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The Official 7-String Bass Club.

#141
eyvindwa said:
Hey guys! Just discovered this thread, bought myself a cheap 7-string Harley Benton bass a little while ago. And you know what, it is surprisingly well built and fun to play :D




A question for you experienced ERB-ers: what kind of wall hangers fit such monstrosities? Any particular brand to look out for? I have my other basses hanging neatly on my walls, but this one is relegated to leaning into a corner, for now.
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eyvidwa welcome to the club!
You are #20!
You have a nice Harley Benton 7.

Regarding wall hangers:I don't use one.
What I did do was to widen out a regular stand by tapping on the back of the "Y" against a steel angle.
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You may be able to do this with a regular wall hanger type hanger.
 
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#143
eyvindwa said:
Hey guys! Just discovered this thread, bought myself a cheap 7-string Harley Benton bass a little while ago. And you know what, it is surprisingly well built and fun to play :D




A question for you experienced ERB-ers: what kind of wall hangers fit such monstrosities? Any particular brand to look out for? I have my other basses hanging neatly on my walls, but this one is relegated to leaning into a corner, for now.
Click to expand...

I use none other than Hercules Stands products. They have guitar hanger wide enough to hold monstrous neck of 7 string bass.

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#148
Watchootognbout said:
With regrets and pain I have to report that I have had to sell my Wolf 7.
Due to a car emergency,and overdue bills.
I don't think that there will be a replacement at this time.

At least I still have my fretless six.

We have to remember.
They are just THINGS.
They can be replaced.
Click to expand...

I hear you! I had to sell my BTB7 because of family medical emergencies.

A bass will come and go, but family first!
 
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#149
Watchootognbout said:
With regrets and pain I have to report that I have had to sell my Wolf 7.
Due to a car emergency,and overdue bills.
I don't think that there will be a replacement at this time.

At least I still have my fretless six.

We have to remember.
They are just THINGS.
They can be replaced.
Click to expand...
It happens mate - I'm in the same boat, but after playing the GT7 I have zero interest in another bass with a fewer number of strings. In fact, I'd like to have three of them (or the Bill D. model). So maybe we should start a seven string wait support group...

Raz
 
#150
Hey! I just bought a Conklin GT-7 fretless (will post photos when it is delivered), and found this forum while looking for F#0 string recommendations. I need something brighter than flats, but I'm worried about chewing up the fingerboard with roundwounds. (The GHA Pressurewounds on my Carvin fretless 6 are great, but they only go up to .128".)

Can someone with experience using roundwound strings on the GT-7 fretless, give me some idea how the fingerboard holds up?
 
#151
wlan2 said:
Hey! I just bought a Conklin GT-7 fretless (will post photos when it is delivered), and found this forum while looking for F#0 string recommendations. I need something brighter than flats, but I'm worried about chewing up the fingerboard with roundwounds. (The GHA Pressurewounds on my Carvin fretless 6 are great, but they only go up to .128".)

Can someone with experience using roundwound strings on the GT-7 fretless, give me some idea how the fingerboard holds up?
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I've never encountered larger than .132 flats nor half/ground/compressed-rounds. Don't know if such string existed.

But are you sure you wanna go down to F#0 on fretless? IME, it was hard enough to get clear notes out of .175 rounds on fretted 34" and it was quite floppy... can't imagine how it would be on fretless.
 
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#152
wlan2 said:
Hey! I just bought a Conklin GT-7 fretless (will post photos when it is delivered), and found this forum while looking for F#0 string recommendations. I need something brighter than flats, but I'm worried about chewing up the fingerboard with roundwounds. (The GHA Pressurewounds on my Carvin fretless 6 are great, but they only go up to .128".)

Can someone with experience using roundwound strings on the GT-7 fretless, give me some idea how the fingerboard holds up?
Click to expand...
You may want to contact Bill Conklin. I ask him questions on Facebook every now and then. Usually responds pretty quick. Great guy.
 
#153
Aidil said:
I've never encountered larger than .132 flats nor half/ground/compressed-rounds. Don't know if such string existed.
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I unearthed a grand total of one flatwound string in that range, FWIW.
Aidil said:
But are you sure you wanna go down to F#0 on fretless? IME, it was hard enough to get clear notes out of .175 rounds on fretted 34" and it was quite floppy... can't imagine how it would be on fretless.
Click to expand...
I have found fretless is more forgiving of looser strings. But if .175 just doesn't cut it, there are bigger. I expect a certain amount of trial and error.
CoR Bass said:
You may want to contact Bill Conklin. I ask him questions on Facebook every now and then. Usually responds pretty quick. Great guy.
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One FB search for ([email protected]) later, and there he is! Thanks for the tip, I'll let you know what he suggests.
 
