DeArmond Ashbory Bass string intonation issues - WONKY!

[Dylan McGee Jones]

Hello all,

I purchased a moon blue DeArmond Ashbory bass on ebay a few weeks ago, and although it is really well made and in great shape, the low E string has two pitches, one of which is a high harmonic of sorts that makes the low pitch out of tune and wonky - like a thinner E string on a Fender Bass VI or a neck pickup on a strat that is raised too high. Its really hard to tune on a tuner as a result, and it just sounds bad, especially as i move up the neck. The other strings are fine, im not sure whether or not to replace all the strings or just the low E. Has anybody had this problem before?

It came with black U-Bass strings on it, not the original white Fender branded Pahoehoe ones. Is it the right string for the bass? Does anybody have any experience with Thunderguts or the flat wound steel ones from Kala? There are no adjustable bridge saddles or truss rod so intonation is based purely on the strings themselves. I tried to re-stretch the ones on here and very little has changed.

Also i notice some rattling near the nut when i play open strings, and when i apply pressure to the strings after the nut by the tuners it goes away. Does it need a friggin' string tree??? I think the strings are rattling around in the nut itself because it is cut wider than the strings, maybe i'll make a new nut or put some tape on the strings where they sit in the nut to keep them from moving around. Dunno.

Help!

 

[fronobulax]

Paging @The Guilds of Grot cause he's the only person I can recall who owns one.

 

[GAD]

I have one and have the proper strings for it. They're silicon if memory serves and kind of need powder to not be sticky. They're cool little basses, but in a very strange way. Mine is the Guild version. Let me see if I have pics in case they can help.

FWIW I would not put steel strings on these.

 

[GAD]

I forgot I had an DeArmond but ended up returning it because the neck was a mess. Anyway, pics:

The Eagle Eyes bay notice that the bridge isn't correct on the Guild - it's an Ashbory bridge that I put on because the Guild one was not working, which is sadly common.

 

[GAD]

I bought strings from here, but I can't say if they're better or worse than others - only that they work. http://www.ashborystrings.com

I also have a few packs of these: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/350-9520-000-dearmond-ashbory-Bass-Strings/dp/B0002DVLDA

 

[cupric]

I have one and have the proper strings for it. They're silicon if memory serves and kind of need powder to not be sticky. They're cool little basses, but in a very strange way. Mine is the Guild version. Let me see if I have pics in case they can help.

FWIW I would not put steel strings on these.

Yes, the strings are silicon.

 

[The Guilds of Grot]

I have little to ad since I too have the Guild version. However I would think having the proper strings on it might be the problem.

 

[SFIV1967]

The Ashbory String Shop

Inexpensive silicone G strings for the Ashbory Bass

www.ashborystrings.com

Guitar Strings for sale | eBay

Great deals on Guitar Strings. It's a great time to upgrade your home music studio gear with the largest selection at eBay.com. Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

On the other hand I read that others recommend using Aquila Thunderguts. "The Aquila strings are a huge improvement over the original silicone strings. They're sturdy. The tone is a bit different, but good. The original Guild silicone strings sounded great, better than the Fenders, but both were prone to developing a weird spiral failure. The Aquila strings also stay in tune better."

Ralf

 

[hieronymous]

I don't have an Ashbory, but I do have a Road Toad bass uke (a predecessor to the Kala) that uses the black U-Bass strings. They definitely take a while to stretch. I would search bass ukulele forums, I remember seeing posts about the Ashbory and using the black pahoehoe strings on it, probably more now with the various other kinds that you and others mention. Have fun with it! My bass uke is fretless and definitely not an instrument one can instantly play well - I was ready to return it after I got it - but I stuck with it and really enjoy it now, it's perfect for going to a friend's house and jamming with a regular ukulele player for example, especially with a compact amp (I got the Vox VX-50 BA)

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

I appreciate all the replies gentlemen.

The simple choice is to get new strings and see how it functions. After watching various YouTube videos and researching forums I just feel weird spending $30 on one of two sets of strings (Thunderguts vs. Silicone). Thunderguts are supposed to have better intonation but are brighter and less "acoustic" sounding, Silicone requires talcum powder and has issues with G string breakage (insert joke here). This particular bass was made in 99' which is one of the first ones off the line made by Fender under the DeArmond name. The more i look at this thing the more weird inconsistencies i find with tuner placement, nut slot size, intonation, and rattling due to weak down pressure on the headstock. Woe as me!

I'll take some pics, pick a set of some sort of strings (thanks again for the links), and report back with likely grievances.

 

[fronobulax]

just feel weird spending $30 on one of two sets of strings

Now you mow why bass players keeps strings on for decades...

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

Right... except these are silicone and whatever blend of synthetic materials that are being amplified basically by a short-scale toy with no frets.
I ordered a set of Thunderguts today, hopefully i won't have to order silicone ones as well, otherwise a proper shoot-out via YouTube is in order.

