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D'Addario Chromes User Group- Chromeys Speak Out!

#881
Question for you Chromeys: I want to give them another try. I remember not liking them very much out of the pack. Too bright, too much high mids, IIRC.

How do they sound when dead?

Do they sort of sound like a thumpy La Bella DTF with a tad more high end? Or are they still somewhat very bright high middy (for a flat)?
 
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#882
Just Wrong said:
Question for you Chromeys: I want to give them another try. I remember not liking them very much out of the pack. Too bright, too much high mids, IIRC.

How do they sound when dead?

Do they sort of sound like a thumpy La Bella DTF with a tad more high end? Or are they still somewhat very bright high middy (for a flat)?
Click to expand...
I was lucky enough to acquire a P bass with very old Chromes and really, really dig 'em. As to comparison, not too sure, I use Fender 9050Ls on my fretless Jazz and fretted Jazz and I don't have experience with the Labella DTF except for the tapewounds, which I swear by for my fretless AGBs. I tried the Labella tapes on the fretless Jazz but felt they were to 'pingy' for my liking (at least on the bass I had them on).

With my fairly limited experience with flats, what I have learned is that it takes a long time for them to properly break in. When they do break in, the bottom end tightens and the highs seem to sweeten.

I do use a Sterling Joe Dart with the EB Group 2.5 flats, those are different and I'm not sure how the'd sound on a Fender or Squier.
 
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#883
Just Wrong said:
Question for you Chromeys: I want to give them another try. I remember not liking them very much out of the pack. Too bright, too much high mids, IIRC.

How do they sound when dead?

Do they sort of sound like a thumpy La Bella DTF with a tad more high end? Or are they still somewhat very bright high middy (for a flat)?
Click to expand...
Yes, old Chromes are thumpy like DTFs though I don’t notice more high end.
 
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#887
I had an extra set of Chromes and I put them on my main Ric 4003 (the one in my avatar) today. I'm pleased to say that they feel and sound amazing! They will be staying on this bass because I don't want to go back to the D'Addario XL Nickels that I was using. Those strings die too quickly and changing strings can be annoying.

This set was on my other Ric (that now has heavier Chromes on it) for 6 months, so they're nice and broken in. I took the set off because the tension was too light. I was going to buy another set of Chromes, but I honestly didn't want to spend $50 🤣. Glad I didn't!
 
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#889
Anyone ever tried downtuning a standard set of Chromes to BEAD?

My latest idea in my search for a properly low tension set of flats is Chromes

40-45-65-85 would give tensions of 38 + 26 + 30 + 29 = 123

I've got broken-in Chromes for thr 45 65 85, and will use the G string from a set of La Bella LTFs to substitute for the 40 (almost same tension)

As I'm away from home, I'm not going to have a chance to try this for a bit ... any opinions how I'll get on with it? 😬
 
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#890
Ricky Rioli said:
Anyone ever tried downtuning a standard set of Chromes to BEAD?

My latest idea in my search for a properly low tension set of flats is Chromes

40-45-65-85 would give tensions of 38 + 26 + 30 + 29 = 123

I've got broken-in Chromes for thr 45 65 85, and will use the G string from a set of La Bella LTFs to substitute for the 40 (almost same tension)

As I'm away from home, I'm not going to have a chance to try this for a bit ... any opinions how I'll get on with it? 😬
Click to expand...
I play the medium gauge (50-105) Chromes in D Standard. The tension is great for me. I haven’t down tuned them to B, but it could be a fun experiment.

D’Addario makes a 5 string set and you can use the bottom 4 strings for B Standard.
 
#891
Ricky Rioli said:
Anyone ever tried downtuning a standard set of Chromes to BEAD?

My latest idea in my search for a properly low tension set of flats is Chromes

40-45-65-85 would give tensions of 38 + 26 + 30 + 29 = 123

I've got broken-in Chromes for thr 45 65 85, and will use the G string from a set of La Bella LTFs to substitute for the 40 (almost same tension)

As I'm away from home, I'm not going to have a chance to try this for a bit ... any opinions how I'll get on with it? 😬
Click to expand...
You could try it by getting a single Chrome 110 and adding it to the 45 65 85 you have. Ending up with a real low tension BEAD.

