Strings for a Stingray? (wanting to remove excess fret rattle)

i_got_a_mohawk · #1 05-12-2007, 04:17 PM

I love my newish Stingray, but, when plaing it the fret noise can be pretty distracting. Im a fan for the dug in tone, but that comes with alot of extra unwanted noises, which the stingray really emphasises.

Currently its got steel roundwounds on it (not sure what make), and, well its really the worst for excess fret noise!

Would I be better just moving to nickle rounds or flats?

I love the sound of the flats on my fretless ray, im assuming flats on a fretted ray would still have quite a difference from a fretless model?

HELLonWheels187 · #2 05-12-2007, 04:19 PM

Move to nickels and turn down the treble on your amp. Also higher gauge strings and/or a higher action will help with the fret buzz.

timmyc · #3 05-12-2007, 04:30 PM

TI jazz rounds are good for this

markjazzbassist · #4 05-12-2007, 04:59 PM

ernie ball slinkies. yummy. they sound like amazing on mine.

mvw356 · #5 05-12-2007, 05:59 PM

i play rotosound 66 with very low action. whe i dig in it rattles like an east european car on bumpy roads, when i play with light touch it doesn't rattle at all. it's not the strings you use, it's more a combination of action and playing style. IMO.

JGR · #6 05-12-2007, 06:17 PM

i've been working on taming the excess zing and here's what i have come up with...

according to their website, they come with nickel roundwound from the factory... i actually moved to DR lo-riders - while they are SS, they have more mids and less highs than a lot of strings which i feel really balances out the tone.

second, and most importantly, is the setup. they also list guidelines for this on their website. spend a lot of time with the trussrod and the saddle height - i finally got mine right the other day and all the nasty high end zing is gone.

the electronics really seem to pickup and amplify excess string buzzes which can mistakely be perceived as harsh sounding electronics. but a good setup makes a night and day difference.

JR

HMZ · #7 05-13-2007, 03:37 AM

Try a set of SIT rock bright stainless steel strings. They have a lot of tension and will not flop around and create fret noise. You can find them on juststrings.com

i_got_a_mohawk · #8 05-13-2007, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mvw356

i play rotosound 66 with very low action. whe i dig in it rattles like an east european car on bumpy roads, when i play with light touch it doesn't rattle at all. it's not the strings you use, it's more a combination of action and playing style. IMO.

I know, but there is a difference in tone, not just level when you dig in, and im trying to keep that sound without having to resort to a really high action

JanusZarate · #9 05-14-2007, 10:29 AM

mohawk, what you're describing reflects my own experience with my Stingray when I first got it. We've both got a heavy touch!

The stock strings are Ernie Ball Super Slinkys - they're 45-100 nickel roundwounds. The light gauge and string construction work against my technique!

Regardless of what strings you settle on, I'd suggest opting for a higher gauge, and adjust the action as needed to minimize the buzz. Sticking to nickel roundwounds or mellower strings also helps, but I think the gauge will help out more than anything, IMO.

I actually took a step up into "bright" string territory and bought a set of 50-105 D'Addario ProSteels. They have plenty of growl and bite, and thanks to the string construction and thicker gauge, excess fret buzz is hardly a problem. After the extra "zing" wears off with a little bit of use, I get the rock tone I've been looking for with them.

4Mal · #10 05-14-2007, 12:02 PM

A couple of thoughts...

1. setup. You may need to go up a bit. If you find that the string rattle occurs in one area of the neck more than others, you might need a neck tilt or truss rod tweak to get to the best setting for neck relief vs low action.

2. Higher tension generally means a lower possible action without string rattle so moving up to a stiffer string might be the ticket.

Playing big strings with hi tension can lead to tendonitis. You need to think about fore arm and finger stretches if you're going to take that approach. Not paying attention can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Trust me, you don't want to go there ...

Playing with a lighter touch on lighter strings is the better answer. 43 to 100 is about as low as I can get as I'm a little 'ham handed' myself. I'm trying to lighten up my picking technique. I takes a little work to get there, I'll agree.

Far as strings go in the 45 100 guage ...

DR Black Beauties might be an interesting choice. They are inherently lower noise with the coating. They also have a somewhat restrained hi end. They have presence about them theough. They aren't dull they don't have the edge that say a Rotosound Swingbass has.

Thomastic Super Alloy's are my choice for a full on metal round. Again, the hi's are tamer than say Boomers or Roto's. Lot's of extra harmonic ringing but without being harsh. I pull out a bass with these on it when I'm aiming at the big half note lot's of ringing kinda line.

I think both of those set's might help though Id lean towards the BB's given your string rattle issues.

I'm looking for a .043 through .100 set of rounds at the moment. I have one instrument where the setup seems problematic. THe bass actually set's up well, it's that I don't like large modern frets. I realy like the little tiny vintage like Fender 1962 style frets. I'm hioping the softer string will help me notice the fret's less.

G' Luck to ya!