I have not heard back about his search, but I have also been out of the country for the past 10 days. I plan to follow up when I get back home. Will keep you posted. I Can totally understand your wanting to have a string source before purchase
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NBD: BlackStar CarryOn Sub-scale
- Thread starter HoHumbucker
- Start date
I am curious if these strings might work on the BS Carryon and be a nicer gauge on the fingers.
MBLS MicroBass LaBella Flat Wound Strings
MBLS MicroBass LaBella Flat Wound Strings
They sound great on my 25.5" scale Glary, if that helps. Stringsbymail.com has them.
Funny that I just dropped some LB DTFs in my shopping cart at Stringsbymail for my new AGB200. Might just throw a set of the MBLSs in the order and see what they sound like. Thanks for the sourcing on that.
String search update.
I ordered a set of Gold Tone MBLS flat wound strings since they fit on a few other sub-short scale basses.
It looks like the A and D strings will work out just fine. I think that the G string will survive since there is no taper to speak of.
But the E string is going to be more problematic.
I might look at seeing if I can somehow extend the ball 2.5" more beyond the bridge either by a tube or by angle drill through the body and install a ferrule. There may not be quite enough body space to make that happen however. I am a bit stumped here at this point. Can one unwrap a couple inches of the flat portion of the wind then solder the end and make that work?
I have sent an inquiry to Newtone Strings to see if they have anything in their catalog that might work.
I ordered a set of Gold Tone MBLS flat wound strings since they fit on a few other sub-short scale basses.
It looks like the A and D strings will work out just fine. I think that the G string will survive since there is no taper to speak of.
But the E string is going to be more problematic.
I might look at seeing if I can somehow extend the ball 2.5" more beyond the bridge either by a tube or by angle drill through the body and install a ferrule. There may not be quite enough body space to make that happen however. I am a bit stumped here at this point. Can one unwrap a couple inches of the flat portion of the wind then solder the end and make that work?
I have sent an inquiry to Newtone Strings to see if they have anything in their catalog that might work.
Here's two more ideas:
- drill the diagonal canal and, if it's not enough, remove the E-string tuner at the headstock, plug the hole and drill a new one a bit farther from the nut/closer to the A-string - in practive, a combination of my older (diagonal-stringthru) and my newer (1+3-headstock) suggestions;
- cut a surface canal behind the bridge, a trench that follows the body curve past the edge and to the left of the strap button. Place the ferrule, or perhaps a sizable piece of metal with a hole in the middle acting as one, there ( = wherever appropriate for the string to taper correctly at the other end), having the curved profile of the trench take up the length needed.
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Birdsong does this where they have the low string go through body but the anchor point for the ball end is closer to the neck to take up additional string length. That's the route I would go were I designing and manufacturing super short scale basses: make it easy as heck to use standard, short scale, or custom strings.
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Double post, sorry. I saw a guy on IG showing off that Blackstar/Carry-On now has strings for these for sale.
Carry-on Bass Strings - Carry-on Piano
Carry-on Bass Strings - Carry-on Piano
If you want to reduce the diameter at the headstock end, carefully measure and mark where you want to stop unwinding, apply some glue or solder at that point, let it dry, then carefully unwrap. I would also put some shrink tubing over the point where you stop unwrapping as extra security against the string coming undone. All that said, never done it with a flatwound, and it might be a disaster waiting to happen.
Good ideas. secure the new end first, then unwrap. Got it.
I seem to recall an image someone posted of this. It is in my thoughts for sure.
I spent nearly my entire engineering career designing and performing experiments that could be disasters waiting to happen, so this is right up my alley. If I go this route, I will certainly let folks know.
I thought about this as an option as well, but I am not sure what the minimum radius of curvature is for a flat wound E string. That would certainly factor into how this option might work.Birdsong does this where they have the low string go through body but the anchor point for the ball end is closer to the neck to take up additional string length. That's the route I would go were I designing and manufacturing super short scale basses: make it easy as heck to use standard, short scale, or custom strings.
Oh, great! might just have to order a set of these too. I was hoping for flats, but having a backup set of rounds is not a bad idea. Just have to figure out getting them across the pond.
Yeah, a flatwound definitely needs a gentle curvature, which is why some flatwounds say they aren't good for through-body stringing.
I was thinking about the St Blackstar after purchasing one of their travel guitars (okoume body, glued neck etc) which is very impressive. I took my short (30") fretless with DiMarzio pb pickup as a comparison. Funnily enough the ST had the volume knob missing (was in the plastic bag too). Perhaps they don't have faith in that part of the product.
I found the tone brittle. The bass is far heavier than my 30" fretless. I have demurred on purchase. The travel guitar came with a lovely soft bag, so expected the Blackstar to have one.
I wil be looking at the Kala, which also has regular strings and a pb pickup.
Picked up a set of KA-Bass-4-SC strings from Kala. I was hoping to put the Kala flats on this CarryOn, but they have not been in stock in months.
Question, what string heights and neck relief should I start with when I adjust during the string replacement? Use the same as a full scale bass?
Question, what string heights and neck relief should I start with when I adjust during the string replacement? Use the same as a full scale bass?
