"Roll up on my treble, and to get that real McCartnery tone, and put that foam under the strings.. *then puts the tone knob back exactly where it was prior*..."
D'Addario Tapewounds are only available in Medium gauge - starting with a .050. That's a mildly stiff tension. It shouldn't feel loose provided it's tuned to pitch properly
Not unlike traditional flatwounds, which are metal, the Tapewounds will work on a fretless but they have a different tonality. You may also note that the magnetic output will be different due to the nylon wrap.
What about the "life expectancy" of these strings versus a regular flatwound steel strings set ? I like to keep my string a long time on my basses, I change them when they break or worn down. On my Höfner bass, a set of string lasted nearly 5 year
Same here with the Roto experience. I ordered some for my Squier Jazz Bass and the gauge was too high for the nut on it and I ended up scrapping them after three weeks. Later, I got D'Addario's tapewounds and I had a much better experience with those and I plan ordering some for my Squier Mustang Bass soon.
I would say so. For the stuff on the first album, for sure. Really really beautiful upright-ish sound. FYI: to help you on that quest, I recommend using very high action, and playing closer to the neck. Geezer also used higher mids on that album.
Hi MG. I fing these Nylons hold their tuning very well...as well as all the other fine strings from D'Addario I use. This doesn't seem to be altered due to age and they don't require loosening. The core of the string is metal and the exterior wrap is what helps provide the rich, warm tone. Hope that helps.
Both Nylons and D'Addario Chrome's can give you a good mock upright tone. Experiment with the Nylons first, raise your action and use either a foam string mute below the strings or above the strings with tape. That will give you a good classic thuddy, upright tonality. Good luck!
Hi FFF. There is no doubt my B15 is adding tone here but those strings are the bulk of the tone...I use them with very modern solid state heads as well and still get vintage tone. I also dig them recording direct through a tube compressor. Best of luck and keep laying it down...
@smokewitchills The beautiful B15 certainly helps : ) You can get those tones out of solid state gear...stings, palm/foam muting and proper compression can all help contribute to the classic vibe.
This is a good demo, but emphasizes the "McCartney tone" over the real strengths of these most excellent strings as for walking bass lines. They're beautiful strings.
I love mine, but I have them on a fretless acoustic. I dont think they would cut through a heavy metal mix. On my main bass I use the thinnest gauge Dean Markley Blue Steels. I just ordered some of the really thin gauge made my Fodera. Try the normal Blue Steels sold by most guitar stores. I have found the thinnest gauges to be the best for a more contemporary tone. Very bright and cuts through the mix well.
That's exactly what happens, the only porpouse of the nylon (besides feel) is to muff a bit the strings. The pickup pickps up the vibration of the metal string (core) that's muffed because of the nylon wrapped around it.
It's cool to dig the styles of the great Steve Harris or Geezer Butler (I certainly do) but part of being a well-rounded bass guitarist is understanding the skill that goes into all styles and approaches...whether it's a one finger Jamerson technique or a multi-finger Entwistle or Sheehan technique.
"As these have no magnetic output, no magnet driven pickup will work with these." Nek minnit " "As Garth indicated in the video - the core is metal - High Carbon steel which has plenty of output for your pickups, as you can plainly hear!" Which is it?
@thecoolestdad Hi, the Hofner-type basses are typically strung with light gauge flats because of the basses light weight. Perhaps try a lighter gauge of D'Addario Chromes or give the Nylons a shot, since they have less string tension. Try some foam under your strings at the bridge too. I go into these tones in my downloadable video "Classic Bass Tones of the 60's and 70's." Good luck!
A lot of people say nylon strings are no good for rock music. I'm in an alternative band and think it could work but don't want to fork out just in case I regret it. What do you think?
Cigar Dave Just in case it matters to anyone wanting to try out these strings: 10 months later and these strings are as good as new. They sound great and have no negative effect on your fingers; no fatigue at all from long hours of playing. I'm still very happy with them.
Garth, Great sounds on these strings I've been looking for, and great reviews (B-15). I've used tape wound strings (brand RS) on 6-string 34" and 35" inch scale bass and the strings are continually going flat. Do the D'Addarios maintain tuning, like nickel or other metal string? How about life time? Do you loosen the strings to prevent stretching when not playing?
