Why Bronze for Acoustics?

[Lokire]

Just curious. Why are bronze wound strings the standard for acoustic basses? What makes them more suited towards acoustic than the usual Steel or Nickel wound strings that are used on electrics. Why isn't bronze used on electrics?



*resumes wishing that a steel flatwound nylon-core set of strings existed*

[brianrost]

Bronze strings started getting popular on acoustic guitars in the late 70s/early 80s, they are brighter sounding.

Bronze is not magnetic, so not a very good choice for electric guitars!!!

[BassIsFun17]

so does that mean steel or nickel would not be as bright on an acoustic?

[davpal]

I started using nylon tape flatwound on my acoustic bass guitar and really like the smooth sound. Bronze strings sounded too much like the flattop guitars I was playing with.

[TenorClef]

Interesting thread i'd like to hear from the major brands and suppliers the relevant pro's of usng bronze strings over steel on acoustic basses, their has to be some pretty obvious reasons why they supply acoustic basses with bronze strings rather than any of the the choices such as steels, chromes or black tapes.

Perhaps it has to do with clarity of sound, do bronzes carry better sonically speaking on acoustic instruments. I know the famous guitar player Freddy Green used more or less exclusively phospher bronzes on his archtop acoustics during his time with the Count Basie band so maybe theirs something in the bronze composition that is superior to the steel in an acoustic context???

[blipndub]

My Tacoma came strung with bronze diadarios. I found them too squeaky and brittle and after experiementing with nickles ended up with some Thomastik flatwounds and am very happy. I don't think the qualities of bronze strings that suit acoustic guitar translates to bass very well. But non-magnetic? I'm not sure about that unless peizo pickups work by some other magic.

[dion mauer]

Originally Posted by blipndub

But non-magnetic? I'm not sure about that unless peizo pickups work by some other magic.

piezo's do work on principles of some other magic. They translate actual physical vibration into an electrical signal. Conversely, magnetic pickups "sense" the changes in the magnetic field of the pickup caused by the vibrations of a moving magnetic (but not necessarily magnetized) string.

[TenorClef]

Hmmmm? This really becomes a mute point once you add amplication into the equation. I note both chromes or flats as they are also called and also black tape wounds have a wonderful effect on the sound of an ABG, making it warmer or perhaps more upright. The down side acoustically is a significant loss of acoustic volume. I note with the plain roundwounds such as steel and phospher bronze carry a lot of background noise but actually in an acoustic playing enviroment thay are not as apparent. What you do hear is the tone and twang of the ABG, this is what i discovered the other night when jamming with my ABG against a drummer, saxophonist and guitarist. I'm quite sure if my ABG had been set up with back tapes or flats i just would not have been heard. However i do play with a big ABG with a high action and medium to heavy gage strings.

[Baryonyx]

Hmm...interesting thread.

Bronze strings do have a very bright, zingy sound, but with a more earthy-bottom than sya, Stainless steels. They sound very good on acoustics, but like it has been said, would be useless on Electrics.