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Praise Report: GHS Precision Flats

#541
fourstringdrums said:
I suppose I could try a lighter gauge set but in general I'm not really a fan. I'm probably just going to keep playing them and wait for it to balance out and hopefully the "thinness" I hear is really just a balance issue for now.
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This whole discussion about some flats being tonally unbalanced to begin with before settling down into a thumpy bliss kind of intrigues me as I will be switching back to flats when the D'A XL Nickel Rounds I currently have on my Jazz are ready to bite the dust.

Thankfully, I can order the exact gauges I would like to try with these GHS P Flats, 45-60-80-100, as a custom set from BSO.

I might as well try the Fender 9050L (45-60-80-100) for comparison as well.
 
#542
Ok, so I did what I usually do to tame an unbalanced string and put some mustache wax on it since I have it laying around. That seemed to help a bit and mellowed it out compared to the other 3, but I think what I'm hearing is that the string itself is slightly thuddier in the attack than the other 3. The E is thuddy as well but in a different way. It's hard to describe. I'm honestly thinking it's just a case of 1) They have to break in more and balance out and 2) My ears are playing tricks on me. I feel like I have hyper sensitive hearing lately towards any slight variation or subtly and I think that's what's driving me crazy.
 
#543
For me, using some moderately dense foam takes the G twangyness away. That, or I play it more softly. Mind you, I don't use it often, only for some notes, preferring to work further up the fret board on the D string.

My strings, after about a year, sound great now. Never coming off that bass.

The Brite Flats, on the other hand, not sure about them yet, but the heavier G string in that set (52) makes it less twangy. I'm sure once they break in completely, they will sound phenomenal on my S101 P-bass.
 
#547
nerkoids said:
Not to be argumentative, but the G is twangy on my Jazz. Not overtly so, and it does happen when I play harder or not fret the note on the nose.

It's not a bad thing in my book.
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Oh, I don't mind. Just like "a picture is worth a thousand words", so is a note, or a tone, or any sound really. It is especially difficult with music when there is no consensus. Diversity matters in your tone pallet.
 
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#548
Agreed! I put a set on my Music Man Sterling. The G string (which was always a bit thin in the mix) totally came to life. I think they sound great for that thuddy Jamerson tone and also with a pick and some foam I get a great Carol Kaye tone. I actually like them better than TI flats, esp for vintage tones.

Funny thing is I just bought them because that's what they had at the store. I thought they'd be a cheap experiment until I could shell out the cash for TIs of LaBellas but I ended up keeping them.

Now I'm on the fence about TIs or GHS for my Warwick fretless; I might go for the GHS to get a boomy fundamental like Paul Chambers (I'm trying to avoid the "growl")
 
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#551
fourstringdrums said:
Ok I'm back in. I got another G&L LB-100 and I threw on some Precisions. Once again the E is a little darker and thumpier than the rest of the strings, but it works on this bass compared to others I tried them on. I'll hang in there and let them balance out. They really do feel and sound wonderful on this bass.
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I'm thinking of a set of these on my lb-100. How'd they fit? I've never played flats ever. Has the thin g gone away? Your lb 100 rosewood or maple?

Long scale or long scale plus? Judging by the video & the wrap around the E tuner... it looks like he has long scale plus on

Check out Ed putting the GHS Flats on the LB-100... sounds great to me!

 
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#552
I recently put together a little P/J for a close friend. Strung it with Precision flats in 40, 55, 75, 100 -- shooting for a balanced set. Tension seems roughly equal to a set of medium rounds (didn't have to mess with the truss rod). Only got to play it for a few days before I gave it to my friend, so the strings were still breaking in, but sound and feel were great. Balanced -- no thin G string. As I've remarked before, the E is just a bit darker/thuddier than the others, but overall the balance and consistency is really good. Love the tone -- mids are strong and they can growl a bit. Harmonics even work pretty well. I have a set that's a few months old on my fretless. I don't want these to go "full old school" as I like being able to access both ends of the tonal spectrum via technique, but I'm digging these so far, overall. Seem to be versatile flats, and great strings for the price.
 