#154
wlan2 said:
Hey! I just bought a Conklin GT-7 fretless (will post photos when it is delivered), and found this forum while looking for F#0 string recommendations. I need something brighter than flats, but I'm worried about chewing up the fingerboard with roundwounds. (The GHA Pressurewounds on my Carvin fretless 6 are great, but they only go up to .128".)

Can someone with experience using roundwound strings on the GT-7 fretless, give me some idea how the fingerboard holds up?
Click to expand...

I've never played the bass in question, but didn't the fretless groove tools come from the factory with a synthetic fretboard? If that's what you've got you should be able to use any strings without worry. If you've got one that was de-fretted by a player, that's a slightly different story, though purpleheart is a fairly hard wood anyway.
 
#156
Aidil said:
I've never encountered larger than .132 flats nor half/ground/compressed-rounds. Don't know if such string existed.

But are you sure you wanna go down to F#0 on fretless? IME, it was hard enough to get clear notes out of .175 rounds on fretted 34" and it was quite floppy... can't imagine how it would be on fretless.
Click to expand...
Had my 7 setup with a low f# when I had it. I actually preferred it.
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Could never get the high F to sound the same as the other strings. Being unwound it was always brighter and seemed louder. Downside of low F# strings though is they are crazy expensive and I like fresh strings. Sold my 7 and have been playing a Warwick thumb NT6 lately which I love but if I can ever afford it I’ll order a custom shop Warwick 7.
78AFA00B-AB23-48DE-B004-DA072E5E628A.jpeg
 
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#157
Nephilymbass said:
Had my 7 setup with a low f# when I had it. I actually preferred it.
View attachment 2812002
Could never get the high F to sound the same as the other strings. Being unwound it was always brighter and seemed louder. Downside of low F# strings though is they are crazy expensive and I like fresh strings. Sold my 7 and have been playing a Warwick thumb NT6 lately which I love but if I can ever afford it I’ll order a custom shop Warwick 7.
View attachment 2812003
Click to expand...
different context... I was commenting on @wlan2 who'd like to use F#0 on a fretless.
 
#158
Aidil said:
Few years back, I had one of my 34" scale 6ers tuned #F to G using a .175 gauge for the low #F but it turned out far (worst) than I've imagined. It was still too loose and I couldn't make use the notes, even when climbing up to the 5th frets and higher, as the string produced too much of the inharmonic partial or weird overtones instead of the intended (fundamental) notes. So, back to standard ( low B to high C) tuning.
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Loose can be fixed with a larger gauge. Inharmonicity is caused by stiffness or a too-long length of tapered section in the vibrating length. Some string brands (Rotosound .175, what was your string?) make the tapered section too long.
Kalium's are known to be very flexible for their size and have a short tapered section. They have good tone.
F# strings vary in usability a lot between brands, some are just too stiff and/or have a badly designed taper.
Aidil said:
But are you sure you wanna go down to F#0 on fretless? IME, it was hard enough to get clear notes out of .175 rounds on fretted 34" and it was quite floppy... can't imagine how it would be on fretless.
Click to expand...
See above, but also, fretless doesn't make sub-B notes less clear, only less bright, see Yves Carbonne's videos (10 and 12 string fretless).
 
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#160
ixlramp said:
Loose can be fixed with a larger gauge. Inharmonicity is caused by stiffness or a too-long length of tapered section in the vibrating length. Some string brands (Rotosound .175, what was your string?) make the tapered section too long.
Kalium's are known to be very flexible for their size and have a short tapered section. They have good tone.
F# strings vary in usability a lot between brands, some are just too stiff and/or have a badly designed taper.

See above, but also, fretless doesn't make sub-B notes less clear, only less bright, see Yves Carbonne's videos (10 and 12 string fretless).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd like to second the suggestion to use Kalium strings! While I only have a low B on my 7 string, my main basses are a couple of Warwick Thumb NT 5s, and these I string with .166 Kalium strings for a low G (then C F Bb Eb, i.e. two full steps down from standard). I have these strings both on a fretted and fretless bass of the same model, and to me it sounds very good! YMMV, of course.
 

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