Rick bass string question
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
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d_funkie
Rick bass string question
Hi. I'm soon going to buy a rick 4001 made between 1974 and 1980. What are the best strings to use? do they have to be flatwounds?
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ricnvolved
No, they don't have to be flatwounds. It depends on the style of music you'll be playing and your own personal preference. If you like roundwounds and want an agressive "bite", then you're on your own; I've never liked that sound and therefore have no recommendations. If you like a less agressive attack with roundwounds, then you might want to consider DR Sunbeams, or LaBella Deep Talking roundwounds; I think both of these have a nickel wrapping.
However.............. if you want flatwounds, then my hands down recommendation would be the Pyramid Gold. Yes, they are pricey, but they will give you that Paul McCartney vibe like no other. I have them on my 4003 and will not use any other on that particular bass.
Another flatwound to consider is the Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flat; some folks seem not to like the lower tension of these strings, so you'll need to take that into consideration. You should also investigate the LaBella James Jamerson set, and the LaBella Black Nylons-- the highest quality black nylon wrap bass string I'm aware of.
Hope this helps.
However.............. if you want flatwounds, then my hands down recommendation would be the Pyramid Gold. Yes, they are pricey, but they will give you that Paul McCartney vibe like no other. I have them on my 4003 and will not use any other on that particular bass.
Another flatwound to consider is the Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flat; some folks seem not to like the lower tension of these strings, so you'll need to take that into consideration. You should also investigate the LaBella James Jamerson set, and the LaBella Black Nylons-- the highest quality black nylon wrap bass string I'm aware of.
Hope this helps.
Dan congrats on your choice of bass! If you stick with the major string brands you should do ok.
Jeffery's assessment of the various flatwound strings is excellent. Kudos. May I also add Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 Monel steel flatwounds. On a Ric they give a very "early Roger Waters" sound.
For roundwound string recommendations and a more "agressive attack" Rotosound Swing Bass 66's will get you a more Chris Squire/Geddy Lee type sound (my personal prefence is the standard gauge 105-45).
This is a stainless steel string with a high iron content. The only downside is these strings tend to be tough on frets.
These strings also come in nickel (which is easier on frets) & sound quite good. I am told by my sources at Rotosound that Sir Paul is currently using the nickel roundwounds on his Hofner.
Just to be safe with the tension on the neck, I would not recomend using a set of strings with a low "E" string heavier then 105 mm.
Perhaps Jeffery could share his gauge preferences for the Pyramid flatwounds?
Regards
Jeffery's assessment of the various flatwound strings is excellent. Kudos. May I also add Rotosound Jazz Bass 77 Monel steel flatwounds. On a Ric they give a very "early Roger Waters" sound.
For roundwound string recommendations and a more "agressive attack" Rotosound Swing Bass 66's will get you a more Chris Squire/Geddy Lee type sound (my personal prefence is the standard gauge 105-45).
This is a stainless steel string with a high iron content. The only downside is these strings tend to be tough on frets.
These strings also come in nickel (which is easier on frets) & sound quite good. I am told by my sources at Rotosound that Sir Paul is currently using the nickel roundwounds on his Hofner.
Just to be safe with the tension on the neck, I would not recomend using a set of strings with a low "E" string heavier then 105 mm.
Perhaps Jeffery could share his gauge preferences for the Pyramid flatwounds?
Regards
He walked out to face his arch-enemies with his arch-supporters.
I don't think you have a choice of gauge with Pyramids. The gauge isn't listed on the packet, but juststrings.com lists them as .040, .055, .070, .105 for the long scale set (what you need for Rick bass).
You can get long scale, short scale, or 5 string sets.
The short scale is .040, .055, .070, .100.
The five string set adds the .124 string. I think the rest are the same as the long scale 4 string set.
You can get long scale, short scale, or 5 string sets.
The short scale is .040, .055, .070, .100.
The five string set adds the .124 string. I think the rest are the same as the long scale 4 string set.
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rickenbrother
- RRF Moderator
- Posts: 13114
- Joined: Sun May 26, 2002 5:00 am
You can also use Rickenbacker's own strings. They happen to be excellent strings, I've used them. I think the Rotosound Swing Bass set ( roundwounds ) gauged .105 - .045 might be a little bit heavy for some 4001 necks. I've never a had any neck problem with roundwound strings of any manufacturer gauged .100-.080-.065-.045 You can buy Rickenbacker strings directly from RIC. Brad Farha ( Banta ) will only use RIC strings on his Rickenbackers, he is very happy with them.
The JETGLO finish name should be officially changed to JETGLO ROCKS! 
"Just to be safe with the tension on the neck, I would not recomend using a set of strings with a low "E" string heavier then 105 mm."
Actually, the E string is typically the lowest or second lowest in tension. The D string is almost always the highest, closely followed by the G.
If you take a look at the D'Addario or Thomastik-Infeld websites, which both publish lbs. of tension for each string, and look at the various sets, you'll see what I mean.
Just don't ask me why.
Actually, the E string is typically the lowest or second lowest in tension. The D string is almost always the highest, closely followed by the G.
If you take a look at the D'Addario or Thomastik-Infeld websites, which both publish lbs. of tension for each string, and look at the various sets, you'll see what I mean.
Just don't ask me why.