I thought I'd share this with the TB Family and maybe save some 'Wick owners a little grief.
So after I broke a string
at a gig last weekend I had no choice but to restring my bass. This is the 3rd time I restrung this bass and I've owned it for 9 years and gigged and rehearsed with it heavily for 4 years.
Bass = 1998 Warwick Thumb BO Five String.
Warwick owners might share in my plight in finding suitable strings. Warwick's unmodified tailpiece is a source of headache for searching out suitable strings.
I originally had my bass setup for a tapered B, but had run into issues sourcing a regular scale tapered B-string in my town. They were
DRs but I don't remember if they were
Lo-Riders, or
High Beams. I'm pretty sure that they were .135s if not .130s. The only tapered DR strings available in this area are "longnecks" and they are a tad too long. From what I understand; DR only makes tapered B strings in the "longneck" variety, anymore. I could be wrong however.
The next set of strings I tried were
Warwick Red Label Med-Lights sourced from the interwebs. .125 non-tapered B string and those are the set that you will hear in the comparison soundclips. I was stoked that the tailpiece accommodates the .125 non-tapered string. I never got around to setting the action and intonation on the bass for that particular set of strings which turned out to be a blessing because with this new set, it's like a setup with just a change of strings, but that's another sub-forum.
I went back to the internet and decided to try something a little different.
Warwick Black Label Med-Lows. .130 B-string tapered (although I didn't know it at the time). I was apprehensive but put my faith in the "these are the strings every Warwick bass is shipped with" line....so I pulled the trigger.
After removing the old strings; I used the moment to give the bass a good cleaning and waxing, but that's another sub-forum. Lets just say I got a lot of gunk of the fingerboard with some therapeutic grade essential oils. The bass smells nice now.
I slapped these strings on paying a lot of attention to the details. I like to cut the string 4 inches away from the string post assuring at least 3 wraps around the post and keeping the down pressure at the nut good. I used if ruler to make the measurements and while they aren't OCD precise, I tried to keep it close. I also made every attempt to make sure the string isn't twisted, running my fingers down the length of the string towards the ball end before finally setting it into the tailpiece. Twisted strings can affect the volume output of the string. To check if you string is twisted turn you TV on and look down the neck of your bass at it. Pluck the string and if it appears to vibrate in two sections rather than one, you have a twisted string.
Onto the Pics and Soundclips:
Old Strings: 
New Strings: 
Old Strings: 
New Strings: 
It's hard to tell but the new Tapered B-string sits in the saddle properly and isn't as high off the board. It is pretty important to have your bass setup according to what type of string you use
tapered v. non-tapered.
Soundclips:
Note that these were recorded direct through the soundcard as .wav files with a BOSS LMB-3 for compression. Then encoded to .mp3. The stock onboard pre is set to the center detents (flat?) and the pup blend is centered.
Here is a clip I recorded about a month ago for a delay FX pedal clip, but the 1st half is clean.
These are the used strings ('Wick Red Label). To be fair those strings have been heavily used since Sept 07.
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7256730 New Strings: D major scale and some noodling in G
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7314185 New Strings High: Noodling on E an octave up
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7314188 New Strings No Compression: To head you guys off at the pass I recorded a clip with no compression. I've been setting the level a little higher on the LMB-3 so that should account for the volume drop off.
http://soundclick.com/share?songid=7314191
My ears aren't developed enough to tell the difference between strings and to be honest....who's are?. I'm easily pleased when it comes to strings. Give me a set that fits well and ages well and I'll be happy. That said; I think these new strings sound great. The clips are there for you to judge.
They've only been on there for a few hours but I'll keep tabs as to how quickly they loose their life. Either way I'm glad I ordered two sets. It is also a great feeling to have my old bass back.
As always any questions and comments are welcome.
~James
