Fodera Stainless Compressed!

[JDL]

Sounds cool. I love the "new string" feel.

 

JDL-Jesus

[patrick_dont_fret]

That sounds cool... Where do you get them from? Online?

 

I just bought a new set of strings for my 5er too. Instead of the D'Addario EXP's, I went and bought some Dean Markley Blue Steel's, in a whopping .128-.105-.80-.60-.45, or something like that. A pretty weird B size, and everything else is pretty big, but the G string (hehehe) is a .45, so it pops like a murf. The E and B are pretty tight, the way I like it, as to reduce any "floppage".

 

But I've found that these strings aren't very "bright" when played fingerstyle. They are exceptionally punchy, and straight up zingy when popped.

 

Anyone have any past/present use of these strings? I know this deviates from the original post, but any comments or rude guestures would be appreciated.

[JDL]

Oh, pat, I have Dean Mrakley signature series, but Dean Markleys are usually good. They were on sale for $10! But the string wasn't long enough and I was mad. The thinning of the strings near the bridge were on the bridge, where all of the pressure is. Oh, I'll choose a rude gesture:

 

JDL-Jesus

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

When I was playing more gospel and Motown stuff in college, I used the Blue Steels. They have a mellow sound with fingerstyle. I liked it because it allowed me to get a sound closer to that Motown sound. I found that they lasted an inordinate long time, even with my heavy-handed style and the tone lasted a long time. I guess it's because they take them so far below freezing for a while to line up the atoms. I have used the Fodera nickels and they sounded good, nothing to write home about, but good overall tone and longetivity. I have found that I really like the taper-wound strings a lot better because they don't have to develop the full tone, it's almost instant. I guess this is because the pivot point on the bridge is smaller, thus allowing more motion from beginning to end of the note. I compare it to a firecracker. With conventional strings, you have to wait for the fuse to burn before you get the explosion, but, with just black powder, it explodes as soon as the fire touches it. I hope that makes sense to everyone.

[JDL]

Originally posted by cornbread:

With conventional strings, you have to wait for the fuse to burn before you get the explosion, but, with just black powder, it explodes as soon as the fire touches it. I hope that makes sense to everyone.

 

JDL

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

I just reread my post and found it confusing. I guess that's what I get after taking some Vicodin for my back. What I meant was, with taper-wound strings, they seem to get their full tone much more quickly than conventional strings, which seem to have to "build" up to full tone. In the analogy, it's like waiting for a fuse on a firecracker to burn before you get the explosion while the taper-wound strings are almost instantanious. I hope this clears up what I was trying to say.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Yeah, that made perfect sense the first time I read it. No problems here, and I'm sure greenboy would've caught on before you ever uttered the words.

[Jim T.]

greenboy, We've corresponded about the Fodera stainless light sets before, but I've got to reiterate that I'm finding myself really happy with a light (120 untapered in my case,) low B. I think it belies completely, the "urban myth" that one should only play the B very sporadically once one has a low B with a similar feel and pitch focus to an E or A string. I'm beginning to think that lots of players are missing out on a truly useful string (musically) by going for that sub woofer thang at the expense of more general usefulness. The Fodera's are pretty tight strings and if you pick closer to the bridge on the B, it's easy to control. On my six string, I find that I can play and sound like a four stringer using the B all the time and still have my guitar like range on the upper thin strings when I want to chord/solo, etc. With the right pickups/instrument the light B has plenty of punch and bottom.

 

I played my former medium light set (125 B) Fodera Stainless set very actively for over six months and they still had plenty of punch. I think I may be a stainless convert now.

I think that my 130 days are over, wouldn't want thicker than 125 but am so far, happier than I'd ever have expected from a 120.

[Jim T.]

I read in BP Magazine awhile back that handbuilt strings weren't as dependably made as machine made but so far so good-in fact the best I've tried so far. For some reason, my g and high c aren't staying on pitch and need constant retuning, but there are enough windings on the peg and they're stretched out. The rest are fine. This has happened with both sets of differing gauges, so I'm gonna try checking the tuners next. (this is on a Fodera bass...) glad the strings have been good for your "social" life! I AM a little concerned about extra fret wear with S.S. strings but I'll need a LOT more playing time to see if there's anything to worry about. I think with the compressed rounds, that may not be an issue.