Because nylon is softer than the frets, you should expect the nylon worning out/or be deformed? Could this affect the contact point with the frets? thnx!
Hi,I`ve recently acquired a Hofner 500 replica,it´s pretty damaged,so i´m planning to restore it to look and sound like an upgright bass.But i´m not sure which strings would be better: D´addario chromes flatwound or your nylon tapewound.Which of these two would give me a better upright sound?.
I use tapewounds on my hofner beatle bass, they sound amazing, but are very dark, which the bass can get buried in a mix. I use a tube passive eq to boost the mids and highs (tapewounds can take a lot of eq) and it sounds out of this world.
A bassist friend of mine has tapewounds on his JB. It felt like I was playing a fretless. As there's no fret & string noise as you move your fingers down the fretboard. Also seemed to be softer under my fingers..
I have my d’addarios on my fretless jazz player series tuned D-G-C-F. LOVE THEM!! It’s the best of all worlds. Only missing the B and C from a five string without the extra string, great tone, and it’s a jazz bass (nuff said?)
Try the rotosound swing 77 flatwound ( Monel steel) in the same tuning! The tension is the same as regular tuning but the low end on those strings hit you right were it counts tons of felt low mids
If you're still wondering... Geezer used flatwounds on the first few Sabbath albums. These strings would get you pretty close but a major part of that sound is also in his playing technique.
I think it's fair to say that the majority of the tone we're hearing here is that of the Ampeg valve amp, with quite a bit of drive. It really doesn't give a true representation of the strings flat uncoloured tone without amp colouration. Why don't you run the same bass through a solid state amp as well to give a fairer tone comparison? For the record though, the tone is bloody great ;)
Electrostatic packaging like ICs. You could try cutting up dishwasher sponges too. Apparently Tony Levin used nappy/diapers on "Don't give up" with Peter Gabriel.
Anonymous Browser this type of strings are designed to get you closer(as much as they can) to that double bass type sound.theyre good for more traditional/old school jazz.for metal you'd wanna go in the exact opposite direction.roundwound stainless steel. but then again...theres always room for experimentation and nothings set in stone.
Short Fuse Thanks! I'm just trying to experiment with different strings at the moment, so I was just asking if anyone had any experience of using them in metal.
I find these aren't the best for slapping. i would suggest D'Addario XL Nickel and Pro Steels for the snappiest/percussive thumb and pluck tones. Good luck!
Hey, these look very promising and I want to order a set. Which size should I order for my 34" PJ bass? Medium size is supposed to fit anything up to 34" and large up to 36.5"
+burricanecarter Best to review this document first and then order away - we have short, medium and long scale sets available - daddario.com/upload/BassArticle2_1803.pdf
+Vulcan Princess much softer on the fingers. Stainless Steel is one of the hardest materials we use in our strings. The nylon is flattened and feels more flatwound-like than you'd expect.
***** Well that's good to hear! Indeed it is; I prefer to keep my fingers sensitive instead of callused, I gotta say! I have a feeling I'll be buying some of these soon! Thanks for your reply!
Tension on Chromes is substantially higher. For the Medium Chrome Set (ECB82) is approx 224 lbs whereas the Tapewound set, which is the same gauge but has a different construction as well as material make-up, nets out at around 146 lbs.
A guitar version would be very difficult due to the core material and wrap wire. Our polished Classical Guitar strings might be the closest thing we make to this but we don't make a nylon wrap wire small enough to accomplish this currently.
If I used these tapewound strings on an acoustic bass guitar, would there be any loss of volume when playing without amplification compared to more traditional phosphor bronze wound strings?
+Dusty Turtle Volume would be different - these are warm and percussive whereas Phosphor Bronze Round Wound can really have some punch. The biggest difference would be the tonality.
Wow, they sound great on your P with the Tonestyler, I was considering Chromes but these sound just as good. With even less tension on the neck, and with that tonal range, I think Im sold on the Tapewounds now. I do think, however, that you should make mention (full disclosure) that you have a piece of gear on that bass that directly affects the tone and the strings may not sound the same on a stock P bass because of it. The Tonestyler allows much more high end than the standard tones available from the stock frequency range on any P bass.