B0/.110/25.80lbf
E1/.085/29.01lbf
A1/.065/30.25lbf
D2/.045/26.37lbf

TT=111.43lbf

The 110 as low B feels pretty goosey though. The other gauges are fine at the pitches involved. Bearing in mind that Rotosound does a Swing bass66 set as a very low tension rounds option with gauges 50 65 85 for D A E, so it’s really not so out there.
Good to see experimenting.
 
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#892
Got home and tried this. So recap

G is La Bella LTF 42
D is Chromes 45
A is Chromes 65
E is Chromes 85

Tension 36 + 26 + 30 + 29 = 121 lbs

which should be a real mess, but is actually much more playable than I hoped. Obviously the G has a different feel, but generally having a G stiffer than everything else is something I quite like.

It's so so good to have the action on this troubled bass back down to where I like it.

I'll give it a a go for a while :)
 
#893
Ricky Rioli said:
Got home and tried this. So recap

G is La Bella LTF 42
D is Chromes 45
A is Chromes 65
E is Chromes 85

Tension 36 + 26 + 30 + 29 = 121 lbs

which should be a real mess, but is actually much more playable than I hoped. Obviously the G has a different feel, but generally having a G stiffer than everything else is something I quite like.

It's so so good to have the action on this troubled bass back down to where I like it.

I'll give it a a go for a while :)
Click to expand...
Huh? Your post asked about BEAD tuning but you talking about EADG
 
#894
GIBrat51 said:
Been playing the new Birdsong Fusion fretless bass, off and on, for a couple of weeks now. Yes, I did give the short scale Chromes a serious cleaning. No itchy hands so far... How do they sound - and work - on a fretless bass?
Well, they aren't quite broken in yet (I have 3 other basses at the moment, with flats that I'm trying to break in), but so far? I'm not hearing - or feeling - any reason to take them off. The bass has a very dense, heartwood Walnut body, with an Ebony fingerboard. Walnut, according to Warmoth's wood guide, is on the brighter side; I'm not sure if I'll like bright flats on a bright bass. We'll just have to see how things work out; but, so far? No complaints...
I did discover a weird thing though. When I was cleaning these strings, I looked through my "Big Box O' Strings" for the 2 sets of Chromes I've had for... oh, roughly forever, to get the actual "model" number for my records - and to order a "spare" set, like I have for all my basses. I'd always thought they were the long scale ECB81's, but... turns out, one set are the short scale ECB81S's, and the other set are the medium scale ECB81M's. I didn't buy them, and can't think where they came from. But, there they are. Which solves the spare set problem - assuming they stay on the bass...
However... So far, I'm liking them. They do sound and feel good on the Birdsong, and I think they work well on a fretless bass, too. As for the set of medium scale Chromes? I'm liking the GHS 3120MS Precision Flats on my Guild Starfire I waay too much to replace them. No problem with the tuner end silk, either (I'm a lefty, too). The medium scale Chromes would fit on my 32" scale Fury Anthem fretless, but that bass was built to emulate an upright bass; the handwound pickups sound like a tortured cat with anything but tape wound strings. The Roto TruBass88 Tapes it's wearing now, are not coming off. In any case, I guess I am a "Chromey" now - even if it's by default...:whistle:
Click to expand...
Well...
Update- and correction. Turns out, the "standard" strings that Birdsong put on their short scale basses, are not what you'd think. They're the "long scale" only, 50-105 gauge ECB82 Chromes. Not quite sure how they managed it - unless it's just because they're strung thru-body. But, the bass just doesn't seem "big" enough for that to work this well. But, it does, so... never mind. Anyhow... they are broken in, and... gotta say; I am liking them - a LOT. Their 50-105 gauge works... well, like the bass was made for them. Which Scott Beckwith, Birdsong's owner, told me it actually was. My concern that they would be too bright? They definitely are not. Worries that they wouldn't suite a fretless bass? Unfounded - on this Birdsong, anyway. To the point that I've given up, speculating on what other flats might work better...:thumbsup:
 
