Acoustic Bass String Shootout!

[@dijjidog]

Acoustic basses are so fun and they have a unique character, im happy to find some good content on them.

[@AllbeeHivezChristianAllbee]

I have tried tapes, flats, electric strings and acoustic strings all throughout the years. I have enjoyed all of them, but I eventually learned to embrace acoustic strings. If I had two acoustic basses, I would definitely have flats on one of them.

[@Tom-r1r]

I have used la Bella tapes for almost 20 years on my Tacoma acoustic bass. I have tried everything else but nylon tape wounds are the best. great video.

[@thebassment1845]

Agreed!

[@TheAtlantaThrasher]

I used those exact same tapewounds on my acoustic base. The white gold ones are their higher tone strings, and are a good replacement for the bronze ones. And, I loved them. However, I did find that GHS has some Pressurewound Bronze strings that are like a cross between halfrounds and roundwounds. They have quiet a bit less slide noise, but keep that unique phosphor bronze sound. They were a bit expensive. I really want to try D'addario tapewounds on it one day. They don't has as much of a plastic feel as the other tapewounds.

[@sacha2988]

I'd the same issue with bronze strings with my acoustic bass and changed them for light gauge flat strings. So now, no issues or buzzing strings and as it's a big bass i can jam with one or guitarists without and still being heard. Well, as much as i can😊

[@restojon1]

Notwithstanding all of the information you have helpfully provided in this video, there is one other tip I'd like to offer my fellow acoustic bassists. Purchase some GHS fast fret or, I've recently found even better, D'Addario XLR8 string lubricant and cleaner. Not only do they make your strings last longer and keep their tone longer, they get rid of the string noise on phosphor bronze (I had one really rough set that required a minimal change in technique but every other set just took a few applications and the noise went away). Give it a go, it's cheaper than a set of strings even if you buy both the GHS and D'Addario to compare them. Keep it rumblin' my low end friends

[@thebassment1845]

String cleaners/lubricants are a must for bass players in particular. I’ve not found them to eliminate string scrape sounds on acoustic strings in my experience. Could just be my technique though…

[@moped975]

Wenn Piezo, dann Kunststoff? Dicke Angelschnüre, Rasentrimmer ausprobieren - Tipp von einem Kora-Spieler. Wen Roundwound nicht stört, um einen vollen Bassklang zu bekommen: 4-Saiter von Hopf oder den 6-Saiter CB75 mit Spezialsaiten: hat auch was von Cello...

[@lesterfalcon1350]

I put tape wounds on my Takamine Acoustic Bass. Initially I wasn't won over by the feel, but they bedded in son enough and I love them. Then came that nasty undersaddle pickup. It's an integrated bridge on my model, so I'd need a new bridge if I took it out. So it's still there, just not wired in. I got the K&K Pure Bass Piezo pads that stick inside the top of the bass and they sound so much more natural. Love my Bass now, plugged in or not.

[@thebassment1845]

I think I’ll have to try that pickup setup.

[@lesterfalcon1350]

@@thebassment1845 My inbuilt preamp connected to the undersaddle with a little mini jack. So I made up a small mini jack lead to guitar jack. This meant the K&K could use the built in preamp, and use it's jack socket to connect to it. So I could leave the jack port/guitar strap knob in place, and not have to mess with the bass body at all. So II can still use the tuner and if I wanted I can still plug the original undersaddle back in.. I could even feed the new K&K out the sound hole and use both pickups if I wanted, but I don't see that happening now.

[@petebjerkelund5088]

I have no idea why any company puts those phosphor bronze strings on as stock to sell their acoustic electric basses… just makes them sound like a big guitar. Crap. Flats bring out the wood flavour in their tone. I have had a set of Fender flats (green thread) on mine for five years now. Lots of thump and playability. They just happened to be what I had on hand; on other basses I prefer DR Legends or Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. My AE bass is a Sigma B15, all mahogany and it’s a fantastic sounding instrument. Recommended. Far better than the Fender Kingman or Takamine Jasmine I’d owned earlier. I’d also tried Rotosound Tapewounds and D’Adario half-wounds on the previous acoustics. A medium tension flat is what worked best. Aside from a thumpy, woody upright tone, no one should expect an AE bass to sound like an electric bass-even plugged in. The flatwounds are what brings out the true character of an acoustic bass (atleast IMHO). Thanks for the video.

[@b4nd]

you probably need more length on the bass string and/or the sound level issue is related to bridge pickup as well. due to the piece of plastic of saddle coming uneven

[@ondrejkauzal8969]

Did you check if the piezo pickup did not move under the bridge saddle? I had a similar issue of having a "dead" sounding string on my acoustic bass (it was a "b-stock" cheapo, but amazing!) and I just needed to slightly reposition the pieco pickup and voilá, no dead strings anymore. Maybe you moved it during changing the strings somehow...? Btw, cool video, I am thinking about trying the tapewounds too. I am too afraid to put normal flatwounds on the acoustic instrument because of the tension... But I kinda hate the bronze strings, too :)

[@thebassment1845]

Yep. I tried replacing the pickup even. I need to mess around with it some more. Tapes are a game changer. Give them a try.

