Counting down to this Sunday, when Super Steels 40-102 will replace the Brite Flats on my P-bass way ahead of schedule.
Here they are...
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GHS Super Steels on Precision Bass
- Thread starter trothwell
- Start date
Here they are...
I just spent 5 mins setting up my P-bass for the new set of Super Steels.
No truss rod tweak needed as the tensions are nearly identical between the Brite Flats 45-98 (152.3 lbs.) and the Super Steels 40-102 (154.0 lbs.) All it took was minor intonation adjustments on A, D and G. That's about it. The biggest adjustment I'll have to make, though, is getting used to playing SS rounds with a relatively rough texture after having played nothing but the Brite Flats and the Pressurewounds for the last little while.
Meanwhile, there is a Fender MIM J-bass that belongs to my church that I look after for all the maintenance work. I brought it home last week for the annual checkup and string change. It now has a brand new set of Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Slinkies 45-100 on it.
So, that's two basses both with SS rounds that I'll be playing all this week. This is unprecedented as I've never been a SS rounds player at all.
No truss rod tweak needed as the tensions are nearly identical between the Brite Flats 45-98 (152.3 lbs.) and the Super Steels 40-102 (154.0 lbs.) All it took was minor intonation adjustments on A, D and G. That's about it. The biggest adjustment I'll have to make, though, is getting used to playing SS rounds with a relatively rough texture after having played nothing but the Brite Flats and the Pressurewounds for the last little while.
Meanwhile, there is a Fender MIM J-bass that belongs to my church that I look after for all the maintenance work. I brought it home last week for the annual checkup and string change. It now has a brand new set of Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Slinkies 45-100 on it.
So, that's two basses both with SS rounds that I'll be playing all this week. This is unprecedented as I've never been a SS rounds player at all.
I just spent 5 mins setting up my P-bass for the new set of Super Steels.
No truss rod tweak needed as the tensions are nearly identical between the Brite Flats 45-98 (152.3 lbs.) and the Super Steels 40-102 (154.0 lbs.) All it took was minor intonation adjustments on A, D and G. That's about it. The biggest adjustment I'll have to make, though, is getting used to playing SS rounds with a relatively rough texture after having played nothing but the Brite Flats and the Pressurewounds for the last little while.
Meanwhile, there is a Fender MIM J-bass that belongs to my church that I look after for all the maintenance work. I brought it home last week for the annual checkup and string change. It now has a brand new set of Ernie Ball Stainless Steel Slinkies 45-100 on it.
So, that's two basses both with SS rounds that I'll be playing all this week. This is unprecedented as I've never been a SS rounds player at all.
Im with you there! It’s been a month getting use to Rotosound SS (45-105) on my J bass. Definitely taking a toll on my fingers!
I'm not too concerned about my fingers being roughed up. It's those screechy slides that I can't stand!
I'm not too concerned about my fingers being roughed up. It's those screechy slides that I can't stand!
Lol I scoop the treble half way whenever I get annoyed from the screeching. It’s more of the feel and fatigue that I’m concerned with
Yeah, Roto SS 45-105 would be a bit too much for me as well.
One thing I can tell you about these Super Steels 40-58-80-102 is how nicely balanced they feel all across four strings. The EB SS Slinky 45-65-80-100 on the other bass are very uneven in feel in comparison.
Two weeks with the Super Steels... The jury is still out as I haven't had a chance to play them with the band yet.
One casual observation: I generally dislike the tone or the feel of brand new strings fresh out of the pack, and I find SS rounds to be specially unpleasant to deal with when new. And these Super Steels are no exception. They're just starting to settle after two weeks and maybe 10 hrs of playing as the initial clang is starting to subside and the grabby feel is gradually wearing off.
In comparison, the DR SS Lo-Riders I tried a couple of months ago seemed more ready for action straight out of the pack with much less fuss or unpleasantness.
I will be putting these Super Steels to the test with the band on Aug 2 and Aug 9. So, will report back after those two outings.
One casual observation: I generally dislike the tone or the feel of brand new strings fresh out of the pack, and I find SS rounds to be specially unpleasant to deal with when new. And these Super Steels are no exception. They're just starting to settle after two weeks and maybe 10 hrs of playing as the initial clang is starting to subside and the grabby feel is gradually wearing off.
In comparison, the DR SS Lo-Riders I tried a couple of months ago seemed more ready for action straight out of the pack with much less fuss or unpleasantness.
I will be putting these Super Steels to the test with the band on Aug 2 and Aug 9. So, will report back after those two outings.
Something very strange happened this morning...
As soon as I picked up my P bass and started playing, I had to ask myself, "Wait a minute... Are these the same strings I've been struggling to bond with for the last two weeks?" All of a sudden, these Super S's are sounding and feeling so much more "friendly". No unpleasant clang in the tone and they don't even feel as rough and grabby anymore.
