Nylon Tapewound strings?

Grizzly700 · #1 01-11-2009, 01:11 AM

Is this how you get your electric bass's sound to resemble an upright?

Does it work on a fretted bass?

What other things would i have to do to get my sound to resemble an upright?

Sound clips?

**mr sprocket** · #2 01-11-2009, 12:25 PM

I use the status nylon tapes on my Washburn AB20 which is fretted. IT give me a nice woody thump. With the right technique I can mimic an upright. Next I am going to get a for a fretless I think.

jasper383 · #3 01-11-2009, 06:51 PM

Yes, tapes will get you pretty close. My favorite is the GHS set; they have a really thin gauge for tapes, so you won't have any nut issues (some tapes are really thick gauge).

Listen to the Beatles "Let it Be" album. Tapes on a Hofner. Lots of hi mids, and smooth. Not really an upright sound alike, but nice anyway.

Bassman316 · #4 01-11-2009, 06:59 PM

I recently put Fender Nylon Tapewounds on my Sonata ABG, and it brought it a lot closer to sounding like an upright than it did with the phosphor bronze strings on them. I think I'll stick to the tapewounds for my acoustic electric- I just think they sound better. Not to mention they look pretty cool....

Grizzly700 · #5 01-11-2009, 07:22 PM

I was thinking of putting Fender 9120 Tapewounds on my 'Wick Corvette Std. I am hoping to be able to try out to play with my friend's Bluegrass band so we can play at the Bluegrass Festival at Dollywood.

greenboy · #6 01-11-2009, 07:32 PM

You might check out the Labella tapewounds at Carvin.com. Probably cheaper and definitely get you as close as can be had.

**mr sprocket** · #7 01-11-2009, 11:32 PM

If you are worried about gauge and tension take a look at the status strings. I was able to put them on the bass without any modification of the nut or tweaking of the truss rod.

frankie5string · #8 01-12-2009, 05:47 AM

The Fenders are a little unique... They're actually a tape-wound roundwound string.
I had them on my Jazz bass for a while - they feel more "normal" they have a relatively normal tension and feel to them - they're also fairly bright.

The ones you hear on the Let it Be recordings, Bowies "Diamond Dogs" tour or any of the Marc Bolan (T-rex) stuff, some Elton John, and War of the Worlds (everyone seems to love the effect Jeff Wayne got with the robot unscrewing) are actually Tape-wound flats... They're an acquired taste... They're made by Rotosound - their TruBass 88 strings.

I have a jazz bass with the Roto tapewounds on it which I play with a plectrum... You get a nice plasticy click with each attack and it's so warm it'll give you goosebumps with each note. You may have to widen the slots in the nut of the bass - they're monstrously huge strings and very low tension...