Bass Emporium Newsletter - June 2009
Ed Friedland's
Bass Emporium Lesson #9: The Major Pentatonic Scale
by Ed Friedland
When it comes to bass tone production, there is an old saying: "It's all in the hands." I'm not suggesting that instruments and amplifiers have nothing to do with your tone, but have you ever noticed how a great player can make anything sound good? But, what is the first thing even the most skilled hands have to deal with when they play bass? Strings.
A set of strings is the least expensive way to change the fundamental character of your instrument. However, at $25 a pop (roughly), a set of bass strings is not exactly cheap, and understanding how different types affect your sound can help you make the right choice. This month, I'm taking a look at the DR Strings product line.
Some Personal Background
DR has been around since 1989, and to my memory was the first "boutique" bass string on the market. When they arrived, there was a lot of buzz about how long they lasted, how pure the fundamental was, etc. So naturally, I checked them out even though they cost around $25 a set—much more than other strings at that time. I distinctly remember getting a bad string in one set (...this was 1989 folks), and feeling a bit miffed, I called the company directly. Now, in 1989, I was not "The Bass Whisperer", I had not written for any bass magazines, and had not published any books. I was just your typical freelance bassist in Boston, making a living. When I called DR, I didn't know what to expect, but next thing I knew I was talking to Mark Dronge, the founder of DR Strings! He listened to my complaint with genuine concern, asked me some questions, and sent me a new set of strings. Their level of customer service made a big impression on me, and many years later, I can say that the folks at DR are just as concerned with product quality and consistency as ever. And I can also say—in the past 20 years, I've never had another bad string from DR.
String Categories
Before I get into the testing procedure and results, here are some facts about the different categories of string that DR offers—keep in mind that much of this information applies to all bass strings in general.
Core Wire
All electric bass strings start with a core wire of high-carbon steel, either hexagonal or round. The hex core "bites in" to the wrap wire creating a tighter bond. All things being equal, a hex core string will have a tighter feel with less string excursion, allowing you to set your action lower with out buzz (hence the name "LoRider"). Round core wire has total contact with the wrap wire, and creates a string with greater mass. They tend to produce more depth and brilliance (hence the name "Hi-Beams"), and have a looser feel—allowing you to have higher action with less tension.
Wrap Wire
The wrap layer is what you feel under your hands, and has a significant effect on the tone and performance of a string. Stainless steel and nickel-plated steel are the two different wrap wires that DR uses, (with the exception of the Rare Acoustic phosphor bronze set and the Jonas Hellborg Nickel Alloys). Stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, so the strings typically sound fresh longer, and have a brighter tone than nickel. It is a harder material and so it may contribute to more fret wear if you have an aggressive left hand. Stainless strings have more edge and somewhat of a natural mid-scoop that makes them big favorites for slappers and hard rockers.
Nickel-plated steel strings are not as bright as stainless, but have greater magnetic properties that make them functionally louder. They have a more pronounced midrange that makes them excellent for finger and pickstyle playing (they slap great too, but with more bark), and because they oxidize, will "warm up" faster than stainless.
Wrap Variants
The two most popular types of wrap layers are roundwound and flatwound. DR makes one set of flats, the excellent Highbeam Flats, and the rest of their line consists of roundwound strings. Rounds were developed in the 1960's by Rotosound, and are what most players are familiar with—their aggressive attack and piano-like clarity helped bring the electric bass to the forefront, and sparked new developments in bass amp technology. The well-articulated attack of roundwounds is great for slapping, tapping, hard rock, jazz soloing (Jaco used them on fretless in spite of the potential for fingerboard wear), and any style where you want the bass to take a front row seat.
Flatwounds were the original electric bass string, taking their design from upright bass strings that were designed for bowing. Flats have a warm, full tone that is well suited to old school R&B, blues, country, jazz, reggae, or any style where big, fat, creamy bass is desirable. Flats tend to have less sustain than rounds, and less high end. With a pick, they give you a nice clean attack without the scraping associated with rounds, and for the left hand—they virtually eliminate string noise from position shifts.
Some More DR Facts
DR is known as "The Handmade String", but before you conjure up images of elves sitting around making strings with their tiny hands, realize that there are indeed machines involved in the process. Winding machines hold and spin the core wire while the elves control winding speed and tension as they apply the wrap wire. This is a very specialized process that can take months of training.
DR Strings (with the exception of "Flat Beams") are made without the silk wrap on the end. Their construction design allows them to fit on basses from standard 34" scale to 37.75" scale. If you play a 35" scale 5-string that strings through the body, DRs will definitely fit.
