Tapered B or non tapered?

[KingRazor]

Wanted to ask people's opinions on tapered B strings. I like would I've read about them, but what do you guys think?

[Eminentbass]

I prefer non-tapered. To me they're less floppy and don't cause as much fret buzz with low action.

[David1234]

And I prefer tapered, mostly because the non tapered ones sometimes don't fit my bass's bridge.

[Mike M.]

I use a tapered B and E strings on my Jazz bass. It's what came on the bass when I bought it this past December and I've stuck with them. I'm using the Fender 82505M set. (I think that's the model number). I haven't tried a set with a non-tapered B so I can't comment. I was told that one of the reasons they came up with the tapered strings is so you can get the action a lot lower than a non-tapered string and I can see where that would be true, but I'm no expert.

[elavate7]

non tapered for me......but i never tried the tapered do idk

[LowB-ing]

Taper has nothing to do do with string height/action really, as you get the exact same effect by raising/lowering the saddle. Sure, if your bridge saddle is maxed out at its lowest you can use a tapered string to get the string slightly lower, but at that point it's really just a band aid on a deeper setup problem. You might want to shim the neck instead.

The real reason they (Anthony Jackson?) came up with the taper is that it supposedly adds a little brightness due to the added flexibility of the string at the bridge and a more defined witness point.

[Andyman001]

I thought tapers were made for "through body" Bass's, although I use them on surface mount bridge.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by LowB-ing

Taper has nothing to do do with string height/action really, as you get the exact same effect by raising/lowering the saddle. Sure, if your bridge saddle is maxed out at its lowest you can use a tapered string to get the string slightly lower, but at that point it's really just a band aid on a deeper setup problem. You might want to shim the neck instead.

The real reason they (Anthony Jackson?) came up with the taper is that it supposedly adds a little brightness due to the added flexibility of the string at the bridge and a more defined witness point.

But I think I read somewhere that anthony jackson uses exposed core and not taper core strings, if I remember correctly...

[1kinal]

I like both and while I prefer the feel of non-taper, the best B-strings I've played were taper-core.

My favorite is the MTD stainless taper-core 135. Honorable mentions to the Sadowsky black label and LaBella Hard rockin steel.

While I love DR strings, I've never been crazy about their low-B strings.

[knuckle_head]

Originally Posted by LowB-ing

The real reason they (Anthony Jackson?) came up with the taper is that it supposedly adds a little brightness due to the added flexibility of the string at the bridge and a more defined witness point.

Originally Posted by cnltb

But I think I read somewhere that anthony jackson uses exposed core and not taper core strings, if I remember correctly...

This is exactly why, and bare core accentuates the brightness a bit more.

[IronMaiden]

I find the tapered b strings to be more balanced tonally to the e and a strings. It kind of seems floppier but their is a better witness point at the bridge which is always a good thing.

[KingRazor]

My bass currently has a .130 non tapered string. From the look of the bridge, that's the fattest string that will fit in it normally without having to just sit on the saddle. If I ever got above a .130 I'll probably have to get a tapered (though I would rather not, the .130 is already beefier than I'd like).