Warm, yet bright, and "mid-full" nickle

**Chef** · #1 10-31-2012, 07:48 AM

My new Valenti hollowbody J is uber bright and modern sounding.
Ash/maple/Nord single coils/saowsky preamp.
It came with DA ProSteels, which are some of the brightest, zingiest out there, IMO.

So, I've tried several different string sets on it, trying to lose some zing, and add some woody, mid-rangey warmth, to get it to sound a bit more like my ash/maple Sadowsky MV5; which is just pure magic.
That Sadowsky has always worn Sadowsky Blue Steel, though recently I put Dunlop SS on it with similarly nice results.

So:
I tried Dunlop SS, Pedulla SS, DA XL170, Dunlop Nicklel Lakland Nickel...
The results were kinda freakish, in that this bass sounded nearly the same with every string; it really "holds onto it's personality."

At any rate, I'm looking, I think, for some nickles to warm it up and calm it down...

Suggestions please?

Duckwater · #2 10-31-2012, 07:56 AM

Were the DA nickels still too bright? Fender and Labella nickels are pretty mellow, you might want to give those a shot. I remember GHS Boomers being pretty full sounding for rounds as well.

**Chef** · #3 10-31-2012, 07:58 AM

I swear, this bass has a very "stays in place despite string changes" character.
I could tell very little diff between any of the string changes.

smogg · #4 10-31-2012, 07:59 AM

D'Addario EXP coated nickels, a bit mellower out of the box than the XL's.
I put a set of the exp170-5 through the paces this past weekend and really like them. Will have a mini review up later today or tomorrow.

**Chef** · #5 10-31-2012, 08:00 AM

I won't ever use any coated strings.
Losing the ground connection between strings and the bridge ground wire has been an epic fail every time I've tried them, of any sort.

Duckwater · #6 10-31-2012, 08:03 AM

Have you ever tried pressurewounds/groundwounds? I don't like them personally but they might work with your bass.

**Chef** · #7 10-31-2012, 08:04 AM

Not on this bass I haven't...

mmbongo · #8 10-31-2012, 08:07 AM

Sounds like you're begging for DR Sunbeams.

**Chef** · #9 10-31-2012, 08:09 AM

Ah: that might work.
I've had them on a couple things and not liked them as they were warmer, and not as bright as I like, generally, but for this bass, that might work well. Thanks for the reminder on those!

smogg · #10 10-31-2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chef

I won't ever use any coated strings.
Losing the ground connection between strings and the bridge ground wire has been an epic fail every time I've tried them, of any sort.

That should not happen with the EXP coated strings. According to the article Mr. Sadowsky wrote, it is one of the few where the coating is conductive.

I'll try to find his post on it...

**Chef** · #11 10-31-2012, 08:11 AM

Ah: I do remember that article, though I did not remember the brand that passed muster with Roger.

tsunami1052 · #12 10-31-2012, 08:15 AM

Chef - the DR Sunbeams will be bright sounding when you first put them on. Give them time to break in and they will mellow out.

P.S. GHS Pressurewound Strings are in-between nickle rounds and flat wounds.

smogg · #13 10-31-2012, 08:18 AM

Found it
Coated Strings

SteveC · #14 10-31-2012, 08:36 AM

I put DR Sunbeams on my Geddy Lee (it was wearing DR Hi Beams) to tame it down a little. I like them. I'm not sure if they tamed it as much as rolling back the volume a little, but they are nice strings.

**Chef** · #15 10-31-2012, 08:38 AM

Roll the volume back?
Heresy

stingray69 · #16 10-31-2012, 08:46 AM

If the bass is staying stubbornly uber-bright, you may want to consider approaching it from a electrical components angle?

Perhaps a larger tone capacitor will tame down the highs. Also, do you know what value the potentiometers are (250k, 500k)? There may be something that can be done there to tame the highs as well if the Sadowsky circuit can be modified that is.

**Chef** · #17 10-31-2012, 08:56 AM

I can email Nino about that bit.
This may be a function of it being so light..."not enough mass to damp out some of the high end." Maybe.

bassvirtuoso · #18 10-31-2012, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsunami1052

P.S. GHS Pressurewound Strings are in-between nickle rounds and flat wounds.

These.

**Chef** · #19 10-31-2012, 09:12 AM

I have zero experience with GHS stuff.
I have used some of th SIT product, and they make pressure wounds, and those are standard issue on G&L and Reverend, so, I have some experience with those.

iiipopes · #20 10-31-2012, 09:21 AM

Call Sadowsky and see if you can swap out to a slightly larger value cap in the treble circuit. This will lower the cutoff frequency and help tame the treble.

"Woody" is @ 500-750 Hz. What is your preamp characteristic for mids? Ask Sadowsky about this as well.

Since you're active and low impedance, you're not going to be able to tame the bass in the traditional passive ways.