Strings for semi-hollow body

portaflexer · #1 05-05-2007, 01:11 PM

I've got an Ibanez ASB-140 and it's still got the stock strings on it. I really like the bass but I think it could use some better strings. Anyone have any suggestions?

BTW, I wanna keep roundwounds on it. I have flats on my Jazz Bass and I'm thinking I wanna keep rounds on this one.

62bass · #2 05-06-2007, 04:32 AM

I have had the ASB140 since last December. Love the bass for the most part. I didn't like the stock strings. Way too zingy and a bit thin. I don't know why, but Ibanez continues to put cheap sounding strings on their instruments.

If you want that roundwound sound, just about any good string would give it to you. Myself, I use Thomastic flatwounds, the JF344s, but I'm a Thomastic fanatic and use them on all my basses. They work beautifully on the 140 except for one problem-on the E string, the 34" scale Thomastics come up about 1/8" short and the silk wrapping (on the E string only) sits on the nut, which of course can dull the sound on the open E. It's an easy fix. I took a razor knife and cut off just enough of the wrap to clear the nut. I suppose if you went to 35" scale Thomastics you wouldn't have this problem, but it's such an easy fix, why bother?

Anyhow, the flats on this bass transform it from a very bright, almost Music Man Stingray type sound to a very well balanced bass suitable for a lot of traditional tones, without the Stingray sound but still very prominent in the midrange.

However, it's unlikely you'll go for the flats and will stay with roundwounds, so I'd suggest the Elixers.

There's one problem with mine that I haven't yet had a chance to attend to. The tone control is totally ineffective. I've heard this is the case with a number of these basses. Does yours function normally and cut treble as it should? I'd like to know.

Other than that, I love the bass. The thicker than Ibanez's normal neck feels very comfortable for me, it plays like a dream the way I have it set up, it's a gorgeous instrument and the sound is very different from any other basses I own. It's too bad they discontinued it. I think I got the last new one for sale in Canada.

portaflexer · #3 05-06-2007, 11:39 AM

Yeah... I too have noticed the tone knob doesn't do much... but like you I really love this sound and feel of this bass. It's a gem for the price!!! I"m not crazy about the stock strings. I love the flats on my jazz... but I want to keep a bass with rounds on it too.

62bass · #4 05-06-2007, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by portaflexer

Yeah... I too have noticed the tone knob doesn't do much... but like you I really love this sound and feel of this bass. It's a gem for the price!!! I"m not crazy about the stock strings. I love the flats on my jazz... but I want to keep a bass with rounds on it too.

One of these days I'm going to get at the wiring and find out why the tone pot is useless. It'd be nice, for me at least, to be able to cut the top end a bit for walking bass lines.

Good luck finding good roundwounds for it. In my opinion, anything would be an improvement over the factory supplied ones. Playing with the pickup height does a fair bit to change the sound too.

portaflexer · #5 05-06-2007, 09:14 PM

What guage strings are you using 62bass? 45-105? 50-110? I'd like to play heavier strings if I can get away with it.

JimmyM · #6 05-06-2007, 10:57 PM

You could get away with it, but you might have to widen the nut and reset your truss rod so the action doesn't feel like phone cable.

62bass · #7 05-07-2007, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by portaflexer

What guage strings are you using 62bass? 45-105? 50-110? I'd like to play heavier strings if I can get away with it.

I'm using the Thomastic JF344 Jazz Flatwounds. I can't remember exactly what the guages are but you can find it on their website. There is only one guage offered for the long scale flats. They're fairly light-I think the E string is just under 100. Thomastic guages are quite unique and according to Thomastic, is one of the reasons for their exceptionaly well balanced sound. However, the Ibanez has a pretty meaty neck and will easily handle much heavier guage, higher tension strings than even the stock ones, if you want fo go with strings that feel like cables. I've also found the neck to be quite stable under the insane humidity changes we get here in Southern Ontario.

If you went with a heavier guage string than the factory supplied ones, you might have to widen the nut slots. I'd just put them on and do it after if it's needed. Same thing with the truss rod. That's a very easy adjustment. When I put the Thomastics on I had to back off the truss rod slightly because of their lower tension. Pretty easy job all around. I didn't have to do anything to the nut. Just adjusted the bridge height to my liking and screwed the tailpiece down closer to the body for a bit more downward angle over the bridge and played with the pickup height until I had the sound I like. You can get the action quite low without buzzing, at least with the Thomastics. I set mine up about medium. I find that really low action, on any bass, compromises the sound somewhat so I like it a bit higher than some.

portaflexer · #8 05-07-2007, 03:22 PM

It looks like it's got 45-105's on it now. I don't have a caliper, but I compared them to an old set I had laying around. Maybe I'll just stick with those, but I wouldn't mind throwing a set of 50-110's on her.

Lokire · #9 05-08-2007, 04:41 PM

I've been using TI Jazz Rounds on my hollowbody Guild. They sound and feel perfect for that bass, but probably aren't what you're looking for since they're a very light gauge. .89 on the E-string, definitely not good if you have anything but a light touch.

But if you want to keep with roundwounds, I would try a nickel roudwound set. Maybe some DR Sun-Beams. They're a great nickel set and you should be able to get a heavier gauge.

portaflexer · #10 05-09-2007, 07:05 PM

Well... I stopped by my local gear shop today. I wasn't really looking for anything particular but they had a big banner... "25% off all DR strings." I took that as a sign and picked up a set of Lo-Riders in 45-105 guage. They didn't have any Sun-Beams in stock. I just slapped them on the bass, so it still has that new string feel that I hate,

but give them a couple weeks and they'll probably sound pretty good.

**MAJOR METAL** · #11 05-10-2007, 05:54 PM

TI Power Bass Strings By far my favorite rounds for hollowbodys.

Lokire · #12 05-10-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAJOR METAL

TI Power Bass Strings By far my favorite rounds for hollowbodys.

That's the one TI set I haven't tried yet. How would you describe them? Can you compare them to any other TI strings?

SGT. Pepper · #13 05-13-2007, 12:52 PM

Flatwounds. Chromes or LaBella's.

portaflexer · #14 05-13-2007, 08:33 PM

I have chromes on my Jazz bass... love 'em. I wanna keep rounds on this one though.

portaflexer · #15 05-14-2007, 12:49 PM

I tried a set of stainless steel strings a few years ago and I didn't like them. I figured I'd give them another shot... well... I'm pulling the DR's off today and putting the old ones back on. I'll probably just pick up a set of D'Addario XL rounds, 50-105.