Help! I need to get rid of that new string sound!

J

Jaswine85

Oct 19, 2002

65

1

Jacksonville, Fl

Jan 21, 2003

#1

• Jan 21, 2003

• #1

Well, the other day my A string broke. This makes me esp. mad because i like to keep my strings dead, and replacing the set would leave my bass all clangly and bright. While i find a write alot better with new strings, i have a gig coming up and would like to remove this clangyness. Ive been playing non stop for two days....and the sound stays. Gig is saturday. Anything i can do to the strings to deaden them up? Thanks

Jason

 

F

FLOYDtheBARBER

Nov 5, 2002

1,932

4

39

Braintree, Massachusetts, USA

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Jan 21, 2003

#2

• Jan 21, 2003

• #2

if you like a more "dead" sound- have you considered flatwounds? d'adarrio Chromes are great (i tell everyone to get those strings- i just adore them!)

 

J

John K.

Nov 13, 2001

1,491

14

39

Woodstock, GA, but my true home will always be Ken

Jan 21, 2003

#3

• Jan 21, 2003

• #3

Butter.

In Bass Player Magazine, it says that Ronnie Baker used to rub butter on his strings to get a sound like Jamerson.

Eat some potato chips and run your fingers up and down the strings.

YMMV, a lot...

 

Trevorus

Oct 18, 2002

12,351

95

42

Urbana, IL

Jan 21, 2003

#4

• Jan 21, 2003

• #4

eat a greasy burger and then play on that single replaced string.

 

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J

Jaswine85

Oct 19, 2002

65

1

Jacksonville, Fl

Jan 21, 2003

#5

• Jan 21, 2003

• #5

lol, butter, ill try it!

 

Wrong Robot

Apr 8, 2002

9,362

22

Jan 21, 2003

#6

• Jan 21, 2003

• #6

Yeah....pretty much any greasy food product will do it...I've heard of people marinating their strings in barbecue sauce...then before reapplying giving them a good wipe down, supposedly you can get some really awesome thunky sounds that way.

 

Mike

Sep 7, 2000

1,472

8

Cali

Jan 21, 2003

#7

• Jan 21, 2003

• #7

Originally posted by Wrong Robot
Yeah....pretty much any greasy food product will do it...I've heard of people marinating their strings in barbecue sauce...then before reapplying giving them a good wipe down, supposedly you can get some really awesome thunky sounds that way.

Click to expand...

Why not a nice white wine sauce?

That's one of the wackiest things I've ever heard. I wonder what they would sound like in ketchup?

 

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R

Rick Rice

Mar 26, 2000

246

2

72

Jackson Michigan

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Jan 21, 2003

#8

• Jan 21, 2003

• #8

I,m with FloydtheBarber about the D'addario Chrome flats , They have become my sound over the last year or so ,best strings I've tried to date ; and believe me I've tried more than few. The set on my P bass is coming up on about 10 months now and still very consistent , They may last forever

 

J

Jaswine85

Oct 19, 2002

65

1

Jacksonville, Fl

Jan 21, 2003

#9

• Jan 21, 2003

• #9

Hey guys, thanks for all the help!

I took some left over shrimp fried rice, put a small amount in a pudding cup, put in a chunk of butter, and melted it down in the microwave. I then soaked a cloth in the butter/rice juice and rubbed it all over my strings (with a towel protecting the fretboard and pups, ofcourse). The result is that my strings sound absolutely the same as before i replaced them. Months of use in 5 minutes - very cool!

 

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5stringDNA

Oct 10, 2002

2,743

133

42

Englewood, CO

www.brakephoto.com

Jan 21, 2003

#10

• Jan 21, 2003

• #10

A third nomination for the D'Addario chrome flats! Wonderful strings!

 

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M

moley

Sep 5, 2002

4,803

14

44

Hampshire, UK

Jan 22, 2003

#11

• Jan 22, 2003

• #11

Yeah, but with flats, they will still have that new string sound, for a bit.

