Gold Tone MicroBass Talk

[cultrvultr]

Anyone try these yet?

MicroBass LaBella 'Silverback' Strings | Gold Tone Folk Instruments

Yes, i like the concept but i have a few issues with them. using the 23" acoustic microbass

• They are thinner than the regular poly strings, so the high action is more noticeable. I can't get the action low enough with them. Huge ski jump after the 7th fret is no fun to play with.
• They feel really sluggish
• Not sure why they are roundwound. They still have the poly core, so they will always have a thuddy sound. I would have preferred the tone of flat winding as a better match.
• The round wound is not very comfortable, especially compared to the smoothness of the naked poly strings. I find these rounds rougher and slower feeling than a regular metal core roundwound string like a DR, Ernie Ball, standard La Bella etc.
• The poly core of the roundwound means you can't really do slapping/popping or other techniques you'd typically use on a roundwound.

After several years of running down the uke bass rabbit hole and trying a bunch of them, I came out the other side very happy with a Rob Allen mouse bass. 30" scale and using the LaBella flat wound tapes. Its the sound I always wanted from a uke bass, without making any compromises on the strings. The 30" scale coupled with a really short effective reach make it a great playing bass.

 

[TheDominoKid]

Yes, i like the concept but i have a few issues with them. using the 23" acoustic microbass

• They are thinner than the regular poly strings, so the high action is more noticeable. I can't get the action low enough with them. Huge ski jump after the 7th fret is no fun to play with.
• They feel really sluggish
• Not sure why they are roundwound. They still have the poly core, so they will always have a thuddy sound. I would have preferred the tone of flat winding as a better match.
• The round wound is not very comfortable, especially compared to the smoothness of the naked poly strings. I find these rounds rougher and slower feeling than a regular metal core roundwound string like a DR, Ernie Ball, standard La Bella etc.
• The poly core of the roundwound means you can't really do slapping/popping or other techniques you'd typically use on a roundwound.

After several years of running down the uke bass rabbit hole and trying a bunch of them, I came out the other side very happy with a Rob Allen mouse bass. 30" scale and using the LaBella flat wound tapes. Its the sound I always wanted from a uke bass, without making any compromises on the strings. The 30" scale coupled with a really short effective reach make it a great playing bass.

Any sound clips of that Rob Allen by chance?

 

[cultrvultr]

Any sound clips of that Rob Allen by chance?

I don't have any at the ready, but a bunch of them on YouTube and in some of the threads here on TB.

I should add that I've been eyeing the new Ibanez SRH500 as a cheaper alternative. Its a chambered piezo-only bass. 34", but a long horn and the bridge set way far back should make the effective reach feel shorter than a lot of 34" basses.

The threads here on TB about effective reach have been really helpful in explaining to me why I find short scale basses more comfortable. Getting the specs on basses to make the ER calculations can be tough, but once I had the concept in my head, even just eyeballing the bridge and strap pin placement in a photo can give you a decent sense of what the reach will be like.

 

[LKBass1]

Has anyone used the LaBella tapewounds on their fretless solid body? We're they worth the 40 dollars?

 

[KohanMike]

Have you seen the new LaBella Deep Talkin' short short flatwounds special made for Gold Tone? I've been using them on my 23-24" sub-short scale basses (s-ssb). MicroBass LaBella Flat Wound Strings | Gold Tone Folk Instruments

 

[LKBass1]

Have you seen the new LaBella Deep Talkin' short short flatwounds special made for Gold Tone? I've been using them on my 23-24" sub-short scale basses (s-ssb). MicroBass LaBella Flat Wound Strings | Gold Tone Folk Instruments

Sorry, that's what meant, flat wound, not tape. Oops

 

[KohanMike]

Oops. I really like them on my magnetic pickup 22 to 24 scale bass guitars.

 

[piousdevil]

Hi, I have a 25" fretless microbass on the way to me. My hope is to use this to write and record first drafts of songs, establishing the basic themes that will be fleshed out on an upright bass by an actual bassist when finalized. But I still want the best tone closest to an upright bass that I can get. Can anyone offer me suggestions for strings that will give me the tone I am looking for?

 

[KohanMike]

I suggest Road Toad Pahoehoe strings on the Gold Tone. I have them my acoustic Gold Tone and solid body Rondo bass ukes.

string_store

 

[piousdevil]

I suggest Road Toad Pahoehoe strings on the Gold Tone. I have them my acoustic Gold Tone and solid body Rondo bass ukes.

string_store

These appear to be designed for a 20"-21" scale. Will they work on the 25" fretless model?

 

[KohanMike]

They also make longer scale, but they stretch so much, the shorter will fit.

 

[mongo2]

Oops. I really like them on my magnetic pickup 22 to 24 scale bass guitars.

View attachment 1131605

What model of ESP/LTD is that?

Looks like it might be a converted F-10. If so, what bridge/tailpiece was used?

 

[TomB]

Hi, I have a 25" fretless microbass on the way to me. My hope is to use this to write and record first drafts of songs, establishing the basic themes that will be fleshed out on an upright bass by an actual bassist when finalized. But I still want the best tone closest to an upright bass that I can get. Can anyone offer me suggestions for strings that will give me the tone I am looking for?

I've found the Goldtone stock Aquila strings to be very "upright sounding", and my band mates agree. I'd give 'em a try first.

 

[KohanMike]

What model of ESP/LTD is that? Looks like it might be a converted F-10. If so, what bridge/tailpiece was used?

It's in my signature, an F-Jr. 21" scale guitar. The bridge and tailpiece are a bit of overkill I got from eBay. Just yesterday I found a better size one from England that I'm going to use instead (see links below).

Ultimate Guitar Bridge Tailpiece Set Adjustment Posts for Bass Parts | eBay

Invalid Link Removed

 

[mongo2]

Thanks.

 

[KohanMike]

Mongo, I just found out the Black Dog listing was wrong. The bridge is actually 18mm string spacing. Very disappointing, 10.2mm would have been perfect for me.

 

[mongo2]

Mongo, I just found out the Black Dog listing was wrong. The bridge is actually 18mm string spacing. Very disappointing, 10.2mm would have been perfect for me.

Ok, Thanks again.

 

[HelpImaRock]

I realize they're incredibly new, but has anyone tried the new D'Addario GS Mini Bass strings on their Micro Bass? They seem like a step up from the Silverbacks. Thanks!

 

[HelpImaRock]

I seem to have answered my own question. I emailed Gold Tone and Wayne got back to me right away. Exceptional customer service, especially for a Saturday night. He said the Silverback strings are higher tension than the Taylor spec'd D'Addarios. So Silverbacks it is.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Well that escalated quickly.

Saw a Taylor GS Mini Bass on Saturday in GC. Played nice but at $700, a bit out of my range. Wife says "it would be much better at $500". Went to Sam Ash and they only had the Kalas, which are much too short for me. Put in an offer of $340 on an M-Bass on Reverb that was accepted this morning. Bought the Silverback strings from Gold Tone. Should have everything later this week. Happy father's day to me!