• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

NSD - New (white gold) String Day

ADHD librarian

ADHD librarian

Jul 18, 2020
421
1,058
Straya
adhd-librarian.blogspot.com
#1
It's New String Day!

Living in the middle of Australia, I have only 1 music store within 1400km of me; and their stock of bass strings is not exhaustive. So I went online and ordered some new ones to try.

I ordered them on the 14th of September, they were shipped on the 15th, made it into Australia by the 24th. The tracking app then said "Qantas Freight system failure – significant delays expected" until October 24th, when they began their journey overland arriving with me on the 6th of November.

39 days is a bit longer than I'd like, but Australians are no longer surprised by problems with Qantas.

All that done and...
alone in my shed I think I liked my back tapes better (but I suspect I may like the gold whites more when I am plaing in a band? I'll have to wait and see).

The trouble with liking the black tapes better is that, due to an accident with an electric string winder and a lack of due care and attention, I broke the E string when I was taking it off; so if it turns out I don't like the gold whites I'll have to order myself another set of the blacks. (I am now determined to convince myself I like the gold whites).

Strings.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: GlennRH, GwenOnBass, BOOG and 6 others
#8
ADHD librarian said:
It's New String Day!

Living in the middle of Australia, I have only 1 music store within 1400km of me; and their stock of bass strings is not exhaustive. So I went online and ordered some new ones to try.

I ordered them on the 14th of September, they were shipped on the 15th, made it into Australia by the 24th. The tracking app then said "Qantas Freight system failure – significant delays expected" until October 24th, when they began their journey overland arriving with me on the 6th of November.

39 days is a bit longer than I'd like, but Australians are no longer surprised by problems with Qantas.

All that done and...
alone in my shed I think I liked my back tapes better (but I suspect I may like the gold whites more when I am plaing in a band? I'll have to wait and see).

The trouble with liking the black tapes better is that, due to an accident with an electric string winder and a lack of due care and attention, I broke the E string when I was taking it off; so if it turns out I don't like the gold whites I'll have to order myself another set of the blacks. (I am now determined to convince myself I like the gold whites).

View attachment 5243400
Click to expand...

Which brand of black tapes were you using beforehand?
 
#9
ADHD librarian said:
It's New String Day!

Living in the middle of Australia, I have only 1 music store within 1400km of me; and their stock of bass strings is not exhaustive. So I went online and ordered some new ones to try.

I ordered them on the 14th of September, they were shipped on the 15th, made it into Australia by the 24th. The tracking app then said "Qantas Freight system failure – significant delays expected" until October 24th, when they began their journey overland arriving with me on the 6th of November.

39 days is a bit longer than I'd like, but Australians are no longer surprised by problems with Qantas.

All that done and...
alone in my shed I think I liked my back tapes better (but I suspect I may like the gold whites more when I am plaing in a band? I'll have to wait and see).

The trouble with liking the black tapes better is that, due to an accident with an electric string winder and a lack of due care and attention, I broke the E string when I was taking it off; so if it turns out I don't like the gold whites I'll have to order myself another set of the blacks. (I am now determined to convince myself I like the gold whites).

View attachment 5243400
Click to expand...
I’ve only had two string break since 1970. Both LaBella. One was the gold flats.
 
#10
ADHD librarian said:
It's New String Day!

Living in the middle of Australia, I have only 1 music store within 1400km of me; and their stock of bass strings is not exhaustive. So I went online and ordered some new ones to try.

I ordered them on the 14th of September, they were shipped on the 15th, made it into Australia by the 24th. The tracking app then said "Qantas Freight system failure – significant delays expected" until October 24th, when they began their journey overland arriving with me on the 6th of November.

39 days is a bit longer than I'd like, but Australians are no longer surprised by problems with Qantas.

All that done and...
alone in my shed I think I liked my back tapes better (but I suspect I may like the gold whites more when I am plaing in a band? I'll have to wait and see).

