Bass Scale & String Choices:

IMHO, I believe that the "right set" might depend on what you want. some people say one thing, others may have a different opinion on what is right for them. Bottom line is what you think is right for you.
 
WavMixer said:
IMHO, I believe that the "right set" might depend on what you want. some people say one thing, others may have a different opinion on what is right for them. Bottom line is what you think is right for you.
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What I meant is, what scale length string is right for this bass.....
 
Long scale means 34 inches... Normal Fender bass scale, developed in the fifties
by ol' Leo in consultation with real musicians. Nothing works better. That's what your Ibanez is IMHO.
The right choice IMHO.

I don't like Flat Wound bass strings, so I'm going to recommend Rotosound "Swing Bass" Roundwound
strings, developed in consultation with John Entwhistle way back when, and unsurpassed to this day.
I use gauge 45-105 with no problems and great tone. These are uncompromisingly excellent.
Expensive but worth it. All the tone you can deal with, and more.

Next choice, more readily available (and a lot less expensive), would be D'Addario EXL 165 TP Nickel wound...
I get these in packs of two sets when they go onsale... usually two sets for about $25. Hard to beat.
For me, they last a long time and sound great. Round wound strings give great sound, lots of deep bass
tones but also plenty of highs and overtones.

I love the tone of round wound strings on my fretted basses. And I would love to use round wounds on my
fretless, but am afraid the strings might chew up my lovely rosewood fretboard.

I hate the tone of flat wound bass strings, but recognize their advantage on a fretless bass.
So I compromise. I'm good at compromises, which is why I've had a long career.
An excellent compromise for me is D'Addarrio ENR 71 bass strings: Long scale (34") gauge 45-105
Semi-Flat wound (or ground round as we bassists call them)

These would be a fine choice for someone who loves the sound of flat wound bass strings but wants
a little more character and more overtones and more sustain than a simple thump. And for someone who
plays hard enough to chew his finger ends into bloody rags, the Semi Flat-wound strings might do
less harm than the round wound strings I favor.

Hope this answers your questions.
 
I use the Rotosound Steve Harris signature set, 50-110, in C standard tuning on a 34" scale. I'd say it's on the verge of being too slack in terms of string tension. On the other hand for E standard they are too tight. I don't know how Harris puts up with them. For D standard they would be pretty nice. I will say also that with a standard Jazz style headstock you use every bit of the string length on the high string. Lose any off the end and it won't tension up. This is due to the long headstock.

For E standard I would recommend a lighter set, e.g., 45-105 Rotosounds. If you look on eBay you should be able to get them a bit cheaper.

Rotos seem to be brighter than other flats, at least the Harris ones are. Apparently the Roto Jazz strings are all the same materials, so I expect that his holds for the others in that range.

This guy uses too much reverb for it to be a good demo though.

 
Just measure from nut to bridge saddles and you'll find your scale length. Or nut to fret 12 and double it. Most string sets say what scale length of instrument they suit. 34" is long scale, and the most common scale length, 35-36" is extra long, 32-33" is medium and 30" and under is short scale.

Gahr said:
Can someone enlighten me as to what the tonal differences between flat- and round wound bass strings are?
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Flatwounds sound a bit like completely dead roundwounds. They're smooth, deep and thumpy. They don't have any zing and very little brightness. They feel like a slippery eel under the fingers and they totally eliminate any finger or fret noise. They're also higher tension than rounds, so you may need to go down a string gauge or tune to Eb or D to get the same feel. If you like vintage Motown thump then give them a go. If you like a crisp rock sound then maybe they're not for you, but as Dave says above, Steve Harris of Iron Maiden used flats.
 
Gahr said:
Can someone enlighten me as to what the tonal differences between flat- and round wound bass strings are?
Click to expand...

Flat wound strings were made for players who prefer a "thump" kind of bass sound, as far as I can tell.
Or for players who dislike the sound of fingers sliding up a round wound string... zzzzoooooot!
Round wound strings are for those of us who prefer more sustain and more highlights and overtones
in the sound. And they deliver.

When I bought my first Fender Bass, I immediately changed the strings to black tape wound strings
because I admired the sound of jazz bassists who played acoustic and wanted to see if a Fender Jazz Bass
would aid me in making that sound, but with frets as well. This was long before any internet communication was possible, so in those days if you wanted information, you read a magazine, and then went down to the music store and bought a set of strings ($$$$$$)
and tried them out. So I studied what (biased) articles I could find, and made a decision and gambled the price of a set of bass strings.

I was disappointed. I didn't care for the thump and the lack of sustain. It's funny, I love the look of the
Gibson SG bass, but never liked the sound. I didn't realize that the lack of sustain in an early Gibson bass
was due to the foam pads attached to the bridge, to cut sustain on purpose. A player could just remove that
stuff and free their strings to vibrate longer. I don't think anyone puts foam pads in their Gibson basses any
more, so the last one I played had plenty of punch and sustain. ...with round wound strings.

I don't pretend to be anything but biased in my preference for round wound strings. You can get zing from the string, but so what...
you can also get a melodic and musical bass line that sounds nothing like an acoustic bass. I became so enchanted
by the tone and feel of my Fender Jazz Bass that I forgot about trying to sound like anyone but myself. And I've
never looked back.

I've diddled with upright basses enough to know that the sound they make is their own, and there's no substitute
for it. Whosoever makes a pedal that can model that sound for a guy who only owns a Squier Precision will become
very rich, I predict. *grins

Fretless electric has a sound all its own also... I believe there's a place in the world
of music for all of these alternatives. You pays yer money an' you takes yer choice.
 
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On mute blocks, Carol Kaye has always used one. Now you can get a device called a Bass Mute that sticks on with double-sided tape and will allow you to do that with the flick of a lever. Personally on my Squier I am wary of adding any more weight for something I wouldn't use very much.



Or if you aren't worried about adjusting on the fly just use a suitable piece of foam

 
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Right now, I'm looking into the D'addario Half Rounds....seems like a good compromise.

I'm not a true bassist by trade. Its always been more of a fill-in thing, based on a need. But, I'm not one to turn down a retainer and percentage :-)
 
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