TapeWound Club~Anyone?

[Abner]

Yeah, I appreciate that, but I feel that removing a set of brand-new strings is half-way to destroying them... Uncoiling the winds at the tuners, pulling the strings back out through the tiny anchor holes in the bridge.. that's a fair amount of abuse for an expensive set of bass strings. Asking for opinions is just a way for me to hedge my bet!

My condolences, I have top-load bridges on many of my basses. (Although my two Vantages have string-through bridges as well as smaller diameter tuning posts, so strings don't get swapped between my Ibanez and Vantage. Much.) But I feel your pain — I have a stack of rather expensive flats and tapewound strings. One just never knows if one doesn't try...

Edit: Oh, and as for opinions... I've tried and tried to like many tapewound strings, but I always find the first string (I play in D-standard, so the F-string for me) too twangy, and I go back to steel flats. (I know — playing tuned down a whole tone may not be doing the tension of the tapewounds any favours.)

 

[Yahboy]

Bought a new Squier VM fretless Pbass couple weeks ago, been try stock Fender 7250 , GHS PW7200 , Tijf344 and current EB cobalt Flatwound string. Tonewise is ok, but I wanna try tapewound after I read all 47pages of threads from this tapewound club.
So, place order a set of copper white at String by Mail.

 

[Stan_da_man]

Tapewound convert here. The La Bella white tapes are not a 'traditional' tapewound string but my, do they sound good on my Jazz bass. Sounds similar to a pressurewound string but way smoother. I add my Bearfoot Blueberry for some grit and get a great vintage rock tone.

Using the .115 set.

 

[Aidil]

Tapewound convert here. The La Bella white tapes are not a 'traditional' tapewound string but my, do they sound good on my Jazz bass. Sounds similar to a pressurewound string but way smoother. I add my Bearfoot Blueberry for some grit and get a great vintage rock tone.

Using the .115 set.

does this mean the white tapes are better on fretted instead of fretless bass?

 

[Stan_da_man]

Depends how bright you want your strings!

 

[rutrho]

I just put some tapes on my fretless... Oh my what a change it is. And I just have some cheapo DR neons on there.

I'll be digging through this thread to see what other options, but I figure I'll ask if anyone has any suggestions for tapes that are on the brighter/grittier side of things?

 

[Aidil]

I just put some tapes on my fretless... Oh my what a change it is. And I just have some cheapo DR neons on there.

I'll be digging through this thread to see what other options, but I figure I'll ask if anyone has any suggestions for tapes that are on the brighter/grittier side of things?

la bella white tapes

 

[rutrho]

Thanks! I'll check those out.

la bella white tapes

 

[bobomatic]

Well tapewounders... i’ve been rocking some Fender 9050’s ever since I started playing in a punk/hardcore band again... the energy i’m playing with threw my light touch out the window at light speed. But... as I bet you all can relate... I missed that feel. The flats sounded great, but I couldn’t get past the bridge cable thing. Then, in a moment, I had a revelation.

This project got me playing with a pick, so out I went to get as many different gauges and types of plectra I could spend $10 on. So, like a million of them. Out of nowhere, it occured to me that the floppiest pick I bought, a .46 Dunlop nylon, would probably be essentially an automatic light touch no matter how hard I played... so out came the setup tools and after about a half hour I had the 4003 all sorted for the tapes again. Slightly more relief, pickup adjustment, action, you get it. Tuned her up and it’s MAGICAL. The thin pick gives such a defined attack and having virtually no resistance from either the pick or the strings makes playing really fast pretty much effortless. It sounds incredible, especially with a little drive, and I pretty much can’t make it buzz with the floppy pick.

So there’s a little life hack for anybody struggling with developing the right touch for a set of tapes. FINALLY both of my hands are equally happy.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Thank you, wondered about using a pick with tapes!

 

[kkaarrll]

tapes with or without a pick are fun

 

[Robertron]

Thank you, wondered about using a pick with tapes!

Sounds great! Completely different color in the highs.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Sounds great! Completely different color in the highs.

At a brick and mortar in the next day or so and will be scoping out picks. The few I have that I don't use are heavy gauge.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I am a Tapewound convert. I have gone from playing Nickels, to rounds, to flats, to STRICTLY Tapes. I LOVE Tapewound strings. I have played D'Addario and La'Bella Tapes. I love them BOTH on specific basses. Anyone else out there in LOVE with Tapewounds??? From Fretted to fretless, country to metal, I have found the sound I dig by going Tapes.... Chime in if you are a Tapewound Fan, too PLEASE!

PS... I searched to see if a Tapewound club already exists. I found nothing....

D'Ad Black Tapes here. Meh! Like playing Chromes with the lights off.

 

[Robertron]

At a brick and mortar in the next day or so and will be scoping out picks. The few I have that I don't use are heavy gauge.

Awesome please report back with what you think!

 

[Yahboy]

Here is my set order from String by mail.
Will report back soon....

 

[Aidil]

Here is my set order from String by mail.
Will report back soon....

View attachment 3181411

what bass will you be using them on?

 

[Yahboy]

1st day room practice impression.

Tone output are just little lower than previous set of EB cobalt flat. I need turn from 11.30 volume to noon for equal output. Not a big problem.

String tension , yes, tension are pretty low. Compare to EB cobalt flat+ near zero relief , i need about a full counter clockwise turn to make the neck in almost zero relief.

Stiffness are just little lower than Ti flat. But she has no floopy, I set my action from 2.1mm E string to 1.8mm G on 12th fret marker for my personal taste.

Just like LTF4A and Ti , string to string stiffness are well balance.

The mwah sound are nicer, sweeter and smoother than EB flat and Ti flat which present metalic like buzz/mwah.
But I more fall in love with it roll off tone sound quality ～Woody, Organic and Energy .

Compare to GHS PW ML7200 ( lot TB member recommend roundwound-like sounding string set for fretless bass with less harm on fretboard, but damn, PW easily produce the string mark after few song, especially on E and A , pretty regret. )on my fretless p, copper white has better quality in sound , mwah , touch , pluck , vibrato comfort and wears.

I also found some hum (wide open tone knob )at some different standing position .Even I touch the bridge, the hum become less but still there. Not notify once in song mix.I can accept it because I can live with jazz bass hum.

The transparent cooper nylon string look very nice on dark Ebonol fingerboard , sunburst body and tort guard...... for me.


Edit.
Forget to mention that my Squier VM fretless p has fret marker buzz problem with Flatwound string. The soft surface copper white nylon do help but not full eliminate.

 

[Yahboy]

what bass will you be using them on?

Squier VM fretless P.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Awesome please report back with what you think!

Returned from the brick and mortar with three Dunlop 58 mm picks - the lightest they had. To my ear the attack is much clearer but less percussive than a hard pick on roundwounds.

Also, probably need to devote some time to learn to play with a pick ....