Fodera Club Part XVII

[Just Thumpin']

LOL! For the tone that I love, I tend to change strings every 20 hours or so of playing, so a month would be a long, long time for me...thanks for the kind words about the strings, I am thrilled that you like them.

J

Hey Jason,

I think I got faulty Fodera SS strings on my new E5S.

I have had the bass exactly a month and the strings are starting to sound dull. Do you think the fact that I am playing this bass waaaayyyy more in a day than any other bass I have owned in years MIGHT have something to do with it?

Seriously, I thought it was weird that I blew thru a set of Fodera strings in a month.... until I realized that I can't put the damned bass down and am logging serious time in this thing.

Glad I ordered a 10 pack of your strings!

Amazing strings BTW. Also, they are very competitively priced.

 

[TheShape101]

Which Fodera strings do ye prefer? Nickel or Stainless Steel? And why??
I've only tried the Nickel so far but might go for the Stainless Steel next to try them out.

 

[steubig]

i like 'em dead.

flats are probably at least 12 years old.

rounds are about 3-4 years old.

the newest strings i have are waxed to take the zing out.

 

[nostatic]

Month is about as long as I go. Older sounds passable on the yyd bit I prefer a bit more zing. Only use nickel.

 

[Baird6869]

I find if I clean my strings well every once in a while, I can get 2 months out of SS strings. BUT... Historically I would have multiple basses in rotation.

I liked the nickel Foderas i had on my MTD 535 quite a bit after a couple of days, but I really like the tone/feel of new stainless. I guess many players like that nickels settle in to a nice tone after a bit of playing, but I am just used to SS and I know when they are dying and when to replace them.

Playing light strings is fairly new for me.... but man am I loving light strings!

 

[polymad]

LOL! For the tone that I love, I tend to change strings every 20 hours or so of playing, so a month would be a long, long time for me...thanks for the kind words about the strings, I am thrilled that you like them.

J

+100 to Fodera strings!! I try to wear out strings on my bass as much as I can to get that damp buttery sound, Jason might know the sound that I am talking about based on when I picked up my Fodera (that Matt Garrison sound).

But honestly, out of the endless strings that I have used, some were almost there while others never got close, Fodera strings have met every expectation of mine and so thank you!!

 

[Lennard III.]

1000+ on the strings !

Never wanted to use anything else for the last nearly 7 years - they feel like velvet under your hornskin

 

[cnltb]

For me it depends on the bass.
Strings stay on a lot longer on my main 5 string than they do on the singlecoil P bass which I play a LOT more at the moment.

 

[Mulebagger]

I've got to try another set of Fodera strings. The ones that came on my E5S were pretty beat. I really like how DR sunbeams and highbeams sound and feel on it, but I'll give them another go.

 

[Baird6869]

For me it depends on the bass.
Strings stay on a lot longer on my main 5 string than they do on the singlecoil P bass which I play a LOT more at the moment.

I have historically had 10+ basses but now I am really only playing 2 (90% of the time anyways). My E5S mainly and my new Fender American Deluxe 5 as a backup and for dive bars/outdoor gigs/open jams. It will be a lot easier to figure out how quickly I kill strings with only 2.

That won't change an time soon as my Monarch 5 Deluxe custom build is a year away and I am happy with my E5S and the Fender is actually a great bass for the $$$. (really I am too broke now to buy anything else anyways).

Question.... Does anyone use string cleaner or products like Ernie Ball Wonder Wipes? I have the Wonder Wipes and they seem to work a bit, but they aren't extending that "new string sound" substantially. Any products out there that actually work? P.s. I have no interest in boiling my strings in alcohol or anything else!

 

[Mulebagger]

The only thing that has worked for me is DA. I made a PVC tube and fill it w denatured alcohol. Drop in the strings for a few days and they are good as new.
I don't have sweaty or acidic hands. Usually I kill mine from a tension/ fret wear standpoint. So I can get a few months out of my DRs. The DA gets them to sound new even when they are basically dead

 

[Robin Ruscio]

May I ask you wich kind of music do you play with your ash/rw ?

Let's see; jazz, fusion, gospel, country, punk, rock, new wave, theater, latin, funk.

 

[asbs]

All with your Fodera ?

Let's see; jazz, fusion, gospel, country, punk, rock, new wave, theater, latin, funk.

 

[jumbodbassman]

Nickel strings. Took a lot for me to change from my labella 760rm (Joey actually turned me on to them in the 80's) but once i did i never looked back except when i am going flats then i still love labellas.

Jason btw you talked about some "options" with the standards. Why the change from the YYS days. I couldn't even change the gauge of the strings back then.

 

[nostatic]

All with your Fodera ?

I sometimes end up doing all those within one song

I continue on the world's longest honeymoon with the YYD. Amazing how other basses stay in the bag at gigs these days.

 

[jumbodbassman]

Let's see; jazz, fusion, gospel, country, punk, rock, new wave, theater, latin, funk.

been using mine for everything except punk ( only because i haven't played much) since the 80's though i like the older hazlab preamp basses better for rock , less polite sounding... I can overdrive a old tube amp more naturally sounding without the bass/treble control.

 

[jeffbassguy]

ok time to add myself to this club..here's my weapons:

 

[iwearpumas]

Can anybody describe the tonal difference between an Ebony and Indian rosewood fingerboard?

 

[nostatic]

Ebony - more of a "ping", deep lows, high sheen
Rosewood - warmer, less high end

At least to my ears, in my experience.

 

[ian_s]

Behold the duck. Wanted to try a string mute, and this was what was in cable range.

YYS, stuffed mute, tome rolled down and bass rolled up. A very nice upright on a guitar sound! This is with Fodera nickel strings, to stay on topic, although occasionally I've switched to labella tape wounds.