Fender 9050L Review

[74hc]

I've had these on my EBMM Sterling for about 2 months now. Setup of the Sterling is close to the usual recommendations. I believe the neck relief is .011, and the string action is about 6/64.

These are the newer 9050L (45-60-80-100) strings in the white package with green silk. Shade of green seems close to joker green. Hmm, anybody up for some Steve Miller The Joker?

My initial thoughts:

1- Very mid frequency focused to my ears, more than I anticipated. Would be nice to pick up more bass.

2- The treble that is there has a slight metallic sound to it. I don't like this part at all and hoping it goes away after the strings age.

3- Very smooth, almost no finger noise, but not polished to be shinny. It's a light grey color.

4- Perceived tension feels mostly balanced, not floppy or tight. I'd say just about right for my taste.

5- Balanced tone-wise, it's decently good. Nothing to knock my socks off, nor complain about either.

6- Definitely a hex core flatwound string per my ears.

Overall, it's a good string if one is looking for a flatwound with a more modern sound, wishes to avoid the high-tension, stiff feeling; and wants to pay less. Right now, there is not enough separation between these and the pressure wounds on my Vanquish. If I didn't have the pressure wounds, I'd appreciate these far more.

Hopefully, these will deaden somewhat and pickup more traditional flatwound attributes. As always, unless you have my ears, YMMV.

 

[michael_t]

Overall, it's a good string if one is looking for a flatwound with a more modern sound, wishes to avoid the high-tension, stiff feeling; and wants to pay less. Right now, there is not enough separation between these and the pressure wounds on my Vanquish. If I didn't have the pressure wounds, I'd appreciate these far more.

Hopefully, these will deaden somewhat and pickup more traditional flatwound attributes.

If I had a second Jazz bass, I would put my old set of 9050CL (45-60-80-105) on it. Unfortunately, I only have one, so the Pressurewounds will stay on it for now.

They won't "deaden" like the traditional flats, but will mellow over time with more punch than thump.

 

[Linnin]

1- Very mid frequency focused to my ears, more than I anticipated. Would be nice to pick up more bass.

They are, and they will. Give them a good 200 hours of solid playing time. That'll do it.

2- The treble that is there has a slight metallic sound to it. I don't like this part at all and hoping it goes away after the strings age.

Klank is something I detest almost as much as I hate zing. Klank City Limits is between the high mids and low highs right around 1800Hz. Cut in the 1500 to 2000Hz neighborhood to evict it until it leaves town on its own.

 

[michael_t]

Klank is something I detest almost as much as I hate zing. Klank City Limits is between the high mids and low highs right around 1800Hz. Cut in the 1500 to 2000Hz neighborhood to evict it until it leaves town on its own.

The 9050s do start out with a rather annoying "clang" fresh out of the pack. But once broken-in, the clang will turn into a more ear-pleasing grind.

If you want Klank, try the D'A Chromes.

 

[Linnin]

If you want Klank, try the D'A Chromes.

I don't. Just say no to klank.

 

[trothwell]

If you want Klank, try the D'A Chromes.

Who intentionally desires klank? It's, like, the most unpleasant bass tone out there. With all due respect to Linnin, I think even worse than zing!

 

[Linnin]

Who intentionally desires klank? It's, like, the most unpleasant bass tone out there. With all due respect to Linnin, I think even worse than zing!

^^^ ^^^ Worse Than Zing?!

 

[Mike Vee]

I don't. Just say no to klank.

A little bit of “clank” without “ping” is a great sound.

 

[iiipopes]

I just got done setting up a Fender-Japan imported J-bass for a friend of mine. I did use an old set of my Fender 9050CL's on it for him. Keeping in mind the pickups are only wound to @6kohms, instead of the typical 7kohm-plus worth of wire, they are bright, but do lack a little bit of the typical J-growl. That said, the strings do sound fantastic on this bass.

 

[iiipopes]

Who intentionally desires klank? It's, like, the most unpleasant bass tone out there. With all due respect to Linnin, I think even worse than zing!

Clank, especially on a Rickenbacker in a hard-driving band, can be a tone that defines these genres. It can be fun at titmes.

 

[trothwell]

Clank, especially on a Rickenbacker in a hard-driving band, can be a tone that defines these genres. It can be fun at titmes.

The commented post was from seven years ago, but given the context, I think I was referring to the "klank" that came from brand-new Fender 9050 flatwound strings, which maybe was actually more like a "ka-tookata-thud, ka-tookata-thud", and less like the metal-on-metal "twhookshk" that might sound good on a driving Rickenbacker.

 

[iiipopes]

The commented post was from seven years ago, but given the context, I think I was referring to the "klank" that came from brand-new Fender 9050 flatwound strings, which maybe was actually more like a "ka-tookata-thud, ka-tookata-thud", and less like the metal-on-metal "twhookshk" that might sound good on a driving Rickenbacker.

Hmmm. I have played the "new" Fender flats since they came out all those years ago. For me, they have a healthy amount of modern growl, as opposed to something like the Fender flats from the "golden" era, or GHS, or LaBella. Maybe not as much as Cobalt flats. Now cobalts definitely clank until all of a sudden one day they will just go thud with no warning. But the Fender flats did not clank. It sounds like a setup issue to me, not an inherent string tonality issue.

 

[trothwell]

Hmmm. I have played the "new" Fender flats since they came out all those years ago. For me, they have a healthy amount of modern growl, as opposed to something like the Fender flats from the "golden" era, or GHS, or LaBella. Maybe not as much as Cobalt flats. Now cobalts definitely clank until all of a sudden one day they will just go thud with no warning. But the Fender flats did not clank. It sounds like a setup issue to me, not an inherent string tonality issue.

Not sure! I haven't played them at all now for probably about 13 years? To be clear, this undesirable tone I speak of lasted maybe only a few days immediately after putting them on.

 

[cheddar]

I don't remember how long it took for my 9050L set to settle all the way in, but it was more than 2 months for sure, and I played them a lot. To these ears, they become punchy with some nice thump once broken in, though they do retain more of a mid focus than Chromes (only other flats I've used) and some growl. I have played them 3+ years and they still sound great to me.