Does string gauge effect tone?

[CollinR]

So I think I know the answer to this but I want to make sure I was on the right track. Will two identical strings have a different tone if there different gauges? This question came about because I have two guitars, a schecter stilleto 4 string and a warwick rockbass 5 string. Both have ernie ball strings on them but the schecter's E is gauged at 110 while my rockbass E is a 100. I really like the 5 string alot but I favor the tone on my schecter more. It just sounds alot tighter. My rockbass has a great boomy sound to it but when I play my faster riffs the notes run together alot more than on my schecter. I really like my notes to be shorter so when I do play faster its easier to hear the definition between notes. I just dont know if this is due to the guitar or the strings. I'm thinking the strings but I just want to check. I also have been contimplating changing to chromes because they have that dead sound too them that seems to cut through so well in the mix. Everybody on hear raves about them but I have no personal experience. My main gripe with rounds is they sound phenominal but as soon as you add a guitar and cymbols to the mix all that lovely cool brightness gets lost and I feel like all I'm left with is a middle low sound that runs together because my strings ring out too long? Is this an accurate assumption? I just want to make sure thes flats will be right before I go and spend $50 for a new set.

[WardEarth]

I've never tried the chromes, but will have to sometime soon. As for your sound, I would say that the bass has a bigger effect than the string. Think of all the things involved. The pickups are probably different, the build of the bass, and the materials used. Maybe you just like the schecter. Keep trying different strings. Lately I've been trying semi-flatwound strings, the middle ground between round and flat.
As for cutting through the mix, maybe you just need to tweak you amp or get something beefier.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by CollinR

Will two identical strings have a different tone if there different gauges?

Notfornuttin' but they aren't identical if they're two different gauges.

IME, gauge makes a difference.

[s_mcsleazy]

Originally Posted by mongo2

Notfornuttin' but they aren't identical if they're two different gauges.

IME, gauge makes a difference.

i agree

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by CollinR

Does string gauge effect tone?

Yup! It does.

You said you want your notes to be "shorter". Do you mean that you want to eliminate sustain from your notes?

Or do you mean that you want your notes to sound sharper with more "punch"?

Either way, you can control a lot of that with your fingers. String gauge contributes to your tone but I'm not sure of what you're specifically thinking of or trying to do.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by mongo2

Notfornuttin' but they aren't identical if they're two different gauges...

He means that all other things are equal (brand, winding, etc.)

[TwinBass]

It's tough to compare on two different basses. Sometime, try buying two completely different gauges (like 40-95 and 50-110) from the same brand and string up one set and record yourself. Then string up the other set, and without changing any settings on your bass or amp, record yourself again. Listen to the recordings side by side and decide for yourself. Maybe even write down some notes and observations regarding how they feel, especially when switching styles. You may find that one gauge has better tone for pick or finger style, but they are not the tone you like for slapping. You might also decide that you are willing to sacrifice a slight tone improvement for more comfortable playing experience.

IME, string gauge DOES affect tone; but, in finding the tone that fits you the best, only you can make the decision about the right one for you.

[BillMason]

String gauge absolutely affects tone!

[CollinR]

I'm looking for less sustain I believe. It just seems that I lose alot of definition on the smaller strings because the notes ring out slightly longer. The definition is great when playing solo because the brightness of the rounds really shows but in the mix you lose that brightness so its just muddy mids and lows.

[uncle Bob]

Heres the skinny on the original question.
Without learning how to make a string, here we go.
Two strings....Even the same diameter will be different even in construction.
Figure how many ways you can get to , lets say 100....If you change the core, the whole set is different...If you have only one winding on the string, that matters. If you have more than one winding (like here at LaBella) there is another change..That said, now you must look at the materials. There are many different values of wire. On sets made on high speed machines, the tendancy is to use soft wire...on the legitimate hand made, HANDMADE not in just words but actually by hand, you will find sets more responsive. Much of this is due to the skill of the craftsmen and the materials they use. In winding strings a hard tempre wire will burn up at a high speed. For that reason many makers using automatic winders prefer a softer tempre wire, as it is easier to handle.
So, much like bakeing, its the ingredients that govern the outcome...Less than the best in your materials, less than the best in skill, all the lesses will yield a string, but not the better one.

[mongo2]

Originally Posted by totallyfrozen

He means that all other things are equal (brand, winding, etc.)

Are the windings identical? Since they're different gauges something has to be different. The core perhaps. I guess it depends on the manufacturer.

[ryansalmond]

Uncle Bob, I enjoyed your response, but it did not answer the question.

[FunkMetalBass]

Your strings will sound different, but it wont be huge. The difference you're hearing is undoubtedly because you're comparing TWO DIFFERENT BASSES.

[Zitch]

Effect...no....Affect...maybe

[knuckle_head]

FWIW, uncle Bob is spot on.

Generally - all other things being the same except gauge - a thicker gauge will be at higher tension at the same pitch which will invite more harmonic content, will be less susceptible to pitch dive on ring out, and will sustain longer. BUT ......

The thicker the string is the more the winds inhibit upper transients.

Gauge does affect tone. Equally, so does tension. Especially if the differences are minor.

[SnakeKappele]

It's just like a drumhead - thinner = more harmonics and thicker = fewer harmonics (bringing out more fundamental). Thin = easy to start and stop & thick = harder to start and stop.

Drummers control the sound by muffling the drumheads to varying degrees (tape, foam, gels, multi-ply heads that dampen due to the friction between the heads, etc...).

If you want to control your sustain and bring out more fundamentals, put a piece or foam under your strings at the bridge. The original Fender P Basses had bridge covers with foam in them. James Jamerson's classic Motown sound came from a P Bass with foam in the bridge cover. If you want to have more flexibility you might want to check out a BassMute; I got one for my fretless Fender Jaguar and love it. It lets you control how much muting you use with the flip of a lever!

Why do round wound strings have more "life" than flat wounds? The core wire is wrapped by a round wire and just a small point touches ()()()()() {high tech graphics for the cross section of wrapping wire} so the string moves more freely and will have more harmonics. A flat wound string has a core wire wrapped with a ribbon of wire and the square edges touch forming a more solid cover to the core |||||||||| restricting harmonics which makes the fundamental more pronounced.

Just for the record: I use LaBella 760M flat wounds on all my basses (except my 35" scale 5 string) and I play mainly fretless.

[CollinR]

Yea it may be the basses. But the 5 string in question is being loaned to me with intent to purchase if I like it. The main reason I'm asking is to save on expenses of restringing this thing at the cost of fifty bucks if th difference is the guitar. Because if I can't get it to sound the way I'd like there is no point in getting it even if It is a steal of a deal.

[CollinR]

I have another question too. I have heard flats have a higher tension than rounds. Is this the case?

[okcrum]

Originally Posted by CollinR

I have another question too. I have heard flats have a higher tension than rounds. Is this the case?

I hate to give another fuzzy answer, but here goes.

Some flats have higher tension than some rounds of the same gauge.

I know, I'm really not wimping out, the only reliable data I can give you is that Fender 9050 SS flats have a higher tension than 7250 or 8250 nickel rounds of the same nominal size. As above, winding type, tightness, and the like may vary even between two "identical" sets.

[cassius987]

I always find the extra mass and tension of a bigger string from a series of the same make of strings sounds warmer while losing some of the "crunch" from the bassist's attack.