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I looked them up. Looks promising. Flats might make this a truly usable instrument for me on stage, occasionally. I just can't adjust my excitement level to zero when I play just to keep the string noise down. Once again, I am not bashing Taylor. I use several Taylors, including an amazing 814DLX, which is my main stage guitar.
I can't find the string noise any worse on this than any other base with roundwound which seems to be the preferred method these days for lots of players. in fact it's a lot better than some of the Ernie Ball and others that I've had that didn't have that EXP material on it. And I like the low tension coming from my recently mainly playing U bases and other low tension instruments.
I guess I should be reiterating that I'm playing these on the Ortega D Walker bass & not the Taylor and these strings are way better than the strings that came out with it which were essentially also a non metalcore
They can do rounds, groundwound (half rounds) and flats. Flats will be in the $100 dollar range and the rounds in the $45 range (grounds probably a touch more then the rounds). They'll need specs on the bass. I believe they need bridge to nut, pin to bridge, and nut to tuning pegs. I've read some posts by someone that uses the flats on the Ohana OBU-22 and they just love them. I prefer flats myself, but I'd just be happy with something other than the phospore bronze.
Used my Mini Bass at a gig last night. Two acoustics completely unplugged and me on bass. I ran the Mini into my Fender Rumble 100 with the treble and upper mids completely off. I also turned the tone on the Mini Bass completely off, no treble. It was barely turned up, and it fit the mix perfectly. No treble, no finger noise. Kinda sounded like an upright bass. Fun night.
I think we often miss out on good sounds, because we are too addicted (myself included) to the idea that stuff should either sound good with the controls wide open, or with everything at noon.
I just put a piezo bridge into a Telecaster Thinline I'm doing up as a project guitar.
It sounds pretty good through a 10 Meg Ohm preamp, and a bit bleah passive.
A friend of mine came over the other night, plugged it straight into my G-K/AudioKinesis FRFR bass rig, and had it sounding AMAZING after maybe a minute of knob twisting:
- Bass, Low and High Mids all off.
- Treble between 8 and 9 o'clock.
I mean, who even thinks to try something like that? SMH...
I have been gone a long time but I had to come back to discuss this bass - and really, these strings.
I have a long, deep sub/micro/uke bass history. I don't own the GS Mini but the $250 Ibanez PNB14E Parlor Bass, which is 24.7" scale - using the Same strings as the GS Mini.
[very smart of Ibanez to do that - the bass, BTW, is a great bargain.]
Can anyone explain the science of how a 90 to 37 gauge set is playing stable at this scale? My new PNB14E is completely stable at that scale. In my past exploration, you needed 5 string gauges on a 4 string to make up that difference in tension. Basically you needed to start with about a 120 for stability. How are these light strings stable at 23 to 25"? It appears to be defying the laws of string physics.
Does the D'Addario EXP manufacturing method add tension?
I have a long, deep sub/micro/uke bass history. I don't own the GS Mini but the $250 Ibanez PNB14E Parlor Bass, which is 24.7" scale - using the Same strings as the GS Mini.
[very smart of Ibanez to do that - the bass, BTW, is a great bargain.]
Can anyone explain the science of how a 90 to 37 gauge set is playing stable at this scale? My new PNB14E is completely stable at that scale. In my past exploration, you needed 5 string gauges on a 4 string to make up that difference in tension. Basically you needed to start with about a 120 for stability. How are these light strings stable at 23 to 25"? It appears to be defying the laws of string physics.
Does the D'Addario EXP manufacturing method add tension?
Nah, they're just nylon-core strings so they're more flexible and can work at lowish tensions.Can anyone explain the science of how a 90 to 37 gauge set is playing stable at this scale? My new PNB14E is completely stable at that scale. In my past exploration, you needed 5 string gauges on a 4 string to make up that difference in tension. Basically you needed to start with about a 120 for stability. How are these light strings stable at 23 to 25"? It appears to be defying the laws of string physics.
Does the D'Addario EXP manufacturing method add tension?
Which they are by the way - G 11lbs, D 12.89lbs, A 11.88lbs and E 14.39lbs:
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Considering the quoted tensions are at the actual scale of the GS Mini Bass i.e. 23.5", they're more or less what one would expect from doubling the diameter - which means quadrupling the volume per linear inch and the corresponding mass, assuming proportionally scaled-up construction - of classical guitar strings, that is to say about the same poundage, because double the diameter (= 4 times the mass) and one octave lower at the same scale gives the same tension.
