The strength of the G string in flatwound sets

[Phaidrus]

Have you tried @JimmyM's eucerin cream treatment on the G?

Not yet but such drastic treatment could well be imminent. To be honest, I'm too afraid I'll just ruin the G string when I grease it up. Perhaps I should just start playing it and it'll eventually get closer to the other strings tone-wise. Admittedly I hardly ever play it because, well you just don't play the G string in reggae.

 

[Phaidrus]

I had the same issue with dull or tonally inconsistent E strings. Dunlop flats are the first ones I've tried that are fairly even right out of the box.

In all fairness, they may well be even and it's just me wanting a fatter G string. Be that as it may, I really like the Dunlop flats. Nice fat tone, low tension and high flexibility and quality construction with black silks that don't fray.

 

[JimmyM]

Not yet but such drastic treatment could well be imminent. To be honest, I'm too afraid I'll just ruin the G string when I grease it up. Perhaps I should just start playing it and it'll eventually get closer to the other strings tone-wise. Admittedly I hardly ever play it because, well you just don't play the G string in reggae.

You won't ruin it. Worse that happens is it goes a little dead. It takes a lot of Eucerin treatments to kill a G string, probably 3 with Dunlop flats, and if it goes a little too dead, wipe it down with alcohol.

 

[Phaidrus]

You won't ruin it. Worse that happens is it goes a little dead. It takes a lot of Eucerin treatments to kill a G string, probably 3 with Dunlop flats, and if it goes a little too dead, wipe it down with alcohol.

 

[Phaidrus]

You won't ruin it. Worse that happens is it goes a little dead. It takes a lot of Eucerin treatments to kill a G string, probably 3 with Dunlop flats, and if it goes a little too dead, wipe it down with alcohol.

@michael_t

Treatment aside and generally speaking, is there perhaps something inherently problematic/difficult tone-wise with the 45G string in a 45-105 flatwound set?

 

[Engle]

It's pretty easy to adjust a P pickup to get more volume out of the G string. I don't see a downside to trying it.

 

[ChrisPbass]

Interesting as I've never had this issue with rounds. Or I just never noticed. I endorse flats as fervently as rounds - that's why I have two Pbasses as an amateur bass player (and will acquire a couple more in due time to string them with different sets). Going back to the thin-G-in-a-flats-set issue, it bothers me (hence the thread) but given that this Pbass is for reggae-dub only, it's not that bad. I mean, there are hardly any bass notes played on the G string in this genre.

if you don't use the G you could string it BEAD. I did that with my Pbass. Had to file the nut a little

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Really need to know more about your set-up. I'm hard-pressed to believe upsizing to a 50 G will solve all your woes. Does the balance respond to adjustments in pick-up height, for example? It's also possible to dial the G string out-of-existence with overly aggressive EQing.

Riis

First shot, pickup height. Second shot, EQ.you can clean up a lot with those to issues alone. Cutting low-mids can make a G sting sound kind of thin.

 

[Phaidrus]

First shot, pickup height. Second shot, EQ.you can clean up a lot with those to issues alone. Cutting low-mids can make a G sting sound kind of thin.

@Engle

EQ on the head is set flat, just the tone knob on the bass is rolled off half way. Pickup height should be OK but I'll check just in case. I think I just need a heavier G string.

 

[Phaidrus]

if you don't use the G you could string it BEAD. I did that with my Pbass. Had to file the nut a little

Tone must be massive with a BEAD strung Pbass.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I've not had issues with the sound of G string in a set of flats, but I've had a few that were flimsy on the tuner end where you had to be a little creative to get it to hold in the tuner.

 

[JKos]

Do try raising the pickup under the G string. It really does help.

 

[Phaidrus]

Do try raising the pickup under the G string. It really does help.

Will do and report back!

 

[mexicanyella]

I notice no one recommended putting a round wound G on with the other flats to cure the thinness problem.

 

[JimmyM]

I notice no one recommended putting a round wound G on with the other flats to cure the thinness problem.

I've been using Dunlop flats since they came out in both 45-105 and 40-100. There's no thinness problem with the G that any other set of strings on the market doesn't have and I explained why in this thread already. Rounds or flats, doesn't matter.

 

[3bc]

The G string on my set of deep talkin 45-105 feels very balanced. I like the sound and glassy feeling of these strings very much. These are pretty heavy feeling flats tho, or taught i should say. The only other flats i have used are the tomastik's which are much more flexible. The deep talkin' flats definitely changed the relief of my neck fairly quickly and had to adjust for how heavy the tension was.

 

[Fender_Bender]

G strings usually have a core and one winding while the others have 2 windings. You're never going to get them to sound 100% identical.

Yup. Here's a crazy idea...burn off the paper covering on a twist tie or two and carefully wrap the wire around the string directly over the pole piece area and try that out. Of course a person would not be able to pluck or pick the string on that particular spot. It might slide around on a flatwound depending on the surface finish though.

 

[mexicanyella]

I've been using Dunlop flats since they came out in both 45-105 and 40-100. There's no thinness problem with the G that any other set of strings on the market doesn't have and I explained why in this thread already. Rounds or flats, doesn't matter.

It seemed funny in my head when I thought of it. But I'm a weird dude, probably.

I have been pretty pleased with the string-to-string tonal and volume balance of the .045-.100 D'Addario chrome flats on my Squier P. A little bit of pickup height and tilt adjustment and gradual EQ tweaks over a few band practices after switching from the previous rounds, and I was happy.

 

[Doner Designs]

This is a common issue with flats. In my experience the brighter sounding flats have more balanced tone from string to string. In general Daddario, Ernie Ball and Roto will not have the problem. Thumpers like GHS, Pyramid and Labella are more prone to the issue.

P basses exacerbate the situation because Leo did the offset backwards. Reverse P configuration helps (Spector).

 

[Engle]

@Engle

EQ on the head is set flat, just the tone knob on the bass is rolled off half way. Pickup height should be OK but I'll check just in case. I think I just need a heavier G string.

It's worth a try. I like a fatter D & G for reggae/dub myself.
FWIW on my EBO, I have the G pole piece way higher than the rest.