I tried a set of Dominant strings and had the unfortunate experience of the E,A,& D breaking between the nut and the winder. This happened on 2 different basses. The basses were professionally setup by Mike Shank. I have used LaBellas, Helicores, and Spirocores with no such problem. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass Thomastic Dominants
- Thread starter wjgbass
- Start date
Yes.
The metal winding must NOT reach the tuning peg at all.
Was that the case?
The Obligatos are synthetic core too, but don't have this weakness.
The metal winding must NOT reach the tuning peg at all.
Was that the case?
The Obligatos are synthetic core too, but don't have this weakness.
Francois,
I'm not sure about the E string, but it was not the case on both the A & D. When I purchased these strings I was not aware that they had problems. Although they sound very good, this was an expensive short-lived experiment. Once burnt, twice shy. I e-mailed Thomguy with this question but he did not respond. I will try the obligatos' as well as the other strings you recommended. Thanks for your response.
I'm not sure about the E string, but it was not the case on both the A & D. When I purchased these strings I was not aware that they had problems. Although they sound very good, this was an expensive short-lived experiment. Once burnt, twice shy. I e-mailed Thomguy with this question but he did not respond. I will try the obligatos' as well as the other strings you recommended. Thanks for your response.
I realize this is a very old thread, but I've just had a similar experience with Dominants.
My D string broke last week as I was retuning after detuning slightly to adjust the bridge. My new D string arrived today. As I was attempting to install the new string and bring all the strings up to pitch, the E string broke followed by the brand new D string. On none of the broken strings did the metal winding contact the tuning peg. The E string did break at the border between the colored winding and the metal; the (second) D string broke in the middle of the colored winding.
So that's three broken Dominants in less than a week. As per the recent threads on Dominats they sounded great while they lasted, and bowed great. But it's back to Obligatos for me.
My D string broke last week as I was retuning after detuning slightly to adjust the bridge. My new D string arrived today. As I was attempting to install the new string and bring all the strings up to pitch, the E string broke followed by the brand new D string. On none of the broken strings did the metal winding contact the tuning peg. The E string did break at the border between the colored winding and the metal; the (second) D string broke in the middle of the colored winding.
So that's three broken Dominants in less than a week. As per the recent threads on Dominats they sounded great while they lasted, and bowed great. But it's back to Obligatos for me.
wps said:
That's really unfortunate and just plain weird. My current set of Dominants has been on and off two basses three times and still sound and play great, and I'm not that carefull when tuning up. I bet you had a really stale set or something. Where did you get them? All of mine have been from Lemur music and no probs so far.
Jon
Definitely weird. I ordered the Dominants from Lemur about three months ago and hadn't had any problems until strings started exploding one after another. I wonder if somehow the jolt of the first string breaking can somehow weaken the others. Regardless, I don't care to do quality control testing for Thomastik at my own expense.
wps said:
I'd suggest contacting Thomastic and seeing if they might replace the strings, or at least find out what the policy was on strungs and breakage. You might also send them a link to this thread, as I'm sure they'd like to see what is being said about their strings in an open forum. I haven't had any problems with mine, and I'm using a full set - but after reading this thread, I made sure I put an extra set in my case. Good luck.
P.S. - I see you're in KY. Have we run into each other before? Your initials sound like those of an old favorite student of mine from way back.
I did notice the E string was pinched a little against the wood near the tuning pin before it broke, although it had been that way for 3 months with no problems. Again, I thought the strings were great until they started popping. I don't mean to make a blanket dissing of Dominants but I do think people need to be aware that they're delicate and probably more sensitive to pinching and such than other strings. At least I've never had such problems with Obligatos or Spirocore Weichs. Personally this is a hobby not a career, and the advantages in sound and bowing just aren't worth the hassle of using delicate strings. (I also have a four-year old who likes to mess with tuning pegs, so delicate is extra bad at this point in my life - I chose my current bass partly because it's built like a tank).
Chris - Yep, I was in your combo at Aebersold camp a few years back and managed to have about three lessons with you. I'll be at the second week of camp this year, including the bass & drum workshop, so I'll see you there.
Chris - Yep, I was in your combo at Aebersold camp a few years back and managed to have about three lessons with you. I'll be at the second week of camp this year, including the bass & drum workshop, so I'll see you there.
