• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Less tense Rick strings

E

ElBajista13

Feb 19, 2011
20
3
Mendoza, Argentina
#1
Hi everyone!, I'm gonna keep this brief, and i appreciate any insights.
Recently i purcheased a used Rickenbacker 4003 and it came with roundwounds that are pretty much dead, on the otherside they feel stiff, so i been wondering if i should replace them with roundcore hi-beams (people say they are less tense) or with EB flatwounds cobalts (i have a little princess sensibility on fingers even with callouses ). So whats your advice?, Thanks in advance.
 
#2
There are lots of possible options in lower tension strings. Do you have any idea what strings (brand/model/gauges) are on the bass now? You mention both round wound and flat wound strings. Do you have a preference for one type or the other? What kind of music do you play? Playing technique: do you pluck with your fingers or use a pick? You get the idea, more information would be useful here. :cool:

OT: I see you are not too far from where my father was born and grew up, in Cordoba.
 
#5
Córdoba is a beautiful place, have family living there! Hehe, well to aswer your questions, my style is more akin to prog-rock, Jazz, and some heavy stuff (not too extreme), play style, i favor pluckin rather than pick, and i like the smooth feel of flats, but Dr being roundcore... The strings on the bass are difficult to recognize, the look like very old rotosounds Swing 66.
 
#7
I agree, and also highly recommend both of those TI strings. They are pretty low in tension but offer superb tone and playability.

Here is a recording of my old March 1973 4001 (MG) with new TI Jazz Rounds on it:



This one is of my old July 1973 4001 (FG) with the same strings (a few month of playing on that set of TI Jazz Rounds):



Both recordings are from the same gig; I brought the two basses basses, set up the same, to listen for tonal differences between them as there are a few things that are different on the two basses: cast aluminum tailpiece/bridge (March) vs. "new" zinc version of same (July), Grover Slimlines (March) vs. Hipshot Ultralites (July), and probably the most important difference - full width inlays (March) vs. smaller triangular inlays (July) :D.

Both were played fingerstyle.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Tony B. Filthy
#10
Playing "feel" is not caused by string tension. I suggest using strings you are familiar with and having the bass setup (neck bow, bridge height) looked at.

String tension on my Rics is lower then on the Fenders I have, using the same strings.
 
#11
Like I said in a recent similar thread:

I've been a long time user of D'Addario EXL-170's on my Jazz basses. However, on my new 4003SW, I found the tension too high
so I took a shot at a set of DR Sunbeams and they have worked out great so far.
 
#14
Jeff Scott said:
String tension very much is a part of how the instrument feels to play. How could it not be?
Click to expand...

I encountered this issue when I installed GHS Precision Flats on a Mike Dirnt bass. The strings felt quite slack in the hand, but exhibited enough tension to require a tightening of the truss rod. Tension and feel don't directly correlate. I presume it has something to do with the thickness of the core of the string (and maybe materials used) rather than the gauge of the string as a whole.
 
#15
Round vs. hex core wire play a big part in tension and perceived feel, too. IIRC, string gauge numbers, do not necessarily indicate how a string will feel, tension-wise. As you mention, there are multiple factors that go into how a string feels, and its measured tension at a particular pitch/speaking length.
 
#16
There's so much confusion here between tension and stiffness, as usual.

ElBajista13 said:
they feel stiff, so i been wondering if i should replace them with roundcore hi-beams (people say they are less tense)
Click to expand...
By 'feel stiff' do you mean the strings are tight, as in 'tension', as in how much resistance there is to pulling the string sideways at the 12th fret.
Or does this also refer to how they feel to the plucking hand? (this 'feel' is affected by both tension and stiffness).

When some say roundcore is 'less tense', they are actually referring to 'stiffness' (not tension), as in how hard it is to bend the string when it is not on the bass. All else being equal (same string mass) core shape has no effect on tension, only string mass determines tension, so tension is roughly determined by gauge only.

If strings 'feel stiff' then the first thing to do is reduce gauge to a lighter set, to reduce tension. Then after that deal with 'stiffness', you may find you have a preference for more flexible strings (round core) or stiffer strings (flatwounds).

Very often string tension advice is given without even mentioning gauge, which is ridiculous, it's because of the confusion between 'tension' and 'stiffness'.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back