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Chromes - Lasting impressions...

#22
Sundogue said:
I liked the TI Jazz Flats. But, I found the TI's tension to be a little too light for my style of playing. I do think the whole "floppiness" that people speak of is a bit exaggerated though. They aren't all that bad. But you do have to compensate a bit with either higher action or a lighter touch.

Also, the TI's have that great thumpy low end we love in flats, and while they have a really nice, bright top end, they also seem to sound a bit scooped sounding in the mids. Now I know some feel TI's have strong mids, but I just don't get where that comes from. Perhaps they have good upper mids, but I don't care for upper mids as much as I do lower mids.

Lower mids is where Chromes excel. Chromes not only have a very strong fundamental (perhaps not as much as something like LaBella's) but they have a very punchy low-mid that just hammers out the bass in a way that TI's don't.

Keep in mind that I play mostly classic hard rock. What I want in a string is clear, defined lows, punchy mids and a very distinct attack to the sound without having to do a lot of EQ'ing. Chromes have a presence about them that make my bass very well defined in a 5 piece rock band.

If I played with a lighter touch, in a quieter band, or played lighter music...or if I played more subtle lines with more dynamics involved, I think the TI's would suit me just fine. But my playing is anything but subtle. The music I play is about as subtle as a punch in the face.

I also prefer how the D and G strings sound with the Chromes. They sound deeper with the Chromes than with just about any other string I've tried (round or flat). One of my biggest problems with most all strings is how weak and thin the D and G strings sound, like whenever I play on them the bass seems to drop out of the mix. I know I could get heavier gauge D and G strings, but when I buy a set of strings I shouldn't have to immediately replace half of them, or have to buy all my strings individually. And I don't like to play really heavy gauge strings.

The industry pretty much caters to the modern bass player and I guess thin sounding D and G strings must be great for the noodlers and wankers. Good for them. I don't solo, but I also don't hang on the E and A string constantly either. When I play on the D and G strings I still want my bass to sound like a bass.

The Chromes sound full, deep, distinct and punchy on every string, all up and down the neck. The TI's are great flatwounds. The Chromes just work better for me in a rock band setting.

Chromes also have THE best low B I've ever used. Tight, focused and well defined notes on the low B. It's so good that if I ever switched strings (even if I went back to rounds) I'd keep the Chrome Low B on my bass.
Click to expand...

I may have to give Chromes another chance. My experience with them was they sounded great by themselves, but in the band setting they got lost in the mix, whereas the TIs didn't.
 
#23
edbutler3 said:
Based on your detailed descriptions, I think the Chromes may be right for me too. I'm going to give them a try on my Lull P-5 as soon as I can find a set. I wonder if GC stocks them? (Of course I could easily get them online...)

I've been down the same path of switching from Sunbeams to TI JFs, and while I was fully forewarned by TB discussions about the low tension of the TIs, I just had to give them a try. But after using them a while, I don't think they are right for me. Yes, I could probably learn to use a more subtle right hand style, but I don't really *want* to.

To my ears, it sounds like the TIs have an upper mid focus, somewhere in the 800Hz to 1.5kHz range -- which is right where I like to *cut* the EQ. That range has a nasal "goose honk" quality that I personally don't like. IMHO, YMMV, etc.

If the Chromes are focused a bit lower into the midrange, like 250Hz to 500Hz (just my wishful guessing here...) then I would be a lot happier with the tone.

That's very exciting to hear! I think a lot of players can relate to wanting the D & G strings to have more "guts". I can think of a specific line in one of our songs where I play some notes on the D string that just don't hold their own in the mix like I need them to. I was very surprised that the TIs have less presence on this bass line than my round Sunbeams. (I still use rounds on my main bass -- I put the flats on the P5 as an experiment, but at this point there are only a few songs where the flats win out.)

Cool. The quality of the low B string is very important for me since I spend a lot of time down there. Actually, I thought the TI low B was excellent, maybe the best part of the set. So if the Chromes B is even better, that would be outstanding.
Click to expand...

