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Breaking in flatwounds
- Thread starter mdsmith
- Start date
Marinade them in olive oil, then bake at 375 for seven minutes........okay just kidding. Just Play em! I do like the idea of Bar B Q sauce.
Mic Nuggette'
Mic Nuggette'
I'm suprised you say replace them once they're dead. It seem that in a lot of post I've read, people prefer dead flats. That's why I was wondering how to get them deader, quicker, I'm thinking maybe I'm missing something. I have Fender MLs that I just put on my jazz a couple months ago, and I've heard that they take a long time to break in. Thanks for the suggestion.
You're missing the fact that some people prefer really dead sounding strings and some prefer less dead sounding strings, others prefer bright sounding string, and still others can't make up their minds or rely on the opinions of others.
I like Thomastic flat wound strings and think they sound great after they've been played in for a couple gigs. Then they stay like that for years.
A lot of people agree with me. A lot of other people don't. It doesn't matter to me what others think, just what sounds good to me. The people I play for like my sound and don't tell me to change strings. They want the sound I get.
Just play the strings and see how you like the sound you get.
When I'm setting up a bass for 60s type sound..
I'll either play them in for a month or so with dirty hands.
OR
Leave them outside in the elements for a few weeks... sunlight.. rain.. snow etc.. all will help deaden faster...
Got this trick from an an antiques broker commonly needs to slowly tarnish brass to match other stuff.
I'll either play them in for a month or so with dirty hands.
OR
Leave them outside in the elements for a few weeks... sunlight.. rain.. snow etc.. all will help deaden faster...
Got this trick from an an antiques broker commonly needs to slowly tarnish brass to match other stuff.
+1
If you've been playing them for a few month they should be pretty well broken in.
If you're looking for a diferent sound than you're getting then perhaps those strings aren't for you.
IMO/IME swapping out the standard cap for a 0.1 micro farad cap also helps to get a good vintage tone. Plus it's a super-cheap mod.
The capacitor, along with the potentiometer, determine the way in which your tone control works. A higher value capcitor will cut more of the highs and boost the bass a bit more when you roll back the tone control.
IIRC 0.1 microfarad caps were standard issue for vintage Fenders.
So when do we start to see the "relic'd string" business take off?
Seriously, the best way to break in anything on your bass is by playing it. I love my TI flats, and they do sound the same every time now. Initially they were a little sticky but then once that wore off in a few days they have been great (they were great new too).
On the way to practice with a new set of flatwounds, I stop at the nearest burger joint and pick up an order of fries and proceed to eat them during the rehearsal.
I've got Fender MLs on a jazz, and let me tell you it's worth the wait. You will be a very happy man in about a month.
Flats: play them well and often - change them never.
Amen Brother!
Just play the dagnabbin' things. They start to break-in nicely after 8-10 hours of play time. You'll waste more time dorking around with the homemade "remedies". Until then, roll off the tone knob a bit, and man-up to the task for playing them in.
You're fatiguing the metal prematurely, IMO. You might have intonation issues down the line instead of strings that will sound great for years..
Play 'em!
