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New EB Cobalt Flats?
- Thread starter king_biscuit
- Start date
Yah I can get those and GC. I want the lighter set.
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Another sound clip - I like to just set a random beat in garageband and improvise on it, so this is super sloppy. I'm using a pick this time which I'm not great with, so there's that caveat too.
Could anyone recommend a set for playing in Eb? Right now I've got 50-105 Ernie Ball Rounds on there. They sound and play well but I'd much rather play flats and it sounds like these might be bright enough for the gig. Thanks!
Thanks Sigma, I was concerned about the .45 tuned down, you don't think it would be too floppy?
Depends what kind of flexibility you like. They feel nice to me in Eb. I like a little bit of wiggle
Ernie Ball had the incorrect part numbers listed on dealer price lists so most likely that is why they did that. To my understanding they were only shipped to one company "by mistake"
Yeah, right now I've got TI Flats on my PJ and loving the tension (or lack thereof) tuned to E.
Thanks for the clip...I get two things out of that, 1) they are bright! 2) they do NOT sound like rounds! I am ok with both of those things. Just wondering how long they'll stay bright. Keep us informed!
So, what better to do on a holiday than perform random string experiments? Why... nothing of course!
(disclaimer: it seems I have the only set of 95 - 40 Slinky Flats in existence right now. EB sent me the whole set because of that dead A-String on the 100 - 45 set I had originally. THANK YOU, Ernie Ball!!! This experiment is based on 95 - 40 gauge of strings.)
On a fluke, I decided to swap the cobalt flats to my Fender Pawn Shop Mustang, which I've never been 100% happy with as far as the sound, although I've tweaked it a bit more to my liking with pickup mods and super-bright SS strings (you can read of my harrowing plight with this bass on another thread). Even at that, it hasn't quite been what I wanted to hear. It was certainly a situation of, I love your looks so much, Honey, that I'm willing to live with you being somewhat of a... well, I won't say it...
What I expected was the same boomy low end and low mid bump and a nearly non-existent high end that the bass seems to have inherently. The hot pickup is so overwound that it is ridiculous. Well, what I got was pretty counter-intuitive; at least for me. It actually sounded better than it ever has--a very sweet sound from such an uncouth, nasty, ill-tempered bass. Yes, she looks sweet, but she just has a crass sound that I haven't completely dug, until now it seems.
Hmmmm. But, why did this happen? It's the opposite from what I expected. I almost didn't even bother trying the strings on this bass. But I was bored. I like to analyze things and give them a real reason, other than "just because." Here is what I think, perhaps, is happening:
As I said, the bass is natively profoundly muted on the extreme high-end, and gluttonous with the lows and low mids to the point of puking in your face. It just barks way too loud for me. So, by installing the stainless steel roundwound strings I had on it, I was giving it as much high-end as the bass was capable of offering, and because SS strings tend to be "smiley face" in EQ curve, I also got better thuddy low end and much less annoying mids and low mids. But at the same time, the sound became, although brighter and more defined, a bit lifeless, as well. But, I've lived with it because it was at least acceptable to gig with.
Cut to today... when I put the cobalt flats on, I immediately noticed less extreme high end treble--I knew that would happen. But, what I didn't expect is treble on the lower end of the spectrum and mids on the upper end suddenly comming to life! So, my ears are still hearing a good amount of treble that, in a way, is even more defined than the treble the SS strings were giving (and was totally lacking with the stock nickel strings). And because of the cobalt flat's still "flatwound sound with more even response," I'm not getting that rude overemphasis on the lows out of that humbucker from hell. It's a tight low end--perhaps even tighter than with the SS strings which tend to give a lot more deep lows and less definition in the upper end of the lows.
Before I write another book (because I am pretty excited about my girl changing her ways), I guess what I'm trying to say is that the still-flatwound-sound-but-more-even-with-more-upper-harmonics may have just saved this bass from backup, second string, sitting on the stand by the amp looking pretty, status.
Way to go Ernie Ball! You've saved a bass's life. And, hey, if you save but only the life of one bass... it will have been worth the effort, no???
(disclaimer: it seems I have the only set of 95 - 40 Slinky Flats in existence right now. EB sent me the whole set because of that dead A-String on the 100 - 45 set I had originally. THANK YOU, Ernie Ball!!! This experiment is based on 95 - 40 gauge of strings.)
On a fluke, I decided to swap the cobalt flats to my Fender Pawn Shop Mustang, which I've never been 100% happy with as far as the sound, although I've tweaked it a bit more to my liking with pickup mods and super-bright SS strings (you can read of my harrowing plight with this bass on another thread). Even at that, it hasn't quite been what I wanted to hear. It was certainly a situation of, I love your looks so much, Honey, that I'm willing to live with you being somewhat of a... well, I won't say it...
What I expected was the same boomy low end and low mid bump and a nearly non-existent high end that the bass seems to have inherently. The hot pickup is so overwound that it is ridiculous. Well, what I got was pretty counter-intuitive; at least for me. It actually sounded better than it ever has--a very sweet sound from such an uncouth, nasty, ill-tempered bass. Yes, she looks sweet, but she just has a crass sound that I haven't completely dug, until now it seems.
Hmmmm. But, why did this happen? It's the opposite from what I expected. I almost didn't even bother trying the strings on this bass. But I was bored. I like to analyze things and give them a real reason, other than "just because." Here is what I think, perhaps, is happening:
As I said, the bass is natively profoundly muted on the extreme high-end, and gluttonous with the lows and low mids to the point of puking in your face. It just barks way too loud for me. So, by installing the stainless steel roundwound strings I had on it, I was giving it as much high-end as the bass was capable of offering, and because SS strings tend to be "smiley face" in EQ curve, I also got better thuddy low end and much less annoying mids and low mids. But at the same time, the sound became, although brighter and more defined, a bit lifeless, as well. But, I've lived with it because it was at least acceptable to gig with.
Cut to today... when I put the cobalt flats on, I immediately noticed less extreme high end treble--I knew that would happen. But, what I didn't expect is treble on the lower end of the spectrum and mids on the upper end suddenly comming to life! So, my ears are still hearing a good amount of treble that, in a way, is even more defined than the treble the SS strings were giving (and was totally lacking with the stock nickel strings). And because of the cobalt flat's still "flatwound sound with more even response," I'm not getting that rude overemphasis on the lows out of that humbucker from hell. It's a tight low end--perhaps even tighter than with the SS strings which tend to give a lot more deep lows and less definition in the upper end of the lows.
Before I write another book (because I am pretty excited about my girl changing her ways), I guess what I'm trying to say is that the still-flatwound-sound-but-more-even-with-more-upper-harmonics may have just saved this bass from backup, second string, sitting on the stand by the amp looking pretty, status.
Way to go Ernie Ball! You've saved a bass's life. And, hey, if you save but only the life of one bass... it will have been worth the effort, no???
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Wow, what a great story! ^ A real testament to what kind of major changes strings can bring, thanks for sharing Christcr!!
I just ordered a 40-95 set from them. The order went through but who knows if they actually have them. I didn't wanna have to give them my business, but it seems EB is pulling shenanigans with BSO. I'm inpatient.
Hey, I play bass (well, okay, I do play nylon-string bossa nova guitar as well), and I use 40 - 95 on my basses (most of the time). I never go heavier than 40 - 95 on my long scale basses (sometimes 35 - 95 or 30 - 90), but on the short scales I do have some basses with 40 - 95 and some with 45 - 100, depending on the specific string.
