String tone uneven?

[carlosjrf]

Hello people, ive owned my one bass (fender pj) for a year and half. When i got i put ghs boomers on it because thats what i play on my guitars.
For the whole time ive been thinking that I don’t really like the tone i get from my rig. I changed amps (had a beginner rumble 25 and upgraded to a 40) and it help a bit, but also highlighted that the e, a and d strings have the tone closer to what i want (maybe a shade too dark), but the g sounds very bright and snappy. I’d like a more even tone across all strings. If i roll off the tone it takes some of the snappy off, but not much. Also played with the eq and it just gets muddy.
Is this typical on basses? I want a more even warmer, not bright, but defined tone. Looking to stay with rounds for now.

 

[Lenny JG]

Welcome to the beginning of your journey.

I say that because you have a long road of trying strings ahead.

I experienced the same thing w boomers, maybe try DR.

 

[michael_t]

Hello people, ive owned my one bass (fender pj) for a year and half. When i got i put ghs boomers on it because thats what i play on my guitars.
For the whole time ive been thinking that I don’t really like the tone i get from my rig. I changed amps (had a beginner rumble 25 and upgraded to a 40) and it help a bit, but also highlighted that the e, a and d strings have the tone closer to what i want (maybe a shade too dark), but the g sounds very bright and snappy. I’d like a more even tone across all strings. If i roll off the tone it takes some of the snappy off, but not much. Also played with the eq and it just gets muddy.
Is this typical on basses? I want a more even warmer, not bright, but defined tone. Looking to stay with rounds for now.

GHS Boomers (NPS roundwound on a hex core) employ the traditional single-wrap construction for the G (= one layer of winding over the core wire), which tends to sound brighter and even "twangier" than the other three.

GHS Round Core Boomers (NPS roundwound on a round core) employ the "balanced construction" concept by GHS, meaning all four strings for E-G have two layers of winding for more balanced tone across all four strings.

Products - ROUND CORE BASS BOOMERS® - GHS Strings

GHS Balanced Nickels (pure nickel roundwound on a round core) also employ the "balanced construction" concept.

Products - BALANCED NICKELS - GHS Strings

I've tried all three of the above, and can attest to the Round Core Boomers and the Balanced Nickels being better balanced tonally across all four strings. They're also warmer and smoother in overall tone than the regular Boomers

 

[carlosjrf]

GHS Boomers (NPS roundwound on a hex core) employ the traditional single-wrap construction for the G (= one layer of winding over the core wire), which tends to sound brighter and even "twangier" than the other three.

GHS Round Core Boomers (NPS roundwound on a round core) employ the "balanced construction" concept by GHS, meaning all four strings for E-G have two layers of winding for more balanced tone across all four strings.

Products - ROUND CORE BASS BOOMERS® - GHS Strings

GHS Balanced Nickels (pure nickel roundwound on a round core) also employ the "balanced construction" concept.

Products - BALANCED NICKELS - GHS Strings

I've tried all three of the above, and can attest to the Round Core Boomers and the Balanced Nickels being better balanced tonally across all four strings. They're also warmer and smoother in overall tone than the regular Boomers

Well, i guess i overlooked that description. Any other you have tried?

 

[carlosjrf]

Welcome to the beginning of your journey.

I say that because you have a long road of trying strings ahead.

I experienced the same thing w boomers, maybe try DR.

Which ones? They all talk about brightness.

 

[Lenny JG]

Which ones? They all talk about brightness.

That depends on your preference. I'd probably tell you to start with sunbeams, but I'd prob be wrong.

 

[michael_t]

Any other you have tried?

I've tried many others, but I still think the two I mentioned above would best suit your needs.

I've also tried a handful of DRs and can tell you most of their roundwound strings are brighter than the Boomers.

 

[GTHintz]

I would say to try the ghs balanced nickel. They might be more consistent. You might enjoy pressure wounds. Keep trying strings until you find something you like.

 

[Aloe]

definitely looks like set-up to me. lower pickups on the treble side until you like the sound and then maybe raise those strings a bit, so they become less clanky and more full. opposite on the bass side to make them a tad brighter.

please note that sometimes it's very subtle adjustments, but make a huge effect.

 

[Samatza]

There are some sound samples on the DR web site. Have a listen to the same phrases played with different strings and it will give you a good starting point. When you find one you like read up on the construction, hex or round core, stainless steel, nickel plated steel, pure nickel etc.

This should give you some ballpark idea of the strings you like and help narrow down the field.

As others have said don't be afraid to tweak your setup to achieve your goal also. Especially pickup height can play a big part in balancing the tone/volume.

