Will strings change the tone with under saddle P/U's?

[Maude]

As the title says really.

I use a Variax primarily and really like the playability and variety of sounds, (I play in a covers band) the strings are quite possibly the original strings, I bought it s/h and haven't felt the need to change them, I like dead strings anyway, but I do love the feel of flats or nylon tapewounds.

I have Chromes on a P bass and Fender nylon tapes on a fretless P and really like the feel of the tapes, I thought about putting a set on the Variax but wouldn't want lose the roundwound grind on the brighter sounding models. My gut instinct tells me with rounds on it the circuitry can dull that sound to emulate flats but may not be able to emulate rounds with flats on it. But who knows?

Then I started thinking would new strings even change the tone of it as it uses under saddle P/U's?
What most gives a string it's characteristic sound, the vibration at the bridge or the way it oscillates in the P/Us magnetic field?

I will probably get a set a nylon tapes for it anyway and if they do affect the sound too much then I'll just put them on my acoustic but it just got me wondering.

Any theories anyone?

[fretlessguy]

Maybe, maybe not. I would email Line 6 and see. It operates on piezos like an acoustic bass guitar. It may affect the quality of various patches in your synthesizer module. Maybe you should try it, and if it does not do well, then just put them on your acoustic. good luck with it.

[flychris]

On a mag Pu, Yves indeed, but on a piezo, not sure ! The best thing to do : just try ! And let us know.

[Beer of the Bass]

I don't know how they might affect the modelling in the Variax, but nylon tapewounds do still sound different from other strings on basses with bridge piezo pickups. This is why they're a popular choice on electro acoustic basses or piezo solidbodies, especially fretless ones.

[ikay]

There's some useful info here on how different strings affect the sound of the Variax - [url="http://line6.com/supportarchive/thread/1198"]http://line6.com/supportarchive/thread/1198[/url]

[EssentialTension]

I don't know about the Variax but different strings definitely sound different with an underbridge piezo on both my Takamine B10 and my Michael Kelly Dragonfly.

[JapanAxe]

Definitely worth trying. I had a Variax 500 guitar at one point, and I found the excessive finger noise to be a problem when using jazz guitar models.

[Maude]

Thanks for the info guys, especially that link ikay .

I'm going to try some nylon tapewounds and I'll let you know how it goes. The strings on it are definitely dull anyway so it may well be very similar.

My next question, as the Fender nylons were my first set of nylons apart from doublebass strings, is, are all nylon tapewounds roundwound strings with a nylon wrap?
I assumed (never a good idea ) based on doublebass experience, that they would be like flats, only nylon wrapped but the Fender ones are definitely roundwounds with a nylon tape wrap, which obviously retains a degree of zing, they're like worn in rounds out of the packet but a lot smoother to play.

I keep hearing very good things about the Rotosound Trubass 88's but wondered if they are wrapped rounds like the Fenders or wrapped flats. Anyone know?
Also what gauge they are available in? I prefer a chunkier string.

Edited December 29, 2013 by Maude