Weedwacker vs weedwacker pro?

TheKevil · #1 01-11-2010, 07:04 PM

I'm on a limited budget, so I can't afford really expensive gut strings. So I use weedwackers from FMI. I'm thinking about upgrading to weedwacker pros. Anyone played on both that can give me a good comparison of the two? I love mine, but the low strings don't carry as loud as I would like. The pros are supposed to carry those tones better. Are they worth the extra $20? I slap, finger and bow mine, depending on what the song/ mood calls for.

Gearhead43 · #2 01-11-2010, 07:21 PM

All the Pros use Weed-twacker Pro 3000s.

Marcus Johnson · #3 01-11-2010, 07:40 PM

It really depends on how many acres of music you play on a typical gig.

TheKevil · #4 01-11-2010, 07:40 PM

Where do you find those so I can check them out? Can't find anything through google

TheKevil · #5 01-11-2010, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

It really depends on how many acres of music you play on a typical gig.

I play 30 to an hour normally at a gig, but I practice a lot... Whenever I can get it in... Normally about 2 to 3 hours total a day squeezed between chasing a 20 month old around the house. I'm also about to be starting a rockabilly group to play like 3 hour sets.

moles · #6 01-11-2010, 09:47 PM

I think you may have missed the joke.... :|

I can't comment on the regular FMI wackers vs "pro"... but I recommend trying a different approach to the strings you have on. If you're having trouble with volume on the E and A, it's natural to pull harder. This is the opposite of what you need to do - if you pull *just* hard enough to get a slap, and no harder, you'll get the maximum amount of volume out of them.

TheKevil · #7 01-12-2010, 10:00 AM

Haha. I did miss the joke. My bad. I slap pretty light as it is, but I will try going softer on my low strings. It's hard to remember to do that, though, when you don't have to on the high strings.

MR PC · #8 01-12-2010, 03:09 PM

Kevil, you've got to spend some time studying basic playing techniques. No amp. By doing this, you will save yourself a lot of problems down the road. Even if you are playing lightly, if you aren't getting a balanced sound from string to string, you risk injuring yourself in the process of chasing your own tail to make it sound right. You shouldn't have to think about it...if you develop some basic technique to motor movement memory, you will be able to play your music with much less effort dedicated to just getting your basic sound

TheKevil · #9 01-12-2010, 03:27 PM

At first I'm gonna have to think about doing it to be able to commit it to muscle memory. At the moment, I play all my strings pretty equally hard, I think. I guess it's really kinda hard to tell if you haven't really paid that much attention. I don't kill myself slapping unless I'm trying to like triple slap through some insane like 200 bpm nekromantix song or something. I have already worked past the gotta slap the hell out of it and not be loose or relaxed at all stage. I learned to slap without an amp. I was told to get it down that way first before the amp so it's easier to control when the amp comes into play. Until about a month ago I didn't even really have an amp. I used one my drummer had lying around and didn't bring it home with me.

MR PC · #10 01-12-2010, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKevil

Haha. I did miss the joke. My bad. I slap pretty light as it is, but I will try going softer on my low strings. It's hard to remember to do that, though, when you don't have to on the high strings.

Bravado, excuses, and short stories won't hide the fact that you are clueless about basic playing technique. You won't know that you are killing yourself with your technique until it happens. Fast and hard will gratify your short term desire to be noticed, but nobody will notice you after you blow out your chops and you aren't able to play.

Marcus Johnson · #11 01-12-2010, 03:42 PM

Have you asked the guys at Rockabillybass.com? They most likely have a lot more experience with whackers than we do here.

I've played them a bit... off the shelf of the hardware store, not the packaged sets. I have to agree with Moles. Less is more with low tension strings like whackers. Guts are like that too.

I see them used fairly often out here in Hawai'i.... the basic recipe seems to be a high string height and a percussive pull/slap thing. I've seen some little old aunties in their golden years, singing their hearts out and pulling some pretty gigantic sounds out of really crappy old ply basses that way. I love that ****.

Gearhead43 · #12 01-12-2010, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR PC

Bravado, excuses, and short stories won't hide the fact that you are clueless about basic playing technique. You won't know that you are killing yourself with your technique until it happens. Fast and hard will gratify your short term desire to be noticed, but nobody will notice you after you blow out your chops and you aren't able to play.

Pretty hard to hurt yourself playing weedwacker strings, as they have extremely low tension. My granma could do a 2 hour slap set on those.

Have you ever played them, MR PC? I see how eager you are to give advice about them, so you must have first-hand knowledge, yeah?

I would also suggest that the OP shoot on over to the Rockabillybass forum, while he is still enthusiastic about playing the double bass.

The new Rockabillybass forum is at:

http://www.doublebasschat.com/forum/index.php

Marcus Johnson · #13 01-12-2010, 04:09 PM

Wow. Why didn't I think of that in my last post?

martyman5000 · #14 01-12-2010, 04:13 PM

I honestly thought I clicked on my other forum called Lawnsite.com...

Marcus Johnson · #15 01-12-2010, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyman5000

I honestly thought I clicked on my other forum called Lawnsite.com...

Dude. You're in Toronto. You got at least five months before you have to visit that one again.

ricca · #16 01-12-2010, 04:26 PM

I tried FMI pro and I don't like them at all.
To increase tension they only make them bigger......well....too big!
E and A have the same diameter and E string is completely dead.
G and D are the same as in theyr regular set.

TheKevil · #17 01-12-2010, 04:29 PM

Thanks gearhead. I will check it out.

Mr PC... Man... I don't know what I did to offend you, but wow... I never said I was amazing or that I knew everything about technique... Actually, if you look at my profile, my equipment, and the posts that I have made on this forum, it's pretty obvious that I'm a novice. I'm asking advice. Isn't that one thing these forums are about? I don't have anyone to learn from, where I live, so everything I know about db I have learned from on here or elsewhere on the web. And where was I trying to make an excuse about anything? And you didn't read what I said right or chose not to take it in or something because I said I play light and relaxed. I don't kill myself UNLESS I'm playing some horribly fast stuff.
Anyway, that's off topic. These forums aren't for berating other members. I wasn't really trying to get into a technique discussion.... More just focusing on people's experience with wackers. I will take it over to the other forum and see what those cats tell me.

TheKevil · #18 01-12-2010, 04:31 PM

Thanks ricca... That's what I was looking for. Sounds like I'm good with the regular wackers. Just gotta adjust for those low strings.

TheKevil · #19 01-12-2010, 04:34 PM

Also thanks Marcus... Haha, didn't mean to leave you out, buddy.

ricca · #20 01-12-2010, 04:57 PM

I replaced E & A with Eurosonics light.
Right tension for slap and good and focused sound.
On G & D I left fmi.