Mixed tone with mixed strings - HELP

[BigDaveyTwinkle]

I have a new SX bass and a new Acoustic B200 amp. While putting the two through a shakedown, I noticed my E and G strings were badly muted (sotto voce) in comparison with A and D strings on a 4 string bass. I adjusted pickup height (new Dimarzios installed) with no affect. I then recalled the E and G strings are original to the bass, probably no name Chinese strings while the A and D strings were out of the pack new GHS B52 Boomers I had laying around.

Without a new set of strings to slap on, can anyone else confirm that this is typical for mixed strings on a bass? I have never before had a mixed string set on a guitar and did not know the difference would be so profound ...

Thanks in advance for comments -

[XylemBassGuitar]

BigDaveyTwinkle,

Newer strings will sound more metallic and bright than older strings.

But, in your case, it sounds like the muting is more extreme than to attribute it to old strings.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) If you absolutely don't want to get new strings, take off the E and G strings and boil them for about ten minutes. Put them back on the bass and see if the muting is gone. The boiling will remove output-reducing grease, grime and oil.

2) Replace the E and G strings with new ones.

3) If the latter and former don't help, you may need to adjust the E and G strings slightly towards the center of the pickups (I hope your bridge has side-to-side adjustment capability). The side edges of pickups do not pick up sound as well as the center of the pickups, and the magnetic field dies off more quickly the farther out you go.

Let me know how it turns out.