GHS Brite Flats, Time Tunnel edition.

[GwenOnBass]

This bass



now sounds as close to showroom new as it did when I bought it in the spring of 1979. Talk Bass' collective knowledge indicates the strong probability the Stingray came new with Brite Flats. With the bass now back from eight months with the luthier — the vast bulk of which is supply chain related — install Brite Flats just to hear exactly how this Ray "was intended" to sound.

Did the isopropyl wipe before install. Very little factory grime to be found. Advised up front from the relatively few Brite Flats threads they'd feel grippy for a bit, decide to play them in.

The more I play Brite Flats, the more I like them. Here is the point in the narrative where I'm supposed to add all sorts of superlatives with keen insights on what the string is / isn't.

What I hear is an unexpected complexity and sweetness, especially in the upper registers.

"Motown with an attitude" is a fair description (not mine!). What it seems to me is the Brite Flats mitigate the howl of the 'Ray battle dressed in FamousBrand ™ stainless steel rounds. Because I sure used FamousBrand ™ stainless steel roundwounds, and the bass' rehab includes a fret dressing

 

[GwenOnBass]

Three weeks on, and the Brite Flats are settling in nicely. The more I play them, the more I like them. That is kind of a turnaround from a younger self who likes strings less and less with age ( yes I do have LTFs on another bass )

Love the low pulling tension for this old bullet truss rod. The string stiffness feels good. Not rubbery, nor are they I-beams. Loads of articulation in the upper registers, and all the authority I need from open strings. This old 'Ray sounds like a proper StingRay!

 

[trothwell]

ove the low pulling tension for this old bullet truss rod. The string stiffness feels good. Not rubbery, nor are they I-beams. Loads of articulation in the upper registers, and all the authority I need from open strings. This old 'Ray sounds like a proper StingRay!

Which set did you go with?

 

[GwenOnBass]

Light set, 045-098, 38 inch winding. String to string balance, both in feel and tone, feels consistent to me. The more they're played, the better they feel. And I dig the navy blue silks.

Brite Flats seem to be rarely reviewed.

 

[michael_t]

Light set, 045-098, 38 inch winding. String to string balance, both in feel and tone, feels consistent to me.

In terms of the actual tension figures, the BF Lights (45-98) are nicely balanced right from the factory.

G 045 - 38.3 lbs.
D 056 - 35.9
A 077 - 39.3
E 098 - 38.8 (Total 152.3)