[@luvbgrass]

@@thebassment1845 Maybe you have figured out your problem by now. If not, Check that your saddle is flat and upright. I worked on a very similar bass a friend of mine bought for his son. I lowered the saddle a bit, there for leveling the bottom. And it had a lot of front to back slop in the saddle slot. I put a couple strips of masking tape on the front, kinda to shim it up straight and the dead sound problem was corrected on his.

[@burp1914]

How did the paint on the P bass hold up? I have my own horror story with a bass refinishing. My wife wondered why I was talking to the TV as I watched all of the videos.

[@thebassment1845]

Ha! That’s hilarious! So far so good. The checking never got worse and the only issues have come from dings due to clumsiness. Nitro is not the most durable finish, it is super hard and therefore very brittle. It just is what it is. Still holding up well all things considered. As far as nitro goes. Graccey’s makes good stuff and they are good people.

[@dscott333]

I find the under saddle pickups have a tinny buzz anyhow

[@Trailightband]

I got tired of the bronze strings on my cheapo acoustic. Swapped them for my used NYXL... descent :)

[@thebassment1845]

I’m digging these nylons so far.

[@stevejaynes5561]

Just found your video - thanks for making it! I'm joining a guitar ensemble at a junior college, but playing acoustic bass instead of classical guitar (seems I'm better suited to play 4 strings, rather than 6). Wanted to prevent the string buzz also, so just put flat wounds on. I'll be playing acoustically only, no amplification. There is definitely a decrease in volume with the flat wounds, but there's no more scraping sound. I have a question - it seems the intonation on all of the strings except the G is sharp, most noticeably on the E string - is there any easy way to adjust intonation on an acoustic? Mine is an inexpensive left-handed Dean acoustic-electric.

[@thebassment1845]

Intonation is determined by the length of the string between then nut and the saddle on the bridge. Most all acoustics are equipped with fixed bridges and cannot be adjusted. A custom nut or bridge saddle can be made to adjust slightly the contact points forward or backward but it could change again with the next string change. So no really good answers on acoustic I’m afraid. I would recommend using the same gauge strings that were on it from the factory. That should be about as close as you can get without modifications to the nut or bridge.

[@BottleneckMoses]

Have you found that the extra stress on the bass using 'electric' strings has adversely affected the bass (structurally I mean)?

[@thebassment1845]

Possibly… I have a rattle or buzz near the bridge now that i didn’t have before that I haven’t had time to find yet. I’m confident it’s not the bridge though. I’m hoping it’s the wiring for the electronics, but I haven’t ruled that or a loose brace yet. It’s a super cheap made in China bass that I bought used in rough shape so it’s likely that is the main cause. I’ll sort that out soon enough I’m sure.

[@BottleneckMoses]

@@thebassment1845 Okay, thanks. Was just curious.

[@jeffrussell8696]

@@thebassment1845 Where did you go ??

[@Χριστόφορος-ξ2η]

Great video!

[@staleyexplores]

how high is the action on that bass there if you don't mind me asking?

[@thebassment1845]

2.5-2.75mm at the 12th fret with the homemade nut and bridge saddle.

[@elbeau78]

Any problems with tension on the neck/bridge because of electric strings on the acoustic bass? I have a brand new Fender Kingman and hate the bronze strings. Have an old set of Fender flats Im gonna try out but don't want to ruin the bass.

[@thebassment1845]

None that I have noticed. I still have that very same set of tape wounds on the bass. No issues whatsoever.

[@elbeau78]

Thanks for the reply! I swapped the flats last nite and it sounds way better and feels very comfortable compared to those cheese graters Fender puts on the Kingman stock.

[@JackJazzm]

Good Stuff bredren 👍🏾

[@thebassment1845]

Thank you!

[@yeoldefoxeh254]

La Bella flats are great!

[@Escapetosea]

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[@olliteirikko]

I really hate the overall piezo sound with acoustic basses. It sounds like there is 200% treble. And it's not an acoustic sound. It's odd. And without amp you can't do anything with those. So it needs an amp. Also acoustic sound and amplified sound doesn't have anything similar. They are 100% different sounds where amplified sound is totally useless. That's why my conclution of acoustic bassguitars is that they just suck.

[@thebassment1845]

They are lacking for sure. I will say that anything that gives inspiration when you pick it up is useful even if it isn’t what is used to perform what it inspired you to write.