I'm totally serious about shellac on the strings..... on my new strings to muffle them down use the alcohol to wipe all excess off the strings and you won't feel any shellac it settles into the wraps and no it doesn't flake off... shellac sticks to just about everything. I'm a 62 year old bass player and have been playing since I was 12... My dad taught me jazz and blues scales and I have played everything from punk in Boston to bluegrass around campfires on acoustic. When I set up a bass for the "Motown or vintage country" sound I do this to the new strings and also use a muffler of foam shelf lining material(the kind that you can see through..looks more like netting material) rolled up till it's the desired thickness that works I also use a strip of roofing rubber across the bridge under the strings and the a strip of leather under the strings on the nut... the leather is thinner than a matchbook cover and very flexible. For my "Race Bass" I use Blue steel or rotosound pressure wound. Don't knock this method if you want that style of sound.....I've been doing it since the mid 70's. Go ahead and make all the jokes but if you don't want that sound ...why even reply?
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Haha, i didnt think wed hear from you again. Nah, man, whatever works for you. But there are far easier ways to deaden strings, not the least of which are using old strings or flatwounds. Hence the jokes. Shellac is pretty drastic.
Welcome to the forum.
It's just not something most of us ever heard of. If it works for you, rock on with it.
Stick around.
But you havent explained why you dont just use old strings or flats or grounds or whatever. You have to explain the benefit of shellac if you want people to try it. Someone can say they put silly putty on strings and claim they work, but if thry cant explain why this is better than using old strings then they are open for question, criticism, and even ridicule. Doesnt mean we are closed minded, we just skeptical.
Why doesn't he use old strings, etc.?
Maybe because this works for him.
He never claimed it was better. Just giving us one more option.
Sure, whatever works for you is fine. But if you say what works for you is stringing your bass up while skydiving, it would be nice to know why, other than just that it works for you. And it doesnt make us closed minded for wanting to know or joking about it until we do.
Duh! to all who can't imagine why this is done.You can't figure it out? I 'll explain..... I had round wounds on..... I want to set up with flats.... i have a recording session in 3 days and want my vintage sound today.... It works and it's better than oils potato chip salt and grease...bbq sauce...or what ever else. BYE I'M DONE HERE. There's other forums I'll go back to where people converse together with open minds.Bunch of bone heads here!
There are a bunch of boneheads here, but in this case it would be you. You never said "when in a hurry" or "when i want a flatwound sound with new roundwounds in 3 days". You just assume everyone knows what you are talking about, without proper explanation.
Lowendtech
Happily trending in my own peculiar direction.
This idea of aging your strings for a "vintage" sound is ridiculous. What is a vintage/old sound? Maybe just some La Bella flats with the highs rolled off on your amp or interface. You don't need to deaden your strings to get that sound.
In one of the Ask A Pro threads Lee Sklar says he never uses flatwounds anymore and just puts foam under the strings at the bridge for that old sound and that coming from a guy who has done thousands of sessions.
I'm not trying to discount ideas on what to do to get a particular sound but you really don't need to go through all that to get there. But hey - its a free world and everyone has their ideas so I guess just go for it but whatever it is I'd think you want to stay away from grease if just because you don't that all over your hands.
This exactly. I was one of the first to respond to this thread BadBud and I said that "I assume you are talking about roundwounds" but you waited 8 pages in before explaining yourself.
Oh please don't go! I was wanting to get some more nuggets of wisdom from you. Then again, maybe not. Good Riddance.
I'm with the OP. There have been some rude-ass replies that probably would have gotten some people poked if they tried to do it without the safety of sitting behind a computer. Some people like to deaden their strings when they get them, and what's it to you if they do? Sure, I don't think shellac is the safest thing you can use and said so, but what difference in your life does it make if you don't like to deaden your new strings? And flatwounds and tapewounds are never going to feel like roundwounds, and some people just plain don't want to use them. Get over it.
Geez, this thread is a perfect example of why TB has such a "full-of-angry-know-it-alls" reputation.
Geez, this thread is a perfect example of why TB has such a "full-of-angry-know-it-alls" reputation.
You are absolutely right. They start attacking you on vernacular and intent. Then you get the "I haven't played roundwounds in 30 years! In fact, I've forgotten what they are!" ones too. Like I said in my comment above - it's a free world. Dip 'em in maple syrup if that's your thing.
@JimmyM - you know as well as I do that if you REALLY want to get attacked head on over to the Effects forum and say something even remotely controversial. LOL!
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