Heavier Guage = Deeper Bass?

[bobalu]

All things being equal - will moving to a heavier guage set of strings result in a deepr bass tone? Or is it just a matter of a different tension and feel?

FYI, 45-100 on a Stingray 4. Want to move to EB 50-105's.

Some sets just increase the guage on the A & E, leaving the G & D the same. Not much balance there, I would think.

I did a search here and didn't really find a straight up answer. Is it that hard a question?

[neurotictim]

IME, it's a totally subjective thing. I recently assembled a bass to be used for DGCF/CGCF tuning exclusively, but I don't think that going to heavier gauges really made my tone any "deeper" - just gave me the amount to tension I wanted in my strings.

FWIW, I went .115, .95, .75, and .55. Nice even tension, had to file the nut some to get it setup the way I like.

But to answer your question, no, I didn't notice a "deeper" tone from the heavy gauge vs. the standard 45-100 set that I started with. It sounded a lot clearer, but if you're going with the same tuning, I think your only really noticeable difference will be the slight increase in tension.

[rythmicillusion]

This is one of those questions where you are probably going to get more than one answer. In all seriousness, you could ask a physics genius, skilled luthier, studio engineer, seasoned session bassist, music store employee, etc, and get completely different answers.

In my experience with electric bass and electric guitar, switching to a slightly heavier gauge string set (same manufacturer/material) adds a tighter feel and more controlled sound. I can't say that I can comment on the "deeper bass" aspect, however.

[Andrew Jones]

You get more fundamental in the note.


Aj

[Ric5]

I find fatter strings make for a fuller more ballsy tone. Thinner strings make for a twangier sound.

[Kevinmach]

I come from a guitar background, and I can tell you there is way more to selecting bass strings than your average set of 6-strings... and much broader array of tones available with the bass as well.

Anyway, back to your question- with a guitar, yes the thicker strings will result in a more full sound- and I never thought about it exactly the way you described, but yes, I suppose you would call it "bassier", as opposed to the tinnier sound you get with a light gauge.

All things being equal, I can't imagine the physics change all that much from one instrument to the next, at least in terms of the what the gauge of the strings does.

[bassybill]

I think "deeper" is an ambiguous term, but it's always hard to describe tone. Certainly heavier strings sound different to lighter ones (all other variables being equal), and I think Aj above is right in saying that it's the balance of fundamental to harmonics that's different. Well, it would have to be, I suppose. After all that's what tone or timbre is at the most basic level - the relative amplitudes of all the different harmonics that make up a note.

Thinking about it a little more; apart from the different timbre, heavier strings are likely to have different attack and decay characteristics that affect the punchiness of a note's dynamics.

To put it on a personal level, I love the feel and ease of playing with lighter strings (say, 35-90 thou for a GDAE), but stick with the harder work standard gauges 45-105 because that's the sound I want hear from my bass.

[dreadheadbass]

i wouldnt say thicker strings equal "bassier" tone although tone is certainly effected
case in point i play heavy guage flats (50-110) not only are these very heavy but there also high tension too in theory i should have a very bassy sound yet my low D (yes i'm scum i play in drop D) isnt any lower or deeper sounding than any other lighter string

i think the difference in weight is the type of tone you get thin strings tend to give you a thinner sounding tone heavy strings make the notes sound more rounded and full

best bet is try for yourself

[knuckle_head]

Originally Posted by bobalu

All things being equal - will moving to a heavier guage set of strings result in a deepr bass tone? Or is it just a matter of a different tension and feel?

FYI, 45-100 on a Stingray 4. Want to move to EB 50-105's.

Some sets just increase the guage on the A & E, leaving the G & D the same. Not much balance there, I would think.

I did a search here and didn't really find a straight up answer. Is it that hard a question?

It isn't a hard question, but it is a somewhat complex one.

