D string- .110 vs .115?

[domportera]

what do you think would be the best gauge? Looking to set up a 5 string in D standard tuning

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Well, depends on what you are used to for E standard.

.115 will feel like a 105, 110 will feel like a 100 roughly.

[rockstarbassist]

Your D string? Or you mean your E string tuned to D?

D standard on a 5'er is:
ADGCF

A .110 would be plenty for that. However (and I know this from experience ) pretty much nobody makes a "standard" 5 string set with a low .110. It's all .105 or .100 for the most part.
I have to piece together a heavy DR set + a separate .130 low B for my BTB and a custom Circle K set for my Spector. I tune ACGCF, btw.

Circle K Strings - Standard Balanced 5 Strings

The .142 or .150 set would be more than adequate.

[tylerwylie]

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

Your D string? Or you mean your E string tuned to D?

D standard on a 5'er is:
ADGCF

A .110 would be plenty for that. However (and I know this from experience ) pretty much nobody makes a "standard" 5 string set with a low .110. It's all .105 or .100 for the most part.
I have to piece together a heavy DR set + a separate .130 low B for my BTB and a custom Circle K set for my Spector. I tune ACGCF, btw.

Circle K Strings - Standard Balanced 5 Strings

The .142 or .150 set would be more than adequate.

That's A Standard depending on how you look at it.

D Standard on a 5 string could also be DGCFA#

[rockstarbassist]

Originally Posted by tylerwylie

That's A Standard depending on how you look at it.

D Standard on a 5 string could also be DGCFA#

Yeah if i were playing with wimmen, that would be a "cute" tuning to try...

[NewLaw83]

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

Yeah if i were playing with wimmen, that would be a "cute" tuning to try...

LOL!

I would also just remember that .110 stainless steel will feel close to a .115 nickel string.

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by NewLaw83

LOL!

I would also just remember that .110 stainless steel will feel close to a .115 nickel string.

What strings are you using? I've not experienced this with D'Addario ProSteels and the D'Addario Nickel XL's.

[knowles]

If this is for a 34"/35" scale bass, I'd personally go with the .112-.031 or .150-.045, depending on whether the lowest string is D or A, respectively.
Circle K knows what they're doing.

[knowles]

Although, I do tend to favour 40-100s over 45-105s...go a little thicker for more tension of course...

[NewLaw83]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

What strings are you using? I've not experienced this with D'Addario ProSteels and the D'Addario Nickel XL's.

I'm sorry I should have been more specific. I feel steels are "stiffer" than nickels, IME which seem to help when you tune down. I am currently using DR Lo-Riders stainless steel. They seem stiffer than other strings I have used that were nickel and same gauge, but I could also be crazy.

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by NewLaw83

I'm sorry I should have been more specific. I feel steels are "stiffer" than nickels, IME which seem to help when you tune down. I am currently using DR Lo-Riders stainless steel. They seem stiffer than other strings I have used that were nickel and same gauge, but I could also be crazy.

DR is an interesting company - many of their strings have round cores which tend to make them feel more flexible. A hex-cored steel string and a round-core nickel string very well could feel the same with a large enough difference in gauge.

[domportera]

Hey guys thanks for answering. The tuning I'll be wanting to achieve is DGCFA#
I like tension in my bottom string, but I don't want to damage the neck, do you think a .115 would damage it? (I'm looking at a 34")
Knowles, are Circle K's good? specifically for metal?

[SLaPiNFuNK]

It wont damage your neck because you are tuning it only to D. It will have near the same tension as a .105 E which is standard.

Tone of string will vary depending on the manufacture, winding type, and materials.

Personally I like stainless steel rounds for metal, but any brite string will do the trick.

The only thing that may be an issue is the nut. But this will vary on the instrument.

But actually since its on a five string no problem since the nut is most likely for a B string .125

[rockstarbassist]

Originally Posted by domportera

Hey guys thanks for answering. The tuning I'll be wanting to achieve is DGCFA#
I like tension in my bottom string, but I don't want to damage the neck, do you think a .115 would damage it? (I'm looking at a 34")
Knowles, are Circle K's good? specifically for metal?

A .115 is no thang at all. I have a low .158 on my NS-5 and it's caused 0 issues. Tuning up is where you can run into neck twisting/warping but this isn't what you're doing apparently so go for it.
And yes CK's are great and sound good for hard/heavy rock, but I have no idea what gauge to use as your high C string so you'd need to ask them sorry!

