@bluesfordan : Yes, that's my 2011 MIA 60th Anniversary P. That's my baby, I'll be buried with that bass.
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D'Addario Chromes User Group- Chromeys Speak Out!
- Thread starter Rip Topaz
- Start date
"Here lies Rip Topaz - a devoted and proud Chromey. May his low end be forever thunderous and punchy with sweet heavenly grooves for all eternity!"
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I recently got an Ibanez Artcore AFB200 hollowbody archtop bass guitar. After I got used to the instrument I decided it was time to put strings on it that would compliment the tones this instrument would make. I had a set of these Chrome Flatrounds put on at the recommendation of the lutherier at GC.
These strings have impressed me from the moment I started playing first unplugged -- which gave a real sweet full-bodied mid-tone, then plugged in -- which gave a really alive deep tone, the same full-bodied mid-tone, and a surprisingly bright high-tone. These strings gave me the tonal qualities I expected in all pickup positions and in several plucking positions as well.
I believe I have found my go-to bass guitar string set.
These strings have impressed me from the moment I started playing first unplugged -- which gave a real sweet full-bodied mid-tone, then plugged in -- which gave a really alive deep tone, the same full-bodied mid-tone, and a surprisingly bright high-tone. These strings gave me the tonal qualities I expected in all pickup positions and in several plucking positions as well.
I believe I have found my go-to bass guitar string set.
Hello fellow Chromeys...I put a set of 'balanced tension' Chromes (45-60-80-105) on my new American Standard Jazz. It usually tends to be heavy in the 'booty' department. The Fender 9050CL's sounded and felt great, but in a mix would get pretty buried because they don't have that upper mid hook of the Chromes.
Of course they're brand new so they are Very Zingy! I'll keep you posted as they mature, I'm hoping they will last a good many years. If memory serves, Chromes stay 'in the mix' even after losing their highs with age.
Of course they're brand new so they are Very Zingy! I'll keep you posted as they mature, I'm hoping they will last a good many years. If memory serves, Chromes stay 'in the mix' even after losing their highs with age.
I have become a fan of these strings, have them on my P bass and sound awesome. I tried a BT set 95-40, to light for me so I went to 100-40...perfect now
I got a set recently of 55/70/90/110
Little too much for me in standard tuning.
Just in the middle of a string crisis finding the right tension.
Guess I will try to resell and find something else.
Little too much for me in standard tuning.
Just in the middle of a string crisis finding the right tension.
Guess I will try to resell and find something else.
I'm thinking of getting Fender 45/60/80/100
Wish they still made the CL.
Unfortunately, the CL set is history.
I was quite upset when Fender in their infinite wisdom decided to discontinue the best set they had.
That said, I've been quite happy with my Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100). Unless you're planning to down-tune, the .100E should be fine.
I use Chromes on my Rick Turner Ren Deuce, a 30" scale 5er with a high C. I have found over the last 7 years that on 30" scale basses (and mine is a string through, with a 3/2 headstock) you can use Chrome guitar strings too, which permitted me to try different gauges for the C at not a lotta $$.
The Rens were designed to use Thoms, and I've had a few with them. But I wanted a mag pickup on this, along with the piezo, I was also looking for a more big jazz guitar/bass sound. I use the lightest set they make, along with a .030 for the C.
I 'd also like to add a word re D'addario. When I was putting together my design with Mr Turner, I did a LOT of research on flats. I have had endorsements with various companies over the years, and I tried getting in touch with those companies. Nobody would give me the time of day. When I contacted D'addario, I was put in touch with Mr Fan Tao, a brilliant string designer with an engineering masters from MIT. He made up a few custom sets for me, and they all worked as he said they would.
LaBella has a similar way of doing business, personal attention for working pros.
The Rens were designed to use Thoms, and I've had a few with them. But I wanted a mag pickup on this, along with the piezo, I was also looking for a more big jazz guitar/bass sound. I use the lightest set they make, along with a .030 for the C.
I 'd also like to add a word re D'addario. When I was putting together my design with Mr Turner, I did a LOT of research on flats. I have had endorsements with various companies over the years, and I tried getting in touch with those companies. Nobody would give me the time of day. When I contacted D'addario, I was put in touch with Mr Fan Tao, a brilliant string designer with an engineering masters from MIT. He made up a few custom sets for me, and they all worked as he said they would.
LaBella has a similar way of doing business, personal attention for working pros.