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#553
Tunaman said:
I'm thinking of a set of these on my lb-100. How'd they fit? I've never played flats ever. Has the thin g gone away? Your lb 100 rosewood or maple?

Long scale or long scale plus? Judging by the video & the wrap around the E tuner... it looks like he has long scale plus on

Check out Ed putting the GHS Flats on the LB-100... sounds great to me!

Click to expand...


Long Scale Plus. Looking on BSO they don't have Long Scale, just Short, Medium and Long Plus. But they fit perfect.

Yes the G is getting a little better. I don't think it was thin, I think it was just brighter. I also think that just naturally it just has a different tonal quality because of what it is. In order for it to NOT sound thin, it has to be a little rounder sounding with a smidge less sustain, at least in my perception. If I really listen hard enough, the E, A & D all have their own tonal quality to the notes. I think in some way it's just me being over analytical about this bass since I've been burned by G&L before. I've been busy so I haven't played it much so I'll go a few days in between, and every time I come back I feel better about the balance. So in some regard I think it's just my perception.

It has a rosewood board.
 
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#554
Linnin said:
I think that they'd work fine for both fretless or AEB. That hollow 'woody' tone characteristic would most definitely suit either application quite well.
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I just threw a set of PFlats on my newly acquired Pedulla Pentabuzz (mainly because I don't have that much time with flats as a whole). They work extremely well on this bass, going from a very smooth, URB-inspired sound to that tight, dry Jaco-esque funk. The only - ONLY - thing I noticed was that the harmonics I was hitting didn't ring out with that bell-like clarity that fretless players want, but that's because they're flats. I'll keep these on for a while as I get used to the instrument, but for right now, these are a great match.
 
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#557
TimB 619 said:
I just threw a set on one of my peavey Millenium BXP's, and a set on my Fretless jazz with DiMarzio Model J's. So far I'm really digging them! Great attack, yet all the notes come through clearly. I'm sold.
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Really glad to hear that! Let me know how they work for you as they settle in and age.
 
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#560
gary m said:
I find that over time, the top three strings will conform with the low E in terms of tone and sustain. The E is duller and thumpier at first, which is also a comment often made about Pyramid flats when new.

My GHS's began to mellow at about the end of the first month of play. They do even out and end up sounding pretty consistent across the instrument. So look for the top three strings to match what you're hearing from the low E eventually.
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Gary- Thanks so much for advocating so strongly for these strings on MANY flats threads I read... I never found one person to refute you as to why pay twice the price vs the GHS flats & your description vs other strings really helped me narrow it down to these or Labellas

The E & A are deep & thumpy while the D & G are practically nickel sounding. Looking forward to those wearing in but honestly I kinda like it the way it is.

fourstringdrums said:
Long Scale Plus. Looking on BSO they don't have Long Scale, just Short, Medium and Long Plus. But they fit perfect.

Yes the G is getting a little better. I don't think it was thin, I think it was just brighter. I also think that just naturally it just has a different tonal quality because of what it is. In order for it to NOT sound thin, it has to be a little rounder sounding with a smidge less sustain, at least in my perception. If I really listen hard enough, the E, A & D all have their own tonal quality to the notes. I think in some way it's just me being over analytical about this bass since I've been burned by G&L before. I've been busy so I haven't played it much so I'll go a few days in between, and every time I come back I feel better about the balance. So in some regard I think it's just my perception.

It has a rosewood board.
Click to expand...

That size fit great. The main part of the string DOES wrap around the tuning peg a little, no big deal.


Really loving the tone of the E & A. My LB-100 with maple was a BIT too aggressive grindy in the low notes. This is NO problem now. Thanks for saving me from giving up on a bass that just needed a better set of strings. (Stock it comes with Daddario nickels I believe)
 
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