SOOO.....It does work with "MAGNETIC PICKUPS". Contrary to your comment "Our Nylon strings would work on an acoustic bass, provided that the bass has a saddle pickup and not a magnetic pickup. As these have no magnetic output, no magnet driven pickup will work with these." Cool, just checking.
Does it matter what bass guitar you have to get that McCartney sound? Or is it just the strings that make the sound? I understand McCartney used a Hofner and this is Fender.
Yes, in a way it does. If you want it to be dead bang on you need to have a Hofner 500/1 bass with flatwounds (I think) playing through a VOX bass amp. Later with the Beatles, McCartney used a Rickenbacker 4001 through an amp I don't know. McCartney also plays bass with a pick instead of using his fingers. That said, you can get very close by using flatwounds, a pick, and playing with the knobs on your amp to get the Hofner-style sound.
@dezziwood555 Nothing GIVES you the McCartney tone, except McCartney himself. However, foam and palm muting, flats or nylons help achieve this vintage sound. Putting these on a Rick of Hoffy, or my P bass, and employing right hand muting techniques, helps to MIMIC those tones. McCartney is the Mac-daddy.
They should be gentler on a fretless fingerboard as they're nylon whereas steel / nickel tends to cut into a fretless fingerboard. As i don't have a fretless yet.. I can't speak from personal expereince.
That old blue stack knob Jazz bass which belongs to Herbie Flowers his only electric for over 50 years has never had a refret because he only used tape wounds.
"Roll up on my treble, and to get that real McCartnery tone, and put that foam under the strings.. *then puts the tone knob back exactly where it was prior*..."
D'Addario Tapewounds are only available in Medium gauge - starting with a .050. That's a mildly stiff tension. It shouldn't feel loose provided it's tuned to pitch properly
I've used tapewounds exclusively since around 2000. I have 8 basses, they're all I use. Love the warm tones.
Not unlike traditional flatwounds, which are metal, the Tapewounds will work on a fretless but they have a different tonality. You may also note that the magnetic output will be different due to the nylon wrap.
You turn treble up at 0:58. Then at 1:08 you turn it down again.....why?
so you can hear the different sounds/styles
JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA
Really, He Not Play With Treble Up
What about the "life expectancy" of these strings versus a regular flatwound steel strings set ?
I like to keep my string a long time on my basses, I change them when they break or worn down. On my Höfner bass, a set of string lasted nearly 5 year
Yeah...yeah, tapewounds really do sound great but I also love how damned cool they look too! Black strings on a bass is just awesome.
i love the flat black tapewound bass strings which is my all time favorite for years!
How would this sound slapping?
Same here with the Roto experience. I ordered some for my Squier Jazz Bass and the gauge was too high for the nut on it and I ended up scrapping them after three weeks.
Later, I got D'Addario's tapewounds and I had a much better experience with those and I plan ordering some for my Squier Mustang Bass soon.
I would say so. For the stuff on the first album, for sure. Really really beautiful upright-ish sound. FYI: to help you on that quest, I recommend using very high action, and playing closer to the neck. Geezer also used higher mids on that album.
Hi MG. I fing these Nylons hold their tuning very well...as well as all the other fine strings from D'Addario I use. This doesn't seem to be altered due to age and they don't require loosening. The core of the string is metal and the exterior wrap is what helps provide the rich, warm tone. Hope that helps.
They have a very silky feel but they are roundwound with a nylon coating. They are also easy on your frets.
Not a dumb question. You can dial in a good mock upright sound by raising your action and using foam under the strings at the bridge.
Nylon Tapewound will be the next set of strings I get.
Thanks Garth you play bass great.
Both Nylons and D'Addario Chrome's can give you a good mock upright tone. Experiment with the Nylons first, raise your action and use either a foam string mute below the strings or above the strings with tape. That will give you a good classic thuddy, upright tonality. Good luck!
Thanks, I should mention the strings I tried with low tension were NOT D'Addario's
Hi FFF. There is no doubt my B15 is adding tone here but those strings are the bulk of the tone...I use them with very modern solid state heads as well and still get vintage tone. I also dig them recording direct through a tube compressor. Best of luck and keep laying it down...
I've used nylon flats for years for every type of music,pick style and finger style (Rotosound trubass are the best though.....)
Yes they will.
Love these. These & Labella Tapes are my faves!! can get a GREAT Larry Graham SLAP tone as well as a flats type thump. Great Strings.
