String gauge and sound

[stz]

Sorry if this is duplicated elsewhere, I've had a good go with the search and the faq before asking these questions. I recently bought an american fender j bass. It came strung up with a set of fender superbass 250M NPS .045 .065 .085 .110TW.

I've only had it about two months and managed to break a string at practice last night, something I've never managed to do except when doing such suspect things as removing a set to clean a guitar, swapping flat wounds for rounds between basses etc. The one that went was the bottom E which is taperwound for the through body stringing, it went exactly on the taperwound part!

I looked up the type of strings before going down to the local syndicated guitar megastore (sound control if you happen to also have had experience with the UK) and the bass guy didn't seem to have much of an idea of what was ok to replace it with. I wanted a string exactly the same so I didn't have to play with the intonation (I've only recently started to do regular recording and didn't want anything to change) They don't do fender strings so I ended up leaving with a 34" scale length 110 rotosound roundwound.

The roto string not only didn't really fit (I've got a tiny bit of fat string touching the tuning post) but is a completly different grey colour. I'd assumed that the strings that came with the bass were stainless because they were bright silver, but having another think about it, I guess the NPS in superbass 250M NPS (what came on the bass) means nickleplated steel meaning nickle over a steel core.

Ok, so my questions.

Anyone else been using taperwound strings on through body basses and found them to be succeptable to breaking? I thought that was what they were supposed to be good for?

If I don't really fancy finding a set of through body strings, what harm can sticking 'normal' strings on do? What manufacturers other than fender do through body taperwound styles?

Why was the roto string a dirty grey colour? I'm pretty sure ones I've bought before were shiny. Most likely because it was sat under the counter for months and months waiting for me to come along?

I'm using .045 .065 .085 .110 on the J. I've always used rotosound mediums 040 .060 .075 .095. thats whats gone on my aria P bass ripoff and my tobias (though it would sometimes have roto flatwounds)

The thing that got me to buy a J bass, is I loved the sound, clear and bright with a bass thump and growl. I find the higher gauge a bit harder to play though. When I get some money come in, I'll order a few sets of strings in one go off the internet.

If I go back to using the thinner gauges I'm used to am I going to lose the sound I currently love?

What would the forum recommend for me to go with? I read the post below about what to use on a J bass, but I'm after a bit of how and why.

So ideal setup would be the sound I'm used to which is coming from the pretty new nickleplated fender strings, taperwound in .045. .065. .085. .110. Any suggestions? I was thinking of going with some roundwound Diddarrio XL's, in those gauges. I don't really want to go back to using rotos because I wasn't happy with the sound on my other basses, but maybe upping the gauge on those would get me close? They are a bit cheaper here in the UK.

And lastly, the through body stringing, supposed 34" scale. Whats that? I assumed that was medium/standard scale? why the hell did the hell was the E string too long? I'm sure other J bass players have figured out that one!

Sorry about the verbose nature of this, I'm feeling a bit stoned.

[Ampeg SVT]

I use Blue Steels .45-.105 and I go string through body, I stopped using the taperwounds because it would make the Low E sound overdriven. Ive used Daddarios, actually every kind except the EXP and the Half-Rounds. They all work fine but on the nickel sets the E string seemed to be duller than the other strings. Taperwounds I guess are supposed to counter this issue.

im not sure if another manufacturer makes those taperwounds for their basses but i do know of taperwounds that you can buy, such as GHS Contact Core Super Steels, Dean Markley SR2000's, SIT Taperwounds, DR Long-Necks, and some LaBella Stainless i forget the name for.

[McHaven]

I can't really help you with your dilemma but I can chime in on the Roto color question.

Rotosounds are always that kind of dark grey color. They're completely stainless steel and very rough. That color may be a result of a lack of grinding the string to make it smoother.

[stz]

Hi thanks for the replies so far..

I've done some looking around on the Daddario strings and they don't do a .045 - .110 set in any of their ranges. Certainly not in taperwound either, the only taperwound I could find was singles in the prosteel range starting at .120 upwards.

I guess I'm being a bit picky as it would only mean slightly changing the gauge, they are the same price as the .045 - .110 taperwound fenders that came as stock on the J. One of the reason I went out and paid for a J bass was because I was sick of messing around with various basses, pedals, amp settings.. trying to get the sound I wanted. If I'd felt like using my usual approach of DIY everything I'd have bought a cheaper bass and put fender pups in it. So I'm pretty keen on keeping my current sound that cuts right through the marshall stack/gibson/crash heavy drummer hell.

Buying Daddarios would mean taking .045 - .100. For the same money I could get what I am used to and what came on the bass with the fender strings. Unless someone can let me know that a slight change is gauge won't ruin my sound I guess thats the easy option. I've had roto mediums (.040 - .095) on other basses (admittedly cheaper basses) and not generally been happy with the sound.

