String making?

[Tiwaz]

Since I discovered it's pretty hard to get strings for my ERB's, I've been thinking about the prospect of making my own strings.
So, what I'm wondering about is pretty much everything about string making. Does anyone here have any experience in this, what gear I would need, what this gear would cost etc. , is it possible to get this gear second hand, brands? Is it hard to make strings (even with the right equipment)? Should I forget about it?

[JTE]

A. What is "ERB"?

B. Well, it's probably cheaper than it was twenty years ago, but the fact that there are very few companies that actually MAKE strings compared to the number of brands tells us somenting about the viablity of making strings. D'Addario, GHS, Dean Markley, US Music String (I think Kaman owns them, so now that FMIC owns Kaman, who knows what's up there), FMIC (Fender, Squier, Guild, etc.), and maybe CF Martin own their own string plants. It's possible that Gibson, LaBella, and maybe SIT own their own string machines too, but it's harder to figure out. I don't know about those outside of the US, but I know there's Thomastic-Infield, Howe Music Strings (Rotosound), and some oriental ones too.

So, given the plethora of string names and brands, and companies that sell strings while making a lot of stuff you'd have to think that it's probably pretty expensive to tool up to make strings. Hartely Peavey loves to make his own stuff, and he's never bought a string company or string winder. That tells me a lot.

So, perhaps it'd be better to contact one of the big makers and investigate getting some custom made for you. I know a buddy who worked with GHS to get strings for his old Ampeg Baby Bass based on GHS' Brite Flats. GHS also custom made sets for Jimmy Johnson when he started playing 5-string a million years before anyone else was doing it. So, I know that at one time GHS was very approachable about this stuff. D'Addario did some of this too (I had a prototype set of double ball-end strings with exposed cores they never marketed).

jte

[Tiwaz]

A. an ERB is a multi-string bass, ERB is an abbriviation of "Extended Range Bass". Mine are two 8-string fretless basses, tuned F#-B-E-A-D-G-C-F.

Yeah, I've been thinking about contacting one of the bigger companies for this. I just wanted to see if there were any other options for me
Thanks for replying

[JTE]

Thanks, that makes more sense than "multi string basses". All my basses have more than one string, so they're ALL "multi-string".

jte

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

A. an ERB is a multi-string bass, ERB is an abbriviation of "Extended Range Bass". Mine are two 8-string fretless basses, tuned F#-B-E-A-D-G-C-F.

I bet thats a nice piece! I fantasize over F#.

[ehque]

the string winders that the companies use are big honking $30,000 machines that control the winding speed, tension, wrap distance, and all the other factors down to very small error. Not to mention you'll need honking loads of wire in many many different gauges as raw material. I DONT think this is something you undertake at home.

[Tiwaz]

Yeah, I guess the ones that the main string manufacturers use are quite costly. But I know there are manual string winders, with no automation etc, I reckon those would be much cheaper, but where to get one...?