[patrick_dont_fret]

So you don't get any extra floppiness with such a light guage B string? I play a .128 B, and like it so far. Isn't too big, but isn't too small. And the right tension that I so badly need.

[Jim T.]

Hi, Yes, you'll get a floppier string as you go thinner, but it's just that a stiff string like Fodera S.S. or some DR strings will be a lot less floppy than most.

 

The point I'm trying to make is that I feel that a lot of bassists are kind of macho about how beefy their B strings are. You're not a man (or woman) unless you're thunkin' on a big ass Low B. Now, if you really only want to hit that string occasionally as an "accent" then heavier gauge is probably going to serve you better. If you feel that the low B is really just another note in your tonal/performing/compositional vocabulary/tool box and want to use it as more of a musical EQUAL, then a growing number of players are considering that a lighter B gives us more of a musical opportunity to use it. I bought extended range basses to extend my melodic range and hitting that lowest string only "once in awhile" isn't accomplishing that objective for me. I DO agree that with a 128, 130 B, that playing it too often CAN sound inappropriate but a lighter B can allow you to do so much more.

Finally, being an ex horn player who probably plays more busy and melodically on bass than solely groove players, this appeals to me.

If you take a poll amongst bassists though, it's amazing how many are ex trumpet or bone players!

 

If you give the lighter B a try, be prepared to play it for a couple of weeks before you get over the potential "weirdness" of it and find yourself thinking, "Wow, I can do a LOT with this!"

 

Hope that clarifies some!

[patrick_dont_fret]

Hmmm, I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm shopping for strings. So would I have to raise my action any more to accomodate for the extra floppiness? And I'll still be able to get a .45 G, right, cause that's all I'll play on G. All the strings between E and G don't matter, really, as they are fillers in slap, but the E and G are fundamental to my slapping. I also like to slap the D and G strings, as opposed to slapping them, which brings about a completely different tonal characteristic.

 

Anywho, I'll keep your suggestions in mind. Can I get these Fodera compressed anywhere? Do other manufacturers make compressed? Can I get those anywhere? I couldn't get stainless steel at my usual place of business, so I had to settle for Blue Steel. You'd think after almost 3 years of playing I'd find something that I can hang with, but no, I just have to experiment.

[wraub]

The DR Highbeams that I use are compression wound as well. I have not tried the Fodera strings, but that's just because I really am set on the DR's for MY sound.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[Jim T.]

Patrick,

My turn to Hmmmm.... Not being a slapper (much) I didn't think to address that. The 120 low B will probably be a little too light to give you an aggressive slap sound. I think a 125 might be as low as you'd want to go for slap style. If you have Matthew Garrison's solo CD

www.garrisonjazz.com you can hear his slap sound on "Groove Tune" (2nd cut) with a 120 B. (I also think he may have been using nickel Foderas which aren't available anymore to my knowledge except in the Wooten 4 string set.)

You'd have to use a pretty light attack as he says he does.

 

As regards changing your action to accomodate a 120 B... I don't think so. I have my strings very low, just about rattling on the frets and the "floppiness" isn't a problem. A "regular" heighth action shouldn't present a problem at all although mileage as always may vary...

 

Fodera string sets are available from www.juststrings.com as well as from Fodera direct. They ARE a little expensive-about $41.06 with $5.95 shipping (same shipping for multiple sets, though...) You might be able to try a DR single B string through a music shop? (or any other brand.) Stainless steel may not be for everyone as the sound IS different from other metals. Pretty bright initially and "modern" piano string-like. Non compressed rounds are pretty rough on the fingers when sliding and MAY be fret chewers over time. Judging by your user name, if you play fretless, I'd check around with other players to see if their fret(less) boards are holding up ok. I also play a Pedulla Hexabuzz with a coated fingerboard and I think I'd be a little nervous using anything harder than nickel on it. You might be able to order a single B from Fodera too. Good luck. I'll be interested to see what you think if you try it. Jim T.

[Jim T.]

Oh yeah, you should have no trouble whatsoever using a 45 for a G string. The G in my six string light set is a 40 and sometimes it seems a bit thin sounding for me, but the ease of chording makes it worth having for me. (I MAY experiment with my old 45 at some point...) I tend to solo in guitar like manner, with hammer on and pull offs, bent strings, etc. so the light set is just what I need.

