Hey guys. I've had an ibanez SR506 for about 4 months now. I really like it for chording and tapping things, but the B string has always kind of bothered me. With the eq flat, its really weak sounding.... to the point where I can hear a floppy metallic overtone over the note. It just doesnt seem as loud as the other strings either. I raised the pickup height all the way and the string is hitting the pickup when i play regularly. I changes the preamp battery and it still didnt really help. I play it with a Peavey VB-2 head with 2 ampeg 410 he's which are sealed. On the spec sheet the Ampegs say the frequency cut off is at 63 hrtz and i'm wondering if the cabs are not letting the entire frequency to be heard. The eq on the bass is powerful and if i turn up the bass knob it really adds more balls, but i'm just wondering if the B sting is supposed to sound this weak with a flat eq.
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Weak B string on SR506?
- Thread starter pedalguy1
- Start date
ibanez makes a mid heavy bass, meaning the midrange is most prominent. that being said, my 506 has a similarly weak B. Ive never found it to be a problem.
It also has to do with the scale of the bass. i dont mind a 34" scale but maybe you do?
turn up the bass knob, problem solved
It also has to do with the scale of the bass. i dont mind a 34" scale but maybe you do?
turn up the bass knob, problem solved
First off different basses react differently, meaning "my" Jaguar bass's B string (bass tuned BEAD) was transformed with a Badass BAII bridge, another may not be. So.. some other things that sometimes help B strings are, increasing the break angle over the bridge saddles, meaning shimming the back of the neck pocket allowing you to then raise the saddles and increase tension??. Adding a higher mass bridge is another as stated before. Higher gauge string like a .130+. More mass at the bridge makes the most sense to me, a more solid foundation to allow the strings to resonate freely. I'm not a physicist so it's just my .02¢. I should add that the B string is absolutely gorgeous on my Jag now, attesting to the fact that 34" scale basses (and probably even shorter scales) can perform beautifully when all the right pieces come together!
I have the SR505 and my B is great. However I play with a .130 B string which I think helps a lot with this bass. I am curious as to which strings you are using on the bass. Strings can make a big difference as well. How many types of strings have you tried on that bass? I took of the stock Elixirs almost immediately and put on Pro-Steels. It really made the bass come to life. I am now going to try Half Rounds and see how that sounds. Hex core strings tend to have higher tension so you may want to look at that aspect of strings as well.
Just something to think about.
Just something to think about.
I've just left the elixers on for now. Its the first time i've played elixers and I like the feel of them, but strings did cross my mind when it came to B string tension.
