The next set of strings for this bad boy should be a synthetic core, steel or silver flatwound set...like Zyex's, evah's, oliv's etc. are for the upright. Thumpy, dark, smooth, stable. I'd put them on mine 
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Kala UBass Megathread, Part 4
- Thread starter smperry
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Since your profile dooesn't specify, I'm going to take a wild guess here. Fretless, right?
My problem was on a S-U-B.
Sure, but it's like trying to photograph a snowman in a blizzard, the camera can't capture what the eye perceives, and anyway, I'm talking about a tactile phenomena.
But here you go, I burned a kitchen match and rubbed some soot on the A string to illustrate.
On the fretted basses I can feel the frets under the strings as I slide up and down the neck with either the pahoeoes or t-gs.
With the T-Gs the frets are leaving a permanent "dent" on the underside of the strings. As the strings stretch and are re-tuned, the position of the dents relative to the frets progress, until the entire underside of the string is striated as seen in the photo.
I just put a new set on my S-U-B this morning, and with 30 minutes of playing I can feel this happening again to the new strings.
So here I go, now I have to buy a fretless u-bass to use T-Gs, switch back to the stretchy pahoeoes on the S-U-B, and keep the fret-grinder roundwounds on the fretted u-bass.
Oh, wait, I haven't bought a set of Worth's yet, need to dig up $34 for that experiment. The struggle continues.
True - I have a fretless.
But - do you think the small indents are affecting tone?
I would think they are not.
...
So here I go, now I have to buy a fretless u-bass to use T-Gs, switch back to the stretchy pahoeoes on the S-U-B, and keep the fret-grinder roundwounds on the fretted u-bass.
...
Other options:
- Buy a fretless U.S. model
- Do a custom defret on a SUB
- Ask Kala to make fretless SUBs.
Perhaps the opposite of what you might assume.
Roundwounds will wear on fret wires, but might only cause minor cosmetic wear on a fretless fingerboard, which could be buffed out with steel wool.
Granted.
But the "feel" was affected, the roughness of the string that migrated through to the playing surface was distracting.
That's a worn-out string IMO that merits replacement.
BTW, a practice from my Ashbory days, I use a cotton bag of talc from the billiard supply store to dust down my strings, fretboard and finger tips.
I do, too. But I just use CVS baby power
because I don't know where to get plain talc.
Ha, keep preaching, brother, I'm bound to see the light.
I love fretless, played an ashbory ten years until I broke a pot and gave it to my nephews for a toy.
My buddy in our uke group plays a fretless u-bass, it's brilliant, but he's a better player than me.
It still has the factory pahoeoes on it, just stretched darn near a foot and about half the diameter of where they started when new.
I do, too. But I just use CVS baby power
That's great: economical, handy, and you get to smell like a freshly-bathed baby.
Nothing wrong with that.
Gold Bond smells like menthol, if that's more appealing.
This national pool and dart supply house's showroom is ten minutes from my house.
Nine bucks shipping probably no bueno unless you split a card of 12 with some buddies or want a pool cue or some darts to get the minimum order up to $75.
http://www.muellers.com/Talc.html
scotch
It's not rocket science!
- Nov 12, 2006
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I've also noted the tendency of Thunderguts to "memorize" any physical impact or crushing force. I think 6 months is probably all I'd use them for on a fretted bass. They start to compact at the bridge as well.
Still, the Thunderguts continue to provide stable tuning and great tone for my live shows! I really like having a choice!
Church gig went well. Didn't get excommunicated for my U-Bass blasphemy! Well suited for the well-suited congregation.
"Kala U-Bass: Well suited to the well-suited!"
Still, the Thunderguts continue to provide stable tuning and great tone for my live shows! I really like having a choice!
Church gig went well. Didn't get excommunicated for my U-Bass blasphemy! Well suited for the well-suited congregation.
"Kala U-Bass: Well suited to the well-suited!"
So it looks like you just put the ends in the holes in the posts and strung them like normal bass strings. Is that basically it? Did you have to cut off any string? I'm really tempted to take the $60 plunge. What about some kind of coating on the fingerboard to prevent the cosmetic wear you mentioned?
Yes, nothing cut, these are custom boutique strings so they fit perfectly.
Pull the trigger, you won't be sorry.
Order them direct from Kala, their site sends you straight to Amazon and PayPal. I ordered mine on a Monday and was installing them Friday night.
No shipping charges or tax.Metal on wood is going to wear, I don't know what I'd put on the fingerboard other than lemon oil or a fancier wood preservative.
Wear on an instrument is actually sexy, see the thread on Fender "road-worn" instruments.
Yes, nothing cut, these are custom boutique strings so they fit perfectly.
Pull the trigger, you won't be sorry.
Order them direct from Kala, their site sends you straight to Amazon and PayPal. I ordered mine on a Monday and was installing them Friday night.
Metal on wood is going to wear, I don't know what I'd put on the fingerboard other than lemon oil or a fancier wood preservative.
Wear on an instrument is actually sexy, see the thread on Fender "road-worn" instruments.
Oh I have no problem with cosmetic wear. I just worry about loss of functionality over the years. So you think it'll get scratched a bit over time but still play well? And Kala is fantastic with shipping. My thunderguts with free shipping went from California to New York in 2 business days.
^^^
Don't forget to go to the hardware store and pick up some brass washers, the plastic ones included with the strings are not strong enough.
Don't forget to go to the hardware store and pick up some brass washers, the plastic ones included with the strings are not strong enough.
Screw it. I took the plunge. I'll just make sandwiches at home this week instead of ordering extravagent lunches at work. Basically any brass washers that look the ones in your pictures? I have zero mechanical ability. The only thing I've ever bought from home depot was a shovel.
I'd wait together the washers until your strings arrive so you can get the right size. Just take the current plastic one to a hardware store and match that to a metal one.
As for fingerboard wear; it's inevitable on any fretless. Many fretless' have a polyurethane or epoxy coating, but those will also need touching up after a few years. There are a number of oils that some players use, but 100% pure rung oil is one of the only ones that's really easy to apply and adds actually polymerizes to a slightly harder wearing finish.
As for fingerboard wear; it's inevitable on any fretless. Many fretless' have a polyurethane or epoxy coating, but those will also need touching up after a few years. There are a number of oils that some players use, but 100% pure rung oil is one of the only ones that's really easy to apply and adds actually polymerizes to a slightly harder wearing finish.
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