| Lighter gauge on bass is similar to that of guitar. The sound is somewhat thinner, output is lower (less vibrating mass over the pickup), and overall sustain suffers a bit, but on the plus side strings take less pressure to fret and bend, and the thinner sound can in certain styles be preferable.
For thumbstyle (slap), the general consensus around here is a lighter gauge. You get a brighter zing, and it takes less thumb to slap properly, so there's less windup involved and you can slap faster and more controlled with less effort.
For jazz, it all depends on the type of jazz. Just like there are many different sounds in rock, there are many different jazz sounds. If you're gonna slap, take the above advice. for more mellow stuff, a nice set of flats in medium gauge gives you a nice deep quasi-uprightish sound. In most other cases you can pick whichever gauge feels most comfortable to play.
Personally, I find that a good set of "regulars" (45-65-80-100 or 45-65-85-105, depending on make) is a good all-round gauge, with good tone and sustain but very slappable.
IMO, the string shape and materials make more of a difference in sound and feel than does gauge. Stainless rounds give a very scooped, sharp, bright sound, while nickel-plated or nickel-wound rounds give a little more high mids and warmth to the sound while retaining much of steel's brightness (when new; nickels age more noticeably and go dead after a while). Flats of just about any makeup are going to be mellower than their roundwound counterparts, while tapewounds are mellower still.
Last edited by Liko : 09-25-2007 at 06:06 PM.
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String Gauges, 
