GHS M305 Stainless Steel Precision Flatwounds too long for my Precision?

[michaeln]

I just received a set of M3050 Precision Flatwound strings from Amazon. These are advertised as fitting 34" and 35" scale basses. My bass is a Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass, and it has a 34" scale (and I measured it to double check).

However, I stopped trying to fit these strings when I saw that with the ball end through the bridge (this is not through-body stringing, the balls butt up against the bottom of the bridge), I would have wind the unsilked portion of the string around the post
because the string is so long that the silked area starts about an inch past where the E string peg is. The heavy wound unsilked part would have to go around the peg.

Is this normal for these strings? The package and the inner envelopes are all marked as M3050 Medium (45-105). It looks to me like these would just barely work on a 35" scale bass.

[michaeln]

This is how the Fender strings fit (the ball end is through the bridge and up against it):



This is how the GHS string fits:



I just heard back from GHS support, and they say they don't have any flatwound strings suitable for a 34" scale Precision unless it has through-body stringing.

I am absolutely fumdounded! P-bass with the L bridge is about the lowest common denominator out there, the ORIGINAL electric bass that has been in production since before Noah forgot to NOT bring along those two mosquitos, and GHS doesn't have flats for it?

Amazing.

[BassLife77]

I had problems with strings being too long from several string companies. The only company that was willing to work with me was Rotosound. I sent them pics of the problem and they custom cut me a string from the lathe and sent it me, for free.

[RCCollins]

wrap it around a couple times

[michaeln]

Well that was very cool of Rotosound. GHS offered to swap this set for something else, but they don't make anything else I want. I had never used GHS strings in the past on any of my many basses, and I doubt I will look at them in the future. I bought the strings from Amazon, so back they go for a refund.

I really think it is deceptive advertising for GHS to say these fit 34" scale without mentioning that it will only work if you have through body stringing.

[michaeln]

I'm not sure what flats to get now. Years ago I tried the LaBella Jamerson set on my '62 Reissue and found they had too much tension and bowed the neck like crazy, even with trussrod adjustments. I liked the Thomastik Jazz Flats, but although they LOOK like flats they almost sound like roundwounds, and they are pretty darn expensive.

[JTE]

Must be a recent change. All my GHS flats (well, most of them are Lakland Joe Osborn flats) fit without any problem. In my experience there's no problem with winding the un-silked portion of the string around the tuning machine on a Precision with the large barrels. I wouldn't try it on something with the very small barrels like a Schaller M6 machine, but there shouldn't be any problem with your bass.

John

[Ron G]

I have GHS Precision Flatwound 3025's on both of my P basses the silk does not make a full turn on the peg for the E string.

[michaeln]

Thanks, but I think I will try something else. GHS support said:

"The M3050 set is wound to 38” from ball to silk taper 44” overall length. These will fit on a standard long scale bass 34” with string through body. We do not have a Flatwound string that is wound to 36 ½” for standard long scale. This would be the length wind you would need."

[Krucial]

Originally Posted by JTE

In my experience there's no problem with winding the un-silked portion of the string around the tuning machine on a Precision with the large barrels.
John

Yep, if you're carefull this will work.
I didn't like the GHS percisions at first, but they got better and better. They will probaly stay on this bass forever, cause I'm too afraid to break them.
I mostly use Chromes, they fit perfectly on a 34".

[Ron G]

Originally Posted by michaeln

Thanks, but I think I will try something else. GHS support said:

"The M3050 set is wound to 38” from ball to silk taper 44” overall length. These will fit on a standard long scale bass 34” with string through body. We do not have a Flatwound string that is wound to 36 ½” for standard long scale. This would be the length wind you would need."

I just got off the phone with GHS because of your post, what they said was you don't want too much of the string on the peg. My string does not make a full turn and the Tech said that was okay the problem is that the flatwound wrap can start to separate.

Before you give up on your strings check this out. (Look at the silk on the E string)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE5R3rUoU58

Plus they sound great!

[michaeln]

Well, thanks for staying on me about this. I decided based on several folks here having success with them to go ahead and try them. The E string is the only funky one, and it has about 1/2 of a turn of non-silked string around the post. The others have 1-2" of silk completely off the post (not wound). I wonder why the E is set up differently?

Anyway, I am delighted with the sound and feel of them, so I will leave them on. I think that as long as that E doesn't get completely removed and reinstalled multiple times the winding will be OK.

[Mikhail1]

A while back, I ordered a set of GHS Brite Flats and the E string was exactly as you said. I remember seeing on this site a post about this and how GHS has standardized on a longer string and were really not making a true 34" scale string as 35-36" scale string would work on a 34". I did exactly as you did, looks weird bit works fine.

[Ron G]

They are the best sounding flats I have tried. (Chromes, DR, Roto, La Bella)

[Root 5]

I think it's downright goofy and a bad business move for GHS to make flats that don't fit a top-load P-bass. And GHS flats are my favourite.