GHS Electric Bass Balanced Nickel

[WRGKMC]

GHS came out with a new style of strings that seems to be pretty good to me so I ordered a set.

 

Typical strings can have two wraps on the thin strings and 3 wraps on the thick strings in order to build up the gauges.

This can obviously make the strings feel different.

 

These strings have equal numbers of wraps on all 4 strings and they are balanced for tension.

Their site has a factory demo of the strings http://www.ghsstrings.com/products/1...lanced-nickels

 

[video=youtube_share;1XqK_tBOfeY]

 

 

I'll have to let you know how I make out. I needed a short scale set and have been using lighter gauges like 45~90

This set is 44 ~ 106 which is a but oddball but the ratio is actually what I used to use on that bass, light top heavier bottom.

I have my Hofner using 45~90 so I have that gauge covered and these on the solid body Gretsch should make that thing sound big an beefy.

 

I don't typically use Nickle wrapped strings, only Nickle coated steel. I had issues a couple of years ago finding guitar strings that would properly intonate.

Swapped brands 4 times and it was the same things with all of them where I had flat D and A strings. Switched to plated and plain steel and don't have the issue any more.

Bass strings tend to have far fewer issues with intonation but short scale basses can be a bitch to set up when things change drastically (just like a short scale guitar can be a bastard to intonate and tune)

 

I'll let you know how they sound. They only cost $23. If they are anywhere near as good as their regular strings I should be fine.

[WRGKMC]

Wow, I wasn't expecting them to sound or play as good as they do on a short scale. I'm able to get the kind of slap tones that guy was getting in the video on a short scale Gretsch using Humbuckers which is pretty amazing.

 

What's even better is the balanced feel or the strings all over the neck. I'm even able double notes and even full chords and it sounds good.

The strings are bright like D'Addario strings but have a higher output so you don't have to dig in so hard to get a solid sound. Its also the nickel which give them a boosted mid resonance right where its needed for finger tones.

 

I'll need to give these a try on my Precision basses. I measured them up and they look like they will fit on my Hofner too.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Wow, I wasn't expecting them to sound or play as good as they do on a short scale. I'm able to get the kind of slap tones that guy was getting in the video on a short scale Gretsch using Humbuckers which is pretty amazing.

 

What's even better is the balanced feel or the strings all over the neck. I'm even able double notes and even full chords and it sounds good.

The strings are bright like D'Addario strings but have a higher output so you don't have to dig in so hard to get a solid sound. Its also the nickel which give them a boosted mid resonance right where its needed for finger tones.

 

I'll need to give these a try on my Precision basses. I measured them up and they look like they will fit on my Hofner too.

 

Is the Gretsch a 30" scale bass?

 

How does the open low E string sound compared to the other strings? Good note definition? That's often a weak spot for short scale basses.

[WRGKMC]

To be honest I've only been able to find a few select sets of strings where the low E wasn't real flabby or the G and D strings weren't too stiff in comparison. One being Boomers which are pretty good and Labella. Others like D'Addario, DR, don't have the right Formula. Roto Sound used to make great short Scale strings which had a similar flex of the DR but they started using cheap imported steel and their string tone and durability went down the tubes. I got a week out of them until their tone turned to mud and wouldn't stay in tube. D-Addario have the stiff G and D syndrome, and the DR have cores that are too thin and therefore too flexible.

 

These GHS strings are a new ball game. I'm back to playing with my fingers and loving it. The feel reminds me of a 60's SG bass but the tone is allot like a Precision on steroids.

 

To be honest I thought the low E being 107 was going to have a fat feeling to it compared to the light gauges I been using. I like manipulate the strings, even bend them at times so even tension string to string has always been a pet peeve of mine ever since Roto Sound first started making round wound strings.

 

They got something right with this formula. You can take 2 or 3 strings and snap them off the frets (like you might for a musical break/accent) and you can hear them all evenly. Most other short scales either have the low strings or the high strings sound louder or sustain longer, or you have the low strings sound loud and beefy on the low frets but all the beef disappears by the time you get to the 12th fret. I was getting the same balanced tone from the last fret all the way down from the top even playing triads which is not something I had been able to do very well without EQing and compression.

 

I typically change strings while plugged into a small 15W Marshall with an 8" speaker where I'll stretch the strings and tweak the intonation. I did have to make the low strings longer to intonate them (which also why they likely got stiffer) Bass doesn't normally sound very good in a small guitar amp like that yet I was hearing very even tones. I even wound up leveling my pickups which were typically bass heavy humbuckers.

 

When I would up plugging into the DAW Direct to do a few recordings I knew why it sounded good even through a guitar amp.

Like I said, I hope these sound as good on my Hofner. I been using light flat wounds which have been pretty boring for tone. I haven't been able to find a set of rounds that meet my standards for that bass. I tried a couple sets of the original Hofner rounds which are imports. The tone is pretty good but they get allot of string buzz even with the string height very high. I determined they have tension issues and given the fact that a Hofner has limited adjustments and pretty much fixed saddle positions.

 

If the strings wind up working long term on my Gretsch I'll give them a shot on the Hofner. If they do work I can save on half the cost of the Labella Flats which were the best playing strings to date.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I think I'll stick with flats on my violin bass - I like the sound of flatwound strings on some songs, and they work great on that bass - but I may have to try a set of these on one of my other basses. Thanks for the detailed review!