Recent content by Man about Tyne

Hand built by Hubert Kaa (Google him). I think you could probably trust him to install a set of strings more than most.

Well there’s a job waiting for you at the Hofner factory in Germany. You can obviously string up better than the professionals do it.

Told you so!

TI Jazz Rounds. Tried them as an alternative to the Jazz Flats because I just couldn’t have another bass with Jazz Flats could I? Jazz Rounds moving in everywhere now. This is getting expensive. You have been warned!

I simply couldn’t get over the dead E string of the Pyramids. Yes, I know it’s the classic sound but three strings singing and one dull thud. Not for me. TI Jazz Flats not as thick a sound but balanced and musical. Having said that I’ve now strung it with TI Jazz Rounds. This is officially...

Jazz rounds on a Hofner violin - sacrilege, I know! But it’s great. Pick away!

TI Hofner flats are too long even for Hofner. Unreal.

The Hofner-specific set of short scale jazz flats not only have thinner silks to fit the guitar sized tuners but the E string is actually a lighter gauge than the long scale set. It’s a .096 and it plays very well. Regardless of whether you’re playing a Hofner or any other shortie, this is the...

Thanks for the video. I’ve never tried DTFs and from some of the replies in this thread, the dead E string seems to be “normal”. I think I’ll stick to TIs

Itch = scratch

Hi Peter, Another old guy from across the pond here Save yourself the pain of endlessly seeking the holy grail and ask yourself one question. Do you have a light touch or do you hammer the strings? If you pound, thrash and pummel your way through a tune then I can’t help you. If however...

Another first bass was a fretless here. Admittedly, it was a lined fingerboard - I’m not a complete idiot!

I’m not sure that I do mean that, actually. I was talking purely in a mechanical sense that the feel of such a heavy string B string may be inconsistent with the other gauges. What you say regarding the tone of the string may indeed be correct but that’s not what I’m saying.

There’s a reason for that. We’re back to the tension and compliance discussions. By the time you get up to a chunky B string you’ve got a chunk of metal under your fingers which can feel pretty inflexible to start with. A lower tension B gives a little bit of compliance back to the string...

Buy a 5 string set of your usual favourites and throw the skinniest one away.