Balanced tension strings and vintage (7.25") radius necks query

[Dincrest]

Thanks again to everyone for all the valuable feedback.

I'm thinking the next set of strings I'll try on my Aerodyne (which a previous owner modded with EMG Geezer PJ set) will either be
-GHS PressureWounds 44-102
or
-GHS Round Core Boomers 45-105

 

[sunbeast]

My experience is that it is the pickup that really matters on a vintage radius instrument- as others have said, your P pickup is adjustable to follow the radius but if your J is unbalanced with any strings then it likely will be unbalanced with most/all strings. I've never found that string sets alone were adequate to make up for a pickup that didn't match the radius.

 

[Toptube]

Hello Talkbass,

Question for all of you.

I'm thinking about trying a set of balanced tension strings (specifically GHS Balanced Nickels) on my recently acquired 2018 Fender Aerodyne PJ (which is a superb bass), but that bass has a vintage 7.25" radius (as far as I know) fingerboard, and the train of thought among many people is that balanced tension sets don't work as well with such a round radius neck since the A and D strings are further from the pickups. Conventional gauged sets have thicker A and D strings to compensate for that "hump" whereas balanced tension strings have thinner A and Ds.

Has anyone tried a set of balanced tension strings on a 7.25" vintage radius-necked bass and what were your results? Am I simply worrying too much and letting the "voices of the Internet" get in my head?

I've been searching and asking around but not been able to find any info/insight, so I figured I'd try starting a thread to see if I can get your insights and hopefully help someone else along the way.
(And I know a common answer will be "get a set and try 'em for yourself" but it never hurts to get a little insight first).

Please and thank you for all your help.

IMO, you are overthinking things.


Balanced tension in my experience, means your bass will setup better. And there will be a much more consistent feel to the action, string to string. Both of these things will help you play better. And therefore, sound better.

My favorite balanced tension set, are GHS roundcore bass boomers. They have such a positive feel, and are not lacking in low end presence and detail. The roundcore add some extra flexibility for expressive playing. But their overall design doesn't result in a floppy string. I reiterate: a very positive feel.

That said, GHS has been doing most of their sets in "balanced tension" as their standard offering, for some time now. I'm sure you will have a good experience with any of their sets.

 

[Pier_]

and the train of thought among many people is that balanced tension sets don't work as well with such a round radius neck since the A and D strings are further from the pickups.

I'm on the opposite side. I have/had various single coil basses with 7.25" radius, normally strung with standard sets or "vintage" sets (usually heavier G, heavy D and A and light E, like the Fender 9050M or the GHS P-Flat "regular", 55-70-90-105).

they all sound uneven, with G and E at an higher volume compared to D and A.

with balanced sets, which I unfortunately don't like because of the tension, this problem disappears, and I usually have balanced volume on those kind of basses.

the reason is that, at such a similar gauge (usually the difference is like 65-60, 85-80) the smaller strings have a wider excursion in the vibration, so that they reach the magnetic field even at a smaller distance.

another example is the Stingray Standard bass: it's known for having an unbalanced volume on the G string, due to the fact that the pickup has a 7.25" radiused poles, against the 10" radius fretboard.
on mine I avoided this problem with the Rotosound BS66 (43-65-80-110), on which the G string can sound a bit louder reaching the magnetic field.

also, yesterday I switched from the BS66 to the RS66LD (45-65-80-105, where the G is a 48 actually) on my Yamaha BB3000 and I had to raise the split coil under the G and lower it under the E string.

I do this kind of measurements and adjustments recording the bass and checking the decibel difference for every string in various position, and also checking the track spectrum, so it's a scientific method that is not influenced by the "room" or the amplifier

in 15 years of setups, I made it my method, and it never missed, because it's based on numbers and not feelings.

 

[Dincrest]

My ballroom dance instructors often tell me "think less, dance more" and I should take that mentality to my bass playing. Worry/overthink less, play more.

I just had my Aerodyne set up with GHS Balanced nickels 40-101 and not only do the strings feel good, but the sound/tone is pretty even as well. As an added bonus, the 40 G doesn't sound all tinny/twangy; it sounds as full as a 45 G. Another added bonus is that the green silks look sharp against the gloss black headstock. My bass seems to like these strings so far.

So, like others said, I was overthinking it and letting too much time on TalkBass get to me when all I needed to do was let go and just try for myself.

 

[iiipopes]

Has anyone tried a set of balanced tension strings on a 7.25" vintage radius-necked bass and what were your results? Am I simply worrying too much and letting the "voices of the Internet" get in my head?

Yes. Before there were "Balanced Tension" sets, I made my own of GHS Progressives of 45-60-80-106 on my Rickenbacker 4002 (yes, "2," not "1" or "3") which had a 7 1/2 radius. I never noticed any problems with evenness of response, but that could be because the wiring has a .01 capacitor in-line on the pickups that would truncate the bass response slightly. Now, for tonal improvement and ease of playing, I did later bypass the capacitor to the neck pickup and have my luthier flatten the fingerboard to 9 1/2 radius because it has a really chunky neck, but that was for ease of playing, not pickup response.

 

[Dincrest]

One of my Aerodyne's previous owners had the bass modded with an EMG Geezer PJ set, and they sound great. The J is just as strong as the P and no issues with any strings sounding weaker than the other.

Moral of the story: think less, play more. Trust my fingers and don't let my brain get in my own way by obsessing over tension charts and minutiae.

 

[Aussie Player]

Hello Talkbass,

Question for all of you.

I'm thinking about trying a set of balanced tension strings (specifically GHS Balanced Nickels) on my recently acquired 2018 Fender Aerodyne PJ (which is a superb bass), but that bass has a vintage 7.25" radius (as far as I know) fingerboard, and the train of thought among many people is that balanced tension sets don't work as well with such a round radius neck since the A and D strings are further from the pickups. Conventional gauged sets have thicker A and D strings to compensate for that "hump" whereas balanced tension strings have thinner A and Ds.

Has anyone tried a set of balanced tension strings on a 7.25" vintage radius-necked bass and what were your results? Am I simply worrying too much and letting the "voices of the Internet" get in my head?

I've been searching and asking around but not been able to find any info/insight, so I figured I'd try starting a thread to see if I can get your insights and hopefully help someone else along the way.
(And I know a common answer will be "get a set and try 'em for yourself" but it never hurts to get a little insight first).

Please and thank you for all your help.

I've had a set of Balanced nickels on my Jazz that will be on there 5 years come August. They still sounds so good I can't bring myself to change them.

Wonderful clear punch and evenness in the sound regardless of where in the neck you play. Truely, a great combination.

 

[Vinny_G]

I wish D'Addario made ProSteels in balanced tension sets.

Yeah, me too.