DR makes 4, 5 and 6-string sets in most of their models. The default 5 and 6-string sets include a non-tapered B string, meaning the full thickness of the wrap goes over the bridge saddle. Tapered B strings (where a thinner layer of the wrap goes over the bridge) are also available by special order or as singles.
The Lineup
DR makes 11 different types of bass string, and when you stand at the counter of the Bass Emporium looking past John, Chuck or Kyle at "The Wall Of Strings," making a choice can be pretty confusing. For this review, I'm focusing on 7 different types: Nickel Lo-Riders, Stainless Lo-Riders, High Beams, Fat Beams, Sunbeams, Extra-Life Coated (Black Beauties) and High Beams Flats (I like to call them "Flat Beams"). The ones left out were: Rare Acoustics, phosphor bronze strings intended for acoustic bass guitars; Long Necks, a taper core string; Jonas Hellborg signatures, a nickel alloy string; and Bootzillas a hex-core coated string.
The Test
I put a set of each of the above mentioned strings (gauged 45-65-85-105) on my recently purchased Fender Road Worn Jazz bass—a classic passive, 60's-style J that is sonically familiar to most of you. I recorded the samples direct into Protools through a passive Radial Engineering ProDI using an Analysis Plus Bass Oval cable. No additional eq or compression was used for these samples—you are hearing the raw tone of the bass. A drum loop from Toon Track's EZ Drummer was chosen to give the samples some context. Each type of string was recorded fingerstyle, slap and pickstyle—with each style using the same pattern to make comparison easier. I deliberately chose to play simple lines that would not distract you from listening to the tone quality of the string.
To get the most mileage from these tests, I varied my right hand approach to create different attacks: For the fingerstyle examples, I started each sample by playing longer note values with the right hand positioned between the neck pickup and the fingerboard. The second half of the sample, I moved my right hand down to the bridge pickup and played shorter notes with more emphasis (we call that "staccato" in music land).
The slap examples were fairly consistent through out, I tried to avoid getting too flashy, and played a mix of long tones and short articulations.
The pickstyle examples begin with my right hand picking between the neck pickup and the fingerboard with the string wide open. For the second half of the sample, I brought my picking down to the bridge and used the classic palm-mute technique.
I recommend you listen to these samples with a nice pair of headphones—unless you have your computer hooked up to a decent pair of monitors.
The Samples
Nickel Lo-Riders
I started with Nickel Lo-Riders. The hex core does indeed create more tension on the neck and I had to tighten my truss rod a bit to get the feel right for my taste. When I play hex core strings, I tend to use a lighter gauge 40-100 set, so I found the 45s to be a little more of a challenge to adapt to when I tried to play anything technical—so keep that in mind if I sound like I suck. The fingerstyle tone exhibits a smooth low end, well-pronounced low mid focus, and a moderate top end. When playing close to the bridge, the string gives plenty of punch and warmth. The slap tone has a raw edge—not your classic silky Marcus Miller vibe, but the mids give the bass an authoritative bark. While this may not represent an ideal "studio slap" tone for some folks, slapping this string in a live context will get you heard and keep the attack strong. Played with a pick, this string really jumps to the forefront. The mid focus and stiffer feel contribute to a pick tone that has plenty of bottom, strong punch and controlled highs without string rattle.
Listen to:DR NMH-45 Nickel Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR NMH-45 Nickel Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR NMH-45 Nickel Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Stainless Lo-Riders
The stainless version of the Lo-Riders had similar string tension, I left my truss rod adjustment the same as it was for the nickels. Immediately, I felt a different texture under the hand—the stainless wrap felt a little more "grabby" to my fingers, but my past experience with this string reminded me that after a few hours of playing (or one slice of pizza) that quality goes away. Compared to it's nickel counterpart, the stainless LoRider has a more pronounced low end, in part due to the scoop in the midrange response—a quality that is very obvious from the first notes of the fingerstyle sample. Down by the bridge, you can hear more overtones in the high register, which means more cutting power in a crowded mix. The slap tone is more in line with my preference, the natural mid-scoop accentuates the bottom, and the highs are more present. Again, for my taste, I think the 40-100 set might have given me my ideal string tension for slap, but I survived. Comparing the pickstyle samples of the stainless and nickel sets, I definitely hear the nickel as being louder. The stainless is a little more polite here, but certainly has more zing, and that translates into increased attack and more cut.
