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Tapered vs. exposed core
- Thread starter OriginalCrash
- Start date
This will perhaps not really answer your question, but I have previously used Trace Elliot exposed core strings on my Precision a couple of times. (Not really sure about the exposed core/tapered denomination). Those strings were also a bit too long for my 34" scale, and them being stiffer than my normal strings, I really had to fight the E string. It was hard to make it wind up nicely around the post.
They sounded really "high tech" and piano like when new, but lost the "zing" very quickly, and soon developed "out of tune" harmonics, which made them useless.
If you could afford new strings every 5 hours or so (and have the energy to constantly re-string), they could be for you...
/Alexander
They sounded really "high tech" and piano like when new, but lost the "zing" very quickly, and soon developed "out of tune" harmonics, which made them useless.
If you could afford new strings every 5 hours or so (and have the energy to constantly re-string), they could be for you...
/Alexander
I though I'd complicate things even further by asking if anyone knew which strings on the list were hex-core and which were round-core... I know the Rotosounds are hex-core.
Brian
Brian
I think problems arise when using these strings on basses that weren't purpose-built for them.
I was using Fbass strings on my BN Studio. All strings are exposed-core...and in my situation very frustrating strings to work with; down low they sounded amazing, better than anything out there, but the trade-off is tonal weirdness when you go up high doing anything interesting. Double stops, chords, upper register runs...all of it is useless with these strings because of how badly out of tune they were.
This is all new to me, but that's cool. You learn something new and then make the appropriate changes. I finally gave up on them and went to a standard full core design, and all of the problems I had before just vanished.
I was using Fbass strings on my BN Studio. All strings are exposed-core...and in my situation very frustrating strings to work with; down low they sounded amazing, better than anything out there, but the trade-off is tonal weirdness when you go up high doing anything interesting. Double stops, chords, upper register runs...all of it is useless with these strings because of how badly out of tune they were.
This is all new to me, but that's cool. You learn something new and then make the appropriate changes. I finally gave up on them and went to a standard full core design, and all of the problems I had before just vanished.
OMG necrobump!
The tonal problems with taperwound and exposed core are caused by having too much tapered length between saddle and nut, this length should be as short as possible (hence the adjustable Roto PSD design), but most brands make the tapered length too long to fit as many bridge designs as possible, for commercial reasons. As you play up the string, the proportion of tapered length to full gauge length increases, so the tonal problems increase.
The less a string is full gauge from saddle to nut the less it vibrates like a normal string, the harmonics go out of tune with the fundamental creating that chorus sound. Also the thinner the tapered section is the more problems you get, since the mass change is larger. For example D'Addario's excellent .145 has a fat tapered section of .085, well over half full gauge. Even with almost 1 inch of tapered length between saddle and nut the tone is good beyond the octave and it intonates right up to the 24th fret.
Check Link Removed who make their tapers only 1.625" for the above reason, they only work with standard design top load bridges.
The tonal problems with taperwound and exposed core are caused by having too much tapered length between saddle and nut, this length should be as short as possible (hence the adjustable Roto PSD design), but most brands make the tapered length too long to fit as many bridge designs as possible, for commercial reasons. As you play up the string, the proportion of tapered length to full gauge length increases, so the tonal problems increase.
The less a string is full gauge from saddle to nut the less it vibrates like a normal string, the harmonics go out of tune with the fundamental creating that chorus sound. Also the thinner the tapered section is the more problems you get, since the mass change is larger. For example D'Addario's excellent .145 has a fat tapered section of .085, well over half full gauge. Even with almost 1 inch of tapered length between saddle and nut the tone is good beyond the octave and it intonates right up to the 24th fret.
Check Link Removed who make their tapers only 1.625" for the above reason, they only work with standard design top load bridges.
It does seem to follow that a thicker string at the saddle would aleviate the problem, and I was wondering if any manufacturer addressed this so thanks for the info.
Do the dean markley SR 2000 have the nasty silky type winding round the ends of them where they go round the machine head ?