#895
Prodigus Filius said:
Huh? Your post asked about BEAD tuning but you're talking about EADG
Click to expand...
1) I asked if anyone has any experience of taking a standard 4 string set of Chromes and downtuning it to BEAD
2) I have taken an old 45-105 set, and have downtuned three of the strings, the 45, 65 and 85, from ADG to EAD
3) instead of downtuning the 105 from E to B, I've omitted it, and am using the G string from a set of La Bella Low Tension Flats to complete a new EADG set
4) I now have a very low tension set of flats, totalling about 120 lb, significantly lower than any standard 4-string set of flats

(If I decide I like this, I'll replace that odd La Bella G string with a .040 Chromes, giving me a 40-45-65-85 set

La Bella do make a .032, but that downtuned from C to G would be very low tension, something like 22 lb

Using a .050 for the D string would give a more even range of tensions, but the nearly useless trussrod on this bass will be happier with the .045)
 
#896
Ricky Rioli said:
1) I asked if anyone has any experience of taking a standard 4 string set of Chromes and downtuning it to BEAD
2) I have taken an old 45-105 set, and have downtuned three of the strings, the 45, 65 and 85, from ADG to EAD
3) instead of downtuning the 105 from E to B, I've omitted it, and am using the G string from a set of La Bella Low Tension Flats to complete a new EADG set
4) I now have a very low tension set of flats, totalling about 120 lb, significantly lower than any standard 4-string set of flats

(If I decide I like this, I'll replace that odd La Bella G string with a .040 Chromes, giving me a 40-45-65-85 set

La Bella do make a .032, but that downtuned from C to G would be very low tension, something like 22 lb

Using a .050 for the D string would give a more even range of tensions, but the nearly useless trussrod on this bass will be happier with the .045)
Click to expand...
I get it now. Haven’t done EADG with Chromes with those gauges, but have had done BEAD with Trubass88 100 75 65 as EAD with the 135 as B. The real gauges being 120 85 60 50. And done 140 93 73 53 with Magma nylons. The real gauges 120 80 60 40. Loose the goose!!
 
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#897
Prodigus Filius said:
The 110 as low B feels pretty goosey though.
Click to expand...

You've tried this personally? The fact that there is no option between 110 and 132 I find very frustrating.

I just ordered a 110 to try and match with the ECB80 set for a 5 string (B standard)... it'll take some time to get to me, but I'll share my experience if you share more of yours. :)

I just don't get along with the 132 as well as I'd like. Given I don't use the low B a ton, it's more of a: "there when I need it" thing, something that could work in the 110s benefit as well.
 
#899
Kro said:
You've tried this personally? The fact that there is no option between 110 and 132 I find very frustrating.

I just ordered a 110 to try and match with the ECB80 set for a 5 string (B standard)... it'll take some time to get to me, but I'll share my experience if you share more of yours. :)

I just don't get along with the 132 as well as I'd like. Given I don't use the low B a ton, it's more of a: "there when I need it" thing, something that could work in the 110s benefit as well.
Click to expand...
I’ve evolved a bit from rejecting 110 gauge flats as a B string for being too loose and flubby. I’ve found that if you hang with a 110 of any type for a few weeks, you adapt to the lower tension. On my fretted bass I currently have the Ernie Ball Group 1 set 55 75 90 110 as BEAD. Growing on me.
I contacted D’addario about them not offering .005 incremental increases in Chromes gauges between the 110 and 132. Like 115 120 125. The response was basically ‘ no plans to do so’.
 
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#900
Prodigus Filius said:
I contacted D’addario about them not offering .005 incremental increases in Chromes gauges between the 110 and 132. Like 115 120 125. The response was basically ‘ no plans to do so’.
Click to expand...
Me too. Same response. :(

The Super Light set ECB80 is my current 4-string favorite. I'm hoping it paired with the 110 isn't too too far off.

I just don't get along with the 132 of the regular light 5-string set.
 
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