I have a fretless bass with an ebony finger bored and was wondering if I buy round wound strings would they ruin my ebony finger bored? Thanks.
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Round wound strings
- Thread starter Mike Lozano
- Start date
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
They will wear on the board more than flat or tape wounds but unless you have a death grip that board should hold up for years before it needs to be re-planed. Nothing sounds like rounds on a fretless, ebony has TONS of mwah, so I say go for it. Mind you, I am a rounds guy and all my fretless basses use them, including my one with an ebony board.
Personally I would only use flat wounds on fret less
Better to slide and definitely more gentle on the fretboard
Just my opinion
Better to slide and definitely more gentle on the fretboard
Just my opinion
Turnaround
Commercial User
I have a fretless with round wounds and one with flats, both have ebony boards. They get played about the same amount. The one with round wounds is showing some marks on the fingerboard, but they are just marks, not serious wear. The one with flats is also showing marks, but not as much. Nine years of playing on these basses and neither needs fingerboard work.
But if marks bother you, use flats or don't play it.
But if marks bother you, use flats or don't play it.
Not all roundwound strings are created equal. Pure nickel and nickel-plated steel are generally easier on the fingerboard than stainless steel.
Someone has already mentioned half-rounds. I would personally recommend the GHS Pressurewounds, which are "oval-wound" made of Alloy 52 (nickel/iron). Easier on the fingerboard and smoother under your fingers compared to rounds.
Someone has already mentioned half-rounds. I would personally recommend the GHS Pressurewounds, which are "oval-wound" made of Alloy 52 (nickel/iron). Easier on the fingerboard and smoother under your fingers compared to rounds.
This needs to be a thread in its own right.
A myth that needs to be contained.
I used rounds (Rotosounds and Dean Markley Blue Steels) on a rosewood board for years without damage.
I now use Rotosound ground wounds on my Portamento to tame the mwah without losing it to flats.
The only time I've ever seen damage on a board, was when I was giving lessons to a longtime player who continually bent notes on his G string; that caused some scarring, but not enough to affect the sound live.
I now use Rotosound ground wounds on my Portamento to tame the mwah without losing it to flats.
The only time I've ever seen damage on a board, was when I was giving lessons to a longtime player who continually bent notes on his G string; that caused some scarring, but not enough to affect the sound live.
Flats. Just, flats.
If it was a cheap bass, or if it was a coated fingerboard, then rounds are ok.
I personally am bothered by the wear roundwounds make on unfinished boards.
If it was a cheap bass, or if it was a coated fingerboard, then rounds are ok.
I personally am bothered by the wear roundwounds make on unfinished boards.
Will they ruin your fret board? No, they won't - if you just buy them (Sorry - couldn't resist..
). If you put them on the bass, and play it? Yes, they will - eventually. However...
1. Ebony is wood. Steel strings - any steel strings - are steel. Steel is harder than wood, so.... you get the idea.
2. As a general rule - flatwound strings will take longer to wear the fret board out, and leave fewer marks, than rounds. Tapewound strings can be even gentler on the fret board than flats, and leave fewer marks. Lots of people like them, too - so maybe think about giving them a try.
3. As others have mentioned, how much you play; how hard; and your left hand technique, will largely determine how long your fret board can go before needing a re-finishing. In general, though - if the amount, style, and technique of playing are equal, then, yes, rounds will wear the fret board faster than flats.
Finally, though, only you can decide if the sound you get from a given string is what you want. If that string turns out to be round, then fine. Just be aware that you'll have to have the fret board re-finished sooner than if you used some other string. But, it's not going to happen real soon... We're talking years here; not every couple of months...
). If you put them on the bass, and play it? Yes, they will - eventually. However...1. Ebony is wood. Steel strings - any steel strings - are steel. Steel is harder than wood, so.... you get the idea.
2. As a general rule - flatwound strings will take longer to wear the fret board out, and leave fewer marks, than rounds. Tapewound strings can be even gentler on the fret board than flats, and leave fewer marks. Lots of people like them, too - so maybe think about giving them a try.
3. As others have mentioned, how much you play; how hard; and your left hand technique, will largely determine how long your fret board can go before needing a re-finishing. In general, though - if the amount, style, and technique of playing are equal, then, yes, rounds will wear the fret board faster than flats.
Finally, though, only you can decide if the sound you get from a given string is what you want. If that string turns out to be round, then fine. Just be aware that you'll have to have the fret board re-finished sooner than if you used some other string. But, it's not going to happen real soon... We're talking years here; not every couple of months...
I loved using Chromes on a fretless--I could still get plenty of "mwah" (though perhaps not enough for some folks!)
I'll recommend the TI Jazz *rounds* which I use for fretless. Wonderful articulation and bite but with a very fine nickel wrap which is very easy on the fingerboard. 43-89, low tension feels lovely under the hand and mwah for days.
If you play rough stainless steel strings every day for several hours with a very heavy hand for years and years on end, I understand you're concern over fingerboard replacement.
it is about the sound, I just went through a period of flats and tapes my fretless. Just got an ebanol fingerboard and have it strung with rounds. It is a different sound. The tapes and flats have interesting characteristics too, but the rounds really bring out the fretless, IMO. I had rounds on my older bass for 20 years and the board is marked but not enough to do anything. I say, go for the sound you want.
