Taper/Exposed Cores Duke It Out

[Modern Growl]

These Strings are going to duke it out for The Taper/Exposed Core Championship of the World!!!


Dean Markley SR2000's
vs.
Rotosound Piano's
vs.
Ken Smith Exposed Core

And the World Champion of the Taper/Exposed Core by decision is......

(( YOU DECIDE ))

[Modern Growl]

Tough Crowd!!! I guess you guys just dont like my topics/threads huh?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

We don't make Exposed/"BareCore"(tm) any more. We stopped in 1983 when we introduced our "TaperCore"(tm) Bass Strings to the world.

Continue your tests now.. I'm gone..

[Modern Growl]

Thanks for the clarification Ken! I just bought all 3 sets, and I will conduct my reviews shortly. I heard nothing but good things about your strings as well!

Quick question. Who makes your strings? Does Ken Smith do it, or does another company like Labella or GHS do it?

[KSB - Ken Smith]

Who makes the steering wheel in your car or makes the Bumper?.. This is inside info and complicated as well.

We handle all the raw materials here for packing and the Bulk Strings as well. We cannot have String winding machines in the shop because of all the fine wood dust so we have our Custom Designed (by me) Bass and Guitar Strings wound outside our woodshop. We cannot disclose who does this or prints our lables or makes our boxes or makes the plastic vinyl pouches or anything else about our suppliers or internal business.

A customer BUYS the PRODUCT, not the Shop it is made in. Many Brands are made in other shops as not all make Ground Strings, and not all string companies make Bass strings or Gut String for Violin and Double Bass and regular Violin family strings.

You would be suprised or even shocked at who makes what for who. That info is basically useless except for the wanna know type person. Players listen and feel and rarely read or judge by the package alone.

PS; there are other brands on the market by at least two companies that were designed by me many years ago. They don't use my name and I don't use theirs.

[JRBrown]

Originally Posted by Modern Growl

Dean Markley SR2000's
vs.
Rotosound Piano's
vs.
Ken Smith Exposed Core

(( YOU DECIDE ))

I've used the Dean Markey SR 2000's and Ken Smith Taper Cores extensively. IMO The SR 2000's are too zingy and produce unwanted overtones. The Smith's Taper Cores do indeed bring out the best in a Smith bass.

JB

[rsautrey]

Hey Modern Growl, have you actually installed the Rotosound PSD set yet? They are a bit of a PITA to install, they have an adjustable ball end so that you can dial in the exact amount of exposed core that you need for your bass.

[nysbob]

I've been using & recommending Smith tapercores for the past 12 years.

[Modern Growl]

Originally Posted by rsautrey

Hey Modern Growl, have you actually installed the Rotosound PSD set yet? They are a bit of a PITA to install, they have an adjustable ball end so that you can dial in the exact amount of exposed core that you need for your bass.

Not yet, but as soon as I do, I'll give my review!

Did you ever use them? Do you like them? Which would you go with out of all 3?

[Fuzzbass]

I love the Smith Tapercores. I agree with JRB that they aren't too bright. I've read that the DM SR2000's are very bright... that can be a good thing, depending, but the music I play these days requires phatter tone so I haven't tried the SR's yet.

[rsautrey]

Modern Growl, I've used both the Rotosound PSD and the Dean Markley SR2000. I liked the Dean Markley the best BUT....I've never had very good luck with intonating taperwound or exposed core strings. To my ears, they sound terrible from about the 8th fret up, especially on the E and A strings. This is with a complete setup including neck relief, string height, and pickup height. I just can't dial these things in. I've e-mailed both Roger Sadowsky and Ken Smith about this and Roger said it was possibly bad strings which I don't believe, and Ken Smith said that he thought it was pickup height, which I know wasn't the case. I'm not tring to start an argument here, just telling you my experiences. BTW, all of this is on Fender Basses = a jazz, a precision, and a precision plus from the early 90's. These are the taperwound/exposed core sets that I've tried and ALL of them have exhibited the warbling/chorusing effect in the higher registers:

Dean Markley SR2000
Labella Super Steps
Rotosound RS99 PSD
DR Long Necks
Trace Elliott Stainless (discontinued)

For the record, I've never tried the Ken Smith that you mentioned. Also, GHS makes a Contact Core Super Steel set that I've never tried. Currently, I like and use DR strings, preferring stainless steel Lo-Riders and Hi-Beams. The Fat Beams are OK too. These strings intonate awesome on my basses and are extremely bright and growly for a long time. Modern Growl, you don't like DR strings very much do you?

[nysbob]

Originally Posted by rsautrey

These are the taperwound/exposed core sets that I've tried and ALL of them have exhibited the warbling/chorusing effect in the higher registers:

Wow, I never experienced a problem like that with the Smiths.

