Happy Jack Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 I bought an old Ovation Magnum, the strings are tired and rusty but sound just great so I want to buy the same again. The strings are: Extra Long Scale Tapered construction Roundwound Gold ball-ends on all four strings No coloured silks What am I looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawelG Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 My DR Strings have all the mentioned qualities. I’m pretty sure I have Sunbeams, and they are quite a low tension strings for round wounds. Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The59Sound Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Might be Roto PSD 99 strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 (edited) I reckon what you've got there mate is an E, an A, a D and a G. Assuming of course, they're all different thicknesses. Edited May 26, 2018 by leschirons left something out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Tapered or exposed cores ? When you say no coloured silk, do you mean there's some silk ? If it's exposed cores with black silk on the headstock side, I'm pretty sure they are LaBella Super Steps. If it's exposed cores without any silk, and super extra long scale, it could be Fodera Anthony Jackson Signature set (only available in 6 strings set). If it's exposed cores, it could also be Galli strings (the only exposed cores available in nickel or stainless steel). If it's tapered cores with silk, it could be Dean Markley SR 2000 strings. A picture might help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 26, 2018 Author Share Posted May 26, 2018 2 minutes ago, Hellzero said: When you say no coloured silk, do you mean there's some silk ? If it's exposed cores without any silk, and super extra long scale, it could be Fodera Anthony Jackson Signature set (only available in 6 strings set). If it's exposed cores, it could also be Galli strings (the only exposed cores available in nickel or stainless steel). A picture might help. There was no silk at all. It was definitely a 4-string set! Wouldn't know where to find Galli strings ... couldn't see them at Strings Direct or Stringbusters. It didn't occur to me to photograph old bass strings before chucking them away, but I take your point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 Just look here : http://www.gallistrings.com/en/strings/bass/exposed-core Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Now those look seriously close to what I'm after ... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 I have to say, that Galli Strings web-site has to be about the worst thing I've encountered on the Internet in the last decade. Designed by an illiterate 9-year-old, and totally off-putting when it comes to actually buying something! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PawelG Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 Seems like I completely misunderstood the “tapered design” thing. Never seen ones like the Galli strings :-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 27, 2018 Author Share Posted May 27, 2018 Basically, they look like they're too short! I've now ordered three different string sets - D'Addario, Ernie Ball and Galli. Way I see it, worst case is that I've ordered enough roundwounds to last the rest of my playing career (given that I play almost exclusively flats). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 If you want to throw another maker into the mix, Rotosound Piano String Design http://www.rotosound.com/psd-bass-99/ These used to be called Superwound, I had some of these on my Yamaha BB in 1980! Good choice for an Ovation Magnum. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 28, 2018 Author Share Posted May 28, 2018 Do you know if they used gold ball-ends Pete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 I can't honestly remember, it was a long time ago. I think that Rotosound were among the first to produce this particular design of string, though, and if the strings on the Ovation have been there a long time it shortens the odds. I loved the clarity and definition it gave the sound, in contrast to the flatwounds that most people were using at the time. You'll probably hate it. Kudos to The59Sound who also suggested Rotos, I missed his posting in the thread earlier. The modern version uses a different setup, which allows you to adjust the length of the winding-free portion by moving the ball end, so it fits on a variety of basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 And the winner is ... D'ADDARIO! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 Just out of interest Jack..which model Magnum ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/library/Basses CURRENT/Ovation Magnum III 1980 CURRENT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 Nice bass @Happy Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 3, 2018 Author Share Posted June 3, 2018 Thanks. Astonishing tone, but only with the right strings. My kneejerk reaction to buying a bass is "just stick flats on it" and that invariably improves the tone hugely ... well, to my ears anyway. This is the first bass I've owned (of well over 100 of the buggers) where the opposite is true. Fitting LaBella FLs (one of my go-to string sets) simply deadened the tone and closed the sound down. It was still a great-sounding bass, of course, but the magic had gone. The second I put the D'Addario rounds on, there it was again ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Happy Jack said: My kneejerk reaction to buying a bass is "just stick flats on it" and that invariably improves the tone hugely ... well, to my ears anyway. This is the first bass I've owned (of well over 100 of the buggers) where the opposite is true. Fitting LaBella FLs (one of my go-to string sets) simply deadened the tone and closed the sound down. It was still a great-sounding bass, of course, but the magic had gone. The second I put the D'Addario rounds on, there it was again... I've found this, too. You can even fit 'the wrong sort of flats'. I put some Roto 77 flats on a Jazz bass expecting the usual result, but it just didn't happen. However when I tried some Fender 9050 flats on it, the difference was startling. I'm a big fan of La Bellas, but find that Fender 9050 flats are almost as good, if you persist with them and break them in properly. When new, they're quite clanky and have a bit too much top end. With playing, they settle into a La Bella-style thump in a very pleasing way*. Plus, they're about half the price of an equivalent set of La Bellas. Having said that, there are some basses that only really sound good with rounds, as you have discovered. My Shergold Marathon was a case in point. Edit: Great score, by the way. I've always wanted a Magnum ever since I saw Wobble playing his. Jealous! *It can take a month or two depending on how much you play. Edited June 3, 2018 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted June 3, 2018 Share Posted June 3, 2018 I put a set of Elite Stadium Flats on my Vintage fretless - it sounded crap! Swapped for really light Roto roundwounds and it absolutely sings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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