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GHS tape wounds on Ibanez SRH505 B string Sounds Weak

Nighttrain1127

Nighttrain1127

Nov 27, 2004
4,809
2,589
67
Near Worcester MA
#1
I just put a set of GHS tapes on my SRH505 semi Hollow Bass and E through G sound fine but the B string is very low output. Yes I made sure all the strings were in their saddles properly and nothing else changed. It sounded fine with the chromes on it . I was just looking for a little more of an upright sound . the output is weak and it does not ring / has no sustain. The B is a ,130. Any Ideas ?
 
#4
Another thing you might need to look is the nut, particularly how the low-B string sits on its slot channel since you are now using larger diameter low-B with those tape wound strings.

I've used .135 string on a couple Ibanez basses. I've never had to file any of the low-B nut slots larger in order to fit in the .135 string, but sure they were tight. Could be that yours was filed just what was needed for the stock .132 Chromes to fit in, which became too tight for the .135 tape wound string, thus it isn't sitting on the slot channel correctly which then causing the lack of clarity and sustain that you are experiencing.
 
#6
Owhhh... I didn't realize there's a .130 low-B tapewound. I own several low-B tapewounds, from D'Addario and La Bella, all of them are .135. But yeah, GHS made their low-B tapewound in .130. It should be okay on SRH nut slot channel.

Could you post the pic of your SRH headstock, zooming on the nut and the low-B string post / tuner?
 
#10
It was in the saddle when I first tuned it up and it sounded good I played it for a while and put it away . The next time I played it, It was sounding dull and it looked like the string was in the saddle but at some point it just popped out and with that bridge it is hard to tell just at a quick glance so I thought all was well but it was not and your suggestion lead me to the problem.
 
#11
@Nighttrain1127,
How are the GHS Tapes? Especially if you have used any other tapewound strings with low-B's, how's the GHS Tapes low-B compared?

I'm thinking of switching to GHS Tapes on my fretless Aerium.

I still have the Chromes on my fretted Aerium SHR505 (though I swapped the EADG strings with lighter gauge, close matching the tension with the .132 low-B) which I don't have intention to change, just yet, and I have La Bella Copper White Tapes on my fretless Aerium SRH505F. Though it's only been roughly 2 months, I've concluded La Bella Tapes tapered .135 low-B is too loosely tensioned. It wobbles too much, even with light plucking skill I've developed in the last few years playing the 40-120 Dunlop Super Bright rounds on my BTB and similar 50-135 gauge D'Addario Tapes on the Portamento.

With D'Addario Tapes low-B, I don't have the same problem. Most likely because it isn't tapered on the ball end side. And, I don't want to put the same tapes on two fretlesses nor want to put the stock Chromes back on the fretless Aerium.

My doubt is that the GHS Tapes low-B .130, despite (I assumed) it's not tapered on the ball end side, might also be too wobbly because of the lighter gauge (than D'Addario and La Bella .135 low-B's).
 

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