| Reviewer
| Mike Hoekstra
|
| Experience
| 9
|
| Email
| mikeyh76@hotmail.com
|
| Review date
| September 23 2002
|
| Manufacturer
| Dean Markley
|
| Model
| Fretmaster
|
| Price
| $17.95
|
| Item owned for
| Less than 1 day
|
| |
|
| Gauge
| Light guage
|
| Material
| Nickel plated steel
|
| Length
| 34"
|
| Other
| Price was right
|
| |
|
I was looking for something new to try with my fretless. I like the sound
of roundwounds, but don't care for the amount of wear. The
Fretmasters give the best of both worlds to use a cliche. The strings are
roundwound over the pickups and burnished (ground wound) over the
fretboard area. Thus, a string that gives the
"mwah" of a flatwound, with the bright fullness of a round wound string. I used the light guage which is about a .042-.098. I've found that lighter guages give me more growl and "mwah" associated with fretless.
Overall I've found that I enjoy them. They have a
comfortable feel under my picking hand/fingers, they are flexible due to
their light guage, and I got the brightness I was looking for with the
growl. The only drawback I've found thus far is that my
fretting (or lack there of) hand fingers tend to want to stick to the
strings where they've been ground/burnished (even with Fast
Fret). Perhaps due to left over string residue, or just rough edges due
to the process. Time will tell if they smooth out or not.
| Sound
| 90% | 
|
| (I got pretty much what I wanted)
|
| Feel
| 85% |
|
| (that fretting hand thing. The stickyness of them is something to get used to |
| .)
|
| Life
| 100% |
|
| (Time will tell)
|
| Value
| 98% |
|
| ($17 for a set of bass strings, you can't sneeze at it.)
|
| Overall
| 85% |
|
| (They are brand new, and this is the first try. I'll write back after a longe |
| r period for a 'final review'.)
|
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