naive string question

[TomB]

Indeed my action is low (the lowest Fender recommend) as I like low action and the pickup is set high (the highest Fender recommend) to compensate for the weaker Alnico 2 magnet on the bass side of the V-Mod pickup. So nothing beyond conventional limits but still it could be a contributing factor to the issue, as you point out. I'll experiment with the setup to see if I could get better results.

I'd suggest you try an extreme adjustment to see if this is even an issue. If it clears it up at all, then you can fine-tune to find the sweet spot. In my experience, sometimes that raises the action a tad more than I'd like, but it's been worth it for the clarity.

 

[Phaidrus]

You sound like a candidate for GHS Balanced Pure Nickels. Now, the regular gauge of BPN's is 44-106. But as I have posted elsewhere, the pure nickel windings are more dense than nickel plated steel windings. This means the BPN's have more mass and therefore more tension than a 45-105 set of conventional hex core nickel plated steel rounds. But if you are looking for a string you can really dig in and have that low mids character, with consistency of tone and feel string-to-string and up the neck, these strings deliver in spades. I play that way, and they deliver for me.

Do they have a similar tone to the pure nickel 7150s? Had them (the 7150s) on this Pbass some months ago and liked them but wanted a bit more sparkle (and flexibility) and so opted for the nps 7250s.

 

[iiipopes]

Do they have a similar tone to the pure nickel 7150s? Had them (the 7150s) on this Pbass some months ago and liked them but wanted a bit more sparkle (and flexibility) and so opted for the nps 7250s.

I have not played the 7150's, because I do not like the gauges, so I cannot compare. But no, I would not consider that the BPN's have "sparkle." That said, all strings have "new string zing," artificially bright for the first few rehearsals/gigs until they settle in. The GHS round core Boomers may have a little bit more upper mids, but all Boomers, standard or round core, tend to die due to the different core/wrap ratio that GHS uses on them compared to others. The BPN's do have a lighter gauge verson, 40-101, that might be a little brighter overall, as all light gauge strings are compared to medium gauge of the same make and model. And again, with the nickel being more dense, it may have about the same tension with a flexible feel as a standard hex core 45-105 set of conventional nickel plated steel rounds. You can go to the GHS website and download the tension guide, which I helped Jon Moody put together a few years ago.

Remember that a tension chart is like a naturalist's field guide: it does not say which bird you are going to see where with your binoculars. It only gets you to the right area where you might see what you are looking for. The only way to truly know is, unfortunately, to buy a set for yourself. On the upside, that is what the classified section is for. I have purchased many slightly used sets of all makes, models, and gauges of strings to see what they sound like. Some I have kept to gig with, others, I have flipped over to the next person.

 

[Phaidrus]

I have not played the 7150's, because I do not like the gauges, so I cannot compare. But no, I would not consider that the BPN's have "sparkle." That said, all strings have "new string zing," artificially bright for the first few rehearsals/gigs until they settle in. The GHS round core Boomers may have a little bit more upper mids, but all Boomers, standard or round core, tend to die due to the different core/wrap ratio that GHS uses on them compared to others. The BPN's do have a lighter gauge verson, 40-101, that might be a little brighter overall, as all light gauge strings are compared to medium gauge of the same make and model. And again, with the nickel being more dense, it may have about the same tension with a flexible feel as a standard hex core 45-105 set of conventional nickel plated steel rounds. You can go to the GHS website and download the tension guide, which I helped Jon Moody put together a few years ago.

Remember that a tension chart is like a naturalist's field guide: it does not say which bird you are going to see where with your binoculars. It only gets you to the right area where you might see what you are looking for. The only way to truly know is, unfortunately, to buy a set for yourself. On the upside, that is what the classified section is for. I have purchased many slightly used sets of all makes, models, and gauges of strings to see what they sound like. Some I have kept to gig with, others, I have flipped over to the next person.

Given that I like birds, and all animals for that matter, I appreciate the naturalist's field guide metaphor! There's something very bourgeois in observing birds - and I mean it in a positive way. As of the longevity of the Boomers family, you mean that they retain their freshness not as long as other types of strings? I already have the GHS tension chart on my laptop, it's very informative, kudos to the editors! So in order not to tire you and other fellow TBers, who are kind enough to respond, with my quest any longer, I think my choice is probably limited to: 1) GHS RC Boomers, 2) Dunlop regular nps, 3) DR Pure Blues, 4) a fresh set of Fender 7250s - all in 45105 as I like the feel and tone of this gauge. And yes, the proof is in the pudding.

 

[michael_t]

As of the longevity of the Boomers family, you mean that they retain their freshness not as long as other types of strings?

When people say Boomers "die fast", what it really means is their broken-in tone is darker in character than most other NPS rounds with more low-mid and less top end. If you like a NPS round that retains some of the fresh crispness longer, try the GHS Bassics. They're different from the Boomers in that only the outer cover is NPS with stainless steel inner layers. They use a hex core of a slightly smaller diameter than the Boomers, so they would fall somewhere between the hex-core Boomer and the RC Boomer in terms of stiffness. In fact, the Bassics are closer in tone and feel to the Fender 7250s than either of the Boomers.

 

[Phaidrus]

When people say Boomers "die fast", what it really means is their broken-in tone is darker in character than most other NPS rounds with more low-mid and less top end. If you like a NPS round that retains some of the fresh crispness longer, try the GHS Bassics. They're different from the Boomers in that only the outer cover is NPS with stainless steel inner layers. They use a hex core of a slightly smaller diameter than the Boomers, so they would fall somewhere between the hex-core Boomer and the RC Boomer in terms of stiffness. In fact, the Bassics are closer in tone and feel to the Fender 7250s than either of the Boomers.

Interesting, thanks for the tip!