Hey Garth! Will these work good in electric acoustic basses? Will it be loud enough? Cheers and congrats on the videos.
@smokewitchills The beautiful B15 certainly helps : ) You can get those tones out of solid state gear...stings, palm/foam muting and proper compression can all help contribute to the classic vibe.
It's amazing how bright these sound while retaining warmth. I may get these in the future!
This is a good demo, but emphasizes the "McCartney tone" over the real strengths of these most excellent strings as for walking bass lines. They're beautiful strings.
you put it really well. i'm getting tapewounds for my fretless so i don't have to use an upright bass
I've had these strings on my Jazz since they've come out. I absolutely love them with a splash of tube gain!
I love mine, but I have them on a fretless acoustic. I dont think they would cut through a heavy metal mix.
On my main bass I use the thinnest gauge Dean Markley Blue Steels. I just ordered some of the really thin gauge made my Fodera. Try the normal Blue Steels sold by most guitar stores. I have found the thinnest gauges to be the best for a more contemporary tone. Very bright and cuts through the mix well.
These strings sound amazing; I've been wanting to try them out for a while.
I would suggest the D'Addario Pro Steels for Geezer tones. Garth Fielding's D'Addario Pro Steels video shows off this sound.
That's exactly what happens, the only porpouse of the nylon (besides feel) is to muff a bit the strings. The pickup pickps up the vibration of the metal string (core) that's muffed because of the nylon wrapped around it.
would this sound good on fretless?
Considering these for my acoustic/electric Tacoma Thunderchief bass guitar. Thoughts about applicability?
been hard to find those in brazil, you guys know a retailer?
It's cool to dig the styles of the great Steve Harris or Geezer Butler (I certainly do) but part of being a well-rounded bass guitarist is understanding the skill that goes into all styles and approaches...whether it's a one finger Jamerson technique or a multi-finger Entwistle or Sheehan technique.
Right hand flamenco tap. Learnt it from ol Billy Sheehan :) lightyears beyonf McHardly
"As these have no magnetic output, no magnet driven pickup will work with these."
Nek minnit
"
"As Garth indicated in the video - the core is metal - High Carbon steel which has plenty of output for your pickups, as you can plainly hear!"
Which is it?
@thecoolestdad Hi, the Hofner-type basses are typically strung with light gauge flats because of the basses light weight. Perhaps try a lighter gauge of D'Addario Chromes or give the Nylons a shot, since they have less string tension. Try some foam under your strings at the bridge too. I go into these tones in my downloadable video "Classic Bass Tones of the 60's and 70's." Good luck!
How does the wear look like. Will they be as durable as flatwounds or do I have to change them often? I plan to put them on my fretless.
"Nylon DeTapewounds" haha
A lot of people say nylon strings are no good for rock music. I'm in an alternative band and think it could work but don't want to fork out just in case I regret it.
What do you think?
Can you play Finger style Funk with Tape Wounds?
Thanks!! Im buying a set now !!!
SOLD. Love that McCartney tone XD
I just put these on my '58 reissue (same bass here) Pbass and they are really nice. I'm definitely a fan of them now.
Cigar Dave Just in case it matters to anyone wanting to try out these strings:
10 months later and these strings are as good as new. They sound great and have no negative effect on your fingers; no fatigue at all from long hours of playing. I'm still very happy with them.
Garth,
Great sounds on these strings I've been looking for, and great reviews (B-15).
I've used tape wound strings (brand RS) on 6-string 34" and 35" inch scale bass and the strings are continually going flat. Do the D'Addarios maintain tuning, like nickel or other metal string? How about life time? Do you loosen the strings to prevent stretching when not playing?
Because nylon is softer than the frets, you should expect the nylon worning out/or be deformed? Could this affect the contact point with the frets? thnx!
Sure, understanding will get you somewhere but application is where true bassists shine
Hi,I`ve recently acquired a Hofner 500 replica,it´s pretty damaged,so i´m planning to restore it to look and sound like an upgright bass.But i´m not sure which strings would be better: D´addario chromes flatwound or your nylon tapewound.Which of these two would give me a better upright sound?.