Yes, I would say the Chromes have a very strong presence from about 230Hz to 400Hz based on how I have to adjust my EQ to compensate for that. Normally I've had to boost that area to help cut through (with cabs that already have a strong low-mid), especially the 230Hz, but with the Chromes I've had to cut or set flat and it's still very strong).

Chromes have a unique sound for a flatwound. VERY bright, almost roundwound bright when first put on new. But they settle in nicely after a couple of weeks where they still are bright for a flat but the sound evens out more so they sound full from the low end to the high without any frequencies being exaggerated much (except for the low mids, but not overly so).

One of the things I like most about the Chromes is that while they aren't as thumpy as most traditional flats, they accentuate those harmonics just above the fundamental of the low end where it really cuts (and most bass cabs excel), yet still has enough bottom where I can cut the deep lows on my EQ and have it still feel very strong (without the low end being muddy or soft). With the Chromes, the low end of my sound is more like it "slams" instead being a big wave of low end.
 
#24
Mastermold said:
I may have to give Chromes another chance. My experience with them was they sounded great by themselves, but in the band setting they got lost in the mix, whereas the TIs didn't.
Click to expand...

LOL...that's been the opposite of my experience with the two.

I think it depends on what we're playing through. I'm playing an active Washburn 5 string that actually has a pretty good P-Bass tone to it (I've owned a P-Bass my whole life and still have one). I run my bass into a Zoom B2 (using the Zoom Tube Pre model) and then into a Superly head (and the EQ is set pretty flat for the most part).

But, I'm running all that into two 115 neos that are VERY mid voiced. My cabs never get boomy with low end, and are really quite strong from about 80Hz to about 350Hz. They don't produce a strong fundamental so my onstage rig doesn't produce a muddy tone anyway.

Now I do think the TI's have a stronger fundamental and more glistening highs (for a flat) than the Chromes. Perhaps your rig accentuates those more than mine does. Whereas the Chromes are more low-mid heavy sounding and that's where my cabs are strongest. I did a get bit lost with the TI's sometimes (though they were far better than any rounds I used before). With the Chromes I can't get lost if I tried (well OK, I could if I drastically altered my EQ). My bass with the Chromes is just totally present...as a bass, even when both guitars are crunching away on power chords and the keyboardist is playing heavy.

It obviously depends on more than the string itself.
 
#26
coolrunner989 said:
I love chromes, but I think they definitely have more fundamental and low mids than TI's.
Click to expand...

I've tried both through a variety of amps, cabs and even a dry signal through headphones (just to take amps and cabs out of the equation). I've found the TI's to be a bit better regarding the fundamental, but the Chromes are better at the first harmonics above the fundamental (which is what most commercial cabs are built for).

Through my rig (two 115's that don't go very loud down below about 60-70Hz, so there really is no low end fundamental to speak of. But through our JBLSRX728 subs, The TI's sounded fuller down low, but the Chromes were just plain slamming through both the JBL's and my rig. Most people mistake the first harmonic above the fundamental for the fundamental itself. And it's not as if the fundamental is missing entirely through most cabs...it's just at a lower volume. Our brains fill in the difference anyway, so if it sounds good...it is good.

Both strings have a good low end to them, but I think it mainly comes down to a preference for low-mids (Chromes) or high-mids and highs (TI's). I think those bass players that are more into a supporting role rhythmically probably prefer the Chromes and those who like to play more melodically prefer the TI's.

Chromes are VERY bright at first, but that goes away, whereas years later my TI's are still very bright with strong highs.
 
#28
Sundogue said:
Both strings have a good low end to them, but I think it mainly comes down to a preference for low-mids (Chromes) or high-mids and highs (TI's). I think those bass players that are more into a supporting role rhythmically probably prefer the Chromes and those who like to play more melodically prefer the TI's.
Click to expand...

I think that says it all right there.


Its also why TI's are one of the best fretless string, and mwah more than most rounds.
 
#29
Chromes have been on my MIM active Jass for about a year now and I couldn't be happier.
I'm not planning on changing them any time soon.

(mrkreuzschlitz: Mine were brighter than most when I first put them on, now they are settled in nicely and are multi-purpose. I can make them thump OR make them ring just buy turning the knobs on my bass. They even sound pretty cool when tapping on them.)
 
