GHS Pressure Wound string lengths!

[pj_paul]

I would interested if someone with experience of GHS Pressure Wound string could indicate what scale length you would need to purchase in order to fit these strings onto a standard long scale bass (34”) with a ‘P’ bass type string arrangement. To be precise a Yamaha Attitude II. Anyway , I was about to restring with the pressure wounds but noticed before fitting that the fatter part of the “E” string would be wrapped around the tuning post which I believe is not correct and could lead to the breakage of the inner core wire. The information on GHS’s website details the string length for long scale as 38”, this is from the ball end to the silk. This would probably be OK if you have through the body type string arrangement but seems to be too long for a regular through the bridge stringing . if you went for the medium scale length of 34” ball end to silk then these would be way to short. Generally I always use Rotosound strings which are an exact fit being 37” ball end to silk. I wish I’d checked spec on the pressure wound a bit more before buying two sets! As I have no use for these strings, I will probably sell them on ebay? If anyone is interested they are ML7200’s In closing, i did contact GHS on this issue but didn't receive a reply.

[Timmay on bass]

GHS Electric Bass 4 String Pressurewound 34" Scale, .044 - .106, M7200

These are the strings I use on my 34" scale Fender Bullet Deluxe. The E-string winding wraps partway around the post, but I've had it on the bass for almost a year with no problems. I have also used these strings on my G&L basses. I don't know if your Attitude bass has the larger Fender like tuning posts or the smaller ones?

[pj_paul]

I've measured the tuning posts at 14mm using a vernier so they are quite large. As you have not had any problems maybe I'll try them out as apart from the length issue I've only seen good reviews on these strings.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Unfortunately the string information on GHS's website is inaccurate.

They are only 36.5" wining length, their standard "Long Scale" strings.

The only "Pressure Wound" type string that has a 38" winding length are Ken Smith Compressors. These also happen to be made of a Nickel-Iron alloy simliar to the GHS Pressure Wounds.

SIT Silencers are Nickel Plated Steel with the same type of string design however these have a 37.25" winding

Rotosound does make a Pressure Wound string they call Solobass 55's. They are Stainless Steel and I need to double check the measurement on them but I believe they are 37" ball to silk like Rotos standard longs.

So yeah, unfortunately GHS has the wrong info on their site on these... If you look at the packaging of the pressure wounds, the paper sleeves say "Progressives" and have the Pressure Wound part numbers stamped on them.

[pj_paul]

Just checked the string length, ball end to silk and it is just under 38". If you check the information via the following link, Bass String Length Data the stated correct length should be 36.5" which I reckon would absolutely perfect for a standard 34" scale length. It's a shame that not all string manufactures adhere to this length. It also details that the winding and transition should not be wound around the tuner.

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Getting into details may not apply to all of the strings out there though... Some strings are more flexible to where the full winding can go around tuning posts without problems, however some strings are not nearly as flexible and will simply break if going around the tuning post.

On the subject of GHS, their Boomer strings, most B&M stores only stock the "Long Plus" 38" winding strings since they are documented to work on instruments 34" - 36" in scale. On a 34" instrument the windings will go around the post but those are also flexible enough to do so without a problem. However GHS does make boomers in Long Scale only and there are many resellers who sell them (but those are not the big name B&M stores) most of the time.

Some sets come with G D A strings that are 38" winding while the E and B strings will have a 36.5" winding...

This is the case in some Flatwound sets where the only difference between a 34" long scale set and a 35/36" extra long set is the B string winding.