another Oddball Pyramid Flats Issue

[BeenDown139]

so i strung the mighty 5-string fretless essence with pyramid flats a while ago, butit hasn't been getting much play lately due to its fancy new stablemate.  i strapped it on this morning, did a warmup and i noticed the B string sounds noticibly different than the other strings.  very thumpy, no sustain.  checked the action, nothing strange going on there.  i don't think it sounded like that when i strung it.   i've never used these strings before.  i'm used to strings being sonically balanced with each other.  if there's any pyramid using folks out there, please listen to the attached clip and let me know if this sounds outta whack or what.

maybe i should dial back the pot use.  or not. 

[StephenR]

My understanding is that the B string takes the longest to break in and will not sound great until that happens.

[rv_bass]

That B sounds strange.  Is it tuned to E instead of B by mistake or something like that? Sounds like it is really tight.

An alternative might be Labella low tension flats, which I have switched to.  A little more clarity than the Pyramids, but still a nice classic flatwound tone.

[BeenDown139]

it's tuned to pitch according to my clip on tuner.  i just played some songs on it and it's in tune in with them. except that it thuds.  in tune.  like it's completely dead.  even playing it unplugged i can feel the difference.  i took it off and examined it.  nothing out of the ordinary.  i've had dead strings outta the box before but it's been a long time .  i really like how the G string in this set sings.  i dunno.  ill live with it until it finally puts me over the edge and then we'll see what happens next.

[pauldo]

Are these strings a different gauge than the previous ones?   Thinking out loud… if the B isn’t seated in the nut/saddle proper because of a gauge variation then vibration (or lack there of) could be impacted.

[BeenDown139]

it's really strange.  i pulled the string off agian this morning, brought it to pitch, checked the string path from tuner to tailpiece and didn't find anything outta order.  it's not flopping against the fingerboard.  it is making me nuts because it sounds so different than the other strings. i even tried tuning it up to C# to see if it was a tension thing.  no soap.  kind of a shame because the other strings really sing on this bass, especially the G string.  i made a quick video of it that i posted below.

so i got another bass that could stand new strings, so i'm gonna put that old set (rotosound rounds) on it to see how that string acts.  i haven't tried rotosound flats on this bass,  that may be my next step.

[keith_h]

I don't know what your thoughts on string tension are but I like D'Addario Chrome Flats on my fretless. They are higher tension strings and have more high end, easily controlled with an Alembic, than other flats that I've tried. They might be worth checking out. 

[StephenR]

Pyramid has really good customer service. I suggest you contact Max and include a recording that shows the B string as being dead compared to the rest of the set. Still think it may not be broken in yet and will open up more but Max could also advise you about that. If the string is defective I am sure they will send a replacement. I also think the sound of the upper strings with Pyramid flats is very musical, I like the tone a lot. The B string in my set has gotten a lot less thuddy as I have played the bass more, almost there. Once they break in they will be good for a long time.

FWIW... the only other flats I have tried were Chromes. They were way too high in tension for me to feel comfortable with them, they also didn't fit properly on the bass I put them on. Pyramid made me custom length strings that would fit perfectly at no additional cost. That said a lot of folks like the Chromes and you may, too.

Here is the email contact for Pyramid... nothing to lose by getting in touch with them.
pyramid@junger.de

[BeenDown139]

thanks for the help.
i couldn't take it any more, so as a last act of desperation, i raised the action on both ends of the string by about a mm just to make sure the string wasn't thudding on the fingerboard anywhere.  no soap.  so i swapped the set of battered rotosound rounds off of the mighty MK Deluxe and put them on the essence (the MK got a fresh new set.  yay!  but i digress). Et Voilà! all the strings sound like they're from the same set again.  so i'm pretty sure it was a bad string.  which kinda sux because i really liked the sound of the upper strings.  not to mention a new 5-string set of pyramids is north of $100 USD.  i can tell you that i'm definitely not a roundwound-on-a-fretless kinda guy, so i'll follow up with their customer service.  elsewise when the roundwound fretless sound puts me over the edge, i'll get another set of flats of some sort and we'll see what happens next.

[edwardofhuncote]

Try D'A Chromes. I have a (very lightly used) set I'll send you, leftover from my great flatwound string Odyssey a couple years ago.

[soflbass]

I have Dunlop flats on my 4 string Essence. A good balance of tension, not bright, but not dull. Good strings to try if you're looking for something middle of the road. I didn't like the Chromes on this bass.

[BeenDown139]

Try D'A Chromes. I have a (very lightly used) set I'll send you, leftover from my great flatwound string Odyssey a couple years ago.

thank you for the kind offer, unfortunately they were too short for the mighty essence, so in the spirit of paying it forward (does anybody actually say that anymore?  but i digress...) i am offering these strings to whomever wants them (CUS only, please).  pretty sure my email's in my profile.  lemme know.

i was out on a bike ride yesterday and stopped by the local guit@r center.  ya never know what kinda foolishness you'll see there these days. the last time i went in they had 6 basses in stock.  this time there must've been 50 of 'em hanging.  but they were outta guitar picks.  not a one to be had.  WTF?  but i digress...  I asked the friendly struggling musician sales person if they happpened to have a 5-string set of flatwounds handy and he pulls out a set of DA XL chromes.  i almost fell over.  so i got them home, strung them up and i now have a functional freetless again.  these strings are freaking heavy.  didn't realize it at the time, the B string is 0.132.  preliminary run-thru sounded OK, i think i like the sound of the TIs better, but i'm getting tired of the string circus at the house of BeenDown so they're gonna hafta do for a while.  i normally change strings once a year on this bass, we'll see how we get along.  gonna hafta give the bass a complete setup for the 3rd time in a month.  getting pretty good at it.

so now i've got a hardly used set of flatwound pyramid flats with a hinky B string laying around.  if this is the sort of thing that floats your boat, send me an email.  elsewise they're off to home for wayward bass strings.

i also have a 4-string medium scale light guage set of barely used rotosound roundwounds that i tried on the exploiter that are in need of a good home, email me if you want 'em.  on that bass, between the medium scale and light guage strings, it was too much like playing a guit@r for my liking so off they came and we're back to medium guage strings.  for good.  so another bass gets a complete setup for the second or third time this month.  sigh....

[BeenDown139]

looks like the pyramids are spoken for.  i'll keep the set of medium-scale roundwounds for a little while before consign them to the metal recycling circle of life.

[pauldo]

For what it’s worth.  I keep my old strings and repurpose them.   Tougher than twine and heat resistant.  You can use them when your muffler hanger rusts out and the tail pipe is rattling. 

[cozmik_cowboy]

The first guy I did sound for professionally saved all his & gave to a potter we knew, who used them in shaping pots as he threw them.

Peter