Hello, my name is Troy

[TroyK]

It's been 9 months since my last string experiment! That's right! I know that I have a problem. Strings have been flying off of my bass for years like Britney's panties on Tuesday's with Paris night. I admit that I have a problem and am powerless over Thomastik and Pirastro.

However, I put a complete set of strings on my bass at the end of July last year. No, G from a different set or anything, just opened a pack of strings and put them on my bass. I kind of got close to trying a different G or maybe seeing if gut would blend nicely, then in January, when I was going to be out of town anyway, I left my bass with my luthier for a little TLC and she came back speaking like Eliza Doolittle with a bullhorn. So, on I go with my perfectly matched set of strings. Will I make it a year? Two? When it is time replace them, will I try something new or stick with what has been working for me?

Now, I know what's coming...you want to know what these magic strings are so that you, as string junkies can go right out and spend your gig wages on them. I used to be like you too. I don't think that it's important, though. They are good strings for me, obviously, but I think that it was in large part like getting married, I just got tired of being out there and made a commitment. I also found (WORD TO THE WISE) that some of what I was chasing with all those strings was a set up problem. A simple repair followed by a revisited set up.

So, I thought I would witness to my brothers and sisters of the same affliction (Michael, you listening?) You can get help. I know that I'll have to change strings again, I think about the string box from time to time, but if I can make it just a little longer, i might just be able to make it in the crazy world. The grass looks greener, the air smells cleaner and you should taste these macanaws! It's like having a circus in your mouth!

Troy

[gp_bass]

can we at least ask what the setup repair was?

[martinc]

Troy:

You have just reached another stage in the string journey. Many of us have been through this part too. Enjoy it while you can. It may not last.

[musicman5string]

How often do you normally change your strings? I used to try and get away with 2 years, but now I would say once a year. In February of 06 I put on some Heliacores, but they were kind of dead by November, so since then I've had Spiros on.

[TroyK]

There were a few setup items. I had an old repair or two that needed a revisit, but the one that I thing most effected the sound was a tiny little shim under my nut to raise it a mm or so. The strings were just contacting the fingerboard up there. Not so much that I noticed, but someone suggested that there might be an issue and so we tried. She did some other clean up work, so I don't want to assume there wasn't some other small adjustment that I don't know about, but that was it.

How often did I normally change strings? Search for my old posts. I came into a large box of strings at one point that I either tried or traded chronically. It was an illness.

-tk

[kwd]

Originally Posted by TroyK

How often did I normally change strings? Search for my old posts. I came into a large box of strings at one point that I either tried or traded chronically. It was an illness.

-tk

Hi Troy, I'm Kevin...

Thanks for the posts. Sounds like you're working the steps. We make light of here in these forums but I'd bet that if we substituted 'string fever' for the word 'alcohol' in the twelve steps we'd all be pretty convicted that things have become unmanageable.

It never occurs to me that I might be able to improve my sound by concentrating on my left hand technique rather than dropping a fortune on a new set of strings (read messiahs).

I recently had a new bridge cut and set and have had the same experience.

[musicman5string]

Have you guys checked this out?

http://www.hervejeanne.de/saitenmatrix.php

[Chris Fitzgerald]

HI TROY.

I hate futzing with strings anymore. I may eat those words later, but lately I tend to believe that once you find your basic sound, it's a lot healthier to simply get on with making music on the bass/strings/pickup/mic/amp that I have on hand.

Bless me, father, for I have not stringed. It has been almost two years since my last string change.

[TroyK]

The strings I'm using are of the brighter, sustainier variety, which is not really the sound I've been going for, especially of course, on the treble side. (but it has it's advantages too)

But, I've been transcribing Ray Brown and have found (to your point, Chris) that to emulate that sound, I can sometimes dial out that twang by using a different part of the meat on my right hand, changing the attack a little reaching lower or higher....

Transcribing is kind of important here, because I can compare the sound I'm getting to the sound on the record, not just the notes.

I may still futz, but I'm celebrating my sobriety for now, temporary or otherwise.

-tk

[TroyK]

One other thing on the setup. I switched from the Realist to the Full Circle. I did this because I was having my bass cleaned up and just didn't want to put the Realist back on the table after. And my Realist was about 5 years old.

I don't want to make this a pickup thread, but I like that the pickup is in no way in the way of my setup now. The bridge is firmly on the table, there is nothing clamped to it or keeping the wing from vibrating. True that adjuster wheels are not entirely organic, but I had them anyway.

I don't know if it is a setup gain or not, but it was one of the few things that I did that changed the setup for the better. The nut shim I think made a GIANT sonic difference.

-tk

[mrpc]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Bless me, father, for I have not stringed. It has been almost two years since my last string change.

Hello, my name is Johnny Cash.
Amen!.....

[Michael Glynn]

Hey Troy,

I've cut back on my string experimenting as well. It helps being a poor student again! I also found that a small repair/setup change made a much greater change in the sound and feel of my bass than any string change. Now, with all the money I've saved from not buying as many strings I can get that crack that just reopened looked at. I guess the climate down here finally got to my bass.

[Uncletoad]

Sorry.

I'm not ready. I've got some more string buying to do.

Perhaps If I don't land in the Morgue, Jail or the Mental Hospital I'll make it back to those of you in recovery.

Until then.....

[JJBluegrasser]

I just had this same experience last night. I've played Spiro Mediums for years, and then I got some bass work done, and things sounded different. I restarted a string search to get things back to where I wanted them.

Then a few weeks ago, my bass fell apart on stage. I took it to my new luthier and when they had it put back together, things already sounded better. I've played the Dominants on it since then, but Saturday night I decided that maybe, just maybe it was sounding good enough again to try my beloved Spiros one more time. I put them on last night and all is right with the world.

So I'm back to where I had settled before. Turns out it was a setup issue afterall.

Jason