Recommend Some Tapered Strings

[Mike]

hey gents,

i have one bass that seems to set up better with tapered strings. i normally don't use them and am not sure what brand came with the bass. can anyone recommend any quality sets? thanks.

[vitch]

Hi Mike, I like my Warwick Black Label Med/Lights for my 5 string Warwick Streamer Stage 1. That bridge would take some work to accept a non tapered string.

[DGbass70]

i don't mean to hijack this thread but...are WARWICK BLACK LABEL expensive and are these the ones they put on their basses as stock?

i've been wondering the same thing as MIKE
i had a set of another brand but it was expose core instead of tapered(i never even tried them)

[dbesq00]

Originally Posted by vitch

Hi Mike, I like my Warwick Black Label Med/Lights for my 5 string Warwick Streamer Stage 1. That bridge would take some work to accept a non tapered string.

Pardon my chagrin. What are tapered strings? What is their significance?

I'm a newby and I have no clue. I am familiar with round wound, half-wound and flat wound strings. I have not heard of tapered strings.

Thanks.

[Mike]

tapered strings have a smaller diameter than the actal string near the ball end. they rest lower in the bridge saddles and, in some instances, can aid in lowering action. there is a theory behind it with which i am unfamiliar. i don't pay a lot of attention to theories.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by DGbass70

i don't mean to hijack this thread but...are WARWICK BLACK LABEL expensive and are these the ones they put on their basses as stock?

i've been wondering the same thing as MIKE
i had a set of another brand but it was expose core instead of tapered(i never even tried them)

what were the exposed core strings?

[Blues Cat]

KS balanced tapered strings. I just got a set for my Carvin LB75PF & it's like KS made them to fit it perfectly. Great tone BTW.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Blues Cat

KS balanced tapered strings. I just got a set for my Carvin LB75PF & it's like KS made them to fit it perfectly. Great tone BTW.

where did you find them?

[Doctor J]

Dean Markley SR2000 strings, superb!

[DGbass70]

Originally Posted by Mike

what were the exposed core strings?

those are the kind that don't have the winding at the ball's end, it's probably a little bit more than 1 inch from the ball end up.

[pickles]

If its for a 5 string I've got a few packs of Ken Smith tapers, I could sell ya one for $15.

I actually really like Dean Markely SR2000s though ...

What bass is this for?

[BassTerd]

Originally Posted by DGbass70

i don't mean to hijack this thread but...are WARWICK BLACK LABEL expensive and are these the ones they put on their basses as stock?

i've been wondering the same thing as MIKE
i had a set of another brand but it was expose core instead of tapered(i never even tried them)

Warwick black label strings do come stock with there basses. I have a extra pack for a 4string if your interested.

[Philbiker]

Originally Posted by Doctor J

Dean Markley SR2000 strings, superb!

Yup. I've got the "Will Lee" 4 string set on my Palaedium. Nice strings. The only thing I don't like about them is the taper! I'm not a fan of tapered strings that require sky-high E and A string bridge adjustments to work. If the bass/bridge was built specifically for tapered strings, that's a different story, of course, as in this case.

[zac2944]

Originally Posted by Mike

hey gents,

i have one bass that seems to set up better with tapered strings. i normally don't use them and am not sure what brand came with the bass. can anyone recommend any quality sets? thanks.

I've done A LOTof experimenting with tapered strings. Before I could recommend any strings I would need to know the following:

1. What bass are you putting them on?
2. What type of bridge and is it strung through the body (very important to know!)?
3. What type of tone are you after? What style of music? Give an example.

Answer those question and I will recommend a set of tapered strings.

I have a written in a few post about how important it is for tapered strings to fit your bass and bridge. You can't put any tapered string on any bass and expect it to work properly. If they don't fit correctly you will get a nasty warbeling overtone when you play up high on the E and B strings (if you have a 5 string).

Here's one of the posts: Taper/Exposed Cores Duke It Out

Zac

[Philbiker]

Originally Posted by zac2944

Here's one of the posts: Taper/Exposed Cores Duke It Out

Thanks, Zac, for posting that link! Nice to know that the Smith bridge that I've fitted to my Palaedium is a good match for the taper strings on there.

[zac2944]

There is another thread going that is discussing something similar. Here's my post that I think does a good job of explaining why tapered strings have to fit:

Originally Posted by zac2944

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I did some experimenting a while back and believe I figured out what causes this "out of tune" sound you get high up on the B and E strings. Other have described this as a "warbling" or "chorus" type of sound, but I know exactly what you are talking about.

In a nut shell, I'm convinced that in order for taper strings to work properly and not make this sound they have to fit your bass and bridge. By "fit" I mean that the thin end of the string between the ball end and the taper need to be the correct length such that the taper is as close to the saddle as possible. The further the taper is from the saddle the more you will hear the "out of tune" or "warbling" effect.

I posted about it here.

I figure this all out while experimenting with different brands/types of tapered strings. I noticed that this effect got worse as the taper moved further away from the saddle. Try using a set of DR Longnecks on a bass that isn't strung thought the body. This will put the taper about 2" from the saddle since these strings are made to be used with basses that are string through the body. You will notice this horrible out of tune sound the higher up you play on the E and B strings.

Here is a graphic illustrating the idea:



Can anyone else support or argue against this theory?

[DGbass70]

Originally Posted by BassTerd

Warwick black label strings do come stock with there basses. I have a extra pack for a 4string if your interested.

I would if it was a 5

[Carver]

LaBella Slappers are my favorite!!

[dbesq00]

Originally Posted by Mike

tapered strings have a smaller diameter than the actal string near the ball end. they rest lower in the bridge saddles and, in some instances, can aid in lowering action. there is a theory behind it with which i am unfamiliar. i don't pay a lot of attention to theories.

Thank you, Mike, for such an eloquent explanation.

I see now. Lowered action means that you can play faster, at least in theory. That makes a lot of sense. I just love theories, Mike.

Well, now I will take note of strings that are tapered vs. those which are not.

Hmm, I believe that I am really becoming a seasoned bassist.

[Blues Cat]

Originally Posted by Mike

where did you find them?

Juststrings.com