Listen to:DR MH-45 Stainless Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR MH-45 Stainless Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR MH-45 Stainless Lo-Rider (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Sunbeams
This nickel round-core string exhibits many of the same tonal characteristics of its hex-core counterpart. Round bottom, pronounced low-mids, smooth top end, and a smooth feel under the hand. The difference in string tension allowed me to loosen my truss rod a bit. The fingerstyle tone was warm and full, less aggressive than the Lo-Riders. The slap tone was very much inline with the nickel Lo-Riders with in-yo-face mids and a crunchy top end. The looser feel made it more inviting for my left hand to instinctively add some embellishments. The pickstyle tone seemed to have more bottom than the LoRider—I could attribute that to the increased string excursion created by the round core.
Listen to:DR NMR-45 Sunbeam (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR NMR-45 Sunbeam (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR NMR-45 Sunbeam (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Hi-Beams
The DR stainless version of the round core string has the full bottom, mid scoop and extended top end of the hex core counterpart, but with a looser feel that makes for less work in both hands (unless you like higher action). The fingerstyle tone is big and round, with nice detail in the top. Slapping with Hi-Beams gives you the studio-ready tone that bassists crave. The low-end thump is accentuated by the string's mid scoop, the highs are crystal-like, the feel is supple and techniques like sliding and bending are a breeze. The pickstyle sample exhibits some string "pepper" which is a nice way to say rattle. I personally like a little of this in my sound, it adds some zip, and the detailed highs make it sound musical. The round core once again gives this string a perceived increase in volume over the stainless hex core—I guess it's safe to say that is IS louder. I recorded these samples at the same levels, so there you have it.
Listen to:DR MR-45 Hi-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR MR-45 Hi-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR MR-45 Hi-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Fat Beams
Fat Beams are also known as the "Marcus" string, named after famed bass pioneer Marcus Miller. They are constructed with the same materials as the Hi-Beams, but at Miller's request, they are wound at half speed. DR has long claimed that this process gives the string more bottom, and while I have been using them for many years on my '74 Fender Jazz (my designated Marcus bass), I can't say I've ever noticed the difference. I have always liked them because they are Hi-Beams, so I never felt it was a point either way. However, while conducting these tests, I had the opportunity to record one set right after the other and listen to them under the "microscope," and lo and behold—they DO have more bottom. What at first sounded like marketing hype became reality once I compared them side-by-side. Hear for yourself—no compression, no eq, just raw bass—headphones are suggested.
The fingerstyle tone has all the good stuff the Hi-Beams offer, but the low end is pumped. It's not that they are louder down there, but the low end extends out to a wider range, more cush for the tush you might say.
Slapping on the Fat Beams provides that extra ounce of low end that sometimes gets lost with this technique. The supple feel of the round core makes them respond nicely to the thumb slap, and the pop is not as harsh as with hex cores. To my ears, the slap sample seems to have slightly less high end than the Hi-Beams, something I could attribute to the masking effect of the wider low spectrum. On an active bass (like... a mid-70's Jazz perhaps?) these strings have all the high end you could ever want, and if you dig Marcus... well, this is what he plays. Pickstyle was the same deal, increased low frequency over the Hi-Beams with the same detailed highs and controlled mids.
Listen to:DR MM-45 Fat-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR MM-45 Fat-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR MM-45 Fat-Beam (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Extra Life Black Beauties
Undoubtedly the biggest surprise for me was how much I loved these strings. From the minute I put them on the Jazz, I was knocked out with the tone and the feel. These are coated strings, and unlike other manufacturers implementation of this idea, the wrap wire gets coated before winding it on the core. These are not strings dipped in goop that kills sustain and shreds after a few weeks of playing. Worth mentioning: Extra Life strings are also made in a rainbow of colors, including Peacock Blue, Hot Pink, Silver Stars, Evergreen, and Red Devils—so you can get freaky if you wanna.
The coating gives the string a slick feel, and definitely decreases the string noise that comes with position shifting. The main purpose for the coating of course is to make the string last longer, sealing the wrap wire from moisture and grease, thus extending their freshness zone. I will confirm that claim as I took the Black Beauties out on two gigs before recording these samples, the second of which I ate a greasy hamburger on the break and went up to play immediately without washing my hands (something my momma always warned me against). But the viscous slime of animal fat, ketchup, and pickles rolled off like water off a duck's back—next time I'll try some Texas barbeque!
