Chromes anyone?

Happy Face · Feb 21, 2011

Indeed, I believe that my most respected friend Hieronymous pegged it. Having had both an EB-3 and JS-II in my stable on two occasions, I found most short scale strings fit on the Gibby, but many not the Guild. TIs OK on both since they are listed as 32" I suppose?

hieronymous said:
The distance from the ball end of the string to the saddle can be significant - scale length only refers to the distance between the saddle and the nut. Gibsons don't have a separate tailpiece, so the distance between the ball end & saddle is very short. There is definitely more space on a Guild. Alembics too - I use long scale strings on my short scale Stanley Clarke and they fit perfectly.

Not sure if this is the issue, but it can be a significant factor.

fronobulax · Feb 21, 2011

Interesting. Seems to me the real problem is that people refer to "scale length" which is the vibrating length of the string but the appropriate string length needs to account for both the distance from the nut to the tuning peg and the distance from the saddle to wherever the ball end connects. Given those definitions, are there manufacturers who label their strings with string length and not just "scale"?

Happy Face · Feb 21, 2011

fronobulax said:
Given those definitions, are there manufacturers who label their strings with string length and not just "scale"?

I wonder as well, Frono. I've been burned buying strings I thought might fit on a bass and they turn out to be too short or even too long (threads on posts). It has made me wary of trying new brands.

Yggdrasil · Feb 22, 2011

Found this in an old email from D’Addario customer support:

"Unfortunately, you can’t always tell which strings you need just by the scale length of your bass. Some basses are strung through the body, and the distances from the bridge to where the ballend locks in varies. The best way to figure out the scale length you need it to:

1) Mark the lowest pitched string (while on your bass) at the nut with a marker.
2) Remove the string
3) Measure the distance from the inner edge of the ball end the the mark you just made.
4) Record this length and refer to the following chart

Length String Scale
Up to 32’ D’Addario Short
32” – 34” D’Addario Medium
34” – 36” D’Addario Long
36” – 38” D’Addario Super Long

Please advise if the Short scale strings you have do not measure 32” from the top of the ballend to where the taper begins. If it is 32”, then the string is made to spec, but your bass requires Medium scale strings."

fronobulax · Feb 22, 2011

Yggdrasil said:
Found this in an old email from D’Addario customer support:

"Unfortunately, you can’t always tell which strings you need just by the scale length of your bass. Some basses are strung through the body, and the distances from the bridge to where the ballend locks in varies. The best way to figure out the scale length you need it to:

1) Mark the lowest pitched string (while on your bass) at the nut with a marker.
2) Remove the string
3) Measure the distance from the inner edge of the ball end the the mark you just made.
4) Record this length and refer to the following chart

Length String Scale
Up to 32’ D’Addario Short
32” – 34” D’Addario Medium
34” – 36” D’Addario Long
36” – 38” D’Addario Super Long

Please advise if the Short scale strings you have do not measure 32” from the top of the ballend to where the taper begins. If it is 32”, then the string is made to spec, but your bass requires Medium scale strings."

Very interesting and useful. Thanks.

danerectal · Feb 24, 2011

fronobulax said:
Yggdrasil said:

Found this in an old email from D’Addario customer support:

"Unfortunately, you can’t always tell which strings you need just by the scale length of your bass. Some basses are strung through the body, and the distances from the bridge to where the ballend locks in varies. The best way to figure out the scale length you need it to:

1) Mark the lowest pitched string (while on your bass) at the nut with a marker.
2) Remove the string
3) Measure the distance from the inner edge of the ball end the the mark you just made.
4) Record this length and refer to the following chart

Length String Scale
Up to 32’ D’Addario Short
32” – 34” D’Addario Medium
34” – 36” D’Addario Long
36” – 38” D’Addario Super Long

Please advise if the Short scale strings you have do not measure 32” from the top of the ballend to where the taper begins. If it is 32”, then the string is made to spec, but your bass requires Medium scale strings."

