GHS PWs will be back on my P next month after a year with the GHS Precision Flats.
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What kind of strings do you use?
- Thread starter bryan bailey
- Start date
GHS PWs will be back on my P next month after a year with the GHS Precision Flats.
anyone here tune down to A standard or B standard on a 5 string bass? get back to me on what strings you use/have used.
They are very good Michael. Nice and smooth to play, but still have heaps of great tone and versatility. Harmonics are also good. I feel like they are a bit tighter than the basic rounds but not in a major way. I just installed a Babicz bridge as well and that is well worth considering.
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My favourites:
Rounds:
TI Superalloy for smooth clarity.
Pyramid Pure Nickel for fat, punchy warmth (needs a bit of break-in to get REALLY good though, they "die" very gracefully!!!).
Roto 66 SS for aggressive clank.
Flats:
Pyramid Gold for that lovely rubbery bounce.
Roto 77 for those GORGEOUS classic rock mids (but needs a LOT of break in to get there!!!)
TI jazz flats for liquid clarity.
GHS Precision Flats or LaBella DTF for old school thump.
Oh, and a Höfner with Roto tapewounds for THAT sound. The E-string is total garbage though, pretty much impossible to intonate anywhere above the zero fret. But who cares, it's all about pick+palm mute for THAT sound anyway and intonation matters very little at that point, lol.
If I had to chose ONE... I think I'd go with the Pyramid Pure Nickels as they're probably the most versatile of the lot.
Rounds:
TI Superalloy for smooth clarity.
Pyramid Pure Nickel for fat, punchy warmth (needs a bit of break-in to get REALLY good though, they "die" very gracefully!!!).
Roto 66 SS for aggressive clank.
Flats:
Pyramid Gold for that lovely rubbery bounce.
Roto 77 for those GORGEOUS classic rock mids (but needs a LOT of break in to get there!!!)
TI jazz flats for liquid clarity.
GHS Precision Flats or LaBella DTF for old school thump.
Oh, and a Höfner with Roto tapewounds for THAT sound. The E-string is total garbage though, pretty much impossible to intonate anywhere above the zero fret. But who cares, it's all about pick+palm mute for THAT sound anyway and intonation matters very little at that point, lol.
If I had to chose ONE... I think I'd go with the Pyramid Pure Nickels as they're probably the most versatile of the lot.
I use D'Addario ETB92 Nylons on the Fender Adam Clayton Sig. Jazz, and La Bella 760NHBB Nylons on the Hofner 500/1.
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My "Alloy 52 Project"... (Here comes the Nickel-Iron Man! 
)
)- GHS Pressurewound ML7200 (44-58-80-102) on my P bass, tuned to Eb-Ab-Db-Gb (first time experimenting with down-tuning). (as of today)
- GHS Brite Flats L3075 (45-56-77-98) on my J bass, second test run for the same set with only 3 wks of usage from last summer. (as of mid-July)
- GHS Progressives L8000/130B (40-60-80-100-130) on my Yamaha. (as of mid-Aug)
Michael: So the GHS Pressurewound flats are still good when they are tuned normally?
All I can say is the Pressurewound ML7200 set sounds and feels great on my P in the standard tuning.
By the way, the Pressurewounds are "semi-rounds" rather than "flats". GHS uses the term "rollerwound" for them.
Michael: yup. I was reading about them. Unfortunately they are hard to find here in Canada. They have to be special ordered which can take a week or longer. Even the venerable Long and McQuade chain here (where I bought my new P-bass!) has to order in flatwound strings. The individual stores don't carry them...not even Fender flatwounds. It's tough being an old school P-bass player here in the Great White North.
I always order GHS strings from Strings By Mail, which is an online dealer based in Michigan where GHS is located. I deal with a guy named "Matt" there, who's always flexible with the pricing to help offset the international shipping cost for us Canadians. It always works out to be more cost-effective doing it that way than buying them locally even with the current exchange rate.
Michael: I have been using juststrings.com in New Hampshire for several years. Great prices, reliable...and fast shipping. Plus they sell individual bass guitar strings. Try ordering single strings anywhere here in Canada. No way.
Heinl's and The Sound Post in Toronto will sell single upright bass strings though. Their prices with exchange (especially for European-made strings) make it a bit cheaper and faster to buy them here, rather than from the US.
PS: Sorry 'bout that Mark at Gollihur Music ...but I know you will be there if things change.
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I think so. They are maybe a bit stiffer in feel than RW but not enough to make a big difference and the overall feel is so much better.
My "Alloy 52 Project"... (Here comes the Nickel-Iron Man!
- GHS Pressurewound ML7200 (44-58-80-102) on my P bass, tuned to Eb-Ab-Db-Gb (first time experimenting with down-tuning). (as of today)
- GHS Brite Flats L3075 (45-56-77-98) on my J bass, second test run for the same set with only 3 wks of usage from last summer. (as of mid-July)
- GHS Progressives L8000/130B (40-60-80-100-130) on my Yamaha. (as of mid-Aug)
- GHS Pressurewound ML7200 (44-58-80-102) on my P bass, back to E-A-D-G tuning. (as of yesterday)
- GHS Brite Flats L3075 (45-56-77-98) on my J bass, second test run for the same set with only 3 wks of usage from last summer. (as of today)
My EBMM Stingray special has 45-105 Cobalts on it and my new Nash PB63 has 45-105 NYXLs. Both very nice strings.
