Strings for Am. Std. Jazz 5.

[Mike M.]

Bought a Fender American Standard Jazz 5 string bass about two weeks ago. Love everything about it.

Kind of curious as to what strings others are using who have the same bass. Right now the stock Fender strings are on the bass and I must say that for me the string to string and overall tension is perfect. For all I know they may be the perfect strings for this particular bass. I wouldn't mind trying something else as long as it doesn't throw it all out of whack.

I read somewhere here that these basses are a bit fussy as to what strings go on them.

Thanks for your time.

[tylerwylie]

I used to hate jazz basses. Then I realized I just hate nickel strings on jazz basses. Put some DR Hi Beams on a jazz bass, and now I love it. Also have awesome B's. Stock Fender strings I used sounded great for all of 3 days, DR Hi Beams sounded great for months.

[soulman969]

It kind of depends on how bright a tone you're looking for. I play a 4 string Jazz and I just put a set of GHS Pressure Wounds on and I love them. I play fingerstyle and don't slap so for me they have a lot of clarity and variance in tonality without too much zing.

The Modulus 5 string I played had DR HiBeams and they were a great match for that bass. Brighter and even more pianolike but still not overly zingy. I never used them on a Jazz 4 or 5 but I would imagine they would work nicely especially if I slapped.

I think between either of those sets you'd find one or the other you liked pretty well.

[Mike M.]

Thanks guys. After reading the thread about DR Fat Beams I picked up some at my local music store this afternoon. Haven't put them on yet, so we'll see how it goes once I do and take them for a long test drive. If I don't care for them then I'll probably try the GHS Pressure Wounds that were mentioned.

Thanks again.

[madbassplaya]

On a Fender I think you need tapered strings. When I had my Jazz V's I found they did way better with tapered strings vs. nontapered.

[Nedmundo]

I have a 2008 Am. Std. Jazz V, and I think the stock Fender strings were perfect. When I found out Fender changed their strings a year or two ago, I scooped up a couple sets of the old version. They last a long time, and I barely play my fiver, so I'm set for awhile.

I have Fat Beams on my G&L SB-2, and they are excellent. I bet they'll be great on the Jazz V. Lo-Riders would be great too; the extra stiffness would probably work nicely on the B string.

[Mike M.]

Originally Posted by Nedmundo

I have a 2008 Am. Std. Jazz V, and I think the stock Fender strings were perfect. When I found out Fender changed their strings a year or two ago, I scooped up a couple sets of the old version. They last a long time, and I barely play my fiver, so I'm set for awhile.

I have Fat Beams on my G&L SB-2, and they are excellent. I bet they'll be great on the Jazz V. Lo-Riders would be great too; the extra stiffness would probably work nicely on the B string.

So far I'm liking the Fat Beams. Identical tension compared to the stock Fender strings that came on my bass. I had nothing against the stock Fender strings, just wanted to try something else. You know, just seeing what options are out there. But the fact is that I checked at three differant stores and could not find a Fender 5 string set, otherwise I would have bought some. They really did work quite well on my bass (great feel and tension) and I wouldn't mind giving a fresh set a fair try.