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TI Superalloy 5-String Set...amazing until I played the low B

#3
The B was the deal breaker for me with the Superalloys. That along with a steep sticker price. Which is weird because I have had great luck with the TI Flat B.

The best B I have played in a nickel set is the Carvin 5511s. These are supposed to be repackaged Slappers. I am going to try a set of the Slappers here soon as the Carvins do not fit my 34" instrument very well. For my bridge terminated B I had to add a spacer to keep the fat part of the string off the post which resulted seperating the core and wrap on three Bs. On a 35" scale instrument, however, you might be better with the Carvins than the Long Scale Slappers.

I also really dig the Sadowsky Blue Nickels. The B is so so. Better than the SA B but not quite the focus I have become acustom to after playing La Bella Hard Rockin' Steels for quite a long time.
 
#6
I found the 136 TI flat B to be focused and tight on my Sadowsky RV5. Notes were clean up to the 7th or 8th fret. The best B on the RV5 for me has been the Hard Rockin' Steel and the Carvin 5511s. The TI flat B is up there as I recall. And my RV5 is somewhat picky when it comes to Bs or maybe I am the picky one.
 
#8
The E is not tapered. If you want tapers the La Bellas are were to go if you can live with 34" scale.

I broke three of the Carvin Bs because the fat part cannot go around the post. Once I fixed that per the picture below (and Carvin customer service has sent me multiple Bs), I really like the focus of the B. But it is noticably louder than the other 4 strings. This is not something I have noticed on this bass before and the setup and pup height is all in good order. I am wondering if the extension I put on the B is causing it to be louder.

I may need to try a long scale set of Slappers and see how the B fairs (it is a 128 vs the 5511's 130). I wish the Sadowsky Blues had a killer B because I love the other 4 strings. But when I get down in the basement with the gospel group, I need definition and focus up to the 8th fret or so. And the Hard Rockin' Steels are just not warm enough.

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