Click to expand...

Very interesting and useful. Thanks.

+1

mikko · May 27, 2011

How long 32” scale TI´s actually are? I have a long scale (34”) set on my J-bass and I´d like to try TI´s also on my DeArmond Starfire.

Happy Face · May 27, 2011

I am quite certain that I used the TI 324s (32") when I had a D'A Starfire.

bassmyf · May 27, 2011

mikko said:
How long 32” scale TI´s actually are? I have a long scale (34”) set on my J-bass and I´d like to try TI´s also on my DeArmond Starfire.

From the ball end to the beginning of the wrap is 35". From the ball end overall is 44 3/4". I use them on my DeArmond Starfires and they fit perfectly.

bklynbass · Jun 1, 2011

I've used many different sets of regular long scale strings on my starfire and M-85 and they worked no problem. But don't use long scale la bellas or pyramids, or they will probably break. I'm pretty sure that any 32" scale string will fit, and most 30" scale strings will be too short, or at the very least will have to have the windings stripped a bit.

bassmanpatsfan18 · Jun 5, 2011

hieronymous said:
The distance from the ball end of the string to the saddle can be significant - scale length only refers to the distance between the saddle and the nut. Gibsons don't have a separate tailpiece, so the distance between the ball end & saddle is very short. There is definitely more space on a Guild. Alembics too - I use long scale strings on my short scale Stanley Clarke and they fit perfectly.

Not sure if this is the issue, but it can be a significant factor.

Gibson "ever-tilt" design:

Alembic with separate tailpiece (with Chromes, by the way):

That first bass is a Gibson Melody Maker, right? How do you like it? I've wanted to get one of those for a few years. I'd love to put a Dark Star pickup in one.

Also--on topic--I have chromes currently on my '69 fretless Starfire. I think I'm going to switch to TI Flats in a couple of weeks. I have no issues at all with the Chromes, I'm just looking for a bit of a change.

mikko · Jun 8, 2011

I have had Chromes on my DA Starfire for about 4 months. There weren´t anything particularly wrong with those strings but for some reason I never got used to them. They were somehow sticky and stiff + sound wasn´t right. Too cold and hollow tone for my liking. I got myself a set of Optima 4099 flatwounds today. I´m going to try them on Starfire. I have heard them on Rickenbacker and they were pretty much the same as old Maxima strings. Interesting to hear them on Dark Starred Starfire. A set of TI´s is already in the mail too. I bought them for backup. When all the other strings fail, you can still count on TI´s.

bassmanpatsfan18 · Jun 8, 2011

I just put TI Jazz Flats on my Starfire last night. Wow, what a big difference in feel and sound compared to the chromes. It took a little bit to get used to the lower tension, but I love it now. I don't see myself going back to Chromes anytime soon.

Also, for those who asked, the Chrome medium scale strings fit on my Starfire perfectly, but the TIs are actually a little long. There's some string wrapped around the E and G posts. I do have a Badass bridge instead of an original one, however, so that might not be the case with the original bridge.

jte · Jun 8, 2011

D'Addario string sets are pretty precise about what they'll fit while MOST other brands allow a lot more flexibility. D'Addario long-scale strings won't fit a 35" scale (like lots of 5-string basses have), nor do they fit a bass that strings through the body. For that in D'Addario you'll have to have extra long scale strings. Scale length does refer ONLY to the distance from the bride to the nut, but the length from the ball end to the end of the speaking length (where the windings taper or the silk starts at the tuning machine end) is the critical factor for what you need to fit your bass.

Whether you can safely put over-long strings on a bass depends on the winding post on the bass, the specific string construction, and how carefully you install them. The small winding posts like a Schaller M6 head (like used on Hamer Cruise Bases) or the similar machines like used on a Guild Pilot probably won't work well with the heavier flatwound strings. But on the big rollers like a Fender bass uses, they should work just fine if you are careful when you put 'em on.

