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P5 Club?

#241
Lorenzop said:
Guys what strings do you use?

I'm considering a 5 fender p. but I'd like to use it with flats.
Anybody got good results?

And anybody could share some sound demoed??? :)

Cheers
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I've been using D'Addario Chromes flatwounds on my Precision 5 string for a year plus, and I've been really pleased with the tone. It's that classic tone formula: P-Bass with flats!
 
#245
Anyone try LaBella DTFs on their P5? I have balanced (40/55/75/100/132) Chromes on now which are working well, however, every time I switch to my Rick w/LaBellas, my hands can't get enough of that silky LaBella smoothness (I totally prefer DTFs over TIs).

Just curious how the 5 string set sits on a P bass...
 
#246
Srirachaglo said:
Anyone try LaBella DTFs on their P5? I have balanced (40/55/75/100/132) Chromes on now which are working well, however, every time I switch to my Rick w/LaBellas, my hands can't get enough of that silky LaBella smoothness (I totally prefer DTFs over TIs).

Just curious how the 5 string set sits on a P bass...
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I did, and surprisingly I wasn't crazy about 'em - which is funny because I have a 4 string set on my Squier CV 60's P and I love them on that bass (don't plan on changing them out ever).

I tried both the LaBellas and Chromes on the P5 and although both sets sounded pretty good I realized I prefer D'addario nickel rounds on it.

I guess it's true when they say certain basses prefer certain strings. :smug:
 
#247
Buskman said:
I guess it's true when they say certain basses prefer certain strings. :smug:
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Amen to that!

Getting back to flats: on my Sadowsky P5 I've tried LaBella tapes, Sadowsky flats, D'Addario Chromes flats, and Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats. So far, I definitely prefer the TI's... which is unfortunate because they are so expensive. Also, the low tension takes some getting used to.

An old high school buddy I caught up with recently keeps D'Addario half-rounds on his basses. I had forgotten about half-rounds, and thought they sounded great, so I got a 5 string set to try out. I also got a set of the Fender flats. I'll report back when I try these, but the bass is currently strung with rounds and I'm waiting for them to die first.
 
#249
I had the factory strings (Fender 8250-5 nickels) on my P5 for more than three years, and recently replaced them with a custom set of SIT Powerwounds (ordered singles from Bass Strings Online to match the gauges of the Fender strings, plus the taperwound B and E.) These SITs are serious! Killer sound. I had heard Fender nickels ain't what they used to be.
 
#251
Got another string question. I am stringing my DA Chromes .132SL B through-body. The open B up to the about 5-6th fret sounds amazingly dark and punchy! However, after the 5th fret (especially after the 9th fret) the tone gets really hollow and warbly, and the fundamental seems to disappear making the pitch hard to distinguish after the 12th fret. I realize that this is common on a lot of low Bs and that the upper B-string tessitura doesn't get much love by nature of the beast, but this issue seems especially prevalent on my instrument and I think it's the string. Note it's not an action issue as there is no buzz and each note vibrates freely.

The offending tone is "similar" to magnetic interference caused by having the p'up too high, but I have my doubts about that as my p'up is fairly low to where any lower I would lose volume/balance and cannot rest my thumb.

I'm wondering if I should try a shorter B and top-load it. Do you think it would make a difference?

Any other ideas? Thanks!
 
#252
Srirachaglo said:
Got another string question. I am stringing my DA Chromes .132SL B through-body. The open B up to the about 5-6th fret sounds amazingly dark and punchy! However, after the 5th fret (especially after the 9th fret) the tone gets really hollow and warbly, and the fundamental seems to disappear making the pitch hard to distinguish after the 12th fret. I realize that this is common on a lot of low Bs and that the upper B-string tessitura doesn't get much love by nature of the beast, but this issue seems especially prevalent on my instrument and I think it's the string. Note it's not an action issue as there is no buzz and each note vibrates freely.

The offending tone is "similar" to magnetic interference caused by having the p'up too high, but I have my doubts about that as my p'up is fairly low to where any lower I would lose volume/balance and cannot rest my thumb.

I'm wondering if I should try a shorter B and top-load it. Do you think it would make a difference?

Any other ideas? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have had difficulty finding a low-B flatwound string that works well. I tend to prefer tapered low B's with rounds, but not all tapered flats have performed well. The Thomastik-Infeld B string is not tapered, and that has been my favorite so far.

Again, the only other flats I've tried on five string are D'Addario Chromes and Sadowsky (and the LaBella nylon tapes)... and only one set of each, so my experience is limited. That said, I think it's worthwhile trying top-load instead of neck-thru.
 
#253
I build my own P-5 basses from parts ...

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#254
I have a Q for you 5 players , I've just made the switch to 5's and would love to pick up a P-5 but I like the 1.75 nut width and it seems fender does not offer that , is there anyone out there that does without breaking the bank ? I LOVE Ric5 "s 4 to 5 conversions , If I can't find what I'm looking for that may be my route , On a side note , Ric5 , have you ever converted a Les Paul 4 bass to a 5?
 
#256
gillento said:
Fender Flats are my favourite flats!
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So I got impatient and took the nearly-brand-new rounds off of my alder/Brazilian Sadowsky P5 and restrung it with Fender flats. They sound fabulous! The B string is a teensy bit wobbly, but I haven't done any kind of setup, I'm sure it just needs a slight intonation adjustment.

I'm still curious about the half-rounds I've ordered, but Fender flats have set the bar fairly high, and will get even better after some playing time.
 

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