GHS Pressure Wounds

[vivaknoxvegas]

Never used them before. I ordered some for a jazz bass. Switching from DR Pure Blues.

Will I need to adjust the neck ya think?

How do the two compare tension wise?

 

[Moving Pictures]

This is a good question for @michael_t

 

[michael_t]

Never used them before. I ordered some for a jazz bass. Switching from DR Pure Blues.

Will I need to adjust the neck ya think?

How do the two compare tension wise?

What specific gauges of the PW and the PB are we talking about here?

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

44-106 for the GHS, 45-105 on the PB

 

[michael_t]

44-106 for the GHS, 45-105 on the PB

The PW (hex core) will feel much stiffer than the PB (round core). The PW are higher in overall tension (as in weight of pull).

This means you should do a complete setup. Go ahead and install the PW and tune them up to pitch. Check the amount of neck relief to see if the truss rod needs to be tweaked. PW being stiffer, you might also want to adjust the action. The nice thing about stiffer strings is they allow a lower action. And of course, the intonation will need to be checked and adjusted as well. Two completely different animals.

By the way, I use the light set of PW (40-96) for EADG and the medium set (44-106) for DGCF. I once tried the PB 45-100, but I found them a little too loose-feeling, especially E (.100) and A (.080).

 

[nonohmic]

Why would you ever switch from DR Blues.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

The PW (hex core) will feel much stiffer than the PB (round core). The PW are higher in overall tension (as in weight of pull).

This means you should do a complete setup. Go ahead and install the PW and tune them up to pitch. Check the amount of neck relief to see if the truss rod needs to be tweaked. PW being stiffer, you might also want to adjust the action. The nice thing about stiffer strings is they allow a lower action. And of course, the intonation will need to be checked and adjusted as well. Two completely different animals.

By the way, I use the light set of PW (40-96) for EADG and the medium set (44-106) for DGCF. I once tried the PB 45-100, but I found them a little too loose-feeling, especially E (.100) and A (.080).

I'll mostly be tuned DADG with these 44-106s so that will work well hopefully.

 

[vivaknoxvegas]

Why would you ever switch from DR Blues.

I had to see what all the hub-bub was about with the GHS PWs.

 

[Spidey2112]

Never used them before. I ordered some for a jazz bass.

I think you'll like them... the ones I've installed seem to have a bit of longevity, too.

I put them on both my Highway One Jazz (love them on that!) and my USA Geddy (not as much love, for some reason).

The tension seemed perfect (for me)... I refer to the strings as 'Goldilocks'... not too loose, not too tight... just right.

Good luck!

 

[micguy]

Why would you ever switch from DR Blues.

Some people like strings that sound deader than rounds. I'm not sure why myself, but they do exist. Flats work for some of those folks, but there is a group of folks for whom rounds are too lively, and flats too dead - they are the target market for Pressurewounds.

 

[Ggaa]

DR Fatbeams are worth a try, a little more flexible that PWs.
Had both on a fretless too, Fats are more snarly than PWs.

 

[Altitude]

I have Pressurewounds on my Jazz bass - I can go back and forth between those and a set of Chromes with no adjustments, if that gives you a sense. No experience swapping with DR Blues.

I like the Pressurewounds - they have outstanding string feel and nice midrange, especially at the price point. I do not think they maintain the fundamental on the low strings as well as other strings do. There are noticeable overtones that may or may not be bothersome.

 

[BrentSimons]

I think you'll like them... the ones I've installed seem to have a bit of longevity, too.

I put them on both my Highway One Jazz (love them on that!) and my USA Geddy (not as much love, for some reason).

The tension seemed perfect (for me)... I refer to the strings as 'Goldilocks'... not too loose, not too tight... just right.

Good luck!

Because your USA Geddy needs the clank and twang Silly!

 

[red_rhino]

Went from medium gauge strings (45-105) on my P-bass and Tobias Classic to light gauge Pressurewounds. Neither required a setup as a result. The lighter gauge PWs feel a lot like med gauge of most other strings with the advantage of being slightly more flexible.

Some people like strings that sound deader than rounds.

I like rounds, but in my case, I wanted a more "broken in" sound. The nice thing about the PWs is that they maintain that sound and feel for a very long time.

 

[Spidey2112]

Because your USA Geddy needs the clank and twang Silly!


View attachment 5157472

Bwawaahaha! Hope you're well, brother!

