GHS Pressurewounds thru the years, any changes?

[DavidEdenAria]

On this 65 Epiphone Newport i went from a very old but virtually unplayed PW set of 105-45 to a 95-40 set and i got what i want; less tension mainly...

Here's the surprise, the 'new set' feels a bit more like a RW (tho a very smooth RW) vs basically a flatwound feel that is like my GHS Precision flats on the 'old set'.

The new 95-40 definitely has more finger noise but not in a bad way, more of a piano sound and more clarity and balance...yea they are new with maybe an hr of playing!

I much prefer the new set with a foam mute! The older PW set was almost all mud (keeping in mind the heavier 105-45) with a foam mute so that is a win.

The older set appears to have a bit more of a 'pressed into a flat' vs the newer more 'RW in feel'......these are Pressurewounds after all.

Curious if any Pressurewound players have noticed this before, anyone?

 

[michael_t]

How old are the ones you're talking about?

I've only been using the PWs for the last 6-7 yrs and haven't noticed any difference. The only thing that was different about the very first set I tried back in 2015 was they were the previous version with black silk at both ends and 36.5" in winding length.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

How old are the ones you're talking about?

I've only been using the PWs for the last 6-7 yrs and haven't noticed any difference. The only thing that was different about the very first set I tried back in 2015 was they were the previous version with black silk at both ends and 36.5" in winding length.

Im not positive but my bud who i got the bass from, started using Pressurewounds on all of his collection i think in the 90's....they are at least 20 years old and he rarely played the bass with his sausage fingers...the neck fits my skinny fingers perfectly tho.

I am pleased initially with the new 95-40 set....the 65 Newport is a very rare 2nd gen 'slab body'... after that, Epiphone contoured the back heavily but it sustains and is bright for a neck 'mudbucker' Gibson EB0 type.

 

[michael_t]

Im not positive but my bud who i got the bass from, started using Pressurewounds on all of his collection i think in the 90's....they are at least 20 years old ...

Do those old ones have black silk at both ends?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Do those old ones have black silk at both ends?

They do not...only on the tuner side and they are black silks......GHS Precision flats have the dark red silks on my Bronco (or whatever my color perspective is flawed) for comparison but the old Pressurewounds feel more like the Precision flats.

 

[michael_t]

They do not...only on the tuner side and they are black silks......GHS Precision flats have the dark red silks on my Bronco (or whatever my color perspective is flawed) for comparison but the old Pressurewounds feel more like the Precision flats.

This is making me very curious... Any chance you can post pics of those old PWs, assuming you still have them handy somewhere?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

This is making me very curious... Any chance you can post pics of those old PWs, assuming you still have them handy somewhere?

I cant post pics right now but i am going to compare all of the strings mentioned with strong magnification......the windings on the old PW look like the windings on the Precision flats with strong reading glasses....flats and very smooth.

 

[michael_t]

I cant post pics right now but i am going to compare all of the strings mentioned with strong magnification......the windings on the old PW look like the windings on the Precision flats with strong reading glasses....flats and very smooth.

So, do you know for sure they're Pressurewounds and not Brite Flats? BFs, being half-rounds/groundwound, would look and feel more like flats than rounds.

 

[JTE]

The set of GHS Precision flats I have still in the GHS envelope have purple silks at tuner end only. The Pressure Wounds on my fretless have black silks at the headstock (it's sting-through so I cannnot see the ball end side but I can't see any silk down there. It's been decades since I used GHS Brite-Flats (my StingRay came from the factory with them, and I got that bass new around 1979) probably bought my last set back around 1988 so I don't remember what silks they had, but I seem to recall them being more of a blue. The BF's are very much a modified round that's had the round wrap wire ground flat on the exposed part. They are very different in texture from the Pressure Wounds. I don't recall when PW came out so I can't speak to what they were like before 2018 when I got my first ones.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

So, do you know for sure they're Pressurewounds and not Brite Flats? BFs, being half-rounds/groundwound, would look and feel more like flats than rounds.

Afaik, my bud only used Pressurewounds and these have black silks at the tuner end....dunno for certain.....either way i gained a better sounding set with less tension.

Did Brite flats ever come with black silks?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

The set of GHS Precision flats I have still in the GHS envelope have purple silks at tuner end only. The Pressure Wounds on my fretless have black silks at the headstock (it's sting-through so I cannnot see the ball end side but I can't see any silk down there. It's been decades since I used GHS Brite-Flats (my StingRay came from the factory with them, and I got that bass new around 1979) probably bought my last set back around 1988 so I don't remember what silks they had, but I seem to recall them being more of a blue. The BF's are very much a modified round that's had the round wrap wire ground flat on the exposed part. They are very different in texture from the Pressure Wounds. I don't recall when PW came out so I can't speak to what they were like before 2018 when I got my first ones.

That is interesting your StingRay came with Brite flats in 79.....I did wonder though as 78 or so was when i started seeing StingRays on stages but i knew of nothing involving strings back then!

