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Chromes (String Balance Question)

D

Darren R

Sep 25, 2003
49
10
Toronto, Canada
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#1
Hey guys,

So I'm currently using D'addario Chromes 45-100 on my P-bass.

I like the tone of them, the one thing that bothers me is the string to string balance of them. I find that the D and G string are tighter than the E and A and it kind of bothers me.

My question is: I'm wondering if I will run into the same issue with the medium gauge 50-105s or if they feel a bit more balanced? I find that the E and A of the 45-100 feel a bit loose in comparison to the D and G .. even though the E and A are by no means low tension strings. They just feel low compared to the tighter D and G.

Why can't D'addario just come out with a 45-105 set already.. :spit: They have it for Rounds why not flats!

I suppose my other option is to go with the 40-100 set which I've read is a more balanced set. Do you guys agree?

Lastly, if I do end up with the 50-105 set of chromes.. has anyone had to adjust the nut slots for the larger G? I wouldn't want to have to make changes to the nut.. and then if I want to go back to a regular 45 have the nut slot be too wide.

Cheers!
 
#4
You could just order a set of 45-100 and 50-105 chromes and take the 105 from the medium set. And everything Jasper said I'll go with, too. And no: You won't have any issues with the nut slot and a .050 string on the "G" or readjust for going back and forth from a .045-.050 either.
 
#8
jasper383 said:
He doesn't need to do that, the ECB84 set does exactly what he is asking for right now.
Click to expand...

They are not bad at 41.4 +/- 3.8 lbs. You could do better with a 100/75/55/40 (37 +/- 1 lbs) set or a 105/80/60/45 (43.6 +/- 2.1 lbs) set. There is the power of individual string sales. Of course after listening to a lot of these discussions here on TB it is apparent that people use the words tension, tight, and loose not in their scientific/engineering sense but as descriptive terms. The numbers are right, they just don't always map well to everyone's individual perceptions. So having even tension may or may not be what any given person really wants. It is a road that each of us has to travel on our own, but if you keep track of the numbers they should be a useful guide for you when you want to change brand or type of strings.

I've been tuning CGDA for a while which pretty much forces you to buy custom string sets. And I have been using an even tension set which is working well. But lately I have been thinking it could be better so I have ordered a couple of sets with progressive tension: tension that increases as you move from the high frequency strings to the low frequency strings. To me this sounds more like regressive tension but progressive tension is what everyone calls it so I will too. It is tough to find flatwounds heavy enough to implement the idea. I'm thinking I want to be about 0.145 on the C string but only Thomastik-Infeld make a flatwound much over 0.130 and it is only 0.136 and it is as expensive on its own as most four string sets! But in for a penny, in for a pound, I have a progressive tension "set" of TI and GHS (neither one makes the exact gauges I wanted so I had to mix) flats on order as well as a progressive tension set of GHS Boomers.

Ken
 
#9
I read somewhere along the lines that D'Addario match their strings according to tone rather than tension. I used to go for the 45-105 sets, but regularly found that my D and G strings lacked power. After swapping to 50-105 Chromes, the D and G are now just as fat sounding as the E and A.

But then, it's all a matter of opinion and taste and preference etc etc...
 
#10
Daveelvy said:
I read somewhere along the lines that D'Addario match their strings according to tone rather than tension. I used to go for the 45-105 sets, but regularly found that my D and G strings lacked power. After swapping to 50-105 Chromes, the D and G are now just as fat sounding as the E and A.

But then, it's all a matter of opinion and taste and preference etc etc...
Click to expand...

I did the same. Went for even tension across the board when experimenting with different flatwound gauges and brands. Even tension gauges seemed to throw me off and sounded uneven to me as well. Currently using 40-60-75-95 (as a standard light gauge) for all my strings. Though, I do like the tone balance on 45-65-85-105 sets. If I were to move back to mediums, those sets would be right back on my basses.
 
#11
^What khutch said.

Study the Chromes tension chart here: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf
50-105 is even more unbalanced than 45-100, and the DG are extremely tight. From the sets available 40-100 is the most balanced, but still a little middle-heavy.

Most nuts are cut to accept 50-110, but if the strings do catch in the slot it only takes a little filing, just don't deepen the slot, don't touch the slot floor.
 

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