Pyramid Strings on 4003

[Graze]

Hi

I've heard alot about pyramid strings on 4001/3.
What's their charachteristics?
Are there different types?
I'm using Rotosound flats, much better than rounds, but they're still
too ringy for my liking.

Any input gladly recieved

Graze
London UK

(4003S FG...very yummy!!)

[D. Rusnak]

There was discussion here last year about the high tension of Pyramid
flats.
I had to take them off of my older 4001 because of the high tension.
They do seem to have a higher tension than most other flats.
I haven't heard much about Pyramid rounds, however.

Post by Graze
Hi
I've heard alot about pyramid strings on 4001/3.
What's their charachteristics?
Are there different types?
I'm using Rotosound flats, much better than rounds, but they're still
too ringy for my liking.
Any input gladly recieved
Graze
London UK
(4003S FG...very yummy!!)

[HKC]

Which flats are you using on your 4001 now. I use 40-105 roundwounded
Swingbass on mine at the moment but I like the flatwounded sound as well and
would like to change from time to time (I do an awful lot of recording). I
have tried the Picato strings but the tension was too high, I also used the
Thomastic 43-100 strings but I have very little tension a I would probably
have to adjust the 4001 everytime which would be too much trouble since I
don't find the 4001 trussrod system to be particularly user friendly.
If I had only realised how much I like the Ric earlier I would have bought 2
of them but they are so ridiculously expensive these days and I am such a
cheapskate.

[Scott McDaniel]

Post by HKC
Which flats are you using on your 4001 now. I use 40-105 roundwounded
Swingbass on mine at the moment but I like the flatwounded sound as well
and would like to change from time to time (I do an awful lot of
recording). I have tried the Picato strings but the tension was too high,
I also used the Thomastic 43-100 strings but I have very little tension a
I would probably have to adjust the 4001 everytime which would be too much
trouble since I don't find the 4001 trussrod system to be particularly
user friendly.

*WARNING* SEVERE UNDERSTATEMENT ALERT *WARNING*
I agree.

Post by HKC
If I had only realised how much I like the Ric earlier I would have bought
2 of them but they are so ridiculously expensive these days and I am such
a cheapskate.

At least you haven't fallen in love with Warrior or Elrik basses...

[D. Rusnak]

Hi there, Denmark? Wow!
Logically, if one can't make up their mind, one bass with flats and one
with rounds is the way to go. BUT, I keep going back to the RotoSound
RoundWound Swing 66 105s as the true "workhorse" set of strings. After
10 years of using them I find it hard to break away. I've stated here
before that Pyramid flats on my Hofner had a great tone but I moved back
to rounds. I think one's hearing gets use to a certain tone, your
playing gets use to a certain feel and it's hard to change after years.
Everyone's hearing and taste vary and I believe that everyone's "brain"
hearing should improve over time.
The string debate can get insane. Like other players have said here
before, if you want more of a flatwound thud, just dampen the roundwound
strings with your wrist and tear at them with a pick. I think the
rounds open you up to much more of a variety of tones, sustain and a
more in tune note. I use them on a Hofner bass also and this is really
evident there.
And, of course, the amp, the speakers, the player, pick or fingers, also
go into the tone mix. ;^)

Post by HKC
Which flats are you using on your 4001 now. I use 40-105 roundwounded
Swingbass on mine at the moment but I like the flatwounded sound as well and
would like to change from time to time (I do an awful lot of recording). I
have tried the Picato strings but the tension was too high, I also used the
Thomastic 43-100 strings but I have very little tension a I would probably
have to adjust the 4001 everytime which would be too much trouble since I
don't find the 4001 trussrod system to be particularly user friendly.
If I had only realised how much I like the Ric earlier I would have bought 2
of them but they are so ridiculously expensive these days and I am such a
cheapskate.

[Scott McDaniel]

Post by D. Rusnak
Hi there, Denmark? Wow!

Pan Loaf, Bah?

Post by D. Rusnak
The string debate can get insane.

Luckily we're not into that kind of debate.
Just a very interesting discussion of strings. Very friendly.

Thanks for your input D.

[HKC]

I was more wondering if anybody had an experience with flatwounded strings
that had a similar tension to roundwounded Swing Bass 45-105, maybe the
45-105 Roto flatwounded. I doesn't have to be exactly the same because
obviously you can get a decent action by adjusting the string height but so
far I have only found string that are way too much or way too little
(Picato, flat and halfround/Thomastik) and I have bass-strings all over the
place that are more or less useless (well I have Fender Jazz which is a bit
more forgiving neckwise).