From reading other posts it seems fender strings are not well liked and with me breaking one so quick I'm not sure I have a great deal of love for them either. Plus I feel like I may be missing out buying half a dozen packets and not learning that something better was out there for me.

On a slightly related note when putting that new string on, I noticed that the E leaving the nut towards the tuning post had been pulling tight down and had rubbed against the slope where the headstock meets the nut. The net effect of that was a slight groove cut into the wood! Ahh maybe I am picky! Or maybe another reason to hate the fender string?

Also playing that one new roto on it shows up the difference in tone, the roto has a big metallic bing/ping noise which dosn't quite fit in with the other strings. My next gig is on tuesday night and I hope it sounds good through an amp rather than bad! I'm quite a happy guy with that picked near the bridge, full treble full bridge pup sound though, I'm sure it will fit right in.

[stz]

La Bella do a set in the gauges I'm wanting. They are the 'slappers' Medium 45 65 85 110. http://bassguitarstrings.us says they are taperwound construction so I guess that ticks all the boxes, nickle over steel core, taperwound, gauge I want.

Any opinions on these strings? I like the idea of stainless roundwounds but can't seem to find the gauges I'm after. Reading other opinions on here, it seems thatas often a pick player with the bridge pup only I'd enjoy that sound, but I also fear the unknown!

I'm being to picky here because as a student I live from grant to grant. Rather than rely on always having money to buy a new set when I need it I tend to do things like buy a bunch of sets and use them throughout the year. So I can't really afford to cock it up!

[The Craw]

First, nickel plated doesn't mean a nickel wrap over a steel core, it's a nickel plated steel wrap over a steel core. There are very few pure nickel wrap strings. Most of the time when people (and string makers) say nickels, they mean nickel plated steel.

If you really like the tone of the stock strings, I suggest buying a locally available brand of nickel rounds in the gauges you prefer. Don't get hung up on the factory gauges. Buying the LaBella Slappers in the same gauge doesn't mean you won't have to reintonate. Tension differs from brand to brand even in the same size.

The stock strings are Fender 8250M. Almost all the non-string-through Fender use the 7250ML (45-100). For some reason Fender felt that with this bridge, using a .110 tapered E sounded better than their 45-100 set. But that's just their opinion, and their strings.

FWIW, a few years back I bought a Fender custom shop bass that was strung through body and came with the 7250ML set. It sounded just fine with a non-tapered E. When they wore out I replaced them with another nickel round brand I prefer and it sounded even better.

Bottom line, you won't lose your sound by going to lighter gauge strings. You'll probably like it better because you like the gauges better. Don't get hung up on that tapered E.

[JimmyM]

What's so hard about adjusting your intonation?

[stz]

I don't know what is so hard about adjusting my intonation as I've never done it before. The method I've heard is to measure from nut to 12th fret, double that figure , and set nut to bridge saddle distance to that for the lowest string. Then adjust each subsequent saddle back as per the string width that goes on the saddle. Then check with ears and a tuner to make fine adjustments that open notes are as good as 12th fret notes and say.. 19th fret notes.

I've just never done it before, I'm doing alot of recording for my final year at university, about once a week at the moment and its easier to trust a fender dealer who says "thats setup perfect" rather than changing the gauge which I know will change the tension and the action of the bass as well as the intonation. I've read how to adjust it, but never actually done it so can't say.. rely on it in a studio or accessed performance to be spot on.

@ The Craw.. that said I'll most likely endup buying a set of nickle rounds that are avalible for a deal, Dadarrios or maybe the Labella. If changing brand is going to mean making adjustments I might as well bite the bullet and just pickup something I like the look of. Roto's have always been my first choice because of the price but now as I'll be ordering online, that kind of evens them all out.

Thanks for the comments.

[stz]

I'd should add that as a 'all grown up' musican I should prehaps learn to take care of and maintain my own equipment.

Don't want to endup like one of those guitarists who don't even know what the knobs on their guitars and amps do!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by stz

I don't know what is so hard about adjusting my intonation as I've never done it before. The method I've heard is to measure from nut to 12th fret, double that figure , and set nut to bridge saddle distance to that for the lowest string. Then adjust each subsequent saddle back as per the string width that goes on the saddle. Then check with ears and a tuner to make fine adjustments that open notes are as good as 12th fret notes and say.. 19th fret notes.

Nope, that's way too much work. Intonation is as simple as operating a screwdriver. You plug into a tuner, hit the 12th fret harmonic on a string, then fret it at the 12th fret and play the same note. If the fretted note is sharper than the harmonic, move the saddle back towards the base of the bridge. If the fretted note is flatter than the harmonic, move the saddle towards the pickups. The object is to get the 12th fret harmonic and the fretted note to read the same. Takes all of 10 minutes on a Fender, and that way you won't be stuck using a .110 E if you don't want to.