Pyramid (Höfner brand) tapewounds WOW!

[Deleted member 271037]

I've never really been a huge fan of tapewounds. The ones I've tried have always felt a bit clanky, stiff and unresponsive to me. But the Höfner branded Pyramids, wow! Really warm, fat, organic sound and they feel great under the fingers. Very soft and responsive. If I didn't know better I would have guessed they were made by Thomastik. They have that kind of orchestral vibe to them.

Does anyone else like these? I'm just so blown away by how much better I like these than any other tapewounds I've tried.

I'm guessing they're the same as the regular Pyramids, just slightly different gauges. Can anyone confirm? The Höfners are about twice as expensive though so the regular Pyramids would be a bargain if they're basically the same. And Pyramid is known to make custom gauges even for customers who just want a set or two... Great company, great strings! Their pure nickel rounds have been my favourite roundwound for years.

 

[shoulderpet]

Never tried them but always been curious, what are the gauges?

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Never tried them but always been curious, what are the gauges?

The Höfners are .055, .075, .095, .110. Which may seem thick but they're actually very flexible. I don't have any actual numbers for tension but it feels very low. They intonate nicely too, which I've had problems with when using certain other tapewounds (specifically Roto 88s where the E-string never seems to intonate properly).

Actually, I just realised that the Höfner branded ones are probably medium scale.

The Pyramid long scale sets are .055, .075, .095, .112.

The 5-string set has slightly different gauges: .055, .075, .100, .115, .135

And the short scale set is 055-075-100-115

I've got mine on a Höfner President and I've never gotten a better sound out of it. Very fat and "woody" but not muddy at all. I'm considering getting a set for my chambered body fretless too but it doesn't have magnetic pickups, piezo only and I have a feeling these Pyramids may be just a little TOO smooth for piezos. I tend to like strings with a bit more mid presence with piezos. Like TI Jazz Flats. I guess I won't know without trying.

 

[shoulderpet]

Cool, have tried the Labella tapewound for Beatle bass and the Roto 88s and whilst they both sounded really good I had setup issues with both of them, they both had this weird fret clack unless I raised the action really high, the Labella's it is because the E string is too light not sure why with the Roto's

 

[AboutSweetSue]

Pyramid makes great strings. Their flat-wounds are great.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Cool, have tried the Labella tapewound for Beatle bass and the Roto 88s and whilst they both sounded really good I had setup issues with both of them, they both had this weird fret clack unless I raised the action really high, the Labella's it is because the E string is too light not sure why with the Roto's

I haven't tried the Labellas but the Pyramids have FAR less fret clack than the Roto 88s. There's still SOME fret clack, that's just the nature of tapewounds, but nowhere near as much as with the Rotos.

The Pyramids also feel a LOT less stiff.

The Roto 88s sounded kinda thin and hollow by comparison on the same bass. The Pyramids are a warmer, fatter but also clearer, more distinct tone.

The Rotos wouldn't intonate properly on the E-string and had a weird chorus-like thing going on the G-string. No such issues with the Pyramids.

But like I said, I've only tried the Höfner-Pyramids but I ASSUME they are the same as the regular Pyramids, just different scale and slightly different gauge.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Pyramid makes great strings. Their flat-wounds are great.

Yeah, the Pyramid Golds are sweet. The inherently "dead" E-string may not be everybodys cup of tea but I love them. Especially the short scale set, instant 60s! The Pyramid Pure Nickel rounds are GREAT too. Very deep lows and fat mids once they settle in. Probably my favourite roundwound but like all pure nickel stings they're slightly low output so not always the best match if the pickup has a low output too. For example they're great with a classic P-bass but not so great with the V-mods on the AmPro series IMO.

Just make sure to crimp or bend 90 degrees before cutting. I've never actually seen it confirmed 100% that Pyramid strings are round core but I just assume it because I used to have sets go bad really fast before I started installing them as round cores, doing the crimping/bending routine. Never had a set go bad after I started doing this. In fact they age beautifully and just gets better and better.