 

[FatCity]

+1 on the round core boomers. I love them on my Pbass. I think the DR Sunbeams would be a solid option as well. They can be a bit twangy when new but once broken in they have a great, even tone that will last for quite a while.

 

[butterfingers1]

The g string often annoys me too, thin and « different » from the others. I find the same strings often sound different (balance-wise) on different bass guitars. So the pickups might have something to do with this. My split-coil precision bass is like this, others the g string doesn’t stand out. Sometimes adjusting the position of the g string over the pickup magnets thickens it up.

And sometimes on the same guitar from one set of strings to another of the same. So maybe installation, set-up.

Sorry I’m not more helpful. I think bass players easily get tangled up in tone issues no one else hears. Maybe the nature of an instrument which is inherently difficult to hear.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Lots of good suggestions in this thread. In order, I suggest trying to lower the pickup height on the G string side a hair to see if that helps. Based on you saying the G is the odd one out and after reading those GHS descriptions, I’m thinking this won’t fix the issue, but this is a free and easy option that can easily be reversed so it’s worth trying.

If you otherwise like the feel of GHS strings then you may be inclined to try one of their balanced round wound sets. However, when people say they want a warmer tone I immediately think DR strings. I used to dislike them because of this, but over time I’ve learned to love them. Sunbeams and Pure Blues are all pretty great and are warmer sounding strings after you break them in, and DR strings last forever.

That said - don’t be discouraged if these don’t work. There are so many strings out there that you’ll likely go through a few sets before finding one you love, and you’ll likely have a change of needs at sometime down the road and will have to restart the journey all over. It’s part of the fun adventure of being a musician

 

[tothemax]

I just switched over to D'Addario 1/2 rounds on my P and after a bit of wondering if it was a good move, am finally getting used to them. I went from D'Addario XL light round wound (45 - 100) to 1/2 round XL regular light (45 - 100). It just never felt right and the action seemed to be off. I went through a full setup and when I was checking everything was off a bit including the neck relief. I went with the stock setup setting for a 9.25 radius and it made world of difference, I had to add a bit of foam under the PU's to get them to spec. Adjusting the PU height really made a difference on the tone, just remember that the PU's are your last step.
I was shooting for a bit of the flat wound tone without making the full jump, these half rounds with a foam mute under the bridge seems to be working well for now. Still getting used to it.

 

[Benj-jammin]

I've been using the Dunlop Nickel Medium-Brights as of late. Smooth, even tone, but with the mid-bright tone and character that I prefer, not too zingy. Tons to choose from, not a cheap pursuit if you want to try a bunch!

 

[WarwickE36]

I love DR strings. I started with Hi-Beams and played them for a while (even though my playing in general was off and on) ... ultimately I wanted to branch out. I actually just did a recent thread where I put DR Fat-Beams and Nickel Lo-Riders on and did some comparisons. They are more similar than not. Ultimately my favorite was the Fat-Beams YMMV. I can link sound clips if interested (but I'm not a stellar player so take it with a grain of salt)

 

[Dirk Diggler]

Let me throw this out there, it could be your nut is perfect on the G string and the other strings are being pinched at the nut making them duller.

I don't think it's the strings at all.

Good luck,
Dirk

 

[mrjim123]

GHS fan here, and I also don't like a lot of twang, on ANY string. To start, stay away from stainless steel strings.

I've never played the Boomers, but I have played the Round Core Bass Boomers, Balanced Nickels and Pressurewounds. I would probably still be playing the two latter, but now prefer the less stiff Round Core Bass Boomers in the light (40 - 95) gauge. I think you'd probably be happy with any of the three.

 

[burgerdj]

You might also want to check your pickup height, which can have a significant impact on tone and output.

 

[Ric5]

Hello people, ive owned my one bass (fender pj) for a year and half. When i got i put ghs boomers on it because thats what i play on my guitars.
For the whole time ive been thinking that I don’t really like the tone i get from my rig. I changed amps (had a beginner rumble 25 and upgraded to a 40) and it help a bit, but also highlighted that the e, a and d strings have the tone closer to what i want (maybe a shade too dark), but the g sounds very bright and snappy. I’d like a more even tone across all strings. If i roll off the tone it takes some of the snappy off, but not much. Also played with the eq and it just gets muddy.
Is this typical on basses? I want a more even warmer, not bright, but defined tone. Looking to stay with rounds for now.

try a thinner / lighter E and A string ... Fat low strings makes them boomy ... lighter lower strings brings out more midrange overtones