Something Between GHS P Flats and Roto 77 Flats?

[Grinderman]

(Edit: EB's table for Group I has the string gauges listed wrong though I suspect the listed pounds of tension correctly correlate to the real string gauges in Group I--55-75-90-110)

An aside--string tension information for Ernie Ball Group I and Group II flats.

 

[Grinderman]

I like the DR Legends for some of my flats needs. I love the Roto 77's and the Legends are just a tad bit less firm to my finger feel. YMMV.

The Legends have a round core which generally makes strings feel and play looser. Roto 77s have a hex core.

I use medium to heavy gauge hex core flats = stiffer.

 

[HaphAsSard]

An aside--string tension information for Ernie Ball Group I and Group II flats.

View attachment 5307058

So the 45-65-80-100 have more tension than the 50-70-85-105. Makes perfect sense...

 

[Grinderman]

So the 45-65-80-100 have more tension than the 50-70-85-105. Makes perfect sense...

Good catch. They just sent that to me about 25 minutes ago.

Group I is 55-75-90-110, not 45-65-80-100; therein lies the problem.

I'll let them know their spreadsheets are crossed up.

 

[Grinderman]

(Edit: EB's table for Group I has the string gauges listed wrong though I suspect the listed pounds of tension correctly correlate to the real string gauges in Group I--55-75-90-110)

An aside--string tension information for Ernie Ball Group I and Group II flats.

View attachment 5307058

 

[HaphAsSard]

Good catch. They just sent that to me about 25 minutes ago.

Group I is 55-75-90-110, not 45-65-80-100; therein lies the problem.

I'll let them know their spreadsheets are crossed up.

It happens.
For one, those for D'Addario Half-Rounds are a mess, and they publish them:

here's the 45-65-80-100 set
45-100 Regular Light, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71 | D'Addario
where the tensions for the A and E may have been shifted, and be the actual ones for the 100 and 130 from the 5- and 6-string sets
45-130 Regular Light 5-String, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71-5 | D'Addario
30-130 Regular Light 6-String, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71-6 | D'Addario
Mistake caught, no?

Weeell, there's also the thing about the 50-70-85-105 set, whose largest two strings reportedly have *lower* tensions than the 80 and 100
50-105 Medium, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR72 | D'Addario
ans so have been reported ever since the revised (from the old chart) tensions were first published on the website in the synoptic, "family" tension tab:

Is it a mistake, or are those 85 and 105 actually built to be less massive than their one-gauge-down counterparts? And if so, why?

I've thought of asking them about it, but I'm not going to get Half-Rounds anytime soon, so I've indefinitely postponed the enquiry / heads-up email. (If anyone's up to it, by all means be my guest.)

 

[Grinderman]

It happens.
For one, those for D'Addario Half-Rounds are a mess, and they publish them:

here's the 45-65-80-100 set
45-100 Regular Light, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71 | D'Addario
where the tensions for the A and E may have been shifted, and be the actual ones for the 100 and 130 from the 5- and 6-string sets
45-130 Regular Light 5-String, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71-5 | D'Addario
30-130 Regular Light 6-String, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR71-6 | D'Addario
Mistake caught, no?

Weeell, there's also the thing about the 50-70-85-105 set, whose largest two strings reportedly have *less* tensions than the 80 and 100
50-105 Medium, Long Scale, XL Half Rounds Bass Guitar Strings | ENR72 | D'Addario
ans so have been reported ever since the revised (from the old chart) tensions were first published on the website in the synoptic "family" tension tab:
View attachment 5307216
Is it a mistake, or are those 85 and 105 actually built to be less massive than their one-gauge-down counterparts? And if so, why?

I've thought of asking them about it, but I'm not going to get Half-Rounds anytime soon, so I've indefinitely postponed the enquiry / heads-up email. (If anyone's up to it, by all means be my guest.)

I'm not surprised that's the case based on what I found first-hand working in a different industry category of product and production but with characteristics of scale and organization that are similar enough.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

Dunlop flats ... but not the other problems that have come with them

Hey @Grinderman!
What problems have you had with the Dunlops? I've been using them more lately....

I've got P's strung with GHS & Rotos.
In between, I just strung a Tele Bass with DR Legends - and I'm liking them a lot.
They must've changed them in the past year or so, because they're a little past the Dunlops on the brightness scale so far - just the opposite of what I've been reading - but they do respond well to the tone knob.

I'm not the one to comment on tension; other than TIs being noticeably low tension and the Rotos being on the stiffer side, I don't pay much attention to whatever is in-between (and I use a lot of different "whatevers"!)

 

[Grinderman]

Hey @Grinderman!
What problems have you had with the Dunlops? I've been using them more lately....

I've got P's strung with GHS & Rotos.
In between, I just strung a Tele Bass with DR Legends - and I'm liking them a lot.
They must've changed them in the past year or so, because they're a little past the Dunlops on the brightness scale so far - just the opposite of what I've been reading - but they do respond well to the tone knob.

I'm not the one to comment on tension; other than TIs being noticeably low tension and the Rotos being on the stiffer side, I don't pay much attention to whatever is in-between (and I use a lot of different "whatevers"!)

I like how the Dunlop flats sound, respond, and feel, but then frustratingly I went through a pile of sets in a row with G strings that would not intonate... then suddenly their prices went through the roof and that's when I moved on.

I transferred my well-broken-in thumpy GHS P flats from one of my P basses to my Jazz bass to try and I think I like that combination for the time being.

I like stiffer strings so that generally means strings with hex cores. DR Legends have round cores.