#30
After reading "Confessions of a Flatwound Convert" I put Chromes on two more of my basses. Jammed righteously last night on my Yamaha with a relatively new set. Boy, was that tasty. Threw out some serious chest-hitting punch, but what I love is how they sound with a pick. Just enough treble bite there on the top.

Another thing I love about Chromes is that my effects work pretty good on them for being flats. Anytime I got the itch to play a set of flats before, I would just go down to the local shop and pick up a set of Fenders. My effects just wouldn't work well with them. Lately I've been really digging on playing my Yamaha with a pick with a little flanger going on. Boy is that the real deal. Here's another thanks to you, Sundogue. Right on, man.
 
#33
I'm about to put my Chromes back on my P (I took them off for a set of Tempo rounds :confused:) And once I save up some more money, I'm gonna buy a set of Carvin 5-String flatwounds for my Affinity Jazz V... I had some Chromes on my Jazz V, and loved them, but the silk and ends were shredding after I'd taken them off and put them back on... So we'll see how these Carvin flats are (complete with review later on) and as for now I LOVE the Chromes! I just might become a Flatwound convert myself! Whoo :D
 
#34
Bassman316 said:
After reading "Confessions of a Flatwound Convert" I put Chromes on two more of my basses. Jammed righteously last night on my Yamaha with a relatively new set. Boy, was that tasty. Threw out some serious chest-hitting punch, but what I love is how they sound with a pick. Just enough treble bite there on the top.

Another thing I love about Chromes is that my effects work pretty good on them for being flats. Anytime I got the itch to play a set of flats before, I would just go down to the local shop and pick up a set of Fenders. My effects just wouldn't work well with them. Lately I've been really digging on playing my Yamaha with a pick with a little flager going on. Boy is that the real deal. Here's another thanks to you, Sundogue. Right on, man.
Click to expand...

I agree with you about using a pick with Chromes and how they sound with effects. I'm not a big effects user, but there are a few tunes where I use a Chorus, Flanger or a Harmonized Pitch Shifter (cool 8/12 string sound) just for some different things we do. When I add a bit of distortion and a subtle amount of Chorus, boost the highs a little on my EQ and I really dig in with a pick, it has a very roundwound sounding growl to it.

I think Chromes are very versatile flats.
 
#37
Sundogue said:
LOL...that's been the opposite of my experience with the two.

I think it depends on what we're playing through. I'm playing an active Washburn 5 string that actually has a pretty good P-Bass tone to it (I've owned a P-Bass my whole life and still have one). I run my bass into a Zoom B2 (using the Zoom Tube Pre model) and then into a Superly head (and the EQ is set pretty flat for the most part).

But, I'm running all that into two 115 neos that are VERY mid voiced. My cabs never get boomy with low end, and are really quite strong from about 80Hz to about 350Hz. They don't produce a strong fundamental so my onstage rig doesn't produce a muddy tone anyway.

Now I do think the TI's have a stronger fundamental and more glistening highs (for a flat) than the Chromes. Perhaps your rig accentuates those more than mine does. Whereas the Chromes are more low-mid heavy sounding and that's where my cabs are strongest. I did a get bit lost with the TI's sometimes (though they were far better than any rounds I used before). With the Chromes I can't get lost if I tried (well OK, I could if I drastically altered my EQ). My bass with the Chromes is just totally present...as a bass, even when both guitars are crunching away on power chords and the keyboardist is playing heavy.

It obviously depends on more than the string itself.
Click to expand...

Exactly. The bass I had them on was my Fender 59 CS P-bass which tends to resonate with the low end more than some other basses I have. The strings need to match the bass, the rig, everything in a package.
 
#40
I have a short-scale set, 45-105, on a 30" bass. I have tried and like DR Hi-Beams on other (34") basses, but they are such a good fit for this beast that I don't feel any need to change. It's all fundamental thump, but not at all muddy. I play with fairly high action and actually dig the higher tension that some have said of Chromes when compared to other flats.
 

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