Questions on F#

[john turner]

i've been using sit .165"'s for my low f#s and have been very happy with the results, although i favor my old tapered strings to my present exposed cores (the exposed core strings don't reproduce the note as purely, ime, as the tapers do.

 

[troll]

I was using a .145 for my G# on a 34" and it was barely acceptable... for me. I don't have the touch and skill required to make that work. You're on a 35" scale and are probably a better player than I so it definitely does work for some people. I think Jauqo uses very light strings, which blows my mind. That guy is incredible.

Yeah I plunked around on his Adler 8 once, and the action was so low it barely made noise with my gorilla hands.

And that's the thing, I tend to favor heavier gauges and/or higher action because I just can't seem to play lightly with my right hand, especially faster stuff on low strings. It's a balance of good sound, minimizing buzz on those low tunings with higher action and learning to give them a lighter touch when needed. It's tough. I got buried on my last recording because I was making tons of unintended and ugly noises by digging in before I got the setup up better with these guages. So I'm probably going to re-record it all once I go in to finish up the rest of the tracks. Anyways, story for another thread...

I forgot to mention I'm using the D'addario Pro Steels that you can buy in singles from places like juststrings.

I've considered going an F# 6 myself. I'd probably go to a .165 for that as long as I can find a taper core, not exposed, for it.

The warwick .175 is a new option as well that some are using, but apparently pricy to get stateside.

 

[Bass Below]

I tend to favor heavier gauges and/or higher action because I just can't seem to play lightly with my right hand, especially faster stuff on low strings. It's a balance of good sound, minimizing buzz on those low tunings with higher action and learning to give them a lighter touch when needed. It's tough. I got buried on my last recording because I was making tons of unintended and ugly noises by digging in before I got the setup up better with these guages. So I'm probably going to re-record it all once I go in to finish up the rest of the tracks. Anyways, story for another thread...

I forgot to mention I'm using the D'addario Pro Steels that you can buy in singles from places like juststrings.

I've considered going an F# 6 myself. I'd probably go to a .165 for that as long as I can find a taper core, not exposed, for it.

The warwick .175 is a new option as well that some are using, but apparently pricy to get stateside.

Sounds to me like you and I play with a similar amount of aggression towards the strings

I had the same problem with my last recording, and I got buried in the mix too.

I have the Warwick .175 on my 34" scale Jazz, it's not a bad string. It gave me a decent amount of tension at G# but I was not thrilled with the sound of it on a 34". I just recently got my Quake, so I don't have to deal with all of the compromises anymore.

I am a flats player at heart, but flats just didn't come heavy enough for what I was trying to accomplish, so I was using all kinds of different combinations, usually mixing and matching singles from Juststrings. One of my best combos was some Ken Smith stainless singles with the SIT .165. Eventually I wound up getting close to the best sound I could want out of a 34" with 4 flats (.125, .85, .65 & .50) and the Warwick .175 below them. The general brightness of a round as compared to a flat was what actually made the .175 useable. As dull as it sounded stretched across 34", it blended well with the flats whereas when mixed with the SS rounds in the other 4 spots it was getting drowned out.

Anyway, the only thing that saved me from going nuts was adding 5.5" to the scale length

 

[WoodyG3]

Hey, JAUQO, thanks for posting the link to your music! I'm really digging it. Any CDs available?

Sadly, I have nothing to add to this thread as i always tune to the standard EADG.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Hey, JAUQO, thanks for posting the link to your music! I'm really digging it. Any CDs available?

Sadly, I have nothing to add to this thread as i always tune to the standard EADG.

Thank you for checking the music out.

And you can purchase the CD from CD Baby.

 

[elros]

Here is a sound clip which has some notes approaching low F# in it. The bass is the Conklin Al Caldwell 9-string (thanks Al!) with a (rather old) .165 SIT for the F#.

 

[nrssab]

Here is a sound clip which has some notes approaching low F# in it. The bass is the Conklin Al Caldwell 9-string (thanks Al!) with a (rather old) .165 SIT for the F#.

Hey thanks for posting this! It's a very nice recording.

I own a Warwick Vampyre BO, tuned in F#. The .175 string works perfectly for its 35" scale. I have heard about some people trying it out on a 34", and they all said that it's ok but could be better.
There is a guy on the Warwick forums, who has a fretless corvette with the .175 string on, he posted some soundclips some time back.

Here you go:
Invalid Link Removed
The soundclips are on page 3, I don't know if you need to create a account to be able to download them. :S

If anyone has any further questions about the Vampyre, feel free to PM me, or respond on here. I could also record some soundclips, though I'm a very bad player!

