The Nordy Club (Part XIII)

[sps500]

Totally agree on the last few posts... Carey n Mo are hard to beat....

[CTC564]

Just curious if numbers are handed out in this club? If so, may I request one?

[maurilio]

wow guys, thank you very much, appreciated!

Happy holidays….

M

[Green1]

Love my Nordy, which is why I have 2 more on the way....simply the most comfortable neck I have ever played. A usable B string that sounds great no matter where you play it, great preamp, great pickups, superior build quality......game over. Have a great new year Nordy fans!

[GRoberts]

Originally Posted by Green1

Love my Nordy, which is why I have 2 more on the way....simply the most comfortable neck I have ever played. A usable B string that sounds great no matter where you play it, great preamp, great pickups, superior build quality......game over. Have a great new year Nordy fans!

We seriously need to get together sometime for a Nordy-a-thon!

[Green1]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

We seriously need to get together sometime for a Nordy-a-thon!

Agreed! Let me know the next time you are down this way playing, I'd love to come check it out

[GRoberts]

Originally Posted by Green1

Agreed! Let me know the next time you are down this way playing, I'd love to come check it out

late january I believe. But might be more fun to carve out some one-on-time to hang, compare basses, gear, amps etc.
What amp(s) are you using?

[Green1]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

late january I believe. But might be more fun to carve out some one-on-time to hang, compare basses, gear, amps etc.
What amp(s) are you using?

Bass 2 and 3 are scheduled for June and Sep. As for amps, right now I have the Aguilar Tone hammer 500 running through a Bergantino AE 212..... I'm gonna be headed to San Diego next week though and plan to trade the 212 and get a Berg HD 410. The 212 is great, I just like 10s better.

[Lucky Strike]

String Update: I've used the DR Low Riders on my VJ5C (60's pup) and really loved the feel, as well as the mid-range response from these strings. I'm using D'addario Pro Steels right now, and they feel a bit more rough on the fingers and don't have as much of the mid presence that the Low Riders have, but overall they are okay strings.

I think the LowRiders are the winner for my VJ5C...

In other news, I tried a pair of Ken Smith Burner, taper core strings on a Carvin SB5000 and I REALLY didn't like them, brittle highs and no mid-presence, no cut-through in the band setting.

As far as nickel strings, I like the Carvin sets made by labella, they are decently priced and have worked great on my Nordy in the past, they are my go-to nickel string.

[Chef]

Gosh, I still have the factory issue Dunlop nickles on mine....
I may eventually try LaBella SuperAlloy, but man, those Dunlops work well on it.

[GRoberts]

Great info on strings lucky strike! I am enjoying DR Lowrider stainless on my Nordy VJ5c as well.

[Vic]

My current faves on my VJ5C/70's are HiBeams. Their natural scoop does a really nice job of accentuating the "marcusy" thing without having to dip into the EQ, and does a nice job of smoothing out the naturally accentuated burp from that pickup type and location.

[gillento]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

Great info on strings lucky strike! I am enjoying DR Lowrider stainless on my Nordy VJ5c as well.

I had them on my VPJ5 for a rehearsal but their mids are too polite for my taste. My favs are still Sadowsky Blue Steels!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by gillento

I had them on my VPJ5 for a rehearsal but their mids are too polite for my taste. My favs are still Sadowsky Blue Steels!

Blue Steels REALLY have some upper mid bite. +1 Depends what you want, but a nice 'continuum of grind' on a J bass (especially an ash/maple J Bass):

Hi Beams (nice top end snap, very little upper mid presence).

Lo Riders (classic 70's funk voicing... relatively tight tension, even upper mids, nice snap)

Sadowsky Blue Steels (very 'tight feeling', LOTS of bright upper mid grind... great for fingerstyle diggin' in).

My three favorite SS rounds, depending on the instrument and vibe I'm going for!

Edit: I again LOVE the Dunlop Nickel wounds on my Nordy P. Man, just the right amount of growl and stiffness. GREAT P bass string (and I assume 60's style J string). Really a good value also.

[narud]

Originally Posted by KJung

Blue Steels REALLY have some upper mid bite. +1 Depends what you want, but a nice 'continuum of gring' on a J bass (especially an ash/maple J Bass):

Hi Beams (nice top end snap, very little upper mid presence).

Lo Riders (classic 70's funk voicing... relatively tight tension, even upper mids, nice snap)

Sadowsky Blue Steels (very 'tight feeling', LOTS of bright upper mid grind... great for fingerstyle diggin' in).

