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Next string suggestion for Yamaha TRBX605?
- Thread starter vindibona1
- Start date
Ok, thanks. I was just curious...
I love the Precision Flats on my passive 4-string P bass, but I'm not sure if I would ever want flats on my 505 as I feel it needs something with a wider frequency spectrum (= roundwound) in order to get the most out of the active EQ. P bass for "old school" and 505 for "modern".
Pressurewounds being my go-to strings for my two Fenders, that's what was on my 505 for the first nine months since I got it last April.
What I found was the PWs actually sounded better (at least to my ears) in passive mode than in active. They just didn't have the same crunchy mids in active as it sounded like the PWs best tonal quality (= "punch and crunch") somehow got "stifled" by the preamp.
What you're saying about the flats is true on passive basses and this is also true on the 504 in passive mode. I'm finding with the 3 band preamp, I can dial a tone that is modern without the harshness I get with rounds on the higher strings. So on this bass which has the capability of doing both, the flats may work for me. I'm still waiting to play it with the band to see if the flats will stay on.
I previously never thought flats would work on this instrument, but it seems that they match nicely playing at home. I would not want to put on a very tense set of flats with the thin neck on this instrument. So the precision flats light set is the experiment.
Please report back. I'd be very curious to know how a set of flats would work on this bass - specifically how they sit in the mix with a live band.
I think you've got your 505 categorized correctly. I'm guessing flats won't do anything for it. I'm also of a mind that if you've got too much punch or too much crunch you can always dial it back, but if it's not there you're not going to manufacture it. It's ike the old saying "It's easier to tame a lion than teach a pussy cat to roar".
I'm ready to move on from the LaBella SS strings on my 605. NYXL's were pretty good, but I'm not sure what I should try next for what I do. I'm done with the short musical theater thing and all I have going right now is a twice monthly worship thing (actually 4x, but alternate guitar and bass). My BTB is really stellar for that but I want to work the TRBX and my Fender Jazz 5 into the mix. I love them all- so fickle. What do you think, Michael?
Right now BTB and Fender 5 have D'Addario NYXL 45-130's... BTB has tapered B. Fender has regular B.
The last time I used my P bass with flats in church, I couldn't help but notice the sound tech was struggling a bit during the soundcheck. I would guess the young techs in my church don't listen to the kind of music I listen to (70's classic rock) to even know what a P bass with flats is supposed to sound like.
And that's why I'm considering doing away with this "old school" thing (at least for now) by replacing the Precision Flats with the Pressurewounds so my P bass can get more play time in church; otherwise, it would end up sitting in the case most of the time. As much as I love the P bass/P Flats combo for my own personal pleasure, it just doesn't have enough usefulness for what I do.
Meanwhile, I'll continue on with my string quest for the 505 as I'm really looking forward to trying out the GHS Progressives, which use the same nickel-iron alloy as the Pressurewound but in a roundwound package for a brighter and more aggressive tone. My hope is they can bring the best out of my Yamaha by liven it up a bit.
The flats stay on for now. They thicken up the tone and remove some of the high end, which is what I was after. There is just enough shimmer in the strings and more than enough tone control on this bass to do modern stuff. The flats sounded great last night at rehearsal with the band. If I decide that I need more high end later, I will experiment with Fender light flats.
Good to hear those flats are working out for you.
Fender 9050L would probably be a good choice as well, if you want to tame the high end while retaining some grind in the mids.
Which flats specifically? What amp are you running through? I might like to experiment with them, if for no other reason just to see for myself. So far my 605 likes every string set I've tried... except the stock set (go figure). Just every one is different. I'm surprised how good it sounds with LaBella stainless rounds. My Jazz 5 didn't like the LaBella SS at all.
I happened to have a set of the GHS precision flats, half broken in, ready to put on there. Otherwise I would have tried Fender 9050L's. I'm going to wait out the break in period with the GHS strings before I decide. But I personally really like the way they sound on there right now.
Just for reference, I am using a Fender 800 HD Rumble head with a Carvin BRX 10.4 cabinet at rehearsal space. I also use a Sansamp vtdi and a Broughton low pass filter upstream of the input.
As the next step in my string quest for my TRBX505, I've just installed the GHS Bassics on it for a test run.
Here's the thread I've just started up, where I'll post my findings.
GHS Bassics - An Affordable Alternative
Here's the thread I've just started up, where I'll post my findings.
GHS Bassics - An Affordable Alternative
I was just re-reading all the posts I made in this thread, and figured a quick update is in order...
My tone quest for my Yamaha TRBX505 came to an end when I installed the GHS Progressives (40-60-80-100-130) three days ago.
One particular feature that kept me from trying these strings until now is the exposed core on B and E. Ironically, that's exactly what turned out to be the game-changer for me. All of a sudden, my Yamaha speaks with clarity and confidence as if it just woke up from a slumber, thanks to the Alloy 52 and its responsiveness, and the low B has never sounded as good on this bass as it does now. The "modern active tone" I've been hearing in my head for the last 15 mths is finally here.
Good to hear, I have on Dunlop Super Brights, and they are stringers that fall on the more flexible side, lower tension, they feel good, and they have clarity, especially in the highs and lows (I have the steels). They also don't feel rough as you might think most SS strings feel. I use to be a nickel guy, but I'll stick to steels from now on. I have the 45-125 set tuned to Bb standard. They still feel great at standard tuning too. I'll give the Progressives in my next string change, I've been wanting to try exposed cores on the B's and E's, and I do like the tone of alloy wrapped strings.I was just re-reading all the posts I made in this thread, and figured a quick update is in order...
My tone quest for my Yamaha TRBX505 came to an end when I installed the GHS Progressives (40-60-80-100-130) three days ago.
One particular feature that kept me from trying these strings until now is the exposed core on B and E. Ironically, that's exactly what turned out to be the game-changer for me. All of a sudden, my Yamaha speaks with clarity and confidence as if it just woke up from a slumber, thanks to the Alloy 52 and its responsiveness, and the low B has never sounded as good on this bass as it does now. The "modern active tone" I've been hearing in my head for the last 15 mths is finally here.
Are you sure you don't have 45-130's? I didn't see 40-130 on GHS' site.
BASS PROGRESSIVES™
Taper core strings can be exceptional with some guitars. My TRBX605 likes NYXL's (currently strung with EB Cobalt Flats) but I tried a tapered (exposed core) low B. It didn't sound as good as the regular string. However my BTB675 with those same strings needs that tapered B for that clarity.
I suppose at some point I'll have to try these GHS strings.
I ordered the L8000 (40-60-80-100) and a single 130B.
The factory 5-string light set (40-60-80-101-126) has all five strings at 38" in winding length. I wanted the low B to be 36.5" for a better fit on my Yamaha.