I'd like to add here too..I also play fender 4 string basses when I play z rawk music..and was always of the mind that it was de rigour to use rounds for the JAE thang. That was until I started stringing up with light Chromes. Here's a wee clip of my group Pezband @ The Empty Bottle in Chicago. I am using my GK 800 head through a svt frig, and my Dredgetone Angler.... Old school SC tele..but check it out..this is what Chromes can sound like too.
I'm of the mindset that you have to be flexible with your string choices to match the bass, I've had basses that sound great with TIs or LaBella DTFs and sound horrible with chromes. This bass sounds great with Chromes.
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hey Pete..what basses did you have that sounded horrible with C's?..I found my older P's sounded like poop with TI's.
I actually had two different 57/58 AV reissue basses. One sounded great with TIs the other DTFs. The one with DTF I modded to a PJ it sounded like a tin can with chromes. Horrible may be to string of a word but the 57P sounded less bad but still not good.
Just curious..my 1964 P sounded bad with roto flats and TI's..better with Labellas, but best with Chromes..this is NOT used for rawk, rather finger style blues/soul. i did like Thoms on a newer jazz, but that was about it.
In my case I had two basses with the same specs, that sounded different and thus string choice was different for each. That is one of the many reasons I'm not married to any string choice. I've also seen a number of Garth Fielding videos where he has that spec bass and it sounds fabulous with chromes.
Don't really care for a number, but I have a set of Chromes on my Squier CV 60's P bass. They're not as great as I thought they'd be, but they definitely do have a pretty decent sound and wow wee do they slap great! The feel is so ridiculously smooth compared to roundwounds (Which is what I'm used to) so that was a big plus for me!
I tried a five string set on my Squier VM P bass V and I really was wondering if I just got a bad set because the B sounded so awful. No clarity, definition, or boom whatsoever on the B but the rest of the strings sounded good. After reading a few posts on this thread it sounds like this is a problem a few people had too. Did we just get bad sets or is this generally how the B sounds on these strings?
That being said I do enjoy what I've played of D'addario's other bass strings! For awhile, I literally only played prosteels on every bass I had. After awhile I stopped liking the insane amount of brightness and so I went down to just nickels from D'addario and I tried Chromes to experiment with a mellower sound. I'll definitely play them again if I want the flat tone
I tried a five string set on my Squier VM P bass V and I really was wondering if I just got a bad set because the B sounded so awful. No clarity, definition, or boom whatsoever on the B but the rest of the strings sounded good. After reading a few posts on this thread it sounds like this is a problem a few people had too. Did we just get bad sets or is this generally how the B sounds on these strings?
That being said I do enjoy what I've played of D'addario's other bass strings! For awhile, I literally only played prosteels on every bass I had. After awhile I stopped liking the insane amount of brightness and so I went down to just nickels from D'addario and I tried Chromes to experiment with a mellower sound. I'll definitely play them again if I want the flat tone
No wonder the B sounds bad compared to the rest. It has the lowest tension of the string set. That is a major fail that a lot of string manufacturers commit. Unfortunately, the 132 gauge is the heaviest Chrome string available.
I use the d'Addario tension guide all the time, and it shows how off-balance the 5 string set really is:
http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf
The ECB81-5 gauges with corresponding tension for BEADG (Note the crazy difference between the highest and lowest tension, especially considering the fact that a deeper tuned string generally should be the one with the highest tension):
.045 45.7
.065 52.0 (!)
.080 43.7
.100 38.4
.132 35.9 (!)
For a better balanced tension string set, I'd suggest something like this (based on the .132 string being the heaviest Chrome string available), but never on a shorter scale than 34", preferably longer:
.040 37.6
.055 36.6
.075 36.4
.100 38.4 (Or a .095 with 35.2 tension. Both choices are compromises from the ideal, but I generally gravitate towards higher tension in a compromise situation)
.132 35.9
That is a much more balanced set, and on a longer than 34" scale, I think it would work great.
I use the d'Addario tension guide all the time, and it shows how off-balance the 5 string set really is:
http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf
The ECB81-5 gauges with corresponding tension for BEADG (Note the crazy difference between the highest and lowest tension, especially considering the fact that a deeper tuned string generally should be the one with the highest tension):
.045 45.7
.065 52.0 (!)
.080 43.7
.100 38.4
.132 35.9 (!)
For a better balanced tension string set, I'd suggest something like this (based on the .132 string being the heaviest Chrome string available), but never on a shorter scale than 34", preferably longer:
.040 37.6
.055 36.6
.075 36.4
.100 38.4 (Or a .095 with 35.2 tension. Both choices are compromises from the ideal, but I generally gravitate towards higher tension in a compromise situation)
.132 35.9
That is a much more balanced set, and on a longer than 34" scale, I think it would work great.
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