My three favorite SS rounds, depending on the instrument and vibe I'm going for!

so if loriders are tight, what are some steels that are lower in tension other than the hibeams. seems like every time i try a different set of strings (usually whatever the shop i work at has) theyre considerably stiffer than the loriders i usually use and i have to adjust the relief. this seems to happen whether i buy nickels or steel. the last two incidents were some ghs nickels and ernie ball steels.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by narud

so if loriders are tight, what are some steels that are lower in tension other than the hibeams. seems like every time i try a different set of strings (usually whatever the shop i work at has) theyre considerably stiffer than the loriders i usually use and i have to adjust the relief. this seems to happen whether i buy nickels or steel. the last two incidents were some ghs nickels and ernie ball steels.

I am not aware of any SS string that even comes close to the 'loose feel' of the Hi Beams in the same gauge (I assume due to the round core, pressure wound, whatever).

I also agree with you that if you remove the 'super loose' feeling Hi Beams, the Lo Riders definitely move to the 'lower feeling tension' end of the continuum versus Roto Sounds, Sadowsky, etc.

I remember the old Dean Markley Super Wounds (Super Rounds... I forgot) feeling pretty springy and having at least a somewhat similar tone profile to the Hi Beams, but not sure those are even on the market.

Have you tried the Dean Markley SR200's. AGain, haven't seen them or used them in years , but I remember them being a bit 'springy' feeling. Could be wrong though... been many years.

edit: Hey, you like those 11 pound boat anchors. Man up to some stiff strings also!!!!!! :-)

[GRoberts]

Originally Posted by narud

so if loriders are tight, what are some steels that are lower in tension other than the hibeams. seems like every time i try a different set of strings (usually whatever the shop i work at has) theyre considerably stiffer than the loriders i usually use and i have to adjust the relief. this seems to happen whether i buy nickels or steel. the last two incidents were some ghs nickels and ernie ball steels.

I think a lot of it has to do with the core and whether its a hex core or round core. I believe Hex cores are stiffer. But I could be wrong? anyone?

[KJung]

Originally Posted by GRoberts

I think a lot of it has to do with the core and whether its a hex core or round core. I believe Hex cores are stiffer. But I could be wrong? anyone?

+1 The HI Beams and Sun Beams are round core. Virtually every other roundwound that I'm aware of is hex core, and they also vary in 'feel' (I guess it isn't really true tension, since every string of a certain gauge has to be at the same basic tension to reach the correct pitch... I think).

Anyway, back to Narud's questions, I played a bass not long ago with Thomastick roundwounds, and they felt like loose rubber bands. I've never experienced anything like that. Not sure if they were very light gauge, but they were spongy as heck. I believe the are REALLY expensive though.

Edit: Just looked them up... Thomastic Powerbass Roundwounds. The marketing blurb says they have a very thin hex core. I guess the 'very thin' is what I was feeling. Like Jello! They sounded good, but man, if you want 'low tenison', there you go. I think they are big dollars though.

[narud]

Originally Posted by KJung

I am not aware of any SS string that even comes close to the 'loose feel' of the Hi Beams in the same gauge (I assume due to the round core, pressure wound, whatever).

I also agree with you that if you remove the 'super loose' feeling Hi Beams, the Lo Riders definitely move to the 'lower feeling tension' end of the continuum versus Roto Sounds, Sadowsky, etc.

I remember the old Dean Markley Super Wounds (Super Rounds... I forgot) feeling pretty springy and having at least a somewhat similar tone profile to the Hi Beams, but not sure those are even on the market.

Have you tried the Dean Markley SR200's. AGain, haven't seen them or used them in years , but I remember them being a bit 'springy' feeling. Could be wrong though... been many years.

edit: Hey, you like those 11 pound boat anchors. Man up to some stiff strings also!!!!!! :-)

HA!. its not me thats the issue, its the necks. i mainly play old 4 strings and some of the stiffer strings really tests the limits of how much adjustment is left in the neck. ive had to clamp the the necks of a few of my basses into back bow and add spacers under the truss rod nut to get them playing with the dead straight necks i like. it usually holds and gives me pretty good range of adjustment, but i dont like to press my luck.

[MixBass]

I have some TI rounds on a Pino (blasphemy I know, but I do have another w/flats)
and they are the loosest round I've ever played. IIRC they start at a .44 , pricey and they just went up in price. They do have that beautiful vocal quality I dig in the flats.