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King Koa - Now With Nordy's!

#401
RocketMusic said:
I like the SIT strings mainly for the way they feel. They're smoother to the touch than DRs, and feel just a smidge smoother than D'Addarios. I can't really speak to any tonal changes due to strings, I can't say I've ever really paid attention to that... other than something extreme like flats vs. rounds.

One thing to know about SITs - you have to get the extra long scale ones to use on a 35" scale bass.
Click to expand...

Smoother than DR? Wow!
 
#402
RocketMusic said:
I like the SIT strings mainly for the way they feel. They're smoother to the touch than DRs, and feel just a smidge smoother than D'Addarios. I can't really speak to any tonal changes due to strings, I can't say I've ever really paid attention to that... other than something extreme like flats vs. rounds.

One thing to know about SITs - you have to get the extra long scale ones to use on a 35" scale bass.
Click to expand...

I actually found this to be a part of a trade off. The SIT's I used were smoother feeling, but a bit stiffer at the core. (Higher Tension?) The "rubberish" core of the DR's helps my right hand technique. (Like I have one:ninja::help::p)

:D

God Bless, Ray
 
#403
LilRay said:
I actually found this to be a part of a trade off. The SIT's I used were smoother feeling, but a bit stiffer at the core. (Higher Tension?) The "rubberish" core of the DR's helps my right hand technique. (Like I have one:ninja::help::p)

:D

God Bless, Ray
Click to expand...

Which DR's, Ray? Sunbeams? As much as Jerry raves about those, I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a set. I always enjoy trying something new...
 
#405
RocketMusic said:
Which DR's, Ray? Sunbeams? As much as Jerry raves about those, I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a set. I always enjoy trying something new...
Click to expand...

Yep Sunbeams. As you know the blue demon is wearing the Cool Blue Coated DR's, which are essentially Sunbeams with the coating.

Try 'em and I'd bet you will dig them. ;)

:D

God Bless, Ray
 
#410
I guess that you guys are hooked up better than me. I paid $31 for a set of the DR Sunbeams 30-125 and I pay around $18-20 for D'Addario XL's roughly the same gauge.

I wanted to hear a difference in the Sunbeams and the D'Addario's but honestly I really couldn't. Maybe they last longer in bad environments but for my gigging (home and church) the D'Addario's sound great for 3 months (which is how often I change them) and they still sound good then.

It's hard for me to justify the extra cost if the D'Addario's sound about the same (IMO) and are lasting a long time.

......... crap! Got to go! Peggy says that there's a live bat in the kitchen!:eek:
 
#412
Reason #9,345,932 why when Jerry speaks, we should all listen. Sunbeams FTW.

I've had my usual SIT strings (either Rock Bright Nickels or Power Wound Nickels) on both King Koa and my Lull M5V for several days now... my ears have been asking for more fundamental and fewer overtones. Today I received a shipment of DR strings that included Sunbeams for the first time ever for our store. I quickly put a set on my M5V, and three things jumped out at me:

1) As Ray mentioned, the string tension is quite a bit lower than the SITs.
2) The tactile aspect (feel to my fingertips) is pretty much the same.
3) The fundamental is WAY more pronounced with these strings (especially on the B, E & A strings)!!

I was seriously getting ready to order a brass bridge for my M5V to try to do what these strings just did for me. I may still look into that just for the fun of experimenting, but I no longer feel like I NEED to do that.

Color me very, very happy. Jerry is now welcome to sprinkle in gratuitous comments such as "Remember when I told you try to Sunbeams?" whenever he likes. I won't even get mad, I'll just say "Yes, Mr. Burdick. Thank you, Mr. Burdick."
 
#419
RocketMusic said:
Thanks to Jeff Moote, I got the itch to try something new with King Koa this week. Last night, I yanked out the Nordy preamp and rewired the bass to run passively with Vol/Vol/Tone. I left the Nordstrand NJ5 split coil pickups in the bass, and I was VERY pleased with the results. It was the proverbial blanket taken off the speaker cabinet. The highs became brighter & crisper, and the lows became more defined.
Click to expand...

Greg,
Have you heard the Nordstrand NJ5 (not split coil) and if so, did you go with the split coil version due to noise issues?

I'm thinking of dropping a set of the NJ5's in a MIM 4 string jazz.

Thanks,
 
#420
I've actually got the NJ5's in my Lull M5V now. They sound really, really good to my ears. Excellent clarity & plenty of girth. The split coil ones (NJ5FS) sound pretty darn close and are noiseless... but I'm really digging the single coils.

Size is not an issue with most 4-string J pickups, so you're good to go. But for anyone looking at 5-string pickups, know that they come in two different sizes. The NJ5 single coils are the shorter standard with a neck and bridge pickup that are the same size. The NJ5F pickups ("Fender" replacements) are the longer ones, and the bridge pickup is slightly longer than the neck pickup in that set.

Here's a clip of my M5V as it is currently configured (NJ5 single coils and an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp). I'm taking an online improve course, and the weekly homework assignment is usually to record yourself... improvising! :) This was part of week 2's submission.

"Improv with Lydian b7 Scale"
 

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