These are great for all of us jazz players.
i am also sure a lot of his sounds has to do with that ampeg flip top in the back ground
I use tapewounds on my hofner beatle bass, they sound amazing, but are very dark, which the bass can get buried in a mix. I use a tube passive eq to boost the mids and highs (tapewounds can take a lot of eq) and it sounds out of this world.
are you recording through mic? the sound is awful
I found out it's a Stellartone Tone-Styler tone control
holy crap i think this is the sound im looking for
great tones!!! may i ask do they work well with piezo undersaddle pickups?
Thanks,so which one would be better to achieve an upright kinda sound?.
You should get some flats, he used flats on those albums. Probably the stock fender flats.
A bassist friend of mine has tapewounds on his JB. It felt like I was playing a fretless. As there's no fret & string noise as you move your fingers down the fretboard. Also seemed to be softer under my fingers..
Do they work on acoustic instruments?
I have my d’addarios on my fretless jazz player series tuned D-G-C-F. LOVE THEM!! It’s the best of all worlds. Only missing the B and C from a five string without the extra string, great tone, and it’s a jazz bass (nuff said?)
Try the rotosound swing 77 flatwound ( Monel steel) in the same tuning! The tension is the same as regular tuning but the low end on those strings hit you right were it counts
tons of felt low mids
I'm a big fan of Geezer Butler's tone from the first few Black Sabbath albums. Think these strings would be suitable?
If you're still wondering... Geezer used flatwounds on the first few Sabbath albums. These strings would get you pretty close but a major part of that sound is also in his playing technique.
Are these similar tension to normal strings. I had a set that were very low tension and bent as soon as my finger touched them?
i have a question how does this tapewound string manage the harmonics?
I think it's fair to say that the majority of the tone we're hearing here is that of the Ampeg valve amp, with quite a bit of drive. It really doesn't give a true representation of the strings flat uncoloured tone without amp colouration. Why don't you run the same bass through a solid state amp as well to give a fairer tone comparison?
For the record though, the tone is bloody great ;)
No mention on the hum tapewounds cause?
Excellent with EMG active pickups: the ground returns, so no buzzz and hummm. 😉
does anyone know where to get that kind of foam he's using? I've looked everywhere for it!
I use a pice off from acoustic foam I had laying around. Hell you can use a kitchen sponge
Electrostatic packaging like ICs. You could try cutting up dishwasher sponges too. Apparently Tony Levin used nappy/diapers on "Don't give up" with Peter Gabriel.
Does it slap good
talk about glossy neck! beautiful bass, great playing man thanks for uploading!!
I have a passive precision bass, i want use a black nylon strings, can i use it??
How good would Tapewounds do in Heavy/Power metal?
For metal go with nickels or steels. I would go for nickels for the versatility but if you want brighter, then go for steels. Your choice
Anonymous Browser
sarcasm?
No, I'm genuienly interested.
Anonymous Browser
this type of strings are designed to get you closer(as much as they can) to that double bass type sound.theyre good for more traditional/old school jazz.for metal you'd wanna go in the exact opposite direction.roundwound stainless steel.
but then again...theres always room for experimentation and nothings set in stone.
Short Fuse
Thanks! I'm just trying to experiment with different strings at the moment, so I was just asking if anyone had any experience of using them in metal.
These would sound so sweet on my Rickenbacker 4003 with the string mutes up!
Even though Ricks are known for their deep warm sound, I don't think tape wounds don't go great with them
I find these aren't the best for slapping. i would suggest D'Addario XL Nickel and Pro Steels for the snappiest/percussive thumb and pluck tones. Good luck!
For metal and harder rock you should consider the D'Addario XL nickels or Steels. These wouldn't be bright enough.
Hey,
these look very promising and I want to order a set. Which size should I order for my 34" PJ bass? Medium size is supposed to fit anything up to 34" and large up to 36.5"
+burricanecarter Best to review this document first and then order away - we have short, medium and long scale sets available - daddario.com/upload/BassArticle2_1803.pdf
+daddariostrings Thanks, much appreciated.
burricanecarter
And extra long too
How do the strings feel compared to steel after a long jam sesh?
+Vulcan Princess much softer on the fingers. Stainless Steel is one of the hardest materials we use in our strings. The nylon is flattened and feels more flatwound-like than you'd expect.
***** Well that's good to hear! Indeed it is; I prefer to keep my fingers sensitive instead of callused, I gotta say! I have a feeling I'll be buying some of these soon! Thanks for your reply!