Good luck!

 

[troll]

Sounds to me like you and I play with a similar amount of aggression towards the strings

I had the same problem with my last recording, and I got buried in the mix too.

I have the Warwick .175 on my 34" scale Jazz, it's not a bad string. It gave me a decent amount of tension at G# but I was not thrilled with the sound of it on a 34". I just recently got my Quake, so I don't have to deal with all of the compromises anymore.

I am a flats player at heart, but flats just didn't come heavy enough for what I was trying to accomplish, so I was using all kinds of different combinations, usually mixing and matching singles from Juststrings. One of my best combos was some Ken Smith stainless singles with the SIT .165. Eventually I wound up getting close to the best sound I could want out of a 34" with 4 flats (.125, .85, .65 & .50) and the Warwick .175 below them. The general brightness of a round as compared to a flat was what actually made the .175 useable. As dull as it sounded stretched across 34", it blended well with the flats whereas when mixed with the SS rounds in the other 4 spots it was getting drowned out.

And that's where the problem lies mostly. I like a pretty bright zingy sound but still need thick fundamentals. It's hard to get zing out of notes that low. I do, but I think it's mostly just from a little buzz here and there. But that's the weird thing about it. since we're a drop tuning, I'm using a .125 in the 'E' position. While the tension is just about spot on, it tends to sound duller and or meatier than the other strings. so I tend to end up digging in more to get some attack on it, but it's not a good attack sound. I guess I'm just a disgruntled finger player who wants a pick sound or something...

I'm actually leaning towards a jbass styled instrument for it instead because I get all the tones I want out of my marcus (4) even with 'standard' gauge fat beams on it, but I want to keep the extra low G# as I use it often for texture in our tunes and really miss it when it's gone. So I've been eyeballing laklands and other jbass styled models with a 35" (5).

I still do need to try some different brands though as the d'addarios are the only I've used at these gauges/tunings. I also need to get my G&L back from a friend I loaned it to, and see if I can't play with the setup some more and make it work for me, if not for a backup at least.

 

[Bass Below]

I'm actually leaning towards a jbass styled instrument for it instead because I get all the tones I want out of my marcus (4) even with 'standard' gauge fat beams on it, but I want to keep the extra low G# as I use it often for texture in our tunes and really miss it when it's gone. So I've been eyeballing laklands and other jbass styled models with a 35" (5).

Hey Troll, I'm currently working on a 36" scale Jazz style 5 string, I'm designing it to tune to G#. I'll keep you posted on my progress/results.

 

[troll]

Hey Troll, I'm currently working on a 36" scale Jazz style 5 string, I'm designing it to tune to G#. I'll keep you posted on my progress/results.

I am intrigued indeed.

 

[Bass Below]

I am intrigued indeed.

Just so you don't get too excited, I'm an amateur builder, but I do my best and every once in a while (when I actually remain patient and don't try to build Rome in a day) my work comes out really nice.

Have you checked out the Knuckle stuff?

 

[troll]

Just so you don't get too excited, I'm an amateur builder, but I do my best and every once in a while (when I actually remain patient and don't try to build Rome in a day) my work comes out really nice.

Have you checked out the Knuckle stuff?

Yeah I'm familiar with it. I've never been excited by the super long scale length. I've got stubby hands and 35" is already a stretch down low...

 

[Bass Below]

Yeah I'm familiar with it. I've never been excited by the super long scale length. I've got stubby hands and 35" is already a stretch down low...

Not trying to talk you into it (though I've been known to pimp Skips stuff every once in a while ) but I've got mutilated stubby hands and I have no problem on the Quake. I've heard from people who have played both 35" scale and Skips 39.5" scale and they all seem to agree that for some strange reason, the 35" is more uncomfortable. Maybe 35" is just too close to standard? I dunno.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Can you explain to me how a 39.5" scale bass is more comfortable to play than a 35"scale bass?

I'm 5ft 8" tall.

 

[Bass Below]

Can you explain to me how a 39.5" scale bass is more comfortable to play than a 35"scale bass?

I'm 5ft 8" tall.

I've never played a 35" myself, so I couldn't tell you that. All I know is that there are a few people who have played both and find the Quake to be less awkward. I can relate, since I am more comfortable on my Quake than i was on any 34" that I've had. Skips design places the nut at almost the same distance from the shoulder as a standard bass would. Reach is not an issue. The first few frets are noticeably larger but I adjusted to that in minutes. Playing aside, just wearing this bass is much more comfortable than any other bass I have ever owned. It sits just right, balances perfectly and is very light. I don't even notice that it's there.

And for the record, I'm 5'4"