Does your Warwick always want new strings ???

joekickass

joekickass

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Hi Guy,

The Taiwanese come again.

My first Warwick bass is Thumb NT 5, she likes new strings so bad, if I don't give her new strings, the slapping tone will sound like a US150 bass, my friend said his Corvette is the same, but I think the his Corvette is better on this, sometime I went to instrument store to try amp, my Thumb get kick often, it is really embarrassing, especially the other bass is Ibanze..... or China made bass(about US150 for one).

The first time I found that my Thumb bass sounds great in slapping was one time I went to a instrument store to buy a set new strings, there is a bassist playing a Tobias Basic 5, it is very beautiful bass, he want to hear the sound of my Warwick Thumb 5, but I said it will let you down, I just changed the bartolini pickup to EMG because there is no slapping on my Thumb 5, but didn't put new string after changed pickup, the EMG sounds better but still sucks, after strings changed, the slapping tone of my Thumb 5 is so heavy and Q with a lot of attack!! the beautiful Tobias suddenly became not so beautiful, there is a lot of different after the strings change on my Thumb bass 5, then I forgot the feeling often and thought my bass sound poor.

Is that happen to your Thumb bass or other Warwick bass?? the old strings seem work fine on the other bass like Fender, they sound the same after strings change, who care?? (joking)
 
I don't play a lot of slap bass but when i do its so much better with new strings on. My Streamer (IMHO) doesnt sound very good with old strings. I have to put new strings on regularly. I think that the Thumb needs good strings to get that sound that slappers crave. So if you play lots then be prepared to buy lots of strings. I let my strings get old because I dont need the new strings for slapping but its always better with new ones. :D
 
man I've tried a Thumb BO with a 3 years old DR highbeams set and man the slap tone was great. Maybe, you just need to tweak the electronics and the amp a bit to get a slap tone that will please your ears.
 
I just cant stand the "piano tone" of brand new strings! Especially slapping! I need old strings to do my thing. If I dont break a string I change them every one year or more if they dont loose completely there sound hehe.

Oh and the last 7-8 years I use Warwick "black label" exclusively. :)
 
New strings will benefit any bass,even the $150 jobs.
 
I like wore out strings if theyre good quality...
 
There is one more thing...IMHO the BO basses are more suited for slapping & stuff, beacuse they have a qucker response when you pop / slap the strings... The NT basses are more deep & fat in sound, best for a good support for the other instruments in the band, kind of groovy style. I compared a Corvette STD Bubinga Custom (BO) -, a FNA Jazzman LTD(BO) and a Streamer Stage II (NT). The FNA seemed to me the fastest in response(ovankol neck - swamp ash body), then the Corvette (35' wenge neck - bubinga body). Still, the sound of SSII kicks the ass of the other two (maybe is a matter of taste) :D
 
My Foderas sound consistent from the second they go on, and for about 2-3 months afterwards.

So growly and natural...
 
Try out some EMP's Joe,they sound like new for many months.
 
thumperton said:
Try out some EMP's Joe,they sound like new for many months.
Click to expand...

Greg,
I asked somewhere before but may have missed it. Is the coating like DR blacks or Elixers? I like DR non coateds. If I could find a coated string like those that would be great...
 
EMP's are more like BB's than Elixirs by a long shot. You can't really feel the coating like Elixirs. ~M~
 
jay said:
thumperton said:
Try out some EMP's Joe,they sound like new for many months.
Click to expand...

Greg,
I asked somewhere before but may have missed it. Is the coating like DR blacks or Elixers? I like DR non coateds. If I could find a coated string like those that would be great...
Click to expand...

The coating on Elixers is a kind of shrink wrapped tube over the string protecting it from dirt & wear etc.Some like them,some say it kills the string & leaves horrible residue behind as it wears.
EMP's are different,they're soaked in a super secret process that coats the string on a molecular level giving the feel of a non coated string.To me,they're just like Black Labels that last a long time.
If you like steel strings with a rough feel to them that sound almost piano like,you might like the EMP's.
 
Is EMP a name of brand for bass string? I like stainless string, I use DR due to the long life, I use Warwick's(red label)due to the slapping response, DR is expensive in the market so I use Warwick red label, they are much cheaper if I have to change it often, except that I really like Black label.

I don't understand the wound and coating of the bass string, they don't sound great until they sound great.......Taiwan importer sometime(maybe usually) import old-new string due to the lower cost, they just sounds different and short life, you guys are lucky to live in East!! :D

I also have question between neckthru and bolt on Warwick bass, Warwick told me that BO bass bring more punch and better to slapping style, so I bought a BO 6 sting Thumb, she sounds great and different with Thumb NT 5, she came with new stings and I asked for a other new set of string and the WWW.BASSNW.COM give me Warwick Blue label(thanks alot), the first time I play BO Warwick and realized that Taiwan sell old-new stings.

The new string getting old very fast on my Thumb NT, after 3 weeks, I don't feel like slapping................now I put DR on it and haven't change it for 3 years..OMG
 
joekickass said:
Is EMP a name of brand for bass string? I like stainless string, I use DR due to the long life, I use Warwick's(red label)due to the slapping response, DR is expensive in the market so I use Warwick red label, they are much cheaper if I have to change it often, except that I really like Black label.
Click to expand...

EMP = Enhanced Molecular Protection. They're Warwick strings. EMP strings are roughly twice as expensive as Black Label strings, but they last much much longer than Black Label strings. I'd say check them out. :D
 
Dead strings always sound crappy when slapping (IMHO). Good way to check if the strings need changing though :lol:
 
I always use new strings, for any style of playing. If you don't like the bright sound of a new set, you can always try some flatwounds, etc. Old strings have bad sustain, and intonation.

I heard some reggae players were keeping their strings for years on their basses for that sound :-)
 
Florin said:
I always use new strings, for any style of playing. If you don't like the bright sound of a new set, you can always try some flatwounds, etc.
Click to expand...

Or try leaving them out in the rain for a couple of days :lol:

Knocking off some highs too usually helps.
 
I used some Elixirs on my Corvette, they feel good but a bit too... "sliding". I like the feel of the EMP's. They sound great, they last long and they're easy to play. Not harsh like Black Labels.
 
Indianerdaniel said:
Dead strings always sound crappy when slapping (IMHO). Good way to check if the strings need changing though :lol:
Click to expand...

Man, I play with old DR on my bass and you can be sure that my slap tone is good. It depends of your definition of ''Dead''
 
Yeah, my DR Hi-Beams last months
It takes about 2 weeks, for new ones to break-in.
But when they're dead, they're dead,
for me strings last about 10-12 weeks
 
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