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Why is G soooo bright on many flat wound sets?
- Thread starter Doug Bright
- Start date
String construction? I was under the impression that there was dampening material like silk thread woven into the inside windings of flat wound strings and that there was less dampening material in the smaller G string than in the other bigger strings. So more overtones survive in the G because that string is just less dampened than the others. I could be wildly wrong about that! In the world of double bass strings however I think it’s true! 
. If it wouldn’t get in the way for you, you could try winding some soft steel wire such as from a twist tie around the string where it passes through the magnetic field.
G is supposed to be bright or brightish. The diameter, winding and frequency. Lower the pickups maybe use foam. GHS Precision flats or just ask in the WTB section for old G strings.
Me myself I want them to be bright because that's how I punctuate my bass lines. If I want a darker note I play the D up the fretboard
Me myself I want them to be bright because that's how I punctuate my bass lines. If I want a darker note I play the D up the fretboard
Never thought about it but I like me Gs bright for high runs,slides,octaves etc...
There used to be dampening stuff under the La Bella LTF .042. But that’s no longer the case. The other strings still have it. Not sure why they didn’t leave things be. As far as I know, the only flats that have a dampening material are those using a round core like LTF’s and TI jazz flats. Maybe some others. Optima. Dunno. Don’t think any hex core flats have itString construction? I was under the impression that there was dampening material like silk thread woven into the inside windings of flat wound strings and that there was less dampening material in the smaller G string than in the other bigger strings. So more overtones survive in the G because that string is just less dampened than the others. I could be wildly wrong about that! In the world of double bass strings however I think it’s true!
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Yes, for flats, the Ds are bright. And, IMHO, evenly bright from string to string. Since my preferred tone is kinda 60s & 70s, I roll off some of the highs with the passive tone control on my P Bass.
My years-old DTFs 45-105 sound perfectly retro, round and plump on the G string on a pbass.
That said, have you tried Legends? I have them on another bass--to me they're in the Labella ballpark but actually settle in to a "softer" more muted top end pretty quicky.
That said, have you tried Legends? I have them on another bass--to me they're in the Labella ballpark but actually settle in to a "softer" more muted top end pretty quicky.
Here's a picture of the G string mute I use on my Tele bass.
Well...
To be honest? Can't say I've ever had a problem with flat wound G strings - after they were really, truly broken in. An open G string is sorta supposed to be the brightest string, any way; so, to me? It simply is what it is...
And, to be honest - again? The great majority of what I play doesn't really use that string, anyway. A bass strung BEAD would work almost as well...
To be honest? Can't say I've ever had a problem with flat wound G strings - after they were really, truly broken in. An open G string is sorta supposed to be the brightest string, any way; so, to me? It simply is what it is...
And, to be honest - again? The great majority of what I play doesn't really use that string, anyway. A bass strung BEAD would work almost as well...
The G is always too bright regardless of strings, for me. With rounds too. I pretty much avoid it.
Having said that, the Labella 1954 set I have on my Vintera II P bass was even across the G, D and A out of the box. It was the E string that sounded different.
After a few months the difference has lessened but IME heavy gauge flats sound off, like they're always sharp and out of tune with themselves despite what the tuner says.
Having said that, the Labella 1954 set I have on my Vintera II P bass was even across the G, D and A out of the box. It was the E string that sounded different.
After a few months the difference has lessened but IME heavy gauge flats sound off, like they're always sharp and out of tune with themselves despite what the tuner says.
Each lighter gauge string will sound less hefty, but to me, there should not be a huge jump in the heft going from D string to G string.Well...
To be honest? Can't say I've ever had a problem with flat wound G strings - after they were really, truly broken in. An open G string is sorta supposed to be the brightest string, any way; so, to me? It simply is what it is...
And, to be honest - again? The great majority of what I play doesn't really use that string, anyway. A bass strung BEAD would work almost as well...
I wish I could get a single G string that was like .050 instead of .045.
I just pluck the higher strings a little bit farther away from the bridge to balance the tone - works great but takes some getting used to.
Fender 9050ML gauges are 50 65 85 100 yet the G is still too snappy. Foam cures it though
If you compare to vocal ranges it always seemed to me that the G string on all 34” scale basses is starting to transition out of the bass register. It’s more pronounced with some G strings on some basses. If a set of strings has some real magic on a particular bass I just play around it. Judicious use of a warm sounding compressor can help get it to the point where you may still hear it but nobody else does.
