Ball Ends too small?

[LzeroKI]

So my buddy has a Fender P-Bass Deluxe (P-J bass with the gold pickgaurd) from the 90's, and when he rencently tried to change strings from whatever are on there now to some GHS's the ball ends were too small and the string just went right through the hole in the bridge, I gave him a few of my old strings to try just to see if they would work.

D'addrios, Rotosounds, Some different GHS's, and whatever kind of string ships on ESP's; not a single one had large enough ball ends to stay on the bridge.

Is this a common problem? The strings on his bass are near 3 years old and desperatly need to be replaced, but he doesnt have the cash to just buy strings untill he finds ones that fit...

[Shoewreck]

A set of washers will solve the problem.

[LzeroKI]

ah good point, the tension wouldn't be too much to mangle the washers?

[The BurgerMeister]

it should be ok with the washers... or get some fender strings. logically, they should work. fender wouldn't make a string that popped right out of one of their own bass's bridges!

or would they?