Too Zingy, go to flats/half rounds or what?

[Count Bassy]

Hello chaps (& Chapesses),

A few weeks ago I put up a post about "furry strings" giving me a really dead tone on my Ibanez SR505.
I ended up fitting some D'addario Nickels (which I love on my Fender Urge Mk1), which appeared to solve the problem, but two weeks further on and I'm finding these just too 'Zingy' on this bass. Adjusting various EQs helps a bit, but can start to make them sound dull again. (Perhaps I need a "Zinginator" version of the 'Thumpinator' recently discussed on these pages).

So what's the solution.... new bass, new pick-ups, different strings?

Different strings is going to be the cheapest, so I'll try that first, but I've little experience of flats/half rounds, so I was wondering what you all thought.

The current Nickels are .135 - 05. I guess that if I went to the same gauge in flats/half rounds then they'd be higher tension due their being heavier, so what sort of gauge should I be looking at for flats/half rounds (adjusting the rod isn't a problem). I'd love to buy loads of strings and try them out, but that's just too expensive, so any suggestions as to a good starting point would be appreciated.

I play blues and soul sort of things with my fingers. No slapping/popping and no picking.

I realise that the Ibanez is probably not the ideal instrument for this sort of music, but there are many things I like about it (slim neck, narrow string spacing etc.), and it was cheap, so changing the bass would be very much a last resort !!


Thanks in advance chaps.

The Count.

[BassBus]

I'm sure someone will mention Thomastic Jazz Flats before long. I have been using them for years (the same set). They have quite a deep tone but at the same time a lot of character without the zing. The G is a 43, can't remember what the E is. They are quite similar to the Status halfwounds I have also used. I've never been keen on flats but like a darker sound from a string. The halfwounds and TI Jazz Flats give me the tone I want.

[Judo Chop]

My GHS half rounds start off really zingy but mellow out after a week or so, then they last a couple of months before they sound like flat wounds. Give them a go, they're about £20 on ebay I think.

[Prime_BASS]

play the bass more till the strings are dead??

Try a filter that cyphons off the really high highs so that zing fgoes away.

[KennysFord]

I play Blues and Soul, albeit on a Jazz and P Bass with TI flats.... but I get lovely warm tone on my Ibanez Blazer with DR Sunbeams. They're really nice strings and worth some research.

[jezzaboy]

I recently got a SR500 on here and tried a set of Status flats on it and found them too dull. I love the strings on my passive Fenders but didn`t like the sound I was getting from the Ibby. I have put the original Elixars that were on the bass back on but I don`t like them either!

I`m gonna try a different brand of roundwounds, mabye Rotosounds.

Jez

[Dazzlovski]

I've just put a set of DR coated strings on, (first set of strings I've fitted that haven't been stainless or nickel rounds) and they're noticeably less zingy but still sound "fresh". They're advertised has having 'longer life' so maybe best of both worlds.(?).... We shall see.