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Praise Report: GHS Precision Flats
- Thread starter Linnin
- Start date
On a bass with pickups that are flat across, such as a Jazz bass, A and D sit farther away from the pickup than E and G because of the fretboard radius. Increasing the mass on those two middle strings actually help balance the overall output across all four strings. At least that's the theory behind the traditional gauge selection.
Some people prefer "balanced tension" sets because of their "balanced FEEL", but "balanced tension" does not always guarantee "balanced TONE". This is where you need to experiment with different sets of gauges to determine what works for you personally.
@michael_t So you’re saying CM3050 are for split P pickups, which are angled to the fretboard radius, vs M3050 on a straight Jazz pickup? Meaning, the CM3050’s will produce a more even volume output on a P bass compared to the M3050’s?
I love the M3050’s on my jazz. And just put a new set of M3050’s on my P, but the G string output (and prob the E) certainly sounds lower than the D and A, and it’s pretty annoying. The same was the case with the G when it had ML7200 Pressurewounds.
I feel like a dope now, shoulda got the CM’s…. Maybe Fretnation (where i bought this new set) will sell me singles so I don’t have to get a full new set. Grumble.
Well, not necessarily... There is no set rules as to what gauges work best on any given bass, or which sets are specifically designed for what basses.
That said, I actually like the light set of the Precision Flats (45-60-75-95) on my Precision for tonal balance. It may be easier to match the angles of the two halves of the split pickup to the fretboard radius, but that doesn't necessarily translate to tonal balance due to the positioning of the two haves, G and D being closer to the bridge than E and A.
yeah as i read your posts you’ve been a pretty big fan of the lights.
thanks for the info!
will chew on this as the M’s break in (it’s only day two). i do love these strings, and the tension of them too (and this amazing thread). it’s just this annoying volume difference.
I just put a set of .045-.095 precision flats on my 2018 Player Series Jazz bass. So far, I’m really digging these!
One thing I've never done is to try the Precision Flats on a Jazz. And I don't think I ever will as my Highway One J is very happy with the Fender 9050L.
Meanwhile, I do have a new set of 45-95 to try on the Ibanez SR650E (reverse PJ) sometime down the road when the Brite Flats on it are ready to be replaced, which can be a while yet.
Man I'm going through a rough patch with flats lately. I hadn't used Chromes in several years so purchased a set to try on a P bass and the G string is completely dead and lifeless. While waiting to get a replacement string from D'Addario I noticed GHS P Flats were on sale on Amazon and I've always wanted to try them. Amazon actually shipped same day. What a time to be alive!
Just installed and the A,D,G strings sound amazing and consistent but the E is so weird. Its not so much that its dead, but it rings out funny when you play a note, almost like it has a light octave effect on it. It's probably twisted. I removed and reinstalled it but it didn't help any. Sigh.
Shame too because I love the tension and feel of these, great old school sound.
Just installed and the A,D,G strings sound amazing and consistent but the E is so weird. Its not so much that its dead, but it rings out funny when you play a note, almost like it has a light octave effect on it. It's probably twisted. I removed and reinstalled it but it didn't help any. Sigh.
Shame too because I love the tension and feel of these, great old school sound.
Did you reset the witness point after the reinstall?
Indeed! After a 4th reinstall I've got it to a better point. Still sounds a bit off compared to the other strings but not nearly as noticeable as before.
Ok 5th time is a charm. I inspected the string like a detective when reinstalling to insure the was no twisting from beginning to end. Now that wonky warble/octave tone is completely gone. The E is still quite a bit darker than the rest but not far off from the A. D & G are still quite bright.
But man overall tone is silky! These strings kinda remind me of year old Dunlops but with some added percussiveness and upright character I don't remember the Dunlops having. Looking forward to really breaking these in over the next few months.
But man overall tone is silky! These strings kinda remind me of year old Dunlops but with some added percussiveness and upright character I don't remember the Dunlops having. Looking forward to really breaking these in over the next few months.
Trying these for the first time and these are awesome strings. I put them on my Jazz bass, and I'll be honest: it's because the purple silks look dead sexy with the Tidepool finish.
Not as bright out of the package as other flats, which is a wonderful thing. Getting a beautifully warm sound with the neck pickup soloed. Only thing stopping me from playing nonstop is my hands needing to get used to the tension. I got the medium set because they were on sale on Amazon, but in hindsight I wish I would've just paid regular price for the custom medium set with lighter A and D strings.
Not as bright out of the package as other flats, which is a wonderful thing. Getting a beautifully warm sound with the neck pickup soloed. Only thing stopping me from playing nonstop is my hands needing to get used to the tension. I got the medium set because they were on sale on Amazon, but in hindsight I wish I would've just paid regular price for the custom medium set with lighter A and D strings.
Bought a 2nd pack from Amazon when the Medium set went down in price to $25! Looks like they can still be had for $32, which is a steal for the greatest flats of all time.
I had much better luck with the E string in this set than the first. No weirdness at all.
I've got them on a Player I and Player II P bass now and they sound excellent paired with the stock alnico V pickups.
Here they are on my new Player II
I had much better luck with the E string in this set than the first. No weirdness at all.
I've got them on a Player I and Player II P bass now and they sound excellent paired with the stock alnico V pickups.
Here they are on my new Player II
a correct setup will do the job. the difference in tension is not that much comparing the two sets, and maybe you just need to lower the D and A strings a bit, even half a turn of the saddle's screws can do a difference.
I use the 55-70-90-105 set on two basses right now, and correcting the action following the correct radius makes them perfectly playable even at that strange and bigger gauge.
I have basses with 45-105, 45-100 and 43-110 sets of rounds, and I still feel comfortable with the heavy gauge of the GHS. just set it up more precisely.
lucky you... here in Italy the lowest price is 38€ for the short scale set, and over 40€ for the medium/custom. the 55-105 set is sold (in Europe) only from lordofthestrings, at 51€.
but what can I say? they are the most gorgeous flats I've ever played in my life, after trying almost everything on the market.
After putting these on two P basses curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to try them on an active bass. So I strung a set of 45-105's on my Ray34 and dang! I might like them even better on the Ray. The active EQ an MM style pickup really gives these strings even more character. The E string is a bit more defined. Roll off most of the treble and mid and turn up the bass and it gets a cool deep and dubby sound. It also eliminated some bad fret buzz I was getting on the 6th fret of the E string.
Also shout out to GHS for making a "tough" flatwound. So many flats seem fragile, looking at you EB Slinky Cobalts, or the silks disintegrate after being removed once or twice. These things are survivors.
Also shout out to GHS for making a "tough" flatwound. So many flats seem fragile, looking at you EB Slinky Cobalts, or the silks disintegrate after being removed once or twice. These things are survivors.
Interesting. I would have thought they'd suppress the Ray's inherent "rayness".
The ray character is still there, only now its more of a woody ray, as opposed to a flea ray.
I just got a set of M3050-5s I'll be putting on this, 2019 Stingray Special 5HH. That woody ray description sounds just about perfect.
