Optima 4099, the new Maxima ?

[Wiker]

Optima 4099 nickel flat wound. I’ve never heard of them before. Maybe they are new.
Anyone else tried them?




Got them today from saitenkatalog.de
Looks and feels just like the old Maxima 4440. And I think they sound the same also, but hard to say exactly as they are on two different basses.
I measured my new Optimas to 46-56-79-100, and my old Maximas to 45-55-73-101.

Only thing I noticed was the new Optima E-sting on my ’79 4001 was not as well defined as the old Maxima E-string on my 4001V63. But, I suspect that might be the due to the old 4001 or to the neck toaster on that bass (a new toaster is already on the way).

Optima




Maxima

[coolingitdown]

Interesting...I'll wait for more info and input from others before I jump, though.

I imagine the old Maxima RIC flats would sound fantastic on my 4001C64. Maybe this would be a good, easier to find substitute?

[mikko]

I think they are supposed to be the same, I mean Optima = Maxima. I haven´t tried them so i can´t say. Mr. Hall said they´re not the same (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=400640).
Are they the same or not, I´m interested in these new Optima string and I really would like to hear some sound samples. Could be the right set for my Starfire if there´s medium scale set available.

[woodyng]

orange silks? HERESY!!! are the optimas roundcore nickel strings? the maxima's were,and the gauge looks to be similar to the old ones.... if they sound and feel pretty similar to the old ones,i too would be interested,especially if they were lower in tension like the maxima's.

[johnhall]

They look about right . . . I hope someone gets it correct this time!

I still think there's something magical about the original alloy. Maxima was located in Geretsried, Germany, which during WW II was the site of several large bomb and artillery shell factories. These were ultimately bombed out of existence by the Americans in quite a tumultuous fashion near the end of the war.

Subsequently, due to the massive nearby sources of metals, the town was the site of large metal smelting operations, reclaiming war related metals from all over Germany. I have to wonder if Maxima didn't stumble onto the perfect storm of exploded munitions grade copper, lead, brass, bronze, nickel, or steel that made these strings sound so great. I wonder if the fact that many of these metals were previously exploded altered the content somewhat. Maybe modern materials are just too high grade?

I say this because I was employed by the company as a kid to coil up bulk strings and within a few minutes of doing so, my hands were black, as if I had been handling graphite. Other strings then and to this day only do this to a limited extent.

[coolingitdown]

Thanks for sharing that, John! That's really interesting to think that the old strings might have been made of artillery rubble!

Wiker, if you do get a chance to record any samples, that would be awesome! I'd love to hear how these sound!

After doing some shopping for these, I think I'm priced out for the time being. The cheapest set I found online will set me back $70 USD after shipping is factored in, since evidently these are only available in Germany. Being poor sucks!

That's ok...I start giving bass lessons in July. I'll write 'em off! hahaha

[bluewhale]

...I say this because I was employed by the company as a kid to coil up bulk strings and within a few minutes of doing so, my hands were black, as if I had been handling graphite. Other strings then and to this day only do this to a limited extent.

I experienced this with the original B string on a Spector Euro5LX, a five string that is manufactured in the Czech Republic. Maybe it was strung there too - don't know. I kept that set on for quite a while, but the blackening continued like day one.

[Wiker]

Mm.. Don’t know if samples will be of any help in judging these strings agains other makes. It’s so different to play the strings yourself than listen to my lousy playing, but ok.
Here are some quick samples I made so I could do side-by-side listening myself.
7.4K neck toaster on both basses, tone all down, played with a 5mm pick.
http://soundcloud.com/wiker64/sets/optima-vs-maxima
The recording "Maxima" is the old Maxima 4440 on a 4001V63,
and recording "Optima" is the new Optima 4099 on a ’79 4001.
The other two recordings are both with Maxima on my 4001V63. "test Maxima E-string" have the Maxima E-String, but "test Optima E-string" have the Optima E-string. I wanted to hear how the two E-strings sounded on the same bass.

Btw: On the back of the Optima package it say "6-kant-stahl". I don’t read German, but I guess it means hex core.

Btw 2: Just outside my home town, Tromsø in North Norway, was were Tirpitz sank during the war. It ended up as nails and stuff.

[mikko]

Sounds pretty much the same to my ears. Optima has a little bit brighter tone, but they might change when you play them more(?) If I understood right, Maximas have already seen some playing and Optimas are brand new?

[jamespaul71]

They are close but not identical, the optima has a different outer wrap feel to it (probably SS?) and the strings feel a bit tighter/higher tension. I haven't ripped the optimas apart yet but before they are strung up they have a very similar feel and look. I'd wager the core and outer wrap are different but the rest of it is identical. The most important part is that it seems that they managed to duplicate the inner weave pretty well, which is most of the sound, so its certainly a very nice string sharing many of the characteristics of the old strings. If they produced this with a few minor adjustments it would be an awesome string.

[coolingitdown]

After listening to all the clips through my cell phone speaker (yeah, I know, not the best way. It's a top of the line phone, at least), the 2 sets sound remarkably alike! By no means identical, but pretty close! Now I just need to find $70 at the end of one of these months. Or get a set of Fender 9050CL's (heck, that even requires $30; more than I can spare!)

[glking14]

Would these new Optimas be low enough tension for my 1971 4001 , I currently have RS88s on it and I don't really like them very much. If these aren't low enough in tension what would the forumites recommend.

[jps]

If these aren't low enough in tension what would the forumites recommend.

Wet Noodles.jpg

[glking14]

good suggestion,but a bit sticky for action

[Wiker]

Sounds pretty much the same to my ears. Optima has a little bit brighter tone, but they might change when you play them more(?) If I understood right, Maximas have already seen some playing and Optimas are brand new?

My Maximas haven’t had much, but a little playing yes. Put them on only a month (or was is two?) ago, and played 10 minutes now and then. Differences might also come from the two different basses. When previously I had identical strings on both basses they sounded a little bit different (old wood vs. newer wood, different necks and truss rods).

They are close but not identical, the optima has a different outer wrap feel to it (probably SS?) and the strings feel a bit tighter/higher tension. I haven't ripped the optimas apart yet but before they are strung up they have a very similar feel and look. I'd wager the core and outer wrap are different but the rest of it is identical. The most important part is that it seems that they managed to duplicate the inner weave pretty well, which is most of the sound, so its certainly a very nice string sharing many of the characteristics of the old strings. If they produced this with a few minor adjustments it would be an awesome string.

Hm.. To me they feel the same, and have the same acoustic sound from the metal. Says "chromnickel" on the package so I guess they are nickel, not steel.

Regarding tension, Optimas and Maximas feel quite similar to me, but I’m not very good judging tension. The E-string on both is a bit floppy.

I’m actually a Pyramids man myself, and I’m a going back and forth with myself about putting the Pyramids back on. The thing I like the most with Maximas is the strong and powerfull, well defined E-string (even though it’s very floppy). The Optima E sounds similar, but a bit duller and not so strong. I don’t think this comes through very well when listening to the recordings, but played through a bass amp it’s obvious. On the other hand, searching the forum there are reports from people not liking the Maximas due to muffled or dead E-strings. Maybe I was luck with the E in the set of Maximas I got, and unlucky with the E in the Optima set.