I'm happy to say that I'm going to buy some, thanks again for your vid and reply, I'm stoked to lay down some groovy sounds ;P :D
how is the tension on these compared to the Chromes?
Tension on Chromes is substantially higher. For the Medium Chrome Set (ECB82) is approx 224 lbs whereas the Tapewound set, which is the same gauge but has a different construction as well as material make-up, nets out at around 146 lbs.
these work on acoustic bass?
I'm gonna get a set of these for my SG
do yall make guitar version? or could yall make a custom set for someone
A guitar version would be very difficult due to the core material and wrap wire. Our polished Classical Guitar strings might be the closest thing we make to this but we don't make a nylon wrap wire small enough to accomplish this currently.
Thanks! im sure yall will find a way one day :)
doesn't john pizzarelli play tapewounds? you might want to google that some daniel weston. i'm pretty sure he does.
I didn't know Jay Moore could play bass like that !
nice video mang.
Tape strings is fantastic! But this audio is not good enough
Hello I'm curious why does you tone knob click?
If I used these tapewound strings on an acoustic bass guitar, would there be any loss of volume when playing without amplification compared to more traditional phosphor bronze wound strings?
+Dusty Turtle Volume would be different - these are warm and percussive whereas Phosphor Bronze Round Wound can really have some punch. The biggest difference would be the tonality.
+daddariostrings Thanks for such a quick response.
+Dusty Turtle I put these on my Guild B50 Acoustic Bass - The best string I've ever used on this bass guitar.
Wow, they sound great on your P with the Tonestyler, I was considering Chromes but these sound just as good. With even less tension on the neck, and with that tonal range, I think Im sold on the Tapewounds now.
I do think, however, that you should make mention (full disclosure) that you have a piece of gear on that bass that directly affects the tone and the strings may not sound the same on a stock P bass because of it. The Tonestyler allows much more high end than the standard tones available from the stock frequency range on any P bass.
Will they work on an acostic electric bass?
would these be good for emulating a upright?,lol. sorry for the dumb question
SOOO.....It does work with "MAGNETIC PICKUPS". Contrary to your comment "Our Nylon strings would work on an acoustic bass, provided that the bass has a saddle pickup and not a magnetic pickup. As these have no magnetic output, no magnet driven pickup will work with these." Cool, just checking.
Does it matter what bass guitar you have to get that McCartney sound? Or is it just the strings that make the sound?
I understand McCartney used a Hofner and this is Fender.
Yes, in a way it does. If you want it to be dead bang on you need to have a Hofner 500/1 bass with flatwounds (I think) playing through a VOX bass amp. Later with the Beatles, McCartney used a Rickenbacker 4001 through an amp I don't know. McCartney also plays bass with a pick instead of using his fingers. That said, you can get very close by using flatwounds, a pick, and playing with the knobs on your amp to get the Hofner-style sound.
Best sounding sixties style bass tone I've ever heard comes from Old Wallace amps(Ted Wallace)
Why does the tone knob click as you rotate it?
he uses stellar tonestylers in his basses
I wonder what would happen if you put these on an already pretty uprighty sounding bass? 0.0
@dezziwood555 Nothing GIVES you the McCartney tone, except McCartney himself. However, foam and palm muting, flats or nylons help achieve this vintage sound. Putting these on a Rick of Hoffy, or my P bass, and employing right hand muting techniques, helps to MIMIC those tones. McCartney is the Mac-daddy.
COOL!!!
Yes I am. Actually my thumb bone and finger nail : )
Yes, that's why they sound bright...
I.really want a pair for my 6 string bass
Nice
will this hurt a frettless neck?
I wouldn't have thought so. They are just coated flats
They should be gentler on a fretless fingerboard as they're nylon whereas steel / nickel tends to cut into a fretless fingerboard. As i don't have a fretless yet.. I can't speak from personal expereince.
They're tapewound strings, meaning flatwound with nylon tape, against a solid wooden fretboard. Call me crazy, but I think your bass will be fine.
Yeah. I fitted some on my fretless, I prefer flats
That old blue stack knob Jazz bass which belongs to Herbie Flowers his only electric for over 50 years has never had a refret because he only used tape wounds.
what gage are thay