Piccilo bass for octave string for 8/ 12 string bass

[Tiny Tim]

Hi
Can anyone tell me if piccilo bass strings are just long guitar string? Or are they wound with different materials or process. I would like a little bit deeper tone out of the octave strings on a 12 string bass and am wondering if they might work for this.
Thanks in advance. Tim

[Taylor Livingston]

I suppose that depends on what you mean by "just long guitar strings". That's pretty much what bass strings are.

Piccolo strings are extremely light-gauged bass strings, meant to be tuned much higher than regular bass (usually an octave higher, but that's not carved in stone). D'Addarios for instance are

G .020
D .032
A .042
E .052

This is roughly the same as the octave strings on an 8- or 12-string bass. If you want deeper octave strings, just get thicker gauges, nickelwounds.

juststrings.com is a good place for strings, and they have several 12-string sets. Also, try 12stringbass.com.

[Fretless12ver]

Hey there Tiny Tim- You might give S.I.T. strings for 12-string bass a try. I switched to them on all of my 12's a few months ago. Significantly warmer tone. I had been using .020's for the high-octave G strings but switched to .018's when I went to the SIT's. The EMG pickups on my Hamer can have a nasty edge but the SIT's really smoothed out the top end.

I have a new website devoted to the 12-string bass at www.12stringbass.NET. There is an extensive section there about 12ver strings, including my review of the SIT's and some places where you can get various brands of strings.