Ashbory Bass Forum

I just put a set of Pahoehoes on my Ashbory, and I can report that they are terrific.  I've had my Ashbory for about 3 years now, and never played out with it until last night.  Before putting the polyurethanes on, I had 3 problems with the bass: strings, strings, strings.  In addition to the well-documented squeakiness and brittle G string, I also never really cared for the sound of the silicons - I would characterize it as soft and flabby, with way too many overtones.  In contrast, the polyurethanes have a focused tone and a nice, clean attack.

As far as the installation goes, I'll have to disagree with Wiley a bit on this one.  Having paid almost $28 for strings and shipping, I was hesitant to start cutting them up, so I just went ahead and put them on as is.  I found that the termination (including that little red O-ring) will fit under the bridge just fine (even on the E.)  And at the pegs, I simply pulled the strings out good and tight - to within about 3 steps of the target note - and tucked them under.  If you do this, you will need to be careful to keep the string winding off the bottom of the peg - if it's up too high you won't get the proper downward pressure on the bridge, and the open strings won't resonate properly.

That's about it.  If you've wondered about the Pahoehoes, I can assure you that once you try them you'll never go back.

I've been reading through this thread and wondering about the durability of the polyurethane g-string? My stock g-string decided to snap on me not even one full day after I stretched them So I may pick up a set (or just a G if possible), mix strings, and post an update.