 

Chasarms

Casual Observer

May 24, 2001

6,109

872

56

Saint Louis, MO USA

Jan 22, 2003

#12

• Jan 22, 2003

• #12

Why do I always have to be the serious one?

Before you install a new string, grip the end very tightly by making a fist around the string.

Squeeze it very tightly and use the other hand to pull the string through the grip, thus working the dead skin from the palm of your hand into the windings.

If you run each string through this 4 or 5 times before putting it on, it takes quite a bit of the edge off.


Charles

 

T

The Artist

Oct 8, 2001

665

0

42

Germany (org. Preston, UK)

www.myspace.com

Jan 22, 2003

#13

• Jan 22, 2003

• #13

I was going to say play alot, or eat greasy food then play alot, but that has already been said.










...why did I even bother post that?

 

jasonbraatz

Supporting Member

Oct 18, 2000

7,149

1,194

Milwaukee, WI

pretendacle.com

Jan 22, 2003

#14

• Jan 22, 2003

• #14

Originally posted by Jaswine85
Hey guys, thanks for all the help!

I took some left over shrimp fried rice, put a small amount in a pudding cup, put in a chunk of butter, and melted it down in the microwave. I then soaked a cloth in the butter/rice juice and rubbed it all over my strings (with a towel protecting the fretboard and pups, ofcourse). The result is that my strings sound absolutely the same as before i replaced them. Months of use in 5 minutes - very cool!

Click to expand...

wow. i should really link this in the FAQ. not because it's frequently asked, but because it's just so darn cool

 

J

John K.

Nov 13, 2001

1,491

14

39

Woodstock, GA, but my true home will always be Ken

Jan 28, 2003

#15

• Jan 28, 2003

• #15

Hey, I actually just tried my butter suggestion, and holy cow, it worked! My strings have really lost a lot of that high end ping that irks me so

I wonder if butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter makes a difference?

 

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B

bassed dude

Feb 3, 2003

135

0

44

Diest, Vlaams Brabant, Belguim

looknmeet.com

Feb 5, 2003

#16

• Feb 5, 2003

• #16

Originally posted by John K.
I wonder if butter and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter makes a difference?

Click to expand...

 

I

Impulsee

Nov 25, 2002

420

2

40

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Visit site

Mar 31, 2003

#17

• Mar 31, 2003

• #17

wait..do you just like..rub a stick of butter on the top of your trings...or do you take them off and get the butter all around and stuff

 

J

John K.

Nov 13, 2001

1,491

14

39

Woodstock, GA, but my true home will always be Ken

Mar 31, 2003

#18

• Mar 31, 2003

• #18

I took some left over shrimp fried rice, put a small amount in a pudding cup, put in a chunk of butter, and melted it down in the microwave. I then soaked a cloth in the butter/rice juice and rubbed it all over my strings (with a towel protecting the fretboard and pups, ofcourse). The result is that my strings sound absolutely the same as before i replaced them. Months of use in 5 minutes - very cool!

Click to expand...

 

4

43apples

Nov 9, 2003

457

2

Nov 9, 2003

#19

• Nov 9, 2003

• #19

Actually, guys:

Jaco Pastorius used to eat Fried Chicken with his bare hands rigth before he was going on stage, so that his hands were all greasy. Believe it or not, but its true.

Personally, if i had the money, i would buy new Rotosound Swing bass strings everyday. I LOVE that crisp, piano like, beautiful sound for almost all the bass work i do. I wash my hands in extra strong soap before i pick up my bass, and never borrow the bass to people with dirty\greasy\sweaty hands.

But on the other side: For getting that James Jamerson sound, i just put black nylon strings on it, no biggie , then i dont need to marinate my roundwounds.

Cheers!
-Erlend

 

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kurosawa

Jan 27, 2001

1,561

42

York County, Virginia

Nov 11, 2003

#20

• Nov 11, 2003

• #20

I routinely replace strings in broken-in sets (if there's something annoying about them, like the sound just doesn't fit with the rest of the set). Yeah, they sound a little different. Just play.