I put a set of Chromes on my 4001 tonight and brought it to a performance. Man, that low end had a lot more "balls". than my rounds. I went from 40-95 to 45-100 though. 
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D'Addario Chromes...first impressions
- Thread starter Sundogue
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i've found this thread extremly enlightening!,,recently tried some ROTO's(Harris77's) and they had their atributes but the chromes DID feel like a better balance of tone across the strings(sound) and of course they are smoother than rotos,def. a dif. feel as well,,what do the TI's feel like?(of course being in an experimental stage the price keeps me at bay) but the lower tension sounds interesting(as does your mention of neck`bowing' like i initially experienced going from rounds to chromes)
great thread!(subscribed)
great thread!(subscribed)
Personally, I love Chromes (when you get a good set from D'Addario.... first set I ever bought had a .103 E and a G string that didn't sound like it belonged in the set), and I love the TI's. For me, I love flats that sing. Thump is nice, but I don't play flats for thump. A bit of muting with the chromes or ti's will give you some thump. But a thumpy string can not be made to sing, especially in the mids like chromes and ti's do. Chromes on my '08 MIA P are a perfect match.... the chromes give that tame pup a bit more authority.... much more so than any other string, including the TI's.
As for feel..... TI's, once broken in, feel wonderful. The lower tension starts to give way to some stiffening, they start to feel a bit more controlable, and the sound starts to round out. However, those first few weeks or months are horrible..... the coating they put on them (feels like bow rosin) is sticky, and your fingers feel like they're drying out when you put your bass down. At first you may feel like "What in the heck does everyone see in these?" But get through that, and you start to appreciate them. I believe the TI's sound best on a bass with a higher output pup. On a low output pup, they sound like they're all mids. And the best thing..... while all flats tend to get better with age, the TI's really get spectacular as they get older.
As for neck adjustments.... I run chromes at 3/32" on the E when measured at the 12th fret. My TI strung basses are set at 7/64", so you will have to make a truss adjustment. The TI's are setup a touch higher due to the lower tension.
As for feel..... TI's, once broken in, feel wonderful. The lower tension starts to give way to some stiffening, they start to feel a bit more controlable, and the sound starts to round out. However, those first few weeks or months are horrible..... the coating they put on them (feels like bow rosin) is sticky, and your fingers feel like they're drying out when you put your bass down. At first you may feel like "What in the heck does everyone see in these?" But get through that, and you start to appreciate them. I believe the TI's sound best on a bass with a higher output pup. On a low output pup, they sound like they're all mids. And the best thing..... while all flats tend to get better with age, the TI's really get spectacular as they get older.
As for neck adjustments.... I run chromes at 3/32" on the E when measured at the 12th fret. My TI strung basses are set at 7/64", so you will have to make a truss adjustment. The TI's are setup a touch higher due to the lower tension.
I've been thinking about putting a set of these on one of my Rics (2009, 4003), just to have something different. I have flats on my Hofners, and three Gibson basses; one solid body (Fender flats, 30"), one semi-hollow (Rotosound 77, 34"), and the other hollow (Rotosound 77, 30"). It'll be interesting to see how the Rick sounds with flats. I'll have the strings by Thursday.
It's easy...In addition to the above, I just respond in between my two other jobs and doing things with (and for) my four kids, my wife, my house remodel, and various other hobbies like DIY bass cab building, reading, astronomy, etc.
C'mon man, there are 24 hours in a day, you know?
to the OP: you said these have a lot of attack, especially with the low B (which i use a lot.) and i was wondering how these would fair for a jazz-influenced experimental metal schenario (lots of distortion or overdrive depending on the mix.. think meshuggah ish sound) as compared to say, DR low-riders
thanks!
thanks!
While I don't use distortion, I do kick in a bit of overdrive naturally and I use other effects like chorus and flanger and I think the Chromes are excellent with effects (especially for a flatwound). I think it is due to their strong mids.
yeah you said the mids were very strong, im either running a very deep low end based OD or a very mids/highs distortion, I guess ill have to try them out :]
I'd agree that the Chromes have very strong mids (and the highs are there too). I have my treble control on my bass pre amp turned all the way down, the mid control nearly completely cut with the cut point set to 500hz, and the bass set flat.
I find that if I boost the bass, it's too "muddy" and doesn't sound all that good, but with the bass set flat, it sounds good.
I have a Markbass combo that has the VLE (vintage loudspeaker effect) which cuts the highs even more. I have that control turned up nearly all the way (about 3 o'clock position where 5 o'clock is full up).
My G string will still sing out just fine with nice tone and clarity, and my B string rumbles.
I find that if I boost the bass, it's too "muddy" and doesn't sound all that good, but with the bass set flat, it sounds good.
I have a Markbass combo that has the VLE (vintage loudspeaker effect) which cuts the highs even more. I have that control turned up nearly all the way (about 3 o'clock position where 5 o'clock is full up).
My G string will still sing out just fine with nice tone and clarity, and my B string rumbles.
What is the model number of Chromes that most people commonly get for a 4 string, American Standard Precision,34" neck??
I see ECB81 Soft Long (pink circle on box). Seems these are a lower tension set.
sizes: 45, 65, 80, 100.
ECB82 Regular Long (Orange circle on box).
sizes: 50, 70, 85, 105.
ECB84 size 40, 60, 80, 100. (pale purple circle)
04' Bass Player String issue reviewed a 45,65,80,100 set ,they don't give a model #
I see ECB81 Soft Long (pink circle on box). Seems these are a lower tension set.
sizes: 45, 65, 80, 100.
ECB82 Regular Long (Orange circle on box).
sizes: 50, 70, 85, 105.
ECB84 size 40, 60, 80, 100. (pale purple circle)
04' Bass Player String issue reviewed a 45,65,80,100 set ,they don't give a model #
The 45-100 set is by far the most common, so I guess that that is the most popular set.
I got the same residue when I put my strings on. I had it all over my fingers.
I'm really liking my Chromes. They are starting to break in and sound really good.....better than when I first put them on.
I'm really liking my Chromes. They are starting to break in and sound really good.....better than when I first put them on.
Yeah...they are almost sticky when you first put them on. The last pair I bought wasn't though... I don't know if they changed something or what.
I wish the silk wasn't blue...oh well...great strings none the less!
I wish the silk wasn't blue...oh well...great strings none the less!
A quick wipe-down with alcohol before or after putting them on will get rid of that initial oil or whatever it is that gets on your hands.
I've also taken a sharpie or large permanent black marker to silks on string sets before if I felt their color was to visually conflicting to the bass.
I've also taken a sharpie or large permanent black marker to silks on string sets before if I felt their color was to visually conflicting to the bass.
Maybe I'll try that with the silk. I've used fast fret to clean off the new strings too. Alcohol won't hurt the stings?
