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The strength of the G string in flatwound sets

#42
I am not really a flats guy - but when I tried the GHS precision flats I was impressed with the G string.

I have two basses that I've used La Bella tapes and their G is a 63. Nice on the fingers and balanced though the amp. I know they are not flat wounds per se.

Here's something you guys may like to try raise the action. I've done that to my Fender Jazz Special when I got light EB- Cobalt flats. The G sounded fuller and the feel under the fingers was great for this guy that plays the upright bass.
 
#43
I run TI Jazz Flats on several basses. No noticeable difference on the G string, other than what one would expect from a g string. Doesn't sound out of balance when walking up strings.
 
#44
Old school flat with fuller voice G string , you need to try DR Legend , Labella LTF4A and Dunlop flat. Give them atleast 2 months break in period.

For me, the great string to string output balance flatwound bass string belong to both EB Group flat and Cobalt flat. The G string just sound full, but both set are modern tone flatwound bass string.

Both my Cort GB74JJ and cheap Bacchus BJB1RMS has EB 2814, Solid E and full body G string.

Another fully sounding flatwound G string is Ti flat, she make the Split coil Precision bass has nice balance tone.
 
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#46
Fender_Bender said:
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.
Click to expand...

That will almost certainly give you a crazy metallic inharmonic sound like you're playing through a ring modulator. Could be interesting for experimental music, less so for conventional bass tone.
 
#47
Phaidrus said:
I'm following Fender's set-up instructions (it's a Pbass) as closely as possible, so pickup height should be right. G string is as loud as the other three, it just sounds too thin to me. By the way, no such issues with rounds.
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There is no excuse for poor string to string volume balance on a P Bass. The pickups are fully adjustable to control the volume of each string.

Show us a picture of your pickup, showing how the coils are tilted. It should be similar to this to start:

Fender+P-Bass+Pickup+Adjustment.png


If your G string is too thin, lessen the angle of the D/G coil by raising its outer screw.
 
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#48
2F/2F said:
There is no excuse for poor string to string volume balance on a P Bass. The pickups are fully adjustable to control the volume of each string.

Show us a picture of your pickup, showing how the coils are tilted. It should be similar to this to start:

View attachment 4441101

If your G string is too thin, lessen the angle of the D/G coil by raising its outer screw.
Click to expand...

Voila. Apologies for the somewhat blurry pics, iPhone wouldn't focus on the pickup.

IMG_1808.JPG
IMG_1809.JPG
 
#51
OldSchoolFlats said:
Hard to see from the picture, but G to pickup distance to me looks further than D to pickup.
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Image is deceiving, G is a hair closer to the pickup than the D. Meanwhile I've raised the G side of the pickup just a bit but G string still sounds the same. If I raise it even more, it sounds louder but still thin. It's never been an issue of loudness but of thinness, namely of timbre. It probably has to do with the relative mass and/or number of wounds of the G string structure compared to the other three. And with my subjective perception and expectations, obviously.
 
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#52
Rabidhamster said:
Have you tried playing phatter on the G string?
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That's how I try to play all strings on this bass as it's my reggae bass, so phatness is the order of the day. Closer to the neck and plucking the strings as much as possible with the fleshy part of the index and middle fingers square on as opposed to hitting the strings at an angle with the left side of the fingers (I'm right-handed).
 
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#55
The change of tone across the 4 strings is something that is constantly on my mind.

In that regard, and within the context of my limited experience, Fretnation's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] has been the best. The middle two are very evenly matched, with the E not too dark and the G not too bright or thin.

(Shame that in time I went off the overall tone of flats, but that's my problem)
 
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#56
Ricky Rioli said:
The change of tone across the 4 strings is something that is constantly on my mind.

In that regard, and within the context of my limited experience, Fretnation's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] has been the best. The middle two are very evenly matched, with the E not too dark and the G not too bright or thin.

(Shame that in time I went off the overall tone of flats, but that's my problem)
Click to expand...

Yes, I think I've come to a similar conclusion myself, namely to replace the 45G and perhaps also the 65D of the 45-56-85-105 Dunlop set with 50G and 70D respectively. Which is what Ernie Ball and D'Addario are doing with their Group II and ECB82 sets.
 

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