Bizarre string-changing experience

[tpaul]

Back in the day before tuners we changed strings and never even thought about intonation or set-ups. We tuned badly to a piano or to the guitar and went on with our lives. I started in '72 and never even had a set-up until 2 years ago.

Were basses better made back then or did we just not care as much, or a little of "what you don't know (or hear) won't hurt you?" My Rick 4001 had many different types of strings, never needed a bridge or truss rod adjustment. At least not one I could tell it needed.

Too much OCD about perfect intonation, which if you play frets you can never have?

Sure, but back then nobody could hear you play.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Sure, but back then nobody could hear you play.

Road440 Head and Road 18" Cab, turned to "11" so everyone could hear me. They couldn't help themselves. I don't think they could hear anything after me.

We sucked so bad but didn't care, cause it was rock, everyone was stoned, and our equipment looked cool.

 

[ahbradot]

LABELLA Deep Talkin' 760FL - 43-60-82-104
While installing my first ever pair of flats last week on my MTD,
I felt like I was performing brain surgery.
All went well.
And now I just installed them my Ernie Ball Music Man as well.
No bass is safe in my house now that I discovered flats...
Look out rounds, your days are numbered

 

[BassicJazzy]

LABELLA Deep Talkin' 760FL - 43-60-82-104
While installing my first ever pair of flats last week on my MTD,
I felt like I was performing brain surgery.
All went well.
And now I just installed them my Ernie Ball Music Man as well.
No bass is safe in my house now that I discovered flats...
Look out rounds, your days are numbered

Until 2 years ago I only played rounds, not I only have rounds on my ABG. Back in'72 everyone was putting rounds on, trying to get the max zing, and I just went with that and stayed that way. Now my old fingers really enjoy the comfort of flats, pressure wounds, or tapes, and I'm not going back.

 

[sheesh]

LABELLA Deep Talkin' 760FL - 43-60-82-104
While installing my first ever pair of flats last week on my MTD,
I felt like I was performing brain surgery.
All went well.
And now I just installed them my Ernie Ball Music Man as well.
No bass is safe in my house now that I discovered flats...
Look out rounds, your days are numbered

Ha ha that's what I thought, then I put DR Sun Beams on my formerly flatted Jazz bass

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Holiday miracle!

BBB

 

[ahbradot]

Until 2 years ago I only played rounds, not I only have rounds on my ABG. Back in'72 everyone was putting rounds on, trying to get the max zing, and I just went with that and stayed that way. Now my old fingers really enjoy the comfort of flats, pressure wounds, or tapes, and I'm not going back.

That's very interesting as I had the same experience because back in 1978 I got a brand new Rickenbacker 4001. I tore those flatround strings off immediately and from then on I always used roundwound.
And now I'm playing flatwounds as I enjoy the tone with my old ears and the feel as well.

 

[Michedelic]

I'm one of those baaaaad people that hates to change strings on my basses, but I gritted my teeth and dug in yesterday (I put a set of LaBella Super Polished IMAs on my old JP-90, replacing a set of DR Hi-Beams that were way too rock and roll for the stuff I'm playing lately). I'm not ashamed to admit that my hands were slightly shaking because I was so nervous about screwing up the process.

Everything went fine, and when I got them tuned up I checked the intonation and it was spot on. Didn't have to adjust a thing.

Unreal. Anything like that ever happen to anyone before?

Don’t touch it, don’t point at it, even.

 

[Norm Nelson]

Don’t touch it, don’t point at it, even.

Just listen to that sustain

 

[DJ Bebop]

I bet you guys break into a cold sweat on an acoustic guitar with a fixed bridge.

 

[bassbrad]

I've had it happen but usually a few days later after the first good stretch and settle down there were a few minor intonation adjustments.

 

[Beej]

My fave experience, which has happened a handful of times, is when I've built a bass and then eyeballed where the saddles should be, and when strung up, it's intonated perfectly. Last time I excitedly told my wife, but for some reason, she didn't seem to care too much.