John

hieronymous · Jun 8, 2011

bassmanpatsfan18 said:
That first bass is a Gibson Melody Maker, right? How do you like it? I've wanted to get one of those for a few years. I'd love to put a Dark Star pickup in one.

Yes, it's a Melody Maker. It used to be my main bass for fuzzed out stuff - the "mudbucker" (not to be confused with the Guild "sludgebucker") is so high output, it really pushes distortions and fuzz pedals (here's a taste). But when I played it recently, it felt too light so I haven't used it much lately (it felt light because I had gotten used to the Alembic! :shock: ) Construction isn't that great on the Melody Maker - the tuners are terrible, the "ever-tilt" bridge is what it is - but it is still a cool bass. Actually, to me the original mudbucker is what makes it - it's the same pickup as in the EB-0, EB-2, etc.

bassmanpatsfan18 said:
I just put TI Jazz Flats on my Starfire last night. Wow, what a big difference in feel and sound compared to the chromes. It took a little bit to get used to the lower tension, but I love it now. I don't see myself going back to Chromes anytime soon.

Glad you liked the TI's! I've used them in the past, but I like more tension. I would certainly consider trying them again though - never used them on a short-scale...

Fixit · Jun 8, 2011

I use them on my Gibson L-4CES and like them very much, but I haven't tried the TI Jazz's. I use the ECG25's light gauge 12's

Fixit · Jun 8, 2011

Oop's just realized you guy's were talking bass guitar. never mind my last.

bklynbass · Jun 8, 2011

My vote for starfire strings would be pyramid flats. They have a lot of mid-rangey character and low-end depth, but are not as bright as T-Is or chromes. Of course this is totally subjective but to me, they sound more like actual flatwounds than either of those. And they're flexible and responsive but not as loose as the T-Is. Plus Jack and Phil played 'em.

They are expensive however...

just my 2 cents

bassmanpatsfan18 · Jun 9, 2011

jte said:
Whether you can safely put over-long strings on a bass depends on the winding post on the bass, the specific string construction, and how carefully you install them. The small winding posts like a Schaller M6 head (like used on Hamer Cruise Bases) or the similar machines like used on a Guild Pilot probably won't work well with the heavier flatwound strings. But on the big rollers like a Fender bass uses, they should work just fine if you are careful when you put 'em on.

John

I have about 1/2"-1" of extra string on my E and G tuners. They're Schaller M4 style tuners. Is that a problem? What exactly could happen?

Edit: I rethought things and put my chromes back on. I liked the TIs a lot, but the length wasn't right. I probably shouldn't have actually put them on in the first place, but oh well. I'm selling the set for $45 shipped in the US if anyone's interested. They're the TI Jazz Flats in 0.043-0.106 and Short Scale length (32"). Note that I cut them to fit my Starfire, so the D and G might be too short for a 4 in line headstock configuration. Also, I have an original Badass bridge on my Starfire, which makes the ball to winding post length considerably shorter. I'd bet that the TIs would fit on a Starfire with the original bridge. I can get you measurements of the actual ball to wrapping length if anyone's interested.

mikko · Jun 9, 2011

Yesterday I received my Optima 4099 medium scale strings set. The strings were very flexible compared to Chromes and acted like dead earth worms when hanging loose. Material looked much warmer and smoother compared to Chromes. At first I changed only the E-string to be able to play both, Optimas and Chromes, at the same time. What a huge difference! While Chromes sounded kind of cold and too modern for SF, Optimas deliver a soft and warm but still articulate sound with lots of low end.
Optimas are relatively inexpensive, old style flatwound strings. String lengths are obviously designed with Fender style headstock in mind so the G-string is too long for SF. That doesn´t do any harm because these are not one of those strings that break immediately if you put any of the speaking length around the machine head pole. When I receive my TI set (probably next week) I will do a comparison between Optima & TI.
Before Chromes i had pyramids. They sounded good but also very dead. Especially the E-string. Optimas are the best so far.

Chromes anyone?

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