Hofner Icon wih Pyramid Gold flats problem

[revolver323]

I picked up a Hofner Icon through EBay for $60 less than what they've been going for at the online retailers from someone who bought it new but didn't want to keep it. It arrived today and it actually is well made and looks good for the money. It also sounds very good. However.... (you knew that was coming,right?)

Wanting to be more true to the McCartney vibe, I decided to replace the factory installed roundwounds with a set of Pyramid Gold flats. I installed only the Pyramid G string without cutting it just to see how things went. Here's the problem -- with the factory strings, intonation is fairly close as you move up the neck. It isn't perfect, but I knew it wouldn't be because of the bridge type and the infamous Hofner intonation. But with the Pyramid G, the octave at the 12th fret is almost 1/2 step flat. I could not angle the G side of the bridge close enough to the back pickup to get the octave G in tune. On top of this, fretted notes on the G string up to the 7th fret, although KINDA in tune, have very weird overtones that sounds almost like a chorus is being used -- not really in tune and rather annoying, but usable. The overtones go away above the 7th fret. Even more interesting, the roundwounds don't have these overtones at all, or if they do, it's buried enough not to notice. So ...

Do I just go with the round wounds? The sound is actually not bad and amp EQ could take out some of the zing. This will not be my main bass and I don't feel like fooling around to get the Pyramids to work unless it could be a relatively quick fix. I'm wondering if installing the entire Pyramid set would change the G tuning problem? Gauges appear to be about the same as the factory set.

If I stay with the rounds,I will have set of short-scale Pyramids for sale for less than retail with a G string being the only one that has been on a bass.

[sloop_john_b]

I wouldn't go with roundwounds on a Hofner just yet - try a set of TI Jazz Flats first. These are the preferred Macca-flats of most members here who go for that sound. They're great strings and IMO much better than Pyramids, which in my experience have super high tension and have been inconsistent in quality.

[servant]

I'm wondering if installing the entire Pyramid set would change the G tuning problem?

As I read your post I thought of this before I read your question. I agree with your assumption - if the G is "that far off"
it might be that the complete set will be consistent with your G. The entire bridge might have to be moved but it could
be that you can get it closer to perpendicular to the strings again.

[revolver323]

Report from the clone wars:

Judging by the number of people who have looked at this thread and yet have offered only two replies, this is pretty baffling. Here's an update. I put on the entire Pyramid set today. Pushing the treble side of the bridge right up against the back pickup surround, I was able to get the octave G almost in tune -- enough to be usable. If the pickup surround was not there, I could get it perfect. The bridge now angles back on the bass side about 3/4" -- and of course the other strings are now sort of in tune all the way up he neck. I knew this going in and I'm not to upset about it because this will not be my main bass and I don't plan to play that high anyway. This is a thudding, "first five frets" kinda bass, and it's good at that. HOWEVER-- the Pyramid G is still producing that phasing effect, even open, but especially on frets 1 through 7. As long as you don't sustain a note, it's fine. The other Pyramid strings don't do this, nor did the factory rounds. I e-mailed Pyramid about this but they only offered that "The 12th fret octave of a a G pitch should be perfect on the g string if the scale length the fingerboard is made for the scale length of the instrument--32" Well, of course the scale is 30", and they said nothing about the wavering G. I have to think that maybe it's a defective string.

I'm no luthier, but I will have to guess that the bridge placement is set up with the factory rounds and that they never tested it with other strings. Maybe the tailpiece length has something do so with it, too. I have no idea if other flats would be better, or if the Contemporary is any better than the Icon in this regard, or even if the "real" Beatle bass is better. But it must be.

Anyway, I bought this bass untried over Ebay, which is always kinda dumb. My advice is that if you're going to buy one, make sure to deal with someone who will set it up and intonate it for you with your choice of strings. I know North Coast Music does this, and it's worth the extra $$IMHO. All that said, It's fun to play-- sounds great. After the last six years on a Lakland 55-94, the neck feels like a toothpick. Now, to start that Beatles tribute band ...

[fran4001]

The "chorusy" wavy overtone sound is from the pickups being too close to the strings. Until you restring it fully with the Pyramids, try lowering the pickups way down, like a 1/4 inch at least. Then try it amplified. Raise the pickups gradually until you start hearing that sound again, then lower them back to a bit past where it goes away. Believe it or not, this problem WILL cause totally false intonation readings.

[revolver323]

Fran:

Thanks for the tip. However, lowering the pickups still didn't solve the problem. The wavering was still there , but of course less loud.

However, I'll tell you what DID solve it.

On a whim, I put on a TI Jazz Flat G string that I had left from changing the strings on my Lakland. The only thing that bothered me about this was that it's XL length for the Lakland's 35"scale. I wound it on and some of the speaking length of the string goes around the tuning post, which I expected and which,in fact, happens on my Lakland, but only on the G. Tubed it up and, voila! -- no chorus effect. And now -- just to show you that God or maybe Hofner has a sense of humor, the octave G is totally sharp == like 3/4 of a step.

So, I'm leaving the TI G on there for now. If TIs weren't so expensive, I'd get a set of short scale Jazz Flats, but they list them as 32" and of course the Hofner is 30". I wonder if I just got a bad Pyramid G--it happens.

I moved the bridge back and it's now in almost factory position. Bass side is slightly closer to the back pickup now, treble side almost straight. I left the other three Pyramids on.

Yoi!

[fran4001]

Replied over at Talkbass too, great news! Try to get a free replacement from T-I. Shouldn't be a problem....