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Low B to Match Fender 9050

DieTired

DieTired

Feb 22, 2020
81
126
37
Pennsylvania
distrokid.com
#1
Hi all! Recently I've been eyeing up a set of Fender 9050 flats. They don't come in a five string set anymore. So I'm curious what Low B string might mesh well with them. I'm currently using Chromes but I'm looking for a bit more "fullness" and maybe a hair less tension. From what I'm reading, fender flats might be the answer. Will the D'Addario B fit well or will there be a noticeable difference in tone? G&L M2500 through Rumble 500. Also, most of the time, I'm tuned a half step down per our singer's request. Thanks everyone!
 
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#3
Or, another option would be the GHS Brite Flats .129/.130.

The Brite Flats are actually Alloy 52 half-rounds, but in terms of their tonal character, they're not too far off from the Fender 9050s. When I tried the BFs on my Fender Jazz, they did remind me of the 9050s.

The BF low Bs come in two different winding lengths...

.129 = 38" ball end to silk.
.130 = 36.5" ball end to silk.
 
#4
Interesting! I actually have a set of GHS brite flats and loved the Low B clarity. I ultimately took them off because of that "grabby" feeling. 2 or 3 months on them and it never really went away, but I did enjoy the tone quite a bit from them. If the 9050s are of a similar tonal character, I might be nearing the end of my search. (Ha!)
 
#6
michael_t said:
I know what you mean... I eventually gave up on them for the sticky feel as well.

That said, if it's the only B string you need to deal with for that grabby feel, it may not be quite as bad.
Click to expand...
Grabbed a set of 9050ML from my local shop. I was leaning towards the lighter set but for the price and availability, I figured I'd wing it. I strung them up with the Chromes low B and tested it out. Not bad, pretty decent transition. Would probably be okay with it if that's where I had to stop. But "good enough" isn't something I usually settle for. So I strung the Brite Flats B on… Beautiful!! The 5th fret on the B string sounds almost identical to the open E, and so on, further up the fretboard. The 9050ML out of the pack already feels more "organic" to my bass when compared to the 2 year old Chromes. I enjoyed the Chromes but always felt like something was off. Thanks again for the BF low B recommendation! So far so good! Hopefully they will age together in a nice way.
 
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#7
The best way to go is EB 2810 which has pretty close voice character to 9050 plus great string to string tone output and both B and E string just sound solid and tight even aged.

hopwhelp
 
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