[patrick_dont_fret]

JimT, I play a fretless 4 string and a fretted 5. I use rounds on my fretless, though (Fender--.45 .65 .85 .105) and don't have any wear at all (or very little, due to the several coats of polyurethane I slapped on after defretting).

 

On my 5string, I've got a .128 B string, which is odd, but is aggressive, and just a little tighter than a .125, which is good cause I'm a pretty aggressive player. I get a slap sound fingerstyle when I'm really goin' at it.

 

I've got a really odd set this time, with the .128 .105 .85 .60 .45 (I think) setup. I've got a pretty low action on it right now, having raised it from the fret buzz it was (cool, I made a rhyme) when I bought it to something a little more playable. I may try these DR Highbeams, though. I do like brightness. And they are said to be good funk strings. And I don't worry about it eating my fingers, that's just all the more pain I'll be able to withstand later on.

[Jim T.]

Hey patrick!

I sat bolt upright in bed last night, realizing that I had given you one bit of incorrect info. that I want to correct. I'd forgotten that Matt Garrison uses a FIVE string bass with his 100 E string lowered to a low B with a detuner. Therefore, his low B sound is thinner than it would be with the 120 from my six string set. I still think that the 120 might be too light for you for slapping but this correction might make it more worth your giving it a try. Sorry about the oversight.... Jim T.

[Tom Capasso]

JimT,

 

I know your wife is a musician, but what did she say about you bolting upright because of the forum? "You pulled the blanket off me for WHAT !!?!??"

 

Hey GB, still like those strings??

 

Tom

[patrick_dont_fret]

OK, thanks Jim T., I don't think I saw anything wrong with your post the first time around, but thats cool that you went back and fixed it. I think that I'll probably stick with something no lower than a .125, as I don't like too much flopping (especially since I'm just getting back into the groove of using frets, after almost 2 years of almost exclusive fretless playing).

 

Anywho, I thank you for your info. I'll have to ponder a while over whether I want to buy over the internet on MY credit card, but my mom has done it a few times, with reluctance.

[Jim T.]

Hey Tom (LOL!)

Well, there've been many a time my musician/gardeness wife has done the same thing 'cause she forgot to water something in the garden or planted some root stock something or other today and then realized that the 11:00 news/weather report said it was gonna frost TONIGHT! so she understands

 

Aside from that, she gets totally peeved when misinformation or unsubstantiated info goes out on the internet and shame on us if some of that should EVER come from us!

 

When I was a kid, one of my best friend's Dad was a minister. He had a dream and thrashed around, hitting his wife in the eye in his sleep. Boy did he get some interesting looks in church that Sunday!

 

Patrick, regarding credit card internet purchases, what I do is use one card ONLY for that purpose so that I can immediately cancel it should a rip off occur. I believe that in most cases you can't be held accountable for more than $50 of the purchase price. At least I HOPE that's true!

[patrick_dont_fret]

Whoa dude, that sucks about his dream. And right at this time, Jim T., your post count is 420... Let's celebrate!!!

 

Anywho, if those .120 B's are as tight as The Boy that is Green says, I might hafta try it. But right now I'm satisfied with my .128 and subsequent odd measurements. I might try some of those DR's sometime...get a nice little phat .125 or something. The possibilities are infinite these days.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Ok, Greenboy, how are those strings holding up now? I'm kinda pissed at my Blue Steels, as they are getting fairly old sounding fairly quickly. The B just kinda hits the frets, without any cool zing to it. Sounds more like KoRn...just a shoddy click.

 

I need some strings that are going to sound good for a long time, but no one makes any that will. Hmmm, maybe I should make some strings that resist oil or something... HA!

 

Anywho, I'm still thinking of getting some of those Fodera's, how're they holding up?

[patrick_dont_fret]

Cool deal, man. I might have to try them out sometime. I guess my fingers have a weird oil ratio to some, which destroys strings quite quickly for me. I had some luck with the D'Addarios, but the E started fading soon.

 

I need a set that will stay bright for a while longer than most sets, as most don't. If stainless steel is a little longer lasting, then I'll have to pay more.

 

But thanks for answering, man.