 

[lungimsam]

People ask for alot for these online. I have seen $350-$1250 USD - USED?!?!?.
I wanted to get one because my 4 year old granddaughter wants to play bass but the Yamaha MIKRO bass my older grandson has is too big for her. Maybe a bass uke will work.

Anyway, let us know how it goes.

 

[hieronymous]

Right... except these are silicone and whatever blend of synthetic materials that are being amplified basically by a short-scale toy with no frets.
I ordered a set of Thunderguts today, hopefully i won't have to order silicone ones as well, otherwise a proper shoot-out via YouTube is in order.

I hope it works out! The pahoehoe strings are a pain to install, the silicone ones look like they are too - hopefully the Thunderguts will be easier.

 

[walrus]

From the Ashbory String Shop:

"I recommend buying extra G-strings since they will not change your shipping cost."

Well, that's good to know!

walrus

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

So the Thundergut brings arrived and i put them on today.

Positives - they don't need to be stretched like the Pahoehoe or Silicone strings, they are nowhere near as sticky on the fingers and don't require talcum powder, they don't rotate while playing them, they have better intonation, and they look WAY better because they are cream colored which matches the logo and fret markers on the bass.

Negatives - still a little tack, overall intonation is still not super professional, the low E string (although not as bad as the Pahoehoe) is still making two pitches while playing, there is still rattling on the headstock from the lack of down pressure from the break angle of the strings over the nut (which is cut too widely anyways), and with tax these still cost me $27.

I realize that some of these issues are probably due to the design of the bass itself, and for the record, the Thunderguts are the better choice. I filmed myself playing a bit to capture some of these issues, and i will post a YouTube link and attach it soon. But i am still having issues with the low E string making two pitches. There is a false harmonic that sounds when your strumming hand/fingers pull off of the string depending on where the point of contact happened, and im not sure if that is due to the sensitivity of the pickup, the tack of the string itself, or the short scale of the bass - or a combination of all. If i roll the treble off the bass it helps with this issue quite a bit, and having the bass knob all the way up tapers this off as well. Adjustments seem to be better on the amp EQ if you need to compensate for this, depending on your rig. Again, i wonder if there is a short scale flatwound steel or tapewound that would be better for this instrument. Im probably going to buy a set of Silicone strings, or at least a Silicone low E and see if there is any improvement. Dagnabbit.

As for the rattling, i decided to use a Gruv Gear FretWrap to create down pressure on the strings and dampen the rattling - and it worked! Installing a string tree is probably a more long term solution, but it would lessen the value of the instrument (im not sure who is collecting them or who cares, especially if you are modifying it to improve its playability), and i would fear that the tac from the string would create friction on the tree and make it slightly more difficult to tune. I may go this route eventually, but for now the Gruv Gear is my choice.

I hope this helps, more to come...
Some nifty pics for you all, and thank you for the conversation.

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

Here is a video/sound clip of what im dealing with.

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

I hope it works out! The pahoehoe strings are a pain to install, the silicone ones look like they are too - hopefully the Thunderguts will be easier.

they were both fine actually, i just did the classic "squeeze the string with itself on the top and bottom while tuning" thing and it worked with no slippage. Actually, if anything, it kept the strings from double wrapping on themselves on the bottom side since they were strung around the top one time on the onset.

 

[Dylan McGee Jones]

People ask for alot for these online. I have seen $350-$1250 USD - USED?!?!?.
I wanted to get one because my 4 year old granddaughter wants to play bass but the Yamaha MIKRO bass my older grandson has is too big for her. Maybe a bass uke will work.

Anyway, let us know how it goes.

I paid less than $300 for mine with a gig bag and its all original and in great shape. People ARE asking a lot for these, and the Fender ones are the exact same as the DeArmond's (since Fender manufactured both and dropped the DeArmond name altogether after a few years). The Guild's are probably of a better build quality (although i hear the pickups tend to go bad and are swapped for the Fender ones lol), but we are talking $500-$1,000 and honestly its not worth it, especially since it will most likely be for hobby rather than a professional setting. Im sure there will be people who will argue that, but having never seen one out in the "wild" gigging world, ill stick to my guns on this one.

I would suggest getting a bass Uke instead, or at least something with frets so that the pitch is more obvious and takes less effort, especially for a young child. I think that the Ashbory, although fun, will frustrate her and keep her from understanding the fundamentals of both guitar/bass and music. I played violin from when i was 4 to 14, and the first few years were a struggle because of intonation and fingering, so unless you think this is an investment over years of practice, get a Uke.

 

[lungimsam]

I got her a Hadean solid body bass uke. Downside is tacky, plasticy strings.
Good stuff:
$159 USD new
Fretted.
Rosewood fingerboard.
Volume/Tone/preamp (clean thru massive distortion onboard) controls. Translucent blue stained body. Slightly longer 23” scale than a 20” uke bass.
Might try the thunderguts mentioned.
I hear there are also nylon core metal roundwound bass uke strings I could get too. But I dont know if they make them in the longer 23” scale.