 

[Dincrest]

I feel like pressurewound strings like GHS PWs and SIT Silencers are love it/hate it and work better with some basses than others. I've tried both and prefer the Silencers, but they wouldn't be my go-to string. When I had a Warwick Corvette Standard with active MECs, the Silencers were excellent to tone down the harsh, peaky highs of the MEC electronics. When I had that bass "de-active-ated" and replaced the electronics with passive Duncans and a V/V/T setup, the Silencers were too wooly.

And, yeah, GHS strings generally tend to feel stiffer and have higher tension numbers than the competition. If you're used to the supple feel of Pure Blues, even GHS Balanced Nickels (also a round core string) will feel stiff, given the differences in core design.

Those who love GHS PWs absolutely LOVE them to the moon and back. Those who don't... don't. Still, they are worth trying. Strings are the cheapest and easiest way to try something new with an instrument. I'm notorious for being "gotta try 'em all" with strings (I call it string-pokemon). And I'm still looking for my "one."

 

[BrentSimons]

Bwawaahaha! Hope you're well, brother!

You too my Brother!

 

[Isaac_James]

Some people like strings that sound deader than rounds. I'm not sure why myself, but they do exist. Flats work for some of those folks, but there is a group of folks for whom rounds are too lively, and flats too dead - they are the target market for Pressurewounds.

I am a fan of the PWs and though I can only speak for myself, the reasons I like them over rounds or flats are:

1) I like the feel of these, not quite so slick as the stainless rounds I have on my P bass but smoother than fully round strings

2) I really dislike the zingy sound of fresh roundwound strings. I mitigate this somewhat with EQ tricks but there's something harsh in those fresh strings that just grates on my ear. I am however atypically sensitive to some things, including high frequency sounds.

3) The sound I do get from them isn't just "middle of the road" between rounds and flats - these have a character of their own which I think is attributable to the wrap wire being made of an alloy of nickel and steel, rather than straight up stainless or nickel plated. DR Pure Blues are also made of an alloy, though theirs is a different one that is proprietary to DR. I am intrigued by these and plan to get a set next time my rounds bass needs new strings, just to see how they sound. The Pressurewounds have this gnarly, low-mid snarl to them that suits my playing style very well. These things LOVE a touch of overdrive.

They are a unique thing though and I understand why some folks wouldn't like them.

 

[Isaac_James]

I feel like pressurewound strings like GHS PWs and SIT Silencers are love it/hate it and work better with some basses than others. I've tried both and prefer the Silencers, but they wouldn't be my go-to string. When I had a Warwick Corvette Standard with active MECs, the Silencers were excellent to tone down the harsh, peaky highs of the MEC electronics. When I had that bass "de-active-ated" and replaced the electronics with passive Duncans and a V/V/T setup, the Silencers were too wooly.

And, yeah, GHS strings generally tend to feel stiffer and have higher tension numbers than the competition. If you're used to the supple feel of Pure Blues, even GHS Balanced Nickels (also a round core string) will feel stiff, given the differences in core design.

Those who love GHS PWs absolutely LOVE them to the moon and back. Those who don't... don't. Still, they are worth trying. Strings are the cheapest and easiest way to try something new with an instrument. I'm notorious for being "gotta try 'em all" with strings (I call it string-pokemon). And I'm still looking for my "one."

Among pressure wound/roller wound/compression wound strings (all the same thing, but nobody wants to agree on a name) there are a few different options for materials:

SIT Silencers: Nickel plated steel wrap over a hex core

GHS Pressurewounds / Ken Smith Compressors: Alloy 52 (nickel/iron alloy) wrap over a hex core

Rotosound Solo Bass 55s: Stainless steel over a hex core

Alloy 52 is uncommon in strings, Rotosound also uses it for one of their roundwound sets (Ultra-Mags) but I am unaware of any other bass strings that use it. It's more magnetically reactive than either nickel or iron alone so they tend to be higher output.

 

[michael_t]

SIT Silencers: Nickel plated steel wrap over a hex core

GHS Pressurewounds / Ken Smith Compressors: Alloy 52 (nickel/iron alloy) wrap over a hex core

Rotosound Solo Bass 55s: Stainless steel over a hex core

Alloy 52 is uncommon in strings, Rotosound also uses it for one of their roundwound sets (Ultra-Mags) but I am unaware of any other bass strings that use it. It's more magnetically reactive than either nickel or iron alone so they tend to be higher output.

I had a chance to try both the SIT Silencers and the Roto Solo Bass 55 earlier this year. They didn't quite worked out for me as I had hoped. Back to the Pressurewounds/Compressors for me.

Meanwhile, I've been pleasantly surprised by the Roto Ultramags, which are currently on my Yamaha TRBX505 and sounding great!