HypnoBassMan Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Hello Group, I was tired of doing so much travel for my work (Hypnotherapy Certification) and being away from my bass! I'd be away from 2 to 3 weeks and I would quickly get out of practice. So, on my last trip I bought a new 5-String acoustic 5-string bass from Ibanez. The bass is pretty good acoustically and great when you plug it into an amp! (My regular bass is a 5-string Deluxe Active Fender Jazz bass.) Now I need some recommendations on new strings. The bass must have sat in the music store for quite a while because the strings were in bad shape. They gave me a new set of four strings to go with it. They didn't have a set of 5. At the time I figured that I'd pick up a B at another store. But I couldn't believe it! I went to about 4 stores in NY and no B string. Now it looks like I have to get a whole new set. So now, since I cant find a B string, I am looking for recommendations on good/great sets of strings for a 5-string acoustic/electric bass. Any ideas? I would go from medium to higher priced strings if they are worth it. Thanks BassBros! HypnoBassMan The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick_dont_fret Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Cool deal on the new purchase. I'm cheap, so I'd just go get a regular set of strings, steel for me...maybe you like nickel. I dunno, I really don't see the point of having "special" strings for such a purpose...a bass is a bass (flame suit: status: engaged), so why do you need the strings to go with it, especially plugged in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 The Thomastik Acousticore strings are extraordinary. The majority of ABG strings are loud and obnoxious, with the emphasis on bass GUITAR, while the Thoms sound more like BASS guitar, very metallic and clangy The Thoms were developed with Rick Turner for his ABG instrument, and have a nylon core with a thin phosphor-bronze winding. They really sound great. I tried regular bass guitar strings (flats) on my old ABG, and while they sounded ok acoustically, they sounded more like a regular bass guitar when amplified. My .02 - get the Thoms; like others, they aren't cheap. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flemtone Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 Right in step with Bob on this one - go for the Thomastik Acousticore. They rule the universe. Shop online for your best deal, 'cause they ARE pricey. Peace, Tim from Jersey Play. Just play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted February 13, 2003 Share Posted February 13, 2003 And one more vote for the Thoms! I love 'em RobT Famous Musical Quotes: "I would rather play Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve" - Xavier Cugat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HypnoBassMan Posted February 14, 2003 Author Share Posted February 14, 2003 Cool - Can you recommend a good place to get the Thomastik Acousticores on line? I want the good stuff Are you sure they make them for a 5-Stringer? THANKS! HypnoBassMan The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted February 14, 2003 Share Posted February 14, 2003 Yes, in fact I just got a set of them in to put on my own 5 string ABG. The Dude carries them as well- visit http://pub41.ezboard.com/bthedudepit and you'll see a forum for Thomastik in the upper section. I moderate a double bass forum over there. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HypnoBassMan Posted February 17, 2003 Author Share Posted February 17, 2003 Well group, I just changed my strings from a set of Fenders to a set of Thomastik-Infeld Acousticore strings. They were very expensive, $65 including tax! I got them at Willies Guitar Shop in Minneapolis, MN. Their web site is www.williesguitars.com Its a very cool place if you are into vintage and highend guitars. The Thamastiks are very different in feel and tone compared to the Fender string. The Fender strings were brighter, but had a bit of a tinny sound. The Thomastics are not as bright but much more lively and rich. They sound better unplugged than the Fenders did. But the Fenders sounded better though the amp. But since I bought it to play acoustically it doesn't matter that much. And, since the character of these strings seems to be changing over these first few days, perhaps they will sound better through the amp when they have settled in. It was interesting when I put the strings on the guitar. At first they sounded terrible! And, they kept stretching and having to be retuned, much more than a regular set. Now, two days later, the still need to be tuned, but they are starting to settle in, and they sound great! I just hope they last (since they were so expensive). The winding is much finer and the gauge is smaller than the Fenders. I wouldn't want to have to replace them 2 or 3 times a year. Any more feedback on these strings would be appriciated. HypnoBassMan www.HypnosisCenter.com HypnoBassMan The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HypnoBassMan Posted February 28, 2003 Author Share Posted February 28, 2003 Well, I have had the Thomastik's on my ABG for about 10 days. For the first 7 days they needed to be retuned constantly. They kept going flat. Then at about day 9 they settled in. Now I love them. But, if you get these you have to make sure that you don't have a performance for a minumum of about 9 or 10 days. What I like about them is the expressiveness of the strings. They respond well to vibrato and bending. They actually seem to sing on my Ibanez 5-string. I just hope they last, because the are too expensive to replace frequently. I wonder what the electric strings are like? HypnoBassMan The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HypnoBassMan Posted March 11, 2003 Author Share Posted March 11, 2003 Hello BassBrothers I couldn't believe it! I came home from work and grabbed my ABG with the Thomastik strings and I just couldn't believe it. My B string was broke! It had snapped right at the tuning peg. Has anyone had this happen to them? Can I get just one string from Thomastik? Could I have done something wrong to cause the problem? I never tuned it too tight. I use an electronic tuner and never tuned it higher than a B. Totally bummed out, HypnoBassMan HypnoBassMan The deeper you go the better you feel! (True for bass and hypnosis.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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