The trouble with liking the black tapes better is that, due to an accident with an electric string winder and a lack of due care and attention, I broke the E string when I was taking it off; so if it turns out I don't like the gold whites I'll have to order myself another set of the blacks. (I am now determined to convince myself I like the gold whites).

View attachment 5243400
Click to expand...

Wow. Here in the state’s we have a major hissy fit if Amazon can’t get them to our door within 24 hours. LOL!!!

My experience with different strings are two fold. The biggest is I change my stings after about 75-100 hours use. I’m going to assume you tend to leave yours on a bit longer.

Aside from that, I don’t pass judgement until I do my due diligence working with my EQ (amp as well as tome controls on the bass) to get the very best possible tone I can . Final judgement comes after playing them with the band, the final audition so to speak.

Sometimes, it takes awhile for strings to settle and as they do, that usually means more knob twisting. In my case, the strings I use are good to go out of the pouch.

Best wishes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ADHD librarian and Bassdirty
#12
I love those gold white nylon tapes!

I used black tapes on my fretless for years, then tried the LaBella white nylons and liked them better. Switched to the gold white nylons when they came out and I'm sticking with them. I just had a little fling with TI Jazz Rounds on that bass, they're very good sounding strings, but not the sound I want from my fretless, so they have moved to another bass and the gold white nylons are back.

They have a slightly muted roundwound sound, and they last for a long time. I think they're basically a phosphor bronze round winding over a steel core, with "white" (clear) nylon tape final wrap. The picture doesn't quite capture their golden tint.

@ADHD librarian I think you're going to like these in a live mix. They sure work for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StayLow and Growling Woods
#13
I have the Gold White Tapes on my Pedulla Buzz, and they are fantastic!
Yes, they do sound better in a full mix than they do fully isolated, but that's also my opinion of many strings, bass guitars, direct boxes, and amps.

If you're playing solo, experiment with your eq. You will find the settings that really bring them to life.
 
#16
I much prefer the La Bella regular White Nylon tapes. My first ever set of tapes was the Gold Whites and I felt that the tone was too plasticky, dull, and lacked brightness. So I removed them from 2 of my basses (and I now have 2 light gauge sets just sitting around). I don't get a plasticky or dull tone from the regular Whites.

Also, don't tune the Gold Whites to lower tunings like D Standard (DGCF). I tried that with one of my basses and they were way too floppy! I replaced them with Rotosound 55 pressurewounds and they're much better for that tuning.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ADHD librarian
#18
MotorCityMinion said:
nEw stRinG daY? Nobody to talk to where you live?

View attachment 5243759
Click to expand...

There aren't a lot of people in my life who would be interested in a conversation about my new bass strings, no. And I try not to be so autistic that I keep talking about my bass once my wife's eyes glaze over.

Add to that, that where I live we have a population density of 0.07 persons per square km. So I don't have a lot of options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Murch and BOOG
#19
I spent a little time in Australia and was amazed at how sparse the populations are between major cities. There are only a couple of regions here that are comparably unpopulated and it’s probably difficult for most to appreciate how desolate your area is. Beautiful country and people btw.
That strings shipment story is one for the record books, though. I had a set of white/copper LaBella’s on my five string and loved their tone and feel but the depleted volume wasn’t cutting it for that specific instrument. Yeah, the volume control had room to go up but they were muting the characteristics that I like.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ADHD librarian
#20
The update no one asked for...

I bought a single replacement string for the black nylon set (LaBella were perfect to deal with & didn't even charge me for the shipping). I then went back to the black set on the SB-2. The problem with the golds was that I had ordered a lighter set & I didn't like the feel of them.

Six months later, I was doing a setup on my Kiloton Tribute* and my eye fell on the white gold strings sitting in the bottom of my box o'bits.
For some reason they work on this bass in a way that they didn't on the SB-2. The lower tension doesn't bother me on the Kiloton in the way it did on the SB-2 and I do like the tone of the gold.

Now I am wondering if I need to try a set of the 750G on the SB-2?


*the kiloton previously had a set of Ernie Ball Flatwounds on it
 
  • Like
Reactions: Murch and BOOG

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back