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GHS Precision Flats - weak E string?

darwin-bass

darwin-bass

Supporting Member
Mar 29, 2013
5,438
9,114
Salem OR
#1
G&L LB-100 with the above strings. They're about 3 months old. The A, D and G strings all sound great. They are full with a good clear midrange growl but the E string sounds like a dull thud in contrast. I've noticed it both at home during practice through a hi-fi rig (not lacking in lows at all) and through the GB Shuttle 3.0 with a 2x10 cab.

I've adjusted the pickups to equalize the volume so what I'm hearing is really a tone difference.

Is this common with GHS Precision flats, all flats or do I have a bad string?
 
#2
It WAS a fairly common thing that the E string would sound "dead" and/or "thuddy" compared to everything else, until you played them in for a couple weeks.

I spent the last month or so revamping the spec, making samples and sending them out for feedback. Just approved the change today into production.

Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll be happy to get you one of the "new" E strings; they'll be commercially available within a month or two.
 
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#3
Jon Moody said:
It WAS a fairly common thing that the E string would sound "dead" and/or "thuddy" compared to everything else, until you played them in for a couple weeks.

I spent the last month or so revamping the spec, making samples and sending them out for feedback. Just approved the change today into production.

Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll be happy to get you one of the "new" E strings; they'll be commercially available within a month or two.
Click to expand...

Wow! OK! PM on the way.
 
#4
Great to hear! I've put the same set on and off both Precision and Jazz basses with the same effect. Ultimately, the E was just not defined enough compared to the rest of the strings and had a hard time EQ'ing it out. Really would like to give them another try. They do feel the best from a tactile perspective out of all the flats I've played. And the purple threads? Forget about it!
 
#6
Rad! I want to try some Precision Flats but will wait until the new formula is in place for the E string issues...right now, EB Cobalt flats are on my P...it's awesome, but reading about Presicion flats has me curious to at least try them out...that Linnen guy sure does make a good case for trying them out for sure! I'm always on the prowl to make my bass tone have more Chocolate Punch!
 
#7
raul said:
Rad! I want to try some Precision Flats but will wait until the new formula is in place for the E string issues...right now, EB Cobalt flats are on my P...it's awesome, but reading about Presicion flats has me curious to at least try them out...that Linnen guy sure does make a good case for trying them out for sure! I'm always on the prowl to make my bass tone have more Chocolate Punch!
Click to expand...

@Linnin was one of the folk who generously took some time to try this out and give me some honest feedback. Darin Gray was another HUGE help (bassist for Tweedy, and a lot of others), as he uses our flats regularly, but only when they're NEW, so both of those guys gave complementary input.
 
#9
Jon Moody said:
It WAS a fairly common thing that the E string would sound "dead" and/or "thuddy" compared to everything else, until you played them in for a couple weeks.

I spent the last month or so revamping the spec, making samples and sending them out for feedback. Just approved the change today into production.

Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll be happy to get you one of the "new" E strings; they'll be commercially available within a month or two.
Click to expand...
That's what makes great companies when stuff like this happens....
 
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#11
Great service! I love these strings.

Their only shortcoming IMHO is the lower tension, while perfect for an E, gets sloppy and quiet for drop-D tuning. I'd like to experiment with the new design.

Other than that, I bought a set on a whim, liked them a lot, then have spent the last couple years trying out a bunch of other flats only to find that GHS is still better than any of them! Chromes, DTFs, TIs...
 
#12
Never Say Die! Now that @Jon Moody has let the flat cat out of the tone bag, I can tell you that the new E is much more balanced with the rest of the set right out of the pack. The entire set does settle in quite nicely and most importantly evenly in a months time. I put my new set on my 2012 American Standard Jazz bass, and had to string through body as I could not go through the bridge because the ball ends were a tad too large or the bridge just too damn tightly engineered to allow for proper clearance.

I still have my original set (now some 2+ years old) on my Precision for comparison. If you re-read post #1 Praise Report: GHS Precision Flats | TalkBass.com, you'll find that I loved the tone of the E straight away. That was the sound I wanted for the entire set. As followers of this thread know that took about six months to accomplish.

I am going to leave the new set on my Jazz for the long glide path to dark chocolate deliciousness. I am thinking 90 days will do it. I like the mellow character of the flats on my rosewood necked jazz. Everything is copacetic.
 
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#14
Jon Moody said:
It WAS a fairly common thing that the E string would sound "dead" and/or "thuddy" compared to everything else, until you played them in for a couple weeks.

I spent the last month or so revamping the spec, making samples and sending them out for feedback. Just approved the change today into production.

Shoot me a PM with your mailing address and I'll be happy to get you one of the "new" E strings; they'll be commercially available within a month or two.
Click to expand...

Would be great if Pyramid and LaBella would do the same. The bright flat brands seem to have an even tone whereas all of the thumpy flat brands seem to have some variant of this issue. Combine it with the "backwards" offset of a standard P bass pickup and it's enough to drive a guy nuts.
 
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#20
darwin-bass said:
G&L LB-100 with the above strings. They're about 3 months old. The A, D and G strings all sound great. They are full with a good clear midrange growl but the E string sounds like a dull thud in contrast. I've noticed it both at home during practice through a hi-fi rig (not lacking in lows at all) and through the GB Shuttle 3.0 with a 2x10 cab.

I've adjusted the pickups to equalize the volume so what I'm hearing is really a tone difference.

Is this common with GHS Precision flats, all flats or do I have a bad string?
Click to expand...
It could be twisted in the nut/saddle. Loosen the string off, pull all the tension to the ball end, push it out the end of the bridge to let it untwist. Then, seat it in the bridge again and pull tight while you tune.
 
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