[Modern Growl]

Originally Posted by rsautrey

Modern Growl, I've used both the Rotosound PSD and the Dean Markley SR2000. I liked the Dean Markley the best BUT....I've never had very good luck with intonating taperwound or exposed core strings. To my ears, they sound terrible from about the 8th fret up, especially on the E and A strings. This is with a complete setup including neck relief, string height, and pickup height. I just can't dial these things in. I've e-mailed both Roger Sadowsky and Ken Smith about this and Roger said it was possibly bad strings which I don't believe, and Ken Smith said that he thought it was pickup height, which I know wasn't the case. I'm not tring to start an argument here, just telling you my experiences. BTW, all of this is on Fender Basses = a jazz, a precision, and a precision plus from the early 90's. These are the taperwound/exposed core sets that I've tried and ALL of them have exhibited the warbling/chorusing effect in the higher registers:

Dean Markley SR2000
Labella Super Steps
Rotosound RS99 PSD
DR Long Necks
Trace Elliott Stainless (discontinued)

For the record, I've never tried the Ken Smith that you mentioned. Also, GHS makes a Contact Core Super Steel set that I've never tried. Currently, I like and use DR strings, preferring stainless steel Lo-Riders and Hi-Beams. The Fat Beams are OK too. These strings intonate awesome on my basses and are extremely bright and growly for a long time. Modern Growl, you don't like DR strings very much do you?

No, not a big fan of DR strings. The Hi-Beams were bright at first, but died within a couple days.

ALSO::: (my main reason) For some reason every set I've got, the B and E strings died... like the 2nd day they were on. I've never had any luck with non-taper core strings. I dont know why, but they always die. I believe that because the B&E strings are SOOO thick, that the angle in which they bend at over the bridge saddle (G&L l2500) is too much for such a thick string. The A,D, and G's were alway fine but B&E's would die right away.
With taper/exposed core i dont have that problem. (Go Figure)

Now i know that DR makes the Long Necks, but they are only for String-Thru body, which I also dont like...

Any thoughts?

[JHL]

[quote=rsautrey]I've never had very good luck with intonating taperwound or exposed core strings. To my ears, they sound terrible from about the 8th fret up, especially on the E and A strings. This is with a complete setup including neck relief, string height, and pickup height. I just can't dial these things in. I've e-mailed both Roger Sadowsky and Ken Smith about this and Roger said it was possibly bad strings which I don't believe, and Ken Smith said that he thought it was pickup height, which I know wasn't the case. I'm not tring to start an argument here, just telling you my experiences. BTW, all of this is on Fender Basses = a jazz, a precision, and a precision plus from the early 90's. These are the taperwound/exposed core sets that I've tried and ALL of them have exhibited the warbling/chorusing effect in the higher registers:

Dean Markley SR2000
Labella Super Steps
Rotosound RS99 PSD
DR Long Necks
Trace Elliott Stainless (discontinued)
[quote]

I've had the exakt same experience with all exposed core strings I've tried, but never with taperwounds

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by rsautrey

BUT....I've never had very good luck with intonating taperwound or exposed core strings. To my ears, they sound terrible from about the 8th fret up, especially on the E and A strings.

That's bizarre. My experience is the complete opposite: I often have difficulty intonating non-tapered strings, but taperwounds are a breeze.

I've never tried exposed-core strings.

[zac2944]

Originally Posted by rsautrey

To my ears, they sound terrible from about the 8th fret up, especially on the E and A strings.

ALL of them have exhibited the warbling/chorusing effect in the higher registers

I have experienced this too. I believe that it has something to do with the length of the tapered section. If the taper goes too far past the saddle I have found the this effect gets worse. I noticed this when using DR LongNecks on a bass that didn't string through the body. The taper ended an inch or so after the string passes over the saddle. This "warbling effect was vary noticeable. For experimental sake I shortened the length of the tapered section by relocating the ball end of the string closer to the taper. This put the taper very close to saddle and the "warbling" effect was minimized. The Longnecks however were shot after an hour or so of playing because I could never the relocated ball end to stay put.

Not the most scientific of experiments, but it seemed to work?

[Le Basseur]

Originally Posted by Modern Growl

And the World Champion of the Taper/Exposed Core by decision is......

(( YOU DECIDE ))

LaBella Super Steps!

[pickles]

I think the regular DR low Bs are better than the longnecks, oddly

I've never used an all tapercore set other than SR2000s (I liked those a lot, but tended to break them). La Bella and Sadowsky offer the two best B strings I've heard, both are taper core. Does R Cocco make an all tapercore set? I bet it would be off the charts!

[zac2944]

I just ordered a 5 string set of SR2000 light guage, and Ken Smith Taper Core light guage from JustStrings.com. I'll post my opinions after I've had a chance to play on both sets. I'm going to be putting them on a Ken Smith BSRMW5. I've been using KS Taper Core mediums. Mine are dead and I'm looking for something with a little more snap and zing for slap.

[slugworth]

I've never had a problem intonating taper-core/exposed core strings, but I found myself going back to the standard type string, as they seem to have a more ballsy low end. Maybe it has something to do with more mass contacting the saddle.

Slug