The Extra Life strings have a round core and start with a stainless wrap wire, so tension-wise they were on par with the Hi-Beams and Fat Beams. Fingerstyle, they exhibit a huge rounded bottom—even more pronounced than the Fat Beams, but with less mid-scoop. The coating may taper the high-end zing a bit, but the overall effect is a balanced tone that seems well-suited for any type of playing. Slapping the Beauties also confirmed the presence of more mids than the Hi-Beams or Fat Beams, and slightly less highs. This is more noticeable on a passive bass, but a preamp would bring them out. The strings are not dull sounding, just not as hyped in the high end as a non-coated string. Played with a pick, the Extra Life strings have big bottom, like the Fat Beams, but greater mid presence like the nickels. The high end is there for the attack, but a nice upper-mid grind also comes through, making me envision adding a little tube saturation for a killer rock tone.
Listen to:DR BKB-45 Black Beauty (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR BKB-45 Black Beauty (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR BKB-45 Black Beauty (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Hi-Beam Flats
Flatwounds in general have made a big comeback, and while DR was late in the game coming out with their own version, they took the time to get it right. Flatwounds are an entirely different animal, and frankly, not everyone can appreciate what they offer. During the '80s we saw the development of the super glassy, hi-fi bass tone. DR strings certainly added their contribution, as well as amp companies like Eden and SWR. The dark, thumpy flatwound string seemed useless until artists like Beck made retro bass tone cool again, in addition to the growing awareness of the work of Motown session bassist James Jamerson (with much thanks to Dr. Lick's seminal work Standing In The Shadows Of Motown).
Played fingerstyle, the Hi-Beam Flats have a well-balanced tone, rounded low, punchy mids and a hint of glass on top. Played up near the neck, the flats have a wide-open character, but digging in at the bridge, they get punchy and direct. The smooth wrap eliminates most string noise. Many flats suffer from lack of note definition on the E string, but not the DRs. Over time, the E does get thumpier, but for me—that is part of the whole old-school esthetic. Slapping on flats is an acquired taste, but consider that Larry Graham's earliest tracks like "Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" and "Hair" were recorded with flats. This slap sample goes sonically right back to the late '60s/early '70s when those tracks were recorded. The E string doesn't sustain as much as I might like with this technique, and while the round core does temper the flatwound's tendency to be a bit stiff—the feel is not my preference for this technique either. Still, if I wanted to capture the essence of early Larry Graham, I'd go for this setup (but on a '70s era Jazz). Pickstyle with flats is one of my favorite bass textures! Flats give you a woody click that rounds can't provide, and the DRs have enough high-end to bring that right to the front. The warm bottom supports this nicely and when muted, the strings really pump up the impact.
Listen to:DR FL-45 Flat Wound (.045-.105) Strings - Fingerstyle
Listen to:DR FL-45 Flat Wound (.045-.105) Strings - Pick
Listen to:DR FL-45 Flat Wound (.045-.105) Strings - Slap
Conclusions
This test was very eye opening for me, even though much of what I had already believed about DRs, and bass strings in general was confirmed. While I have used most of these strings at one time or another, the chance to put them on the same bass and examine the results closely was a very interesting process. I hope it proves to be as enlightening and useful to you as well.
Here is the condensed version of what I personally took away from these tests, in very general terms (your results may vary): Nickel strings would be my choice for finger and pickstyle, stainless for slapping, Nickel Lo-Riders for aggressive rock, round core for slap, Fat Beams for an active slap sound, Hi-Beams for a passive slap tone, Black Beauties for everything (they went back on the Jazz after all the testing was done!), and DR Flats for big, fat, rootsy bass tone (which is 90% of what I do here in Austin).
I can say without question that every single string of every set played sounded great on it's own terms. The integrity of the fundamental, the purity of articulation and the accuracy of the overtones and harmonics was consistently top notch throughout the entire range. And while many folks have a perception of DRs based on experience with one type of string, these tests confirmed for me that DR offers a wide tonal palette, with varying tensions, feels, and even colors. With the help of this information, I think you will find the DR string that matches your needs exactly.
Thanks to Tony Pinheiro at DR Strings for supplying the strings for the test, and to my Ryobi cordless drill and Dean Markley Turbo-Tune attachment for making the work of changing 28 strings on vintage Fender gears less torturous.
Ed Friedland is a renowned Bassist, Educator and Author. He has authored over 15 books and DVDs and has played with the likes of Joe Beck, Larry Coryell, Robben Ford, Paul Horn, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Bud Shank, Lew Tabackin & Michal Urbaniak to name just a few. Ed is also currently teaching at Bass Emporium in Austin, Texas. Check out the Ed Friedland website for full information about him at http://www.edfriedland.com/.
