Low B gives ugly growl

camello · #1 06-13-2009, 03:20 AM

I have an Ibbey prestige 2006 5 string. This is my main bass. I like to pop slap and thump alot and on my B string those techniques sound horrible. I'm a big fan of elixr string but not on the B. I've used cleartone and DRs. The best so far has been cleartone. but its toooooo bright. Its good on the second week (play about 2 hrs a day/gigs) and for about a day then I get a harmonial distortion that just erks me. I usually like to play in the upper resgister. I'm learning moonlight sonata and I find myself on the B and it just doen't flow tonally with the other 4 strings. ( I tune the string and I find the they are all in 440) EADG are fine in the upper registe but the B is pissing me off.

Low Bs I don't like:
elixr- which Im a fan of
Cleartone
DRs

any suggestions.

cnltb · #2 06-13-2009, 03:44 AM

Newtone strings have worked for me now for quite a while.
The low B sounds good up to the 29th fret.
The people too, are great to work with.

**bass4worship** · #3 06-13-2009, 04:04 AM

Here a trick that works for me in the past. Cut a small brass tubing about a half inch long and able to fix the B string thur it, then put it on the string first and then thur the bridge. What this is do it will make the B string longer and add more tension to the string. It's works...

**bass4worship** · #4 06-13-2009, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass4worship

Here a trick that works for me in the past. Cut a small brass tubing about a half inch long and able to fix the B string thur it, then put it on the string first and then thur the bridge. What this is do it will make the B string longer and add more tension to the string. It's works...

You can also use copper tubing.

JustDavid · #5 06-13-2009, 05:45 AM

It doesn't add more tension to the string. You have to tune a string higher to add tension.

capnsandwich · #6 06-13-2009, 06:24 AM

I'm in love with The B strings on Sadowsky blue label stainless steels. The tone, feel, and tension are perfect for me.

camello · #7 06-17-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnsandwich

I'm in love with The B strings on Sadowsky blue label stainless steels. The tone, feel, and tension are perfect for me.

where do you suggest I get them. I don't believe I have seen any in any of the GC in my area

Sundogue · #8 06-17-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass4worship

Here a trick that works for me in the past. Cut a small brass tubing about a half inch long and able to fix the B string thur it, then put it on the string first and then thur the bridge. What this is do it will make the B string longer and add more tension to the string. It's works...

I'm curious how this makes the effective length of the string any longer, since the only part of the string affected is from the nut to the bridge saddle, not to the ball end of the string.

The reason it has been mentioned that low B strings seem to be a bit better on longer scale instruments, is that the length from the nut to the bridge saddle actually is longer.

As to the OP, it's been my experience that the low B requires a bit lighter touch than the others for it to ring out properly. Playing too hard on a low B has always "choked" the note more and cause weird overtones with it.

capnsandwich · #9 06-17-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camello

where do you suggest I get them. I don't believe I have seen any in any of the GC in my area

I get mine directly from the Sadowsky website.

dragoon419 · #10 06-17-2009, 03:34 PM

Try Warwicks. They're rather expensive, compared to Rotos or even DRs, but have a very even and bright tone. The B string is great.

Remember to wipe 'em down though. They loose their brightness pretty easily with sweaty hands.

HogieWan · #11 06-17-2009, 03:39 PM

Which guage elixir is on the B? I switched from the .130 to the .135 on my 5er and the B sounds much better.

camello · #12 06-17-2009, 10:20 PM

What should I do first. Its just for one bass. I've also heard about 35" scale bass with the low b sounding "happy" as he described it. what size tubing 1/4? Just only on the B string? wont the strings action be higher? also I had a hard time picturing the whole layout when you said

@bass4worship
"Tubing about a half inch long and able to fix the B string thur it, then put it on the string first and then thur the bridge."

will I be able to tap and snap on the b?

...

@HogieWan
I used the.130s it the only one available at the store.

I'm gonna start shopping online more often. I'm a little conservative for shopping for instrument stuff. I rather take the trip to GC or SA. and play around with the other stuff laying around.

Solarmist · #13 06-19-2009, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass4worship

Here a trick that works for me in the past. Cut a small brass tubing about a half inch long and able to fix the B string thur it, then put it on the string first and then thur the bridge. What this is do it will make the B string longer and add more tension to the string. It's works...

Uhh - can you explain that?

Sundogue · #14 06-19-2009, 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solarmist

Uhh - can you explain that?

I wanted to know that myself. I would think it would still make no difference as the usable length of a string is only from the nut to the bridge saddle.

How would extending it past the back end of the bridge make it sound better or be perceived as a longer string?

greenboy · #15 06-19-2009, 07:50 AM

A spacer's use really only can provide a couple of benefits. One is to get a fat strings final wrap wire clear of the tuning peg so the string doesn't break there. Another is to pull excessive final taper or exposed core at the bridge end back so that it doesn't make so much inharmonic content.

Anything else is wishful thinking.

Bardley · #16 06-19-2009, 07:51 AM

I have heard that increasing the distance between the ball end and the saddle increases the "perceived" tension of the string. I think it has more to do with the feel of the string than the actual tension. I'm not sure what physics are involved in this. I read somewhere that Gary Willis did the brass tube thing to some of his basses.
Warrior basses string the B and E strings through the end of the bass. They call it the "G factor" or something like that. I can notice a difference in the feel of the strings when strung through the body as opposed to through the bridge only.

You can see what I', talking about in this pic of my Warrior. You can see the strap lock then the string ferrules for the B and the E.

camello · #17 06-23-2009, 05:08 PM

I don't know if I would like to drill through me bass. I would leave it to a pro. Did you have your bass sent to a luthier? How much do you think they'll charge for that.?

Bardley · #18 06-24-2009, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camello

I don't know if I would like to drill through me bass. I would leave it to a pro. Did you have your bass sent to a luthier? How much do you think they'll charge for that.?

Warrior basses are built that way. I'm not suggesting that you do that. What the people above are talking about is some sort of round, metal spacer that you thread the string through to the ball-end before feeding the string through the bridge. This pushes the ball-end of the string farther from the saddle. Some believe this improves the feel of the B string.

camello · #19 06-26-2009, 01:10 PM

OH?!? I'm supposed to thread the piece through? ok... now I get it. Well it wont hurt to try.

PSPookie · #20 06-26-2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camello

OH?!? I'm supposed to thread the piece through? ok... now I get it. Well it wont hurt to try.

Don't waste your time with this. The physics behind this doesn't support your goal. Like greenboy said: wishful thinking.