First is how much tension (ballpark) the three sets you suggest would actually have;

.045-41.9 .065-47.3 .080-40.5 .100-34.4

.050-49.0 .070-56.1 .085-44.9 .105-37.3

.045-41.9 .065-47.3 .085-44.9 .105-37.3

There are reasons that the low strings tend toward lower tension and it is primarily a reproduction/amplification thing. I can go into that if you want but won't at present.

IMO even the .105 isn't heavy enough. A .110 would have 44 pounds of pull and falls in line better certainly than the .100.

A balanced set will still get tighter as you go up, but you will ideally see a 2 to 3 pound difference in tension from one string to the next. More than a 5 pound spread from one string to the next starts to make strings sound as though they are from different sets, but you'd likely need a fairly critical listening environment to appreciate it.

50 pounds or greater is alot - not ungodly but alot. And most competent basses can handle it just fine. IME anything beyond 45 pounds becomes uncomfortable to play, but I am not the player I need/ought to be so....

Tonally more tension invites more overtones. You end up with a fuller sound more so than a deeper one.

[Wademeister63]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

You get more fundamental in the note.


Aj

I think Aj has it right. You're always going to have that fundamental note, but as you move to a stiffer string, and probably a more massive string as well, it won't be able to wiggle around as much and you'll hear less harmonics. As you probably know already, the fundamental is the full back and forth motion of the string. What you might think of as "jump-rope" motion. The harmonics you hear are the string wiggling around within that fundamental motion, kind of like when the jump-rope hits the ground and loses its smooth round shape. Your bass string loses its round shape because you pluck it near one end, imparting harmonics. If you pluck it closer to the middle you get less harmonics and you can hear the difference.

[knuckle_head]

Originally Posted by Wademeister63

I think Aj has it right. You're always going to have that fundamental note, but as you move to a stiffer string, and probably a more massive string as well, it won't be able to wiggle around as much and you'll hear less harmonics. As you probably know already, the fundamental is the full back and forth motion of the string. What you might think of as "jump-rope" motion. The harmonics you hear are the string wiggling around within that fundamental motion, kind of like when the jump-rope hits the ground and loses its smooth round shape. Your bass string loses its round shape because you pluck it near one end, imparting harmonics. If you pluck it closer to the middle you get less harmonics and you can hear the difference.

There is a difference between stiff and tight.

A stiff string will have fewer overtones - a tight, flexible string will have more overtones.

[bobalu]

You guy's rock!

I hadn't even thought about flats. That may be worth a try. I used the term "deeper" bass, and wasn't really thinking of all the nuance of that term. I do have a much clearer understanding now though, thank-you all.

[DavePlaysBass]

I find a 45-105 set to have more low mid punch than a set of 40-100. I find the lighter sets have a more vocal quality particular higher up the neck.

However, there are many factors that can more than swamp out the differences in string guage. I doubt that sitting in the audience, most bass players would be able to pin down the string gauge that the guy on stage is playing.

[bobalu]

Wademeister 63, that was a good explanation, thanks!

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by bobalu

All things being equal - will moving to a heavier guage set of strings result in a deepr bass tone? Or is it just a matter of a different tension and feel?

FYI, 45-100 on a Stingray 4. Want to move to EB 50-105's.

Some sets just increase the guage on the A & E, leaving the G & D the same. Not much balance there, I would think.

I did a search here and didn't really find a straight up answer. Is it that hard a question?

I've found heavier guage strings result in a significantly weaker attack on the note. This is most pronounced the closer you play to the bridge.
OTOH, you can get a better sounding note if your preference is plucking closer to the neck. The higher tension and mass of the string is probably responsible for that.

So heavy gauge are great for smoother tones for say blues bass, where the attack isn't so important but you want a good hefty note with lots of fundamental and sustain.
If you prefer an agressive, poppy sound (like I do), light guage strings plucked closer to the bridge are the ticket here. The lower tension seems to allow the harmonics to come out a lot more.

LS

[ibnzneksrul]

Like X Wolf, I went up a gauge from the LaBella 760FL to the 760FS set and to my ears they do sound deeper.