time.

seansbrew · #15 05-05-2006, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickles

That is due to the greater flexibility of the string from the round core. I love it on most basses, but on a really resonant bass it can get out of control.

High beams do take about 1-2 weeks to start sounding thier best, but then they sound that way for a loooooong time.

Good observation, on my Modulus Q5 MM strings last for three to five months (I also do not have acidic chemistry).

Keeaumoku · #16 05-10-2006, 02:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seansbrew

Having tried countless SS strings, I find Fatbeams to have an excellent midrange voicing. More so than any of the other DR SS strings. I use them on my five string basses.

+1...

I very recently strayed from the Fatbeam reservation and decided to try out the DR 'Black Beauties'... They looked great contrasting against the maple fret board of my Fender Am Dlx P-Bass-5... the body color is 'Montego Black' with a gold pick-guard.

Well... looks are definitely not everything! While the strings did have a rather appealing sound, and they did feel good to my left-hand fingers, my right-hand plucking fingers hated them. If I wanted to do a run of 1/16th notes... or faster... my fingers continually got 'stuck'... I was dropping chops all over the place. Of course, using a pick was no problem, but I play with a pick on only a few of our songs... most playing is finger style, or slap...

I took my bass back to the store today, and I had them swap out the Black Beauties, which had been on my bass for only three weeks, for my preferred Marcus Miller Fat Beams... I wrote this experience off as a failed and expensive experiment in attempting to make a string fashion statement...

applerocks · #17 05-10-2006, 03:16 AM

I find that DRs have a very short lifespan, at best they tend to last me about 3 weeks before they begin to make my bass sound like rubber bands on a tissue box. If I use them in a gig, I have to change them right after.

Why don't you try looking at Optima strings? I find that they last forever and have a very balanced tone.

Keeaumoku · #18 05-10-2006, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by applerocks

I find that DRs have a very short lifespan, at best they tend to last me about 3 weeks before they begin to make my bass sound like rubber bands on a tissue box. If I use them in a gig, I have to change them right after.

Why don't you try looking at Optima strings? I find that they last forever and have a very balanced tone.

Wow... I find this rather interesting. I latched onto DRs because I found they would give me a satisfying sound for at least three months, and that is usually when I would change strings, anyway... I used to swear by Rotosounds, but that was years ago, and they were always pretty harsh on the frets... At some point I switched to GHSs, and used them for a long time, until I discovered DRs... I just recently put a set of Elixers on my four-string. While I do like their sound and feel, I just noticed the other day that the coating on the E-string appears to be coming off right around the third fret... and these strings have been on my bass for only three weeks! I took it along with me to the same store I mentioned above, and the store owner said he was going to have Elixer send him/me a replacement E-string... so we will see about this...

Please don't accuse me of living in a box, but I've not heard of Optimas...

To each their own... I suppose...

seansbrew · #19 05-10-2006, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by applerocks

I find that DRs have a very short lifespan, at best they tend to last me about 3 weeks before they begin to make my bass sound like rubber bands on a tissue box. If I use them in a gig, I have to change them right after.

Why don't you try looking at Optima strings? I find that they last forever and have a very balanced tone.

Could it be possible that you have acidic chemstry? I have a friend that changes strings constantly because his chemistry is such that his strings die fast. We use the same stings and mine typically last me 6 times as long.

applerocks · #20 05-11-2006, 06:50 AM

I think I do have acidic chemistry, but DRs still tend to last less than other brands. I've heard a lot of other players commenting on this as well, astonishing sound for the first few weeks then unusable. It could be that I like a very bright sound and DRs dont retain their brightness for very long?

Optima are a fairly small brand I think the only bass player that I can think of that used them was John Entwistle here's a link

http://www.thomann.de/iw_smb_suche.h...BEGRIFF=optima