[FunkMetalBass]

Originally Posted by rockstarbassist

A .115 is no thang at all. I have a low .158 on my NS-5 and it's caused 0 issues. Tuning up is where you can run into neck twisting/warping but this isn't what you're doing apparently so go for it.
And yes CK's are great and sound good for hard/heavy rock, but I have no idea what gauge to use as your high C string so you'd need to ask them sorry!

The great thing about Circle K's site is that you can pick one string gauge that you like the feel of, and use their sets as a guide for string purchasing. For example, the .112 5-string set is a good indicator of the string gauges you should choose if you like a .115 D.

For DGCFBb with a .115 on the bottom, I'd go with a set that looks something like this:

.115 - .085 - .065 - .045 - .035

Circle K does make great strings and I have used them for years now with my metal bands. One recommendation I give for Circle K's is to always pick the gauge above what you think you need because they are so flexible. If you like the feel of a .115 D, get the .118 set.

[rockstarbassist]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

The great thing about Circle K's site is that you can pick one string gauge that you like the feel of, and use their sets as a guide for string purchasing. For example, the .112 5-string set is a good indicator of the string gauges you should choose if you like a .115 D.

For DGCFBb with a .115 on the bottom, I'd go with a set that looks something like this:

.115 - .085 - .065 - .045 - .035

Circle K does make great strings and I have used them for years now with my metal bands. One recommendation I give for Circle K's is to always pick the gauge above what you think you need because they are so flexible. If you like the feel of a .115 D, get the .118 set.

Yeah I would definitely recommend the .118 set for sure; just kinda clueless about the high C thing
I haven't even looked at a 6'er since probably mid '01!

[NewLaw83]

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

DR is an interesting company - many of their strings have round cores which tend to make them feel more flexible. A hex-cored steel string and a round-core nickel string very well could feel the same with a large enough difference in gauge.

Yeah I think the hex-core definitely makes a difference in that as well. It is my first set with hex-core.

[bunkaroo]

I have one of my 34" scale 5-strings tunded ADGCF, and I'm using the following gauges: 145-125-95-70-50.

I used the D'Addario tension chart to put this set together. It's got pretty good balance across the board.

I'm using the 125 for the D because I will drop it to C often, and the tension is still good at that tuning. The same could apply to OP's DGCFA# tuning, especially since the low string nut is cut to handle that size already.

If I was putting together a D'Addario XL set from the tension chart for DGCFA# I'd go 125-90-70-50-35 unless you have no desire to drop the low D to C in which case the 120 would work I think.

[ixlramp]

Originally Posted by domportera

The tuning I'll be wanting to achieve is DGCFA#
I like tension in my bottom string, but I don't want to damage the neck

D'Addario tension guide: http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf
You can use the tension charts for 'XL nickelplated roundwound' or 'prosteel roundwound' to approximate the tensions of other brands' roundwounds.
Use these charts to find what tension you prefer for a standard E, example 105 E = 40.3 pounds of tension.
Then use this value to choose gauges for DGCFBb that are close in tension, example for 40 pounds tension: 120 85/90 65 50 35. These charts have no values for sharp/flat notes but for Bb just take the average of A and B, it gets close.
Sets for DGCFBb are rare, Circle K Strings do them but otherwise build a set from single strings.

[knowles]

Originally Posted by domportera

Hey guys thanks for answering. The tuning I'll be wanting to achieve is DGCFA#
I like tension in my bottom string, but I don't want to damage the neck, do you think a .115 would damage it? (I'm looking at a 34")
Knowles, are Circle K's good? specifically for metal?

I use CKs for hard rock/metal & they sure sound good to me. They're a steel/nickel hybrid, so the tone is obviously somewhere in between the two, and the tone doesn't shift as dramatically with time. The key to cutting through is to, first of all, ignore what Fieldy says, play with the bridge pickup wide open & boost the mids a bit at 250 & more at about 600 or 700. If you play with some attack or use a pick, the top end will just show up.
I love the brightness of new steel strings but even in a band setting, the top end just sounds too harsh for me with the way I tend to dig in. If you listen to some Obscura, Death or old Mudvayne, you'll have no problem picking out the actual tone of the bass.
I second the hell out of the 35-118 set.