 

[Spidey2112]

I tried a set of PW's on the Highway One in '19 (black silks at headstock). Loved them (playability, feel, tone) and while they probably should be changed out, they still sound great.

Just a couple of months ago, I purchased another 'exact' set of PW's for the Geddy. After installation, same great tone (maybe, even better with the Geddy), but, first thing I noticed was playability/feel... a little rougher/stickier on the fingers, compared with the first set I installed.

They've settled down since, and the Geddy is getting regular rehearsal time...

... no worries, Highway One. Your birthday is coming up... so you got that going for you...

... which is nice.

 

[michael_t]

Did Brite flats ever come with black silks?

Not that I know of... According to the above post by @JTE, sounds like they've always had dark blue silk.

When you said these old ones were as smooth as the Precision Flats, and they had black silk only at the tuner end, I actually thought of La Bella 760FS Flats (45-105). That's why I asked for pics.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Not that I know of... According to the above post by @JTE, sounds like they've always had dark blue silk.

When you said these old ones were as smooth as the Precision Flats, and they had black silk only at the tuner end, I actually thought of La Bella 760FS Flats (45-105). That's why I asked for pics.

Thats a great point! Otoh, my bud who i got the Newport from never did use flats much....he was the 1st person telling me about Pressurewounds at least 20 years ago if not more...i will study some closeups of La Bella 760FS which i had a set on a P bass years ago and i couldnt stand the tension but they sounded great for a thumpy flat.

Since you are familiar with PWs does the sound change much after some hours of playing?

 

[DavidEdenAria]

I tried a set of PW's on the Highway One in '19 (black silks at headstock). Loved them (playability, feel, tone) and while they probably should be changed out, they still sound great.

Just a couple of months ago, I purchased another 'exact' set of PW's for the Geddy. After installation, same great tone (maybe, even better with the Geddy), but, first thing I noticed was playability/feel... a little rougher/stickier on the fingers, compared with the first set I installed.

They've settled down since, and the Geddy is getting regular rehearsal time...

... no worries, Highway One. Your birthday is coming up... so you got that going for you...

... which is nice.

Hmm, interesting about the 'stickier' 2nd set...maybe my new set of PWs need some kind of cleaning....btw, saw Rush on the 2112 tour in 76 opening for Nugent....unreal!

 

[michael_t]

Since you are familiar with PWs does the sound change much after some hours of playing?

Not a drastic difference between new and broken-in. An hour or two of good workout and they're ready for action. And they stay in their nicely broken-in state for a long time. I usually change them once a year as part of the annual maintenance.

By the way, I haven't experienced any stickiness with them as I'm in the habit of cleaning all new strings with an alcohol wipe BEFORE INSTALLATION.

 

[BobDeRosa]

Sounds like a question for @Jon Moody.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Not a drastic difference between new and broken-in. An hour or two of good workout and they're ready for action. And they stay in their nicely broken-in state for a long time. I usually change them once a year as part of the annual maintenance.

By the way, I haven't experienced any stickiness with them as I'm in the habit of cleaning all new strings with an alcohol wipe BEFORE INSTALLATION.

I went ahead and loosened the strings and wiped with 91 alcohol....no real change, keep in mind i am used to flats and i think the Pressurewounds are about the smoothest 'RW type' ive read about and experienced....almost went with TI rounds since they are very smooth but no complaints with the Pressurewounds, the intonation is dead on E & A string and close on D & G string coming from a 105 set.

'Piano tone' compared to whatever was on there before which is remarkable for a Epiphone Newport with its lone neck 'mudbucker' with NO thud whatsoever and a lot of brightness with various picks...i mean 'way different' sound than the many Gibson EB0's ive played with flats...i do EQ-6 db at 110 hz on my Eden Metro which is the key to get the 'mudbucker' cleaner and leaner down low.

 

[Jon Moody]

Sounds like a question for @Jon Moody.

Not really sure what I'm going to be able to help with. What it sounds like - to me - is trying to compare a set of strings that are decades old (regardless of how little they were played) with a set of new ones. Strings on an instrument are under constant tension; they're going to change and adjust. If that set was NOS in packaging? We could try to look.

But no, nothing different other than winding length.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Not really sure what I'm going to be able to help with. What it sounds like - to me - is trying to compare a set of strings that are decades old (regardless of how little they were played) with a set of new ones. Strings on an instrument are under constant tension; they're going to change and adjust. If that set was NOS in packaging? We could try to look.

But no, nothing different other than winding length.

I dont think the old set i pulled off were Pressurewounds....my bud i got the bass from is older (like me)....i think maybe Michael T is right, they are La Bella flats which had little clarity but plenty of thuddy thump.

1st thing i did after the 95-40 PW set was hit a chorus and Boss OC2 octave....night and day with the PW, unbelievable clarity, almost perfect tension and balance string to string....big fan of GHS Precision flats on my modded Bronco but its a brighter sounding bass though little of what i call 'piano tone' as on the Pressurewounds.