The way things are going now, I might end up sticking with them longer than I initially planned.
As soon as I picked up my P bass and started playing, I had to ask myself, "Wait a minute... Are these the same strings I've been struggling to bond with for the last two weeks?" All of a sudden, these Super S's are sounding and feeling so much more "friendly". No unpleasant clang in the tone and they don't even feel as rough and grabby anymore.
The way things are going now, I might end up sticking with them longer than I initially planned.
I was just re-reading your comment regarding the Super Steels and the SS Lo-Riders.
Now that I've had a chance to spend some time with both, I do agree with everything you wrote. One thing I might add is that Super S's do need more break-in time than the LRs. While the LRs seemed almost ready for action right out of the package with a minimal amount of play-in time, I needed to gradually "warm up to" the Super S's as they started out rather unpleasant both in tone and feel. Patience is starting to pay off, though.
I also agree with the assessment that LRs are more "modern" and "sterile" in their tone compared to the more "vintage-y character" of the Super S's. I initially intended to try both the LRs and the Super S's on my son's SR-1205E. While the LRs turned out to be a great match for that bass, I can't see the Super S's pairing nearly as well with the Big Singles with active controls as with my passive P.
As you said, they're both great strings once you get to know them well enough, but with two very different "personalities".
Still in my second excursion into Super Steels on my Precision Bass, I am, for whatever reason, liking them much better this time around. I did opt for the ML set rather than Medium, and think I might even go for Light in the future.
Maybe it's because I now have a bass dedicated to flatwound strings, but I'm not really missing the Balanced Nickels on my Precision, and am much enjoying the sound (and feel) of the SS's.
Maybe it's because I now have a bass dedicated to flatwound strings, but I'm not really missing the Balanced Nickels on my Precision, and am much enjoying the sound (and feel) of the SS's.
I'm really starting to enjoy the light set (40-58-80-102) of the Super S's. When I put them on three weeks ago, I was also playing an MIM J bass with Ernie Ball SS Slinkies 45-65-80-100, which I found very uneven in tension with tighter G and D compared to A and E. The Super S's are better balanced overall and even the light set provides a nice firm feel without uncomfortably stiff.
By the way, when I'm done with the Super S's, I'll be revisiting the GHS Bassics, which happen to come in identical gauges, 40-58-80-102.
When I tried them on my Yamaha last year, I had the ML set (44-63-80-102) with a 130B. The only thing is I only had them on for three months as I was on a spree trying three different sets in succession. This time I want to make sure to keep them on long enough to be able to assess their longevity.
When I tried them on my Yamaha last year, I had the ML set (44-63-80-102) with a 130B. The only thing is I only had them on for three months as I was on a spree trying three different sets in succession. This time I want to make sure to keep them on long enough to be able to assess their longevity.
Four different sets of stainless steel rounds on three different basses in the last four months, including a 4-wk test run with the Super S's on my P-bass with three outings with a live band... One thing is certain - I ain't no "man of steel" after all.
So, back to nickels, back to Bassics.
So, back to nickels, back to Bassics.
Four different sets of stainless steel rounds on three different basses in the last four months, including a 4-wk test run with the Super S's on my P-bass with three outings with a live band... One thing is certain - I ain't no "man of steel" after all.
So, back to nickels, back to Bassics.
Back to Bassics! Love that
TBH I was expecting you wouldn't like them. Not sure why, just had that feeling you know?
I’m here to bring this thread back to life!!!!
My P-Bass is currently wearing a set of Rotosound Swing Bass 66’s, and I’m still really digging them a lot.
But, I’ve always wanted to try a set of GHS Super Steels, and I feel my P-Bass is the best candidate to try them out on.
Here they are:
I’ll be sure to post back, once I put them on and I’ve spent some time with them.
My P-Bass is currently wearing a set of Rotosound Swing Bass 66’s, and I’m still really digging them a lot.
But, I’ve always wanted to try a set of GHS Super Steels, and I feel my P-Bass is the best candidate to try them out on.
Here they are:
Four different sets of stainless steel rounds on three different basses in the last four months, including a 4-wk test run with the Super S's on my P-bass with three outings with a live band... One thing is certain - I ain't no "man of steel" after all.
So, back to nickels, back to Bassics.
This was my last post in this thread in Aug 2020. Three years later, I wanted to revisit the Super Steels as I've been on a tone quest for my Yamaha BB435 (passive PJ) since I acquired it back in March of this year. This is the first time in three years I'm actually playing stainless steel rounds, which have never been my cup of tea.
Super Steels 40-58-80-102-126. They're only a few days old, but so far, so good, although they're barely broken-in yet. They replace the DR Nickel Lo-Riders 40-100 and SIT Power Wound Nickel 125B (exposed core).
Love the grey silk, which goes well with my teal/black bass.
E-G thru-body, B top-loaded.
I'll report back here when I get a chance to play this bass with a live band...
