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Strings like Pressurewounds but Tapered B?

krovx

krovx

Thump or Bust
Supporting Member
Mar 11, 2003
2,649
613
Michigan, USA
#1
I have fallen in love with GHS Pressurewounds. Like the baby bear between flats and rounds that just works for me. Problem is I dig Tapered Bs on fivers. Can't find that GHS makes them. Are there other comparable strings? My search did not drum up much info. Thanks!
 
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#2
krovx said:
I have fallen in love with GHS Pressurewounds. Like the baby bear between flats and rounds that just works for me. Problem is I dig Tapered Bs on fivers. Can't find that GHS makes them. Are there other comparable strings? My search did not drum up much info. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Ken Smith Compressors are also made by GHS and they're the closest sibling to the Pressurewounds. You can get the tapered 125B as a single to match up with the PW 4-string set.
 
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#4
michael_t said:
By the way, one of my future string experiments will be to match up one of the PW 4-string sets with the Progressive 130B, which is exposed core. A roundwound low B for a bit more bite and definition to balance with the rest.
Click to expand...
How did that experiment turn out?
 
#5
kesslari said:
How did that experiment turn out?
Click to expand...

The experiment was successful. GHS Pressurewound L7200 (40-96) with GHS Progressive 130B (exposed core) on my Yamaha TRBX505 matched up really well.

That said, that same bass has been wearing the Rotosound Ultramag (Alloy 52 roundwound) 40-100 with the Progressive 130B for the last four and a half months and they're working out great! Meanwhile, I also tried the Ken Smith Compressors (Pressurewound equivalent) 40-58-80-102-125T on my Yamaha BB435 and liked them as well, although that bass is currently sporting GHS Super Steels 40-58-80-102-126 (non-tapered).
 
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#6
michael_t said:
The experiment was successful. GHS Pressurewound L7200 (40-96) with GHS Progressive 130B (exposed core) on my Yamaha TRBX505 matched up really well.

That said, that same bass has been wearing the Rotosound Ultramag (Alloy 52 roundwound) 40-100 with the Progressive 130B for the last four and a half months and they're working out great! Meanwhile, I also tried the Ken Smith Compressors (Pressurewound equivalent) 40-58-80-102-125T on my Yamaha BB435 and liked them as well, although that bass is currently sporting GHS Super Steels 40-58-80-102-126 (non-tapered).
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Hey, thanks for replying. The inharmonicity of the tapered B didn't bother you?
 
#7
kesslari said:
The inharmonicity of the tapered B didn't bother you?
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The inharmonicity only becomes evident when I play higher up the neck. The highest I ever go on the low B is 10th fret, and whatever inharmonicity there might be is not obvious in a band mix. What I do like about the tapered B is added clarity and better note definition with even sustain when playing between first fret and seventh fret, which is where I play most of the time on the B.
 
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#9
kesslari said:
GHS seems to have stopped making the Progressives .130.
I'll be trying a D'Addario Nickle tapered 0/130
Click to expand...

The old version of the Progressives was discontinued at the end of 2019. GHS was supposed to come out with an updated version in the spring of 2020, but it never happened due to the pandemic. Doesn't look like we'll ever see the new version at this point. I still do have a couple of the Progressive 130B in my personal stock, which I will be using with Roto Ultramags 40-100 on my Yamaha TRBX505.

Meanwhile, I've been using Ken Smith Compressors 40-58-80-102-125T on my Yamaha 435 and they've been working out quite well.
 

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