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Weird question for a weird situation

Sponson Thrisby

Sponson Thrisby

Feb 15, 2019
461
839
#1
Is is possible that one entire set of strings can be "off" or bad?
A few weeks ago I put a new set of Roto 66's on my FGN Jazz, replacing an older set of same. Ever since, the tone has been somehow *wrong* - kind of metallic (not in a good way) or tinny. May some kind of unpleasant harmonic mix. Not extreme, but enough to bother me. I'm not any kind of sound engineer, so I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what's bothering me about it.

I've mucked with the amp EQ in every way I can think of, and there's still an underlying irritant. I've run the amp EQ flat with a YYZ feeding into in. Still there.
Checked intonation (A string was a little out), made sure the nut slots were ok, saddles seated, etc. Everything tight that should be. Checked the relief and saddle heights too. Even lowered the pickups.
Not better.
It isn't just one string, it seems to be all of them.
 
#3
Context: Gibson Thunderbird with Lollar pups. Dunlop Super Bright Nickels. The sound is very open and clear on a new set of strings. Unlike what you'd expect out of a TBird. I change strings about every 4-5 weeks.

For me, playing the first set on the new strings causes me to fall into the wrong sonic space, often making my guitarist go running back to his amp as if something went wrong. :roflmao:

The strings, and the mix, settles out by the end of the night, but that first set I try to remember to warn him now.

Maybe that's just it. Like @4StringDave said, ears not accustomed to the new ones.
 
#4
Sponson Thrisby said:
Is is possible that one entire set of strings can be "off" or bad?
A few weeks ago I put a new set of Roto 66's on my FGN Jazz, replacing an older set of same. Ever since, the tone has been somehow *wrong* - kind of metallic (not in a good way) or tinny. May some kind of unpleasant harmonic mix. Not extreme, but enough to bother me. I'm not any kind of sound engineer, so I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what's bothering me about it.

I've mucked with the amp EQ in every way I can think of, and there's still an underlying irritant. I've run the amp EQ flat with a YYZ feeding into in. Still there.
Checked intonation (A string was a little out), made sure the nut slots were ok, saddles seated, etc. Everything tight that should be. Checked the relief and saddle heights too. Even lowered the pickups.
Not better.
It isn't just one string, it seems to be all of them.
Click to expand...
I just installed them on my American Pro ii P bass and the D is a little metallicy, but thats it, they sound decent enough to go the hack with them. Maybe reinstall them and make sure the ball end is free to spin, while you screw the tuning keys. Other than that, they are kinda bright and moderately metallicy. I would def give them a few days to break in. The real test would be to grab another set and install them. Maybe get them from a different place.
 
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#5
One time I did get a set of strings where the whole set sounded dead to me. I do a lot of A/B recordings to compare strings, and happened to have a recording of an earlier set of the same strings on the same bass. That recording sounded markedly more open and lively, whereas this new set was just much darker and thuddier.

I contacted the string company and sent them the recordings. They said that there's no way a whole set could be dead right out of the package, and that they could tell my two recordings were made differently, and that the tonal difference was due to my recording.

I had recorded so many A/B string tests through the same setup, I found their explanation implausible, but I had no way to prove it.

Me, personally, I still think the whole set was dead, for whatever unlikely reason. But I've bought that same string set multiple times, and that only happened once. Just in general, I have barely ever had any defective strings.
 

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