Sadowsky Blue Label Stainless Steel... yes!!

[michael_t]

I can’t find them anywhere except eBay. Have they been discontinued?

Sadowsky Guitar Strings Bass Strings Round Wounds Flat Wounds

 

[smeet]

Sadowsky Guitar Strings Bass Strings Round Wounds Flat Wounds

Thanks Michael. What is that site? It looks like Fret Nation but the URL is wholesalemusicsupply?

 

[michael_t]

Thanks Michael. What is that site? It looks like Fret Nation but the URL is wholesalemusicsupply?

Jason (owner) has been working on revamping the Fret Nation's website last few months. A different URL, but still the same company operating as Fret Nation.

 

[smeet]

Jason (owner) has been working on revamping the Fret Nation's website last few months. A different URL, but still the same company operating as Fret Nation.

Interesting. Should I use that link going forward, or will it go back to fretnation.com eventually?

 

[michael_t]

Interesting. Should I use that link going forward, or will it go back to fretnation.com eventually?

As far as I know, it's a permanent change. Go ahead and use the link I posted.

 

[smeet]

And while I'm here, I really want to try the Blue steel 5-string set, but I really don't care for tapered strings... It seems they don't make a non-tapered B string?

 

[michael_t]

And while I'm here, I really want to try the Blue steel 5-string set, but I really don't care for tapered strings... It seems they don't make a non-tapered B string?

As far as I can see at Strings By Mail, the two Blue Steel 5-strings sets listed there don't appear to have tapered B's.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[smeet]

As far as I can see at Strings By Mail, the two Blue Steel 5-strings sets listed there don't appear to have tapered B's.

Invalid Link Removed

Sorry, I meant the Sadowsky Blue Label Steel 5-string sets.

 

[michael_t]

Sorry, I meant the Sadowsky Blue Label Steel 5-string sets.

Hahaha... My bad... Yes, all of the B's by Sadowsky are tapered.

 

[GTHintz]

I tried blue labels and I think they probably did the tapers because on 35" scale basses they can feel stiffer on string tension so maybe it was to cater to that? I've noticed Dr long necks have a taper as well

 

[smeet]

I tried blue labels and I think they probably did the tapers because on 35" scale basses they can feel stiffer on string tension so maybe it was to cater to that? I've noticed Dr long necks have a taper as well

I understand the reasons for tapered B strings. But IME the sound has inharmonic tendencies, increasing as you play higher up on the neck. It also makes the disparity between the sounds of the B and E strings even greater.

Every few years I try a set but I'm never happy with it. I did like the F Bass (LaBella) exposed core set on SOME instruments. But those have exposed cores on all 5 strings, so at least the sound is more consistent.

 

[michael_t]

I understand the reasons for tapered B strings. But IME the sound has inharmonic tendencies, increasing as you play higher up on the neck. It also makes the disparity between the sounds of the B and E strings even greater.

Tapered B vs. non-tapered B... This has been hit and miss in my experience as it depends on the bass as well as the string design.

I once tried the Sadowsky Blue Label SS rounds on my son's Ibanez SR1205E and the tapered B didn't work very well due to the monorail bridge design where the tapered end extended too far on the wrong side of the saddle.

Non-tapered B's always sounded undefined and unbalanced with the rest on my Yamaha TRBX505. The B with an exposed core solved that problem by improving on both definition and clarity.

Here's the 505 with
SIT Power Wound Nickels with an exposed-core B: (Note the exposed core fits much better on this bass by being the right length.)

My Yamaha BB435, on the other hand, does fine with a non-tapered B. SIT Fusion Wound Stainless 40-60-80-100-120.

 

[michael_t]

Should I use that link going forward, or will it go back to fretnation.com eventually?

According to what Jason was just telling me this "wholesalemusicsupply" thing is a temporary place he moved everything to while the Fret Nation website is being revamped. It will eventually go back to fretnation.com.