Author Topic: What kind of strings recommended for my Alembic Essence 1992? (Read 359 times)

alembic_74 · « **on:** June 01, 2012, 01:53:39 AM »

Hello from italy ... what kind of strings recommended for my Alembic Essence 4 strings 1992?
Sounds to me today in two bands:
1) 80's new wave
2) 80's darkwave

thanks so much

funkyjazzjunky · « **Reply #1 on:** June 01, 2012, 10:00:14 AM »

You have a number of options.

What is the scale length of your bass? Do you prefer heavy or light gauge strings? Flat, compressed or round wound strings?

VMG

alembic_74 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2012, 08:58:12 AM »

Hello funkyjazz
thanks for the reply ... So looks unfortunately are not very expert in ropes ... however:

1) the scale is 34 ...
2) For the type of rope I would try a rope is not too big (especially on MI)
3) Flat, compressed or round wound strings? ops sorry but I do not remember the difference:
I think that the flat I never try ...
I have always mounted hernie-ball and maybe once in addario .. but I do not remember if they were compressed or wound round .. sorry but what changes between compressed and wound strings?

thanks a lot!

funkyjazzjunky · « **Reply #3 on:** June 05, 2012, 01:02:18 PM »

Many of our friends on this forum recommend D'Addario, DR, and other brands.

I love GHS, RotoSound, Labella (Roundwounds) and Pyramid (Flats which I learned about on this forum). As for the difference beween roundwounds and compressed rounds, it is largely the way each feels to my fingers.

Keep in mind roundwounds may score your fretboard if you play with a low action.

VMG

tncaveman · « **Reply #4 on:** June 08, 2012, 07:39:45 PM »

I personally like DR Highbeams for my fretless and D'Addario Nickel Round wounds for my fretted basses. I like both in the light gage - or around 0.40 to 0.100/0.0105 inch sizes. Awesome sound w/ an Alembic.

Stephen

alembic_74 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2012, 03:29:39 AM »

Thanks Funky and Stephen

Ok I'll try D'Addario strings (although I am curious .. GHS) excuse me you know a good product to clean the strings just finished playing? Have a nice day

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2012, 06:29:11 AM »

I use GHS fast fret or Dunlop 65

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2012, 07:12:43 AM »

There is 2 major concerns regarding strings: its tone and its feel.

A string can feel more stiff or soft if you use action higher or lower. This relates on how hard you're used to play (how strong you touch strings) and how you need strings to react to your finger. This also affects our speed and tone, since they can buzz more.

Using a lighter set can make a string feel softer (or floppier, if you don't feel confortable with that) or stiffer (or hard, if your touch is light), in same fashion and same results described above. In fact, you can cross match those 2 factors: Action and Gauge. Sometimes fret noise (string buzz) prevents lowering string action without thiken strings, compensating string floppiness on low action with heavier (and stiffer) sets.

All this can affect your confort, speed and tone while playing regardless brand or kind. This is my main reason to master bass setup on my own, since any changes on string demands adjustments on bridge and truss rod to keep bass feel as I am used to.

But there is other factors.

Some say hex core make strings stiffer compared to round core, I can't confirm that since I don't remember using round core strings. One thing seems to be clearer to most people, though: steel and nickel feels different. Steels seems to be more agressive on finger and frets than nickel strings, but this starts to affect tone.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2012, 07:29:41 AM »

This is where we can relate string kind to musical style, but remember that we're allowed to choose any tone to apply it to any style. There is no rule forbidden us to use an open sound in a dub session or a dark tone on prog, although I would think most people played roundwound strings in the 80s (more open sound, so).

I can say flatwounds sounds darker and harmonic wise more fundamental and rounds sounds more open with all those higher harmonics sparkling in your face (with half or groundwounds being in the middle), but this all can't be strictly related to one kind of music or another. This is a matter of taste and what sound you have in your mind, so I can't predict what will feel best on your fingers and ears.

Forget about musical genre and focus more on tone and feel you need on playing. Have in mind that cost matters too, don't choose a expensive set that prevents you to change them regularly. There is no best string when it is old and dead. If you like darker tones is better to choose new flatwounds than dead steel rounds.

alembic_74 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2012, 12:52:54 AM »

Thanks Mario and all

I wanted a second to explain my problem with my Alembic Essence:

In practice, the sound you get is really nasty, especially when I try things in the flat. This happens:
In the part of the handle, so good in the first 4 positions, when in fact begin to go in the middle (especially with MI) leave the amplifier hear a bad sound, as if the strings bump on the keys ...
I tried to take it to a luthier in my area, but nothing has changed

If I keep a low action, I feel even more this problem
It is probably the pick-up?
I have the rod on the handle to the highest and lowest MI to the SOL

(for this I thought of trying other strings ... maybe steel)
Really do not understand how to get a decent sound

thanks for the advice

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2012, 09:07:35 PM »

I'm not sure understanding the problem, maybe because some translation issues. Is your Bass producing fretting noises? Check neck bow, this may be the cause of your problems...

Sometime ago one member told us having problem with a too straight neck, and loosing the truss rod wasn't increasing neck bow enough (aparently because the neck was so stiff that strings tension couldn't bend it). He had to loose truss rod, insert books between strings and the fretboard to help increasing string tension for sometime in the middle of the neck, until it bent enough to truss rod act normally again.

To control fretting noises I choose using heavier strings on E (Mi). They are stiffer and move less sideways in the middle of the neck. You can try using heavier sets if you hit the strings too strong or raise action (string height). But you have to be sure that you like them better that way (stiffer).

I opted to use an unusual set from GHS. The Bassics L6000 set had one 0.102 E string matching with a 0.040 G string. That way I can bend the G (Sol) easily and my E keeps hard enough to not hit frets.

Guys, we have here one brazilian trying to chat in english with an italian... odd.

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2012, 09:10:51 PM »

what is darkwave?

alembic_74 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 15, 2012, 12:21:56 AM »

sorry Mario but I can not understand anything from your post (thanks anyway).
Darkwave is a splendid period English music of the '80s, but sorry, what you listened to your country in the '80s, only Bruce Springsteen? ;-)

Who is Brasilian?

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #13 on:** June 16, 2012, 04:45:44 PM »

Brazilian is person born in Brazil, so English isn't a language that I'm too comfortable with. May be better let some italian-american friend help us now...

mario_farufyno · « **Reply #14 on:** June 16, 2012, 04:50:04 PM »

I got it, in Brazil we called it simply as dark (I don't know where my mind was to not relate that instantly!). Sure you were talking about bands like Bauhaus and New Order...

(Message edited by mario farufyno on June 16, 2012)