 

[shoulderpet]

Yeah, the Pyramid Golds are sweet. The inherently "dead" E-string may not be everybodys cup of tea but I love them. Especially the short scale set, instant 60s! The Pyramid Pure Nickel rounds are GREAT too. Very deep lows and fat mids once they settle in. Probably my favourite roundwound but like all pure nickel stings they're slightly low output so not always the best match if the pickup has a low output too. For example they're great with a classic P-bass but not so great with the V-mods on the AmPro series IMO.

Just make sure to crimp or bend 90 degrees before cutting. I've never actually seen it confirmed 100% that Pyramid strings are round core but I just assume it because I used to have sets go bad really fast before I started installing them as round cores, doing the crimping/bending routine. Never had a set go bad after I started doing this. In fact they age beautifully and just gets better and better.

I liked the tone of their flatwounds but they just felt too stiff

 

[Deleted member 271037]

I liked the tone of their flatwounds but they just felt too stiff

I've seen others say that too. Which I've always found a bit strange because personally I find them less stiff than other old school flats like LaBellas or GHS Precision flats or Roto 77s. To me the Pyramid flats has a bit of a "rubbery" bounce going compared to other old school flats. If anything I've always felt the E is bordeline too flabby. But clearly we see things differently. And of course, with Pyramids you only have the choice of one gauge so no way to go lighter.

 

[shoulderpet]

I haven't tried the Labellas but the Pyramids have FAR less fret clack than the Roto 88s. There's still SOME fret clack, that's just the nature of tapewounds, but nowhere near as much as with the Rotos.

The Pyramids also feel a LOT less stiff.

The Roto 88s sounded kinda thin and hollow by comparison on the same bass. The Pyramids are a warmer, fatter but also clearer, more distinct tone.

The Rotos wouldn't intonate properly on the E-string and had a weird chorus-like thing going on the G-string. No such issues with the Pyramids.

But like I said, I've only tried the Höfner-Pyramids but I ASSUME they are the same as the regular Pyramids, just different scale and slightly different gauge.

Interesting you say they are less stiff than the Rotos, I have just recently decided to try tapes again and tried the Rotos again and swapped them for the Labellas because they feel much less stiff

 

[jongor]

What’s the ball end to winding length of the Pyramid Hofner strings?
I have a 32” scale Warmoth I’d like to try them on.

 

[KoalaBass]

Heyyy!

I just wanted say to that I got a set of Pyramids Tapes on my Hofner (Contemporary cavern) after reading this thread and I agree with everything the OP said about them.

I had almost given up on tapewounds because of the kind of plasticky-clankiness they tend to have. But these pyramids have really less of that thing, way less than the Rotos, Labellas or D’addarios. They don’t feel as smooth though, it’s almost as if they dropped the last polishing step so they have sort of a “furry” feeling, which causes them to have slightly more finger noises but nothing you’re likely to hear in a mix.
Also none of the chorus-y effect on the E string mentioned earlier, which is really pronounced with Rotosounds (especially on a short scale).

Also they intonate really fine on my Höfner (as good as you can on a non adjustable floating bridge). I have them on a longscale Danelectro dc bass also and no problem with intonation either (it has an adjustable bridge).

Tonewise, they are really thumpy as you would expect but retain a good amount of definition for tapes. They sound pretty woody whereas some other tapes tend to have more of a metallic edge. Also the G string doesn’t sound too thin of pingy compared to the rest (which is the only thing I dislike about the D’Addario tapes).

If a slightly more textured string isn’t a turn-off for you, I strongly recommend them.

 

[e-flat]

I was going to start a thread on the Pyramid Tapes because they’ve become one of my top 3 favorite strings of all time. I agree with the posts above regarding their quality and tone, and would really encourage anyone who seeks a deep, woody tone with good definition and a warm, rounded top end to try these amazing strings.

The finish is one of the best aspects, IMO… I refer to them as “mummy wrapped”. They’re smooth as can be, but with a paper-like, powdery finish that feels incredibly natural and “organic” for lack of a better term.

 

[Pimpernel Smith]

Pictures, and a close-up would be instructive.

 

[Root 5]

Pictures, and a close-up would be instructive.

There are pics of Pyramid tapewounds online.