I bought a new Ibanez Artcore Bass. I wanted a short scale, hollow body bass, mostly for playing blues and I wanted something that had an "acoustic" sound. The Ibanez has all of that, but maybe it's a little thumpier than I'd like. The bass came with D'Addarios (forget which) and the finish is a little rough, too. I would appreciate your recommendations on other strings that I might like better.
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- Jul 28, 2006
- 9,020
- 4,895
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- Disclosures
- The Brains: FretNation.com
- Jul 28, 2006
- 9,020
- 4,895
- 4,901
- Disclosures
- The Brains: FretNation.com
This is interesting to me too - I've got a used Artcore 4-string on layaway at GC (will be available in two weeks).
OP, could you measure the tailpiece to nut distance? And while you have the tape measure out, I'd love to know the full length of the bass. Ibanez doesn't seem to have this info anywhere, go figure.
I'm kind of hoping the La Bella Beatle bass strings fit on the Artcore. If I'm looking for a jazzy/upright-ish tone, would (black?) tapes be better than flats?
OP, could you measure the tailpiece to nut distance? And while you have the tape measure out, I'd love to know the full length of the bass. Ibanez doesn't seem to have this info anywhere, go figure.
I'm kind of hoping the La Bella Beatle bass strings fit on the Artcore. If I'm looking for a jazzy/upright-ish tone, would (black?) tapes be better than flats?
I don't have a tape measure with me, but using a ruler the nut to tailpiece distance is about 33".
Could you also measure the distance from nut to E string tuning post? I suppose most Artcore users will be curious as to long-scale string options, and since some LS are probably going to be too long, an upper limit (and a brick-wall limit at that in case of very stiff strings that don't like being wrapped around even large tuning posts full-thickness) would also be nice to know.
I asked Ibanez about the string length and received the following response: "This bass has a 30.3" scale length with a little extra room behind the bridge, so a set of medium scale strings is recommended. These are usually about 34-35" long."
The question still remains, what strings will give a vintage tone, but less thump?
The question still remains, what strings will give a vintage tone, but less thump?
- Jul 28, 2006
- 9,020
- 4,895
- 4,901
- Disclosures
- The Brains: FretNation.com
Yes, medium scale strings are probably the ticket. And, from the pictures on Ibanez's website - yeah, those are D'Addarios. Probably the roundwound EL170s, which most new basses that come with D'Ad's get stuck with. If they are, and you consider the bass "a little thumpier than I'd like" with those strings? I don't know what you do need; but I know what you don't need; and, that's flat- or tape-wounds of any kind. They will definitely make it waaay more thumpy, not less. I'd think a set of the brightest, medium scale strings around would be the ticket - but I have no idea what to recommend. Those are exactly the kind of strings I avoid like the plague. For that kind of bass, I like thumpy - and the thumpier, the better. Which is why all but one of mine wear flats or heavy tapes. One of my violin basses has some old, cheap rounds on it, and even that one is pretty darn thumpy. These basses are supposed to be that way...
I have the AFB 200 hollow body and I thought it was too thumpy until we recorded a rehearsal. That thump was dead on with the mix of acoustic guitars in the band unless I played with a pick. Then there was a metallic buzz. I'm thinking of tape wounds for the next strings for picking
I finally got my semi-hollow Artcore. It is soooo pretty (NBD thread coming up). The winding length is about 33 1/3 (the bass does not rotate though ;-). I got it used, it may even have the factory strings still on. They are D'Addarios anyhow.
Now string shopping at BSO. Tapes most likely, but which, that is the question. Descriptions of the Labella white coppers sound interesting, have to see if I can find sound clips.
Yeah, it is a jungle out there, at least for me with my two month bass experience. I ended up with Labella flats, the white coppers were not in stock in medium scale.
As I asked @jonro above, could you also measure the distance from nut to tuning post? Just too know if at least some long-scale strings also fit; to have the maximum as well as the minimum requirement, if you will.
I have an AGB200, medium scale strings are what you likely want, and I know for a fact that the "Beatle-bass" strings will be a perfect fit — I have a set of Pyramid flats on mine designed for the Hofner. (The ball ends are a little small on the Pyramids and will slip through the tailpiece with a a little tension, but an easy enough fix with a small washer or some ball ends from an old set of strings.)
-Alex
Thanks. So 36" tops, which is too little for probably any long-scale string out there to fit, but not so far from 36-1/2, which is the length of some of them, that one couldn't thread one such (E) string through a half-inch spacer of some kind, if s/he were so inclined... Ugly (for such a thing to stick out of the tailpiece) but functional.
Just do as GC (I assume) did stringing my ABG200 and cut the strings to fit and wrap them around the poles. Oh and don't bother putting the tailpiece end into those grooves either, the strings will bend just nicely. On second thought, please don't, you probably value your instrument.
I didn't even realize the stringing job before I brought the bass home. I coulda shoulda shaken them down for new strings at least.
I, uh, would make a perfect GC employee I'm afraid. Total slob... Don't worry though, I tend to cling to my ill-loved instruments, and am not active on TB as a seller... ^^'