A string went noticeably quite after string change

[Basschi]

(Not sure whether I should have asked this on the pickups forum.)

Just got this new fretless bass which came with roundwound strings.. Of course my first act was to change them with flatwounds. However I sadly discovered that the A string sounds noticeably quite (perhaps half the volume) in almost EQ / blend settings .

Can't be related to the nut, because I get low volume with open strings as well as any fret(?) position

Putting back the original roundwound A string fixes the problem. This made me suspect the bridge - and I noticed that the flatwound A is significantly thicker than the rw A, which causes it not to fit completely into the 'rail' in the bridge, therefore the string sits a bit higher than the others (curiously this is not the case with E or B strings).

So I have to try lowering the string, but I don't have an Allen wrench. While I look for one, may I get opinions on this? I still find it hard to believe that lowering that string by that 0.5 - 1mm will actually boost the signal enough to make things equal.

Could there be something else wrong with the string/pickup/bridge etc?

[DavePlaysBass]

1mm is a lot. I like to put a capo at the 1st fret and measure string height at the 12th fret per the Sadowsky setup article in the sticky area of the bass setup forum.

[TheBassBetween]

I would assume if the string isn't sitting properly in the saddle then it's not causing the whole body to vibrate as much as if it were sitting properly.

[Johnny Mack]

you got a dead string, it happens sometimes. get another set or another string.

[Basschi]

Thanks for the replies.
Now I found the wrench and lowered the string. I'd almost say it helped a bit, but still there's a big difference.

I also did some more controlled experimentation:

- the problem is most noticeable with the neck pickup. The bridge pickup is pretty well balanced.

- the volume difference is most obvious in the mid range. If I kill mid and treble, the balance is OK. If I only boost mid, A string is quite to the point of being unplayable

The string's fit on the saddle doesn't look too bad, though. just a bit high.

Given these facts, should we go with the dead string theory, or the sound transmission? Suggestions for anything else to try?

I'm asking 'cos a new set of strings cost a lot


Thanks a lot.

[chroma601]

I just put new strings on my MK Dragonfly ABG, and my E has gone very quiet compared to the other three. I suspect a dead string.

[therex]

is the problem when plugged or umplugged?

[chroma601]

Sorry for the delay - I played in this morning unplugged and the string sounded fine. Oddly, the previous set was equally loud on all strings when plugged in. This set sounds fine acoustically but the E string is much lower in volume when plugged in. Setting the Amp EQ as well as the pickup tone controls helped a little bit, but was not a fix.

[Bongolation]

Funny, I frequently have this sort of problem on the G strings I change on my various basses -- it either seems hotter or quieter. I've never gotten to the bottom of it.