Gibson Mona-Steel Strings

[uwe]

Here's a set from the sixties up for auction in Germany, flat wound and short scale.

http://cgi.ebay.de/Satz-GIBSON-flatwound-Bass-Saiten-60-er-Jahren-/190450585393?pt=Gitarren&hash=item2c57bd4f31








I'm posting this because I found the gauges interesting, the seller states:

1. G Nr. 0051 0,044 inch
2. D Nr. 0052 0,057 inch
3. A Nr. 0053 0,075 inch
4. E Nr. 0054 0,107 inch

The difference between a very heavy E and comparatively light A is quite remarkable. I had no idea. Does indicate that volume and feel of E string compared to the others was seen as an issue to be compensated even then.

[Dave W]

At least that manufacturer thought so. Or whoever at Gibson did the specs for the strings.

Hard to say in general b/c back then some brands didn't put the sizes on the package, just the string name on each individual envelope.

[uwe]

I've bidded for them just for the heck of it. I can always put them behind glass and look at them.  Warwick probably made them. 

[eb2]

There is no denying that vintage case candy is a fun and guilty pleasure.  I have been holding onto a vintage Guild polish cloth for 30 odd years.  For when I find my nice old Starfire bass.  Back when they were $150-200 I was picky.

[uwe]

I think the metal should by now be very nicely dried out so that they'll sound better ... There is nothing like NTTPD.*



















*non-tarnishing tone-power-durability ...

[Stjofön Big]

Once upon a time, dear friends, I bought a strange pick in a music shop. It was made in green felt. Never seen one before, nor after. Keep in a drawer, never to be used... Will probably be thrown away the day I split.
Might have been at the same time, somewhere in the mid or late 60's, that another strange item fell into my thumbs. It's a pick in thick plastic, to be put on the thumb, like a guitar pickers pick. But waaay bigger!
Does this sound familiar to anyone? (Sound of feets dragged in snow - don't worry, it's just to visualize the sound of the felt pick)

[Pilgrim]

Hey, I happen to like using a felt pick! 

[Highlander]

I knew a guitarist that used those felt pics - thought what was the point, but it produced very soft muted sounds...

[Dave W]

Warwick probably made them.  

The Warwick company can time travel? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott! And they don't even make their own strings in the present!


And I thought the inherent impossbility of my statement made it humorous ...   Uwe      

There is no denying that vintage case candy is a fun and guilty pleasure.  I have been holding onto a vintage Guild polish cloth for 30 odd years.  For when I find my nice old Starfire bass.  Back when they were $150-200 I was picky.

I have one new string left from a Gretsch guitar string set I bought in 1960. I should use it so my tone will be 1/6 vintage.

I also have the two thumbpicks that were in the case when I bought the EB-0L. Those are probably only 35-40 years old.

[Highlander]

The Warwick company can time travel? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott! And they don't even make their own strings in the present!

You are forgetting that with time travel perfected they may be producing them in the future and just popped back to top up their stock levels...

[birdie]

If I recall (questionable) felt picks were for bass..Whwn i was a kid my first bass (69 LP all40 lbs of it) it ahd those strings. I remember loving them!

[dadagoboi]

Once upon a time, dear friends, I bought a strange pick in a music shop. It was made in green felt. Never seen one before, nor after. Keep in a drawer, never to be used... Will probably be thrown away the day I split.
Might have been at the same time, somewhere in the mid or late 60's, that another strange item fell into my thumbs. It's a pick in thick plastic, to be put on the thumb, like a guitar pickers pick. But waaay bigger!
Does this sound familiar to anyone? (Sound of feets dragged in snow - don't worry, it's just to visualize the sound of the felt pick)

The first bass pick I ever had was one of those green felt ones, had to be 1962. Very quickly ditched it.

[Hornisse]

I had a longscale set that I sold a while back.  They were NOS.  I had them on my G-3 when I bought it back in '77.  Very smooth string.  I kept them after changing to GHS Brite Flats and put them on my old Newport Deluxe before I sold it.  I can't recall the gauges but they did have orange silk on them.

[Dave W]

I always thought felt picks were for ukuleles. Never heard of them being used for bass until reading about it on a bass forum.

[dadagoboi]

I always thought felt picks were for ukuleles. Never heard of them being used for bass until reading about it on a bass forum.

Just seemed like something to try at the time.  Never had much use for a pick ever since.