String Tension on New Fender 9050*s v. Old?

Bongolation · #1 10-23-2010, 06:22 AM

Just curious: Are the "new" Fender 9050 series flats any lower tension than the old Mexican-made ones, or are they more proportionally-tensioned per gauge than the old ones?

Thanks for any help with this.

RCCollins · #2 10-23-2010, 06:22 AM

sadly, they are significantly lower tension

mongo2 · #3 10-23-2010, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCCollins

sadly, they are significantly lower tension

Ratz.

Bongolation · #4 10-24-2010, 06:49 AM

I'm fine with the lower tension.

The MIM 9050s all seemed to have about the same very high tension, irrespective of gauge.

I got several sets of the new 9050MLs and was wondering if they were safe for my Jaguar bass, which has an extremely thin neck. I wound not have used the old 9050MLs.

RCCollins · #5 10-24-2010, 07:10 AM

then the new ones might just work for you! of course, they sound nothing the same...

TimB 619 · #6 10-24-2010, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bongolation

I'm fine with the lower tension.

The MIM 9050s all seemed to have about the same very high tension, irrespective of gauge.

I got several sets of the new 9050MLs and was wondering if they were safe for my Jaguar bass, which has an extremely thin neck. I wound not have used the old 9050MLs.

Should be no problem

Bongolation · #7 10-24-2010, 11:05 PM

I'm hoping it'll be OK.

The Jaguar has the same neck dimensions as the skinny Geddy Lee, which had some pretty serious neck-warp problems, initially, if you recall.

I hated the old 9050s, which were terrible strings -- or at least had terrible runs/bad QC. Trying to get the tension down, I got some 9050Ls, which turned out to have about the same tension, but had obnoxiously bright G strings on the several basses on which I used them...pung, pung, pung, PING!

I put a set of the new 9050MLs on my new '09 AS Jazz, but they're still too bright to really evaluate.

bassbully · #8 10-25-2010, 08:18 AM

Word is they are allot like Chromes sound ,feel and play like them too. Thats great in my book. I hated the old Fender flats and am off to try the new sets.

Metal Mitch · #9 10-27-2010, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Word is they are allot like Chromes sound ,feel and play like them too.

I never noticed Chromes to be particularly high or low in tension. The new 9050s are extremely low tension.

stratovani · #10 10-27-2010, 08:31 PM

Last night I put on a set of the new 9050MLs on my P-bass, and I tried them out at band rehearsal tonight. Just a couple of observations:

Tension - didn't seem any different to me from my old set of 9050MLs. As a rule I like high-tension strings, and I have no complaints with my new set of 9050MLs.

Feel - felt a bit rougher than my old strings, but they're new strings, so that's to be expected.

Tone - this is where it gets interesting. They have this bright, piano-wire sound to them, and when I drive my amp they sound real gnarly, but in a good way. My drummer said I sounded like I had a Rick! No thump, but I like the versatility. And the sustain, oh my word! Seems to last for days!

Verdict - I like them!

bassbully · #11 10-27-2010, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metal Mitch

I never noticed Chromes to be particularly high or low in tension. The new 9050s are extremely low tension.

Another Tber compared them straight up to chromes and said that.
He said he couldn't really feel or tell the difference.

CPplaysBASS · #12 10-29-2010, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbully

Another Tber compared them straight up to chromes and said that.
He said he couldn't really feel or tell the difference.

I was that TBer I think, and my experience is with the 45-100 set (9050L) ... not just feel and tone but also in terms of no truss rod adjustment when switching with the 45-100 Chromes - on three different basses to boot.

The one difference between the Fenders and the Chromes is the gauge of the D string (.60 for Fenders vs .65 for Chromes), but I'm a real stickler when it comes to setting up my basses to exact measurements and the Fenders do not have less tension than the Chromes. Adjusted the saddles only slighty for intonation and that was it.

Metal Mitch · #13 10-30-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CPplaysBASS

I was that TBer I think, and my experience is with the 45-100 set (9050L) ...

strange... I tried the 9050ML, which should be higher tension than the 9050L. They were noticeably lower in tension than both 45-100 and 50-105 Chromes I used for about 2 years. But I didn't try them on the same bass...

Bongolation · #14 10-30-2010, 05:51 PM

I can't make up my mind about these new 9050ML strings.

Rough, twangy...yes, and I don't like either. Zero thump. Maybe they'll deaden out in a few weeks.

They don't seem materially lower tension than the old ones to me -- maybe some, but not much.