Short Scale or Bronco Players - String Gauge for Squier Bronco ?

[guzzler]

Hello, I tried playing my Squier Bronco. I hated the strings that were on it. Red silks on the ends. I think they are what comes stock on the Bronco. I don't know the gauges of the strings. They felt too light and felt bad. The G kind of seemed like a guitar string. So I took those off and tried a set of D'Addario XL165's that I had - 45,65,85,105. I will need to tighten the truss rod nut. Hopefully it can go more. The E tuner feels like it has to work to get up to E. Maybe need to open the nut slots a bit. It seems more like a bass, and the E is better with the heavier strings, but is it too much for the Bronco? I use that gauge a lot on a standard Fender. I figured with the tension being less on shorter scale these might still feel sloppy. The strings I put on are long scale. I put them on as kind of a test to figure out what gauge would be good for the bronco. I have considered using flats or maybe tapewounds but was hoping to narrow down the gauge thing some before buying the 'wrong' gauge of flats. Will the strings being a longer scale affect the tension or perceived tension ?

Thank you

[ddawson2012]

I think the bigger issue is by putting long scale strings on a short scale bass, you may have some breakage issues, sooner than you'd want. The larger strings have more than one wrap and normally, the specs for a short scale bass along those inner wraps to fall in between the tuner and the nut, allowing the angle that rolls over the tuner to be pretty mild. With the larger wrap going over the tuning post, you get a pretty acute angle, which can cause the core of the string to snap pretty easily.

Tension shouldn't be too much of a concern as we also make a medium and short scale set that is heavier than the EXL165 (.045 - .105 - my favorite gauge). We make a EXL160 (.050 - .105) for short and medium so you should be fine. Having the string snap would be more of a worry from my standpoint.

[bassbully]

Try a set of SS chromes.

[Pilgrim]

The Chromes are fine strings, and you will be OK with them.

My favorites:

La Bella Electric Bass Guitar Deep Talkin' Bass Light Gauge Short Scale,
.043 - .104, Stainless Steel Flat Wound,
760FL-S

La Bella Electric Bass Guitar Deep Talkin' Bass Light Short Scale, .043 - .104, Stainless Steel Flat Wound, 760FL-S

These are the best traditional-sounding strings you can find for a short scale Bronco - that's what I'm playing.

[edt844]

Originally Posted by ddawson2012

I think the bigger issue is by putting long scale strings on a short scale bass, you may have some breakage issues, sooner than you'd want. The larger strings have more than one wrap and normally, the specs for a short scale bass along those inner wraps to fall in between the tuner and the nut, allowing the angle that rolls over the tuner to be pretty mild. With the larger wrap going over the tuning post, you get a pretty acute angle, which can cause the core of the string to snap pretty easily.

Tension shouldn't be too much of a concern as we also make a medium and short scale set that is heavier than the EXL165 (.045 - .105 - my favorite gauge). We make a EXL160 (.050 - .105) for short and medium so you should be fine. Having the string snap would be more of a worry from my standpoint.

Are these hex or round core strings?

Would this set fit on a 28.5" scale bass?

Ed S.

[guzzler]

I know the strings I put on were too long and they may break. just a test to see how the bass would be with heavier strings. But I was wondering would the tension be different between a Long Scale string on this bass as a Short or Medium Scale string on this bass. If they were both the same gauge and type of string. This currently has Long Scale Roundwound XL165. I know D'Addario has the chart. I think the same string on 2 different basses (long and short) would vary in tension because of the differing scale lengths of the basses, but what if you put a Long Scale string on the long bass and Short or Medium scale string on the shorter bass.

I have found flats of equal gauge to feel stiffer and maybe have more tension or perceived tension

[Roadkill]

I've never been happy with an "E" of less than 104 on a short scale. My "normal" roundwound set is 40-55-75-107 made up of GHS Bass Boomer singles (the 40 and 55 are long scale, the 75 and 107 short scale). I used to use XL's but they no longer sell the short scales as singles so no love for short scale players = no love for D'Addario .

One of my 28.5" scale Mikro's has 40-55-80-120 Zog's on it but they are only available through a rather hard to deal with individual . Awesome "E" though .

I have a set of 760FX-S LaBella flats coming which is a standard set of 39-56-77-96 plus a 109 to substitute for that "wimpy" 96 . The 104 would probably be fine but "anything worth doing is worth overdoing", eh ?

[bassbully]

How are tapewounds on a SS? I have never used them.

[Roadkill]

Originally Posted by bassbully

How are tapewounds on a SS? I have never used them.

I have RS88S tapewounds on one of my Mikro's . They have a unique "thumpy" sound but also have a surprising amount of high end (they are 44-96 roundwounds under the tape). I had to file out the nut a bit to accommodate their diameter (65-75-95-115) .

[tabdog]

My Bronco came with a set of 40-90 short scale strings.
They were too light.

The E string broke and I bought a set of GHS 45-95
round wound long scale strings. They are wonderful.

That made a bid difference. (hope they don't break)

I put a B&G Passive F pickup in it. It sounds awesome.



Wish I had some short scale in medium light. (45-95)

Tabdog

[Pilgrim]

My Bronco with the Labella .043 -.104 760FL-S light gauge flats...and a couple of mods, including a Gretsch 2202 pickup.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by Roadkill

I have RS88S tapewounds on one of my Mikro's . They have a unique "thumpy" sound but also have a surprising amount of high end (they are 44-96 roundwounds under the tape). I had to file out the nut a bit to accommodate their diameter (65-75-95-115) .

Hummm..found out the tapes diameter are larger than flats so they might be out for me.

[Thurisarz]

The Bronco is a hard one to find strings for IME. What did it for me was flats in 45-105 or larger gauge. You def need strings with med-high to high tension. And rounds makes it sound clanky (unless that's what your going for).