IIRC you already had experience with nylon-core contrabass guitar strings, the La Bella CB40. Do you still have them on a sub-short instrument (yes, I do remember it was you who introduced that term on TB)? Keeping in mind you were already using them the equivalent of 4 semitones below their intended purpose (they are made for ~30" guitars vs. the 24"-something bass you had them on), if you still have them, try and tune them further down. Played light enough, I bet they have way more "detuning mileage" than steel-core strings, which are stiffer and have a higher "sproing point".
Cool that you remembered my sub short journey.
Nah - I don't have those CB40s on an instrument these days. I did love those strings. But, even though I think I reported Success with what I was doing, there was a Bit of instability. Not a ton to break the deal, but some. This Ibanez PNB14E I am fooling with now, with those D'Addario strings - has Perfect stability. Not just good enough, but Perfect. I tuned it up, play it, put it down, play it some more, check the tuning - and it's perfect.
I'm also just really enjoying the intonation on this bass. Every acoustic bass I have ever touched had Something not perfect about the intonation. Maybe I just lucked out, but the intonation on this bass is absolutely perfect.
Nah - I don't have those CB40s on an instrument these days. I did love those strings. But, even though I think I reported Success with what I was doing, there was a Bit of instability. Not a ton to break the deal, but some. This Ibanez PNB14E I am fooling with now, with those D'Addario strings - has Perfect stability. Not just good enough, but Perfect. I tuned it up, play it, put it down, play it some more, check the tuning - and it's perfect.
I'm also just really enjoying the intonation on this bass. Every acoustic bass I have ever touched had Something not perfect about the intonation. Maybe I just lucked out, but the intonation on this bass is absolutely perfect.
@lz4005 did recently report that the D'Addarios in question are firmer to the touch than Thomastik Acousticores in that they don't roll under the fingers so much. This may be due to the shorter scale or to something in the recipe. So I'm not saying folks at D'Addario didn't do a great job, only that, for what I can see, they did play by the rules (of nature).Cool that you remembered my sub short journey.
Nah - I don't have those CB40s on an instrument these days. I did love those strings. But, even though I think I reported Success with what I was doing, there was a Bit of instability. Not a ton to break the deal, but some. This Ibanez PNB14E I am fooling with now, with those D'Addario strings - has Perfect stability. Not just good enough, but Perfect. I tuned it up, play it, put it down, play it some more, check the tuning - and it's perfect.
I'm also just really enjoying the intonation on this bass. Every acoustic bass I have ever touched had Something not perfect about the intonation. Maybe I just lucked out, but the intonation on this bass is absolutely perfect.
Anyway, I've something in the works so I'll probably try the set myself soon. (Unfortunately not on the Taylor, so I'm being partly OT). Thanks for the report!
If you have bought the GS Mini strings separately - do you see a taper on the strings? I don't own the GS Mini but the Ibanez PNB14E that is supposed to use the same strings - and - there is no taper on the strings.
Can anyone tell me if you see a taper on your strings? I ask because - if these strings are so soft that they just insert right into the tuner without a taper, then that opens the door to experimenting with other gauges of the same string type.
You GS Mini owners might be finding that all the strings are balanced tone wise, but I'm finding on the Ibanez PNB14E that the E and G could use a little more. I'd like to experiment with a 95 to 42 set instead of a 90 to 37 set.
Can anyone tell me if you see a taper on your strings? I ask because - if these strings are so soft that they just insert right into the tuner without a taper, then that opens the door to experimenting with other gauges of the same string type.
You GS Mini owners might be finding that all the strings are balanced tone wise, but I'm finding on the Ibanez PNB14E that the E and G could use a little more. I'd like to experiment with a 95 to 42 set instead of a 90 to 37 set.
What about the Guild Jumbo Junior?
23.75" scale length
on MGR used for $399.99
23.75" scale length
on MGR used for $399.99
I have one. I also have a Taylor GS Mini guitar (not bass). For the money saved, I'd definitely go with the Guild. A nicely-built instrument.
That said, I'm in the process of returning mine. I fear I don't have enough playing experience for the 24" scale to not mess up my muscle memory if I use it as a practice instrument. I'm looking for something in a 30" or 32" scale that is audible enough unplugged for sofa/patio practice but not huge and bulky like the typical acoustic bass guitar in those longer scale lengths.
Guild has some 30.75" acoustics that are coming out soon. Both a fretted and fretless version.
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Is this the only way we know of to get a set of flats for this Taylor bass?
Let us know what you find!
I've been craving a set of flats for my Taylor GS mini.
Im not sure what the known issues were. I purchased one late last year and I haven't experienced any problems other than I wish there was a set of flats that worked with this bass.