[Winston Smith]

In the 70's I used Labella Flat Wound strings on my 4003. They had great
tone and were easy to play. Back then, the E string was an issue for bass
players. Many brands had a dead E string right out of the box. Labella and
RotoSound were two of the exceptions. Things have improved a great deal
since those days.

Post by HKC
I was more wondering if anybody had an experience with flatwounded strings
that had a similar tension to roundwounded Swing Bass 45-105, maybe the
45-105 Roto flatwounded. I doesn't have to be exactly the same because
obviously you can get a decent action by adjusting the string height but so
far I have only found string that are way too much or way too little
(Picato, flat and halfround/Thomastik) and I have bass-strings all over the
place that are more or less useless (well I have Fender Jazz which is a bit
more forgiving neckwise).

[HKC]

In the 70's I used Labella Flat Wound strings on my 4003!!!!

Are you sure it was a 4003 in the 70's.
Anyway if it was then it's a whole different deal because the 4003 doesn't
have the neck issues that the 4001 has. I did try out a 4003 recently but I
just like the 4001 better, or rather I think the 4001 is much closer to what
I define as a that certain Rickenbacker sound but of course that's just my
opinion.
I mainly use the 4001 for it's crispness which just can't be driven out of a
Fender Jazz or Precision and it's ability to sit in the mix so for me
there's no point in buying a Ric that's more fenderish.
The 4001 is my favourite bass but I do a lot of session work and many people
just insists on the Fenders but that's their loss.

[Scott McDaniel]

Post by HKC
In the 70's I used Labella Flat Wound strings on my 4003!!!!
The 4001 is my favourite bass but I do a lot of session work and many
people just insists on the Fenders but that's their loss.

I know exactly what you mean. I'll show up for a gig with one of my RICs and
people roll their eyes.
Then I just dial it in to a P-bass sound, if that's what they want.
At that point they're always saying things like, "Wow! I didn't know a RIC
could sound like that."
To which I reply, "Fuck you, give me my pay you twats."

Ahhh, so many memories...

[Winston Smith]

OK, I must plead ignorance here. Here's a description. It was a black,
Rick bass with checkerboard binding, probably a 1960's vintage. It has two
input jacks, mono and stereo. I don't believe it was stamped Rick-O- Sound
like the more modern ones. I had triangle fret markers. It had a very
thin, fast neck and it played like a Les Paul. The guitarists I jammed with
were always impressed. 4001 or 4003, I really can't be sure. Perhaps you
can enlighten me. To add to it's mystique, the case had a Miles Davis Show
backstage pass sticker on it. I wish it could have talked. I'm sure there
were some good stories in that axe.

I know it was a fine piece and I loved it very much. I traded a pre-CBS
1962 P-Bass to get it, but that's another story I played it until I
literally wore it out and eventually traded it off on another instrument.
I've always regretted that. I'm not exactly Rickhead, although I currently
own a 1940's Bakelite lapsteel, which BTW spells the name of the guitar as
Rickenbacher (Adolph's original spelling) on the headstock. I really like
Rickenbackers and I plan to expand my collection to include a few more of
them.

Post by HKC
In the 70's I used Labella Flat Wound strings on my 4003!!!!
Are you sure it was a 4003 in the 70's.
Anyway if it was then it's a whole different deal because the 4003 doesn't
have the neck issues that the 4001 has. I did try out a 4003 recently but
I just like the 4001 better, or rather I think the 4001 is much closer to
what I define as a that certain Rickenbacker sound but of course that's
just my opinion.
I mainly use the 4001 for it's crispness which just can't be driven out of
a Fender Jazz or Precision and it's ability to sit in the mix so for me
there's no point in buying a Ric that's more fenderish.
The 4001 is my favourite bass but I do a lot of session work and many
people just insists on the Fenders but that's their loss.

[D. Rusnak]

In the early 1980s I tried Rickenbacker flats twice on my 1970 4001 and
damn it if that E string wasn't dead out of the red box! Good old flat
wounds!

Post by Winston Smith
In the 70's I used Labella Flat Wound strings on my 4003. They had great
tone and were easy to play. Back then, the E string was an issue for bass
players. Many brands had a dead E string right out of the box. Labella and
RotoSound were two of the exceptions. Things have improved a great deal
since those days.

Post by HKC
I was more wondering if anybody had an experience with flatwounded strings
that had a similar tension to roundwounded Swing Bass 45-105, maybe the
45-105 Roto flatwounded. I doesn't have to be exactly the same because
obviously you can get a decent action by adjusting the string height but so
far I have only found string that are way too much or way too little
(Picato, flat and halfround/Thomastik) and I have bass-strings all over the
place that are more or less useless (well I have Fender Jazz which is a bit
more forgiving neckwise).

[HKC]

Swingbass 45-105 of course, sorry.