cocco Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I'm about to restring my Lakland Bob Glaub with a set of rounds (boomers) and I have the option of stringing either way, thanks to the awesome Lakland Bridge. Previously I've always gone through the body because... Well I don't actually know why, it just seemed the best option. What are the merits of each? Is it going to make a blind bit of difference in the real world? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 In short, no it won't. A lot of chaff suggests it helps increase compliance, make it stiff, tension. But I've never really found it to do so. A good break angle at the nut with decent winds does a better job than stringing through the body. I found it also doesn't increase sustain as others might suggest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Some say it makes a difference and some say it makes no difference. I say about a hundred things make more difference. You'll have to decide yourself. There are many threads on this topic already if you search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I did both on my Peavey Cirrus and could discern absolutely no difference at all. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 (edited) My Classic Stingray (strings through) appears to have noticeably more sustain than my other Stingrays with new or newish rounds. To the extent that one or two other players have noticed they have to tighten up their muting technique when playing it!! It could be some other factor (eg hollow bridge saddles) but I doubt it. Its only really noticeable with new rounds and as it now has TI flats fitted, certainly not noticeable. Edited April 27, 2014 by drTStingray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I`ve not really noticed any difference on mine - I have 2 with, 2 without. On the withs, I string-thru purely to stop the ferrules/whatever-they`re-calleds falling out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 [quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1398593691' post='2435515'] I did both on my Peavey Cirrus and could discern absolutely no difference at all. G. [/quote] Same for me but on a Fender P Deluxe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 [quote name='cocco' timestamp='1398583247' post='2435386'] I'm about to restring my Lakland Bob Glaub with a set of rounds (boomers) and I have the option of stringing either way, thanks to the awesome Lakland Bridge. Previously I've always gone through the body because... Well I don't actually know why, it just seemed the best option. What are the merits of each? Is it going to make a blind bit of difference in the real world? [/quote] First of all congrats on owning a Glaub...really great P basses. Second of all congrats for stringing it with rounds instead of the latest trend of using hideous flats (imo of course). I always used to string my Lakland Darryl Jones through the body (yes, the Lakland bridge is an excellent bit of hardware) - then I started to string it through the bridge. In all honesty I never noticed a blind bit of difference. Having said that I concentrate more on the music that I am contributing towards making instead of analysing every aspect of the actual tool of my trade to the nth degree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I know a man who really, really, knows his strings - he's been making and selling them, mostly for La Bella, for something like 40 years. He reckons the only difference it's likely to make is that it make some strings die faster, or break, and that with flats it can actually make them sound completely lifeless and dead (which decent flats should not sound like!) because it enhances string twisting unless you are super careful winding on. Given his heritage of working with classic flats for such a long time I was genuinely surprised at how passionate he was about not stringing through the body. He said there was a modern trend amongst some lower end instrument makers to offer through body stringing to try make out some sort of heritage link but their bridges were really not up to the job and destroyed strings. La Bella do make a bespoke string for through-body stringing now but he still maintained it wouldn't sound remotely different but they had to make some to meet customer demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1398597602' post='2435565'] m First of all congrats on owning a Glaub...really great P basses. Second of all congrats for stringing it with rounds instead of the latest trend of using hideous flats (imo of course) I always used to string my Lakland Darryl Jones through the body (yes, the Lakland bridge is an excellent bit of hardware) - then I started to string it through the bridge. In all honesty I never noticed a blind bit of difference. Having said that I concentrate more on the music that I am contributing towards making instead of analysing every aspect of the actual tool of my trade to the nth degree! [/quote] I have a set of flats on at the moment but the sound just isn't for me. I like it but it's not a rock tone IMO. I really wanted to like it too, plus £40 down the pan. Bad times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1398597602' post='2435565'] ... Second of all congrats for stringing it with rounds instead of the latest trend of using hideous flats (imo of course) ... [/quote] Slightly OT: This is the second time I've read on BC that fitting flats is a 'trend' or 'fashion'. As a fairly recent convert to flats, I wish to distance myself from any 'trend' or 'fashion' aspect. I would never have considered flats other than on a fretless, but I bought a bass (G&L mentioned in signature) already fitted with them, and loved the sound and feel, to the extent that I have now fitted Chromes flats to all my basses. Back on topic - I am not convinced that there is much of an advantage to through-body stringing. The main advantage is that your strings can never pull the bridge off your bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I put flats on my Stingray to sound like Bernard Edwards. I've had TI flats on my Classic Ray strung through the body for about 12 months and they sound great - you sure the La Bella salesman isn't trying to sell us special strings with these scare stories? Stingrays shipped with flats for the first two years or so of manufacture. Fender, Lakland, Musicman are hardly low end manufacturers particularly in the models they offer the option of stings through the body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 I've often wondered whether it matters if the silked portion of a string falls across a saddle... so I suppose if you string through the body you'd be more likely to get metal (string) to metal (saddle) contact... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mokl Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 When I owned one I felt sure that I got better sustain and a slight but noticeable drop in perceived tension when I strung my Lakland through the bridge. I possibly completely imagined it though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsgbass Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 (edited) I string D'Addario ETB92 Nylon Tapewounds through the body with no problems. There is a brand or two that discourage their brand of flats stringing through the body. When I was using Fender, and then D'Addario flats, they were fine. Edited April 29, 2014 by gsgbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 [quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1398597602' post='2435565'] ... the latest trend of using ... flats ... [/quote] Hardly a 'latest trend' when almost all music shops don't even stock them. The trend has been rounds since about 1970 and remains so. There is a minority bucking the trend and using flats; some